What it’s about- it follows the life of Lucy who has moved to university in London from Sunderland. She struggles to fit in to the new environment, working long shifts to make ends meet. She leaves for Ireland to find who she really is.
What I thought – while it was written in a poetic way, which I liked, the story was very difficult to keep up with. There were times when it seemed to flow beautifully but then it would suddenly jump to something else, maybe a different time, which just didn’t work for me. It made it hard to know where the story was going and there were some passages that just completely confused me. I personally liked the writing style it made the passages flow and rather than being written in chapters it was written in short passages as though it was a group of poems that linked together.
Would I recommend – I feel it is a book for people with a specific taste. If you love poetry this could perfect for you as I feel it’s the sort of book you need to really read into to understand what is happening.
What is it about? Anna Andrews finally got her dream job as a newsreader, but this is suddenly taken away from her when a colleague returns from maternity leave. She is given the job to cover a murder case in Blackdown village; a case that her ex-husband DCI Jack Harper is investigating. Soon enough they both become suspects. ‘Someone is lying, and some secrets are worth killing to keep.’
What did I think? This is one of the best books I have read in a while, I was absolutely gripped, and I will not lie when I say I couldn’t put it down. Any time I wasn’t reading it I felt pulled to read more. Though I admit I worked it out, there were so many twists and turns that made me completely doubt my theory. I just had to know who the murderer was and why they were doing it. All the characters had stories that could link them to the murders and there was suspicion surrounding them all meaning you could never be a hundred percent sure about who the murderer really was. I especially liked the use of the murderer’s voice, though the novel flips between him and her (Jack and Anna), the reader is given some chapters from the murderer’s perspective but doesn’t tell us which character is speaking. These chapters give the murderers thoughts and they often have clues that could link to just about any of the characters adding to the frustration of not knowing who did it. I think these were a very welcome addition as not only did they break up Anna and Jack’s thoughts, giving a perspective that their chapters didn’t, they would help to create cliff-hangers throughout the novel. The book was incredibly dark, more so than I expected, as the story goes on things are revealed about those who are being murdered paint them in an evil light. I feel the author wanted to create a sense that the killer really did have reason behind the killings, as their shocking secrets are revealed. The things they did though, effected so many people that it’s impossible to tell which of them is looking for revenge. In having all the stories intertwine so perfectly, Feeney was able to create a story that kept me guessing even when I thought I had worked it out. I did this book as a buddy read with a group on Instagram which was exciting as I got to hear other people’s thoughts and those who had read a bit further would hint that exciting things were to come.
Would I recommend? 100%. If you’re into detective thrillers this is definitely a book for you. It had me completely on the hook and I literally couldn’t put it down.
What book review is coming up next? Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams.
Personally, I find reading to be the perfect hobby. You get so much out of it; it helps you expand your vocabulary, allows you to learn and takes you to another world. Of course, there are so many different genres to chose from and though I do have favourites I try to read a wide variety. The main reason I added a book section to this blog is to help readers find books they want to read and I felt it would motivate me to keep reading. I find that I’ll go through phases where I won’t pick up a book but once I do I become once again emerged in the world of fiction. That’s not to say I don’t ever read non-fiction but I find myself less inclined read it and more drawn to historical fiction (typical history student) and crime and mystery novels; so you’ll be seeing a lot of those. Now that I’ve been spending more time at home I’ve found myself to be reading a lot more and I can spend hours turning the pages of a great book. I’ve even joined an online book club! Lockdown is the perfect time to get suck into reading, think about all those book you’ve been wanting to read thinking ‘if only I had time’ well, now’s the perfect opportunity. Submerging yourself in something that’s thought provoking or takes you to an imagined place will also allow you to keep your brain working now that university has broken up for summer and allows for a productive break from work. There’s never been a better time to snuggle up with a nice cup of tea and a novel, especially before bed when if I wasn’t reading I’d be on my phone or laptop which is not the best for a good night sleep. So, why not ask your friend for a great book recommendation?
I am currently reading ‘We need to talk about Kevin’ by Lionel Shriver, so look out for a review on that very soon! If you have any book recommendations or want to see me review a particular book let me know in the comments or reach out to be through social media. There’s nothing like a good book recommendation.
Eden Emily Blogs 