Book Ramblings

A book blog by Olivia Lawton. 

[bookramblings]

Lore

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Published by: Quercus

Pages: 550

Format: Paperback

My Rating ★★★1/2

For centuries, Zeus has punished the gods with a game called the Agon, which turns them mortal for one week, and at the mercy of being hunted by those with godly ambitions. Only a handful of the original Greek gods remain, the rest replaced by the mortals who killed them and ascended.

After her family's sadistic murder by a rival bloodline, Lore escapes and vows to repay her parents' sacrifice by doing one thing - surviving. For seven years, she has pushed back dark thoughts of revenge against the man responsible for their murder, a man by the name of Wrath who has attained unimaginable power. Except for one week, every seven years. A week that is fast approaching ...

When Lore comes home on the first night of the Agon to find Athena gravely wounded on her doorstep, the goddess offers her an alliance; they have a mutual enemy, after all. But as the world trembles under the force of Wrath - a god with the power to destroy all of humanity - will Lore's decision to bind her fate with Athena's come back to haunt her?

My thoughts:

Every seven years, the Agon begins. Essentially this is a punishment created by Zeus for past rebellions. During the Agon, nine Greek Gods are forced to walk the Earth as mortals, all the while being hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines. If a God is killed during the Agon, the hunter responsible for their death gets to seize their powers and immortality, thus becoming a New God.

Melora, known as Lore, is a part of the Perseous line. She is no longer participating in the Agon. Lore has left that whole world behind and kept herself hidden since the last hunt left her entire family dead in their home, including her two little sisters, murdered by a rival clan. Living in New York City, Lore has done a good job blending in and has successfully flown under the radar of anyone related to the hunt. At least that's what she thinks. Over the course of the story, you really watch her character evolve from a damaged soul to a true force to be reckoned with. I think readers will be surprised by just how brutal this story actually is. I mean, Greek gods are violent beings, and this story definitely leans into that side of them. I think it made the concept of the Agon that much more desperate and dangerous.

However, I do think the story could have benefited from dual POVs. Castor’s arc and development is too important to the story for him to just be a side character. I think if he had his own chapters, the world-building might have flowed a bit smoother, and his character would feel more real.

I was so intrigued about this whole concept and enjoyed seeing Lore emerge as a really interesting character. I think Bracken did a great job of building this out and there was always plenty of action and intrigue to keep me wanting more. It was all very fast-paced, nonstop action. And yet, there were moments when the story lulled within the action. It all started blending together. Despite that, I wish there had been slower moments to better know the characters and history of the world. The pacing didn’t quite work for me, and I think the whole thing was just too long. There is a lot of information dumped throughout the book, and at times I felt I had to forced myself to keep going.

All in all, this was still a fairly fun read, and I would recommend it to fans of YA fantasy and especially anyone who’s into Greek mythology. It did, however, fall somewhat short of my admittedly high expectations.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

Spontaneous

Author: Aaron Starmer

Published by: Canongate

Pages: 356

Format: Paperback

My Rating ★★

Mara Carlyle’s senior year is going as normally as could be expected, until— KABAM! —fellow senior Katelyn Ogden explodes during third period. Katelyn is the first, but she won’t be the last teenager to blow up without warning or explanation. The body count grows, and the search is on for a reason, while the students continue to pop like balloons. But if bombs or terrorists or a government conspiracy aren’t to blame, what is?

With the help of her oldest friend, her new boyfriend, a power ballad and a homemade disco ball, will Mara make it to graduation in one piece? It’s going to be one hell of a year, where the only test is how to stay alive and where falling in love might be the worst thing you can do…

My thoughts:

Mara's senior year is proving to be a lot less exciting than she'd hoped, until the day Katelyn Ogden explodes during third period. Katelyn is the first, but she won't be the last senior to explode without warning or explanation. The body count grows, and the search is on for a reason. As the seniors continue to pop like balloons and the national eye turns to Mara’s suburban New Jersey hometown, the FBI rolls in and the search for a reason is on.

The author picked an unusual premise and a unique situation. There were some points where it felt dystopian and some points where it felt like an FBI story, but mainly was rooted in realistic fiction. Which was interesting for this scenario.

This book was original, and it was addicting, but it had the potential to be so much better. It felt a bit like watching a bad or trashy tv show, when you catch yourself thinking "This is bad," and as you consider flipping the channel there's something that hooks you in again.

As more and more seniors die, it soon becomes clear that these students don't have anything in common except being part of the same class and that even the teens who transferred or tried to leave town are at risk. The FBI quickly arrives to investigate and quarantine the students, while the remaining classmates try to cope any way they can - sex and drugs and rock and roll, drinking, parties, distracting themselves with projects, or investigating the situation on their own.

I enjoyed the shift in the reactions to the explosions, which continue throughout the book. After they've gone on for a while, people shruggingly adapt to the combustions as though this is just something that happens sometimes.

After a little while though, the book kind of falls apart, particularly in terms of the characters. For starters, Mara was supposed to be this relatable teenager going through all kinds of heightened emotions, but she was just awful. She knows she's awful and discusses it throughout. But she also has the worst narrative style. Those looking for forward-telling stories can expect to be annoyed on multiple occasions.  She didn’t exactly have the voice of a teenage girl, and sadly it felt all too obvious that this was written by a male author.

It also seemed like the author was relying too heavily upon the concept of spontaneous combustion, instead of focusing on developing more realistic and compelling characters and making sure the plot actually made sense. Even the supporting characters seemed poorly developed. One example is Special agent Carla Rosetti, who does not act like an FBI agent any more that Mara acts like a real world girl.

All in all, this book was... very strange. Despite the interesting premise and my initial hopes for a funny and exciting plot, this ultimately turned out to be another book in which a male author depicts a terrible version of how a girl thinks and behaves. And while the ending was oddly satisfying, readers are still only left with a general idea of what happened. I wish the conclusion hadn’t been so vague.

If you enjoy reading humorous books with a snarky attitude, you may want to read Spontaneous, although if you also want a plot that makes sense or at least an ending that explains what on earth you just read, maybe skip this one.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

The Deathless Girls

Author: Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Published by: Bellatrix books

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

My Rating ★★

They say the thirst for blood is like a madness.

On the eve of her divining, the day she'll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar. Forced to work as slaves, they are stripped of hope, power, and everything they’ve ever known. Until Mira, a fellow captive, gives Lil someone to live for – and someone to love.

But when the sisters hear of the mythical Dragon, more monster than man, who accepts girls as gifts, their desperate existence is threatened once more. In this brutal world of dark desire and destiny, the girls must fight to save their own flesh and blood – even if that means accepting a fate beyond death…

My thoughts:

The Deathless Girls was recently released as part of a series from Bellatrix books, pulling new focus on the girls forgotten to literature. This is an origin story of the brides of Dracula, from the award-winning, bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave. I read the author’s debut adult novel The Mercies early on in 2020 and enjoyed it, so went into this one with high hopes.

The writing style was good - and yet nothing excitingly special. The worldbuilding worked okay for me, just like the characters did (eventually) come to life in a nice way. And yet, it felt as if the landscape stayed pale for much of the book. It took a frustratingly long time for the plot to get going. Things became exciting and dark in the last third. The whole first half of the book seemed to lack menace and pace, but the whole thing was pretty well-written and intriguing enough to keep me reading.

My main issue is that vampires weren’t even mentioned until page 189 - that's over 50% of the book done before we even get a glimpse of fangs! I mean… really? Don't promise me Dracula's brides and then give me nothing to do with Dracula for 70% of the book.

The Deathless Girls explores the origin of Dracula's Dark Sisters with menace and malevolence. It was a quick read but ultimately a disappointment. What Hargrave ultimately delivered was a very lacklustre piece of gothic style fiction. This book just wasn't for me. Gorgeous cover, but The Deathless Girls doesn’t deliver until it’s final pages.

It’s a dark YA tale very much in the vein of other modern fairy tale reimagining’s. This is a book that aims to give agency to the story of the brides of Dracula from the original Dracula novel.

The premise is great, and I was really looking forward to reading this. But all in all, I feel that this didn’t quite fulfil its brief. Despite a few really enjoyable moments in its final pages, The Deathless Girls is pretty much as lifeless as all those bodies Dracula keeps impaled on his castle gates.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

Troy

Author: Stephen Fry

Published by: Michael J Books

Pages: 395

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★★

Troy.

The most marvellous kingdom in all the world.

The Jewel of the Aegean. Glittering Ilion, the city that rose and fell not once but twice.

The story of Troy speaks to all of us – the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against the great city, to which they will lay siege for ten whole and very bloody years.

It is Zeus, the king of the gods, who triggers war when he asks the Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of them all. Aphrodite bribes Paris with the heart of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of the Greeks, and naturally, nature takes its course.

It is a terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides. The Greeks cannot defeat the Trojans – since Achilles, the Greeks’ boldest warrior, is consumed with jealousy over an ally’s choice of lover, the Trojan slave Briseis, and will not fight…

The stage is set for the oldest and greatest story ever told, where monstrous passions meet the highest ideals and the lowest cunning.

In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore.

My thoughts:

I don't even have the words to describe my excitement for this! To be honest, I was waiting for this book ever since I finished Heroes, the second book in the series. Troy is an amazing subject area since it is full of great myths, stories, heroes, villains, sorrow, pain, lust and love.

Fry's trilogy about Greek Mythology has been really wonderful, and Troy continues in every aspect of the previous two works (Mythos and Heroes) in the re-imagining of the tragedy of Troy.

A large chunk of the book is spent setting the scene and giving some backstory to the events that ultimately led to war. We learn about the causes and preparation of the war, the creation of Troy and all myths surrounding it. This was my favourite part of the retelling, and there were so many little details and side characters who were new to me - I loved hearing their stories and figuring out who they were, as well as which heroes were present and why, and which God and Goddess supported which side of the battle.

This all makes for a highly entertaining and compelling reading experience. The first half of the book prepares the reader well for the second part, everything that happens during the war, in the Iliad and the aftermath.

Fry’s writing style is witty and eloquent, as always. His narration makes it easy to understand for readers with no prior knowledge of these stories, whilst also remaining interesting and highly entertaining for all, no matter how well-informed you already feel going in.

Just as in the previous two instalments, Stephen Fry has once again brought to life the extraordinary tales of Ancient Greece and the Greek myths.  The author’s clear life-long passion for Greek mythology shines through on every page, and it’s impossible not to get swept up in these truly epic stories. Fry’s knowledge of the world - ancient and modern - bursts through at the seams. With his usual wit, elegance and humour, he brings every part to life for modern readers. This is a fantastic retelling of the Siege of Troy.

It is fascinating entertainment. A great story in the hands of a great storyteller - it's really not like anything could go wrong here. Fry is at his story-telling best. Perhaps Stephen Fry’s most epic book yet? I’m just so sad to see this trilogy come to an end so soon. I’m not ready!

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

The Apparition Phase

Author: Will Maclean

Published by: William Heinemann

Pages: 406

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★

Tim and Abi have always been different from their peers. Precociously bright, they spend their evenings in their parents’ attic discussing the macabre and unexplained, zealously re-reading books on folklore, hauntings and the supernatural. In particular, they are obsessed with photographs of ghostly apparitions and the mix of terror and delight they provoke in their otherwise safe and boring childhood.

But when Tim and Abi decide to fake a photo of a ghost to frighten an unpopular school friend, they set in motion a deadly and terrifying chain of events that neither of them could have predicted and are forced to confront the possibility that what began as a callous prank might well have taken on a malevolent life of its own.

My thoughts:

The Apparition Phase is an unsettling literary ghost story set in the early 1970s. Tim and Abi Smith are teenage twins growing up in a lower middle-class household in the early 1970s. They are obsessed with ghosts and all things supernatural. Their knowledge of ghostly apparitions caught on camera, inspires them to create a ghostly photo of their own - a fake one of course, echoing the girls who said they’d taken photos of The Cottingley Fairies in 1917. Of course, terrible consequences ensue.

With their fake ghost photo, Tim and Abi accidentally release some kind of malevolent spirit into the world, which soon leads to Abi going missing.

This first section of the book is spellbinding. In particular, there was one scene – in which Janice lashes out at the twins with what seems to be a prophecy or possession – which is truly chilling, almost cinematic in its intensity, and sure to remain lodged in the reader’s mind.

The blurb gives the impression that Part I is the backbone of the entire story. So, I was surprised to be yanked from all that sublime scene-setting into Part II, which, it turns out, sets the tone for everything else. Set a few years later, it involves Tim joining a group of ghost hunters at a country house called Yarlings.

Tim struggles to cope with Abi’s disappearance, their parents begin to grow apart, and before long Tim is being hauled off by a bunch of hippy paranormal researchers to take part in some kind of ‘scientific research project’ at a big old haunted house in the Suffolk countryside. He finds himself gathered in the apparently haunted house with a bunch of other disturbed teenagers.  

During his time there, Tim’s world opens up, but we never lose sight of his grief, and alongside him we are caught up in the romance, hope and terror of the ghost hunt, the ever-shifting dynamics of the quickly intimate group, and the question of what might really be going on behind the scenes.

It’s a stunning literary debut with excellent narrative, and a truly engrossing, unsettling storyline with lots of twists and turns along the way. It surprised me that this definitely felt like a young adult novel, despite the narrator’s adult prose. For me, I initially felt that the ending was the weakest part, but then I read the epilogue and was convinced otherwise. Do not skip the epilogue!  

Like all great ghost stories, The Apparition Phase questions what is real and what is simply a trick of the mind – and whether there’s really a difference between the two. Full of gothic suspense, this was a creepy and gripping read. I was totally engrossed and absorbed the book in a couple of days.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Author: V.E. Schwab

Published by: Titan Books

Pages: 545

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★★

France, 1714.

A desperate woman makes a desperate deal in the dark – a bargain to live forever but be remembered by none.

So begins the invisible life of Addie LaRue, shadow muses to artists throughout history, forgotten friend, confidante and lover, slipping away with the morning light. Addie passes through lives, desperate only to leave a trace of herself. Until the day she walks back into a small bookshop in Manhattan and meets Henry, who remembers her.

After 300 years Addie’s life is restarting, but the devil never plays fair. As Henry and Addie’s lives start to intertwine, they must face the consequences of the decisions they’ve made and the prices to be paid.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a dazzling adventure across centuries and continents, across history and art, about a young woman learning how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

My thoughts:

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is an enchanting new page-turner from a true master of fantasy, V.E. Schwab.

The story begins in 1714, as Addie, a dreamer and artist, tries to find her way out of an impending marriage. To escape the wedding, she makes a deal with Luc, the god of darkness, to free herself forever from belonging to anyone. He grants Addie immortality and liberty in exchange for her soul.

Addie soon learns the consequences of dealing with darkness. She belongs to no one, true, but she didn’t anticipate that no one would remember her face or her name. Her parents and friends forget her. Existing only as a muse for artists throughout history, she learns to fall in love anew every single day.

Addie herself is an incredibly compelling character, a girl born in the wrong time, so desperate to be free she makes a deal with the devil. “I want a chance to live. I want to be free…I want more time.”

Her only companion on this journey is the mysterious dark devil with hypnotic green eyes, who visits her each year on the anniversary of their deal. Then one day, in a second-hand bookshop in Manhattan, Addie meets someone who remembers her. Suddenly thrust back into a real, normal life, Addie realises she can’t escape her fate forever.

The story follows Addie as she slips through time, desperately trying to have some influence on the world and the people she meets. For while she can't leave a mark or memory in her wake, she finds that she can plant ideas and tend to them, filling art and music with echoes of her presence throughout time.

This book is a masterclass in timing and world-building. The story moves back and forth through timelines weaving its way, but I never found myself lost or confused. The transitions in the book feel effortless, and the world-building is so enchanting you’ll feel like you’re stood in Paris or New York side by side with Addie.

Even with an awareness of all the hype the book has been receiving online, it still leapt high above my expectations. Schwab has created a genius concept and a panoramic, time-hopping narrative of immortality and erased memory.

The book is so cleverly executed, and I don’t think I’ll ever read anything like it again. I am passionately in love with this prose, and V. E. Schwab has written an unforgettable book about a girl who’s always forgotten.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a beautiful story about life, hope, and the importance of connection and legacy. Schwab's writing is lyrical and firm, etching itself into your memory as you read, leaving you unable to forget the book about the forgotten girl. It also has a pretty perfect ending and a extremely satisfying conclusion.

I highly recommend it to both fantasy and non-fantasy readers alike, as there is something in this book for almost everyone.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

Starve Acre

Author: Andrew Michael Hurley

Published by: John Murray

Pages: 244

Format: Paperback (Proof copy)

My Rating ★★★★★

The worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby’s son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five, Starve Acre, their house by the moors, was to be full of life, but is now a haunted place.

Juliette, convinced Ewan still lives there in some form, seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, to try to keep the boy out of his mind, has turned his attention to the field opposite the house, where he patiently digs the barren dirst in search of a legendary oak tree.

My thoughts:

Starve Acre is a novel about the way in which grief splits the world in two and how, in searching for hope, we can so easily unearth horror.

This is a folk horror tale, full of menace and fuelled by guilt. Richard and Juliette Willoughby, and their young son Ewan moved to Richard’s family home in the Yorkshire Dales following the death of his parents. The house known as Starve Acre has unhappy memories for Richard as he recalls his father’s mental breakdown. The unfriendliness of the house and the surrounding fields haven’t changed.

From the very first pages Hurley creates a rising sense of dread in this brief, unforgettable novel.

The more time Ewan spends in the field, the more erratic he becomes, and before his first year at school is over, his parents have to pull him out for an act of brutal violence. Soon, he is dead. As the story moves between the events leading to Ewan’s death and its aftermath, we learn that the family had previously been ostracised by the villagers, due to the boy’s increasingly violent behaviour.

This leaves the couple even more isolated and alone in their grief. As the tension builds the author shows off his unique talent for evoking the menace of this northern landscape. The remote location generates a sense of dread whereby the ghost may be lingering in the suspicious setting. It is wild, rural England at its most bleak.

Juliette closes herself off from the world after her son’s death. She spends all her time in Ewan’s old bedroom, weeping, listening for him or reading stories into thin air. She is convinced that the boy still lives there somehow, in some form. The Willoughbys’ neighbour Gordon introduces her to a group called ‘the Beacons’, who claim to be able to make contact with the dead, or something like that – their methods and aims are deliberately vague.

When a visit from the Beacons coincides with Richard unearthing the complete skeleton of a hare, Juliette’s supernatural beliefs are only strengthened. It is clear that something terrible has been invited in from the wild world outside to cross the threshold. There is an otherworldliness to the hare, and it’s time at Starve Acre has significant consequences.

Andrew Michael Hurley has a real gift for the gothic style, horror tinged, atmospheric storytelling that immerses the reader here in a chillingly dark and disturbing world. Hostile locals, grieving parents, a sinister oak: Starve Acre is an unforgettable folk horror read. It is beautifully written and distinctively creepy. 

I honestly could not have predicted or guessed where the story was heading, particularly in the novel’s startling final sentence. I mean, that ending... That ending kept me awake. It was so far from anything I could have imagined happening. It’s just, it’s horrible and morbidly fascinating and totally shocking. Such an unpredictable twist, and it works entirely. 

Starve Acre was a perfect, page-turning reading for a dark night, especially suited for this time of year. I loved it.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

The Midnight Library

Author: Matt Haig

Published by: Canongate

Pages: 288

Format: Hardback (Independent Bookshop Edition)

My Rating ★★★★★

Between life and death there is a library.

When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.

The books in the midnight library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they’d be, and soon her choices place her in extreme danger.

My thoughts:

From the author of How to Stop Time and The Humans comes this poignant, unique novel about hope, regret and forgiveness - and a library that houses second chances.

This is a captivating and warm story of a young woman who is just done with living. She sees no place for her in the world. And so, she ends up in the secret library...a place where she has an opportunity to take a different path, lead an infinite number of different lives, and try and find what it is that makes her truly happy.

I love Matt Haig’s message throughout his books of gentleness and kindness. And this may well be my favourite so far.

Of course, the library consists of books, all green in colour. The library also exists between life and death. Firstly, Nora has to look at the huge tome of the Book of Regrets. In it are all the times where she regretted a particular decision at a turning point in her life or other small different possible turns. The library has a limitless number of books, and these books are far from ordinary.

Haig sprinkles gold dust in each book, offering Nora the opportunity to see how her life would have turned out if each and every decision at every point in her life had been different. The various books illustrate the endless possibilities that life holds for Nora and all of us. Nora explores each book, with inquisitiveness and curiosity, the widely different lives that could have been hers, no easy task as she has to slip into each new life with the complications of being unfamiliar with it and do so without alerting the other people close to her.

Nora is allowed the opportunity to become a "slider", to go and try out the lives she might have had. She starts with the bigger decisions like what would have happened if she had continued with a particular relationship, or a particular career path etc. If she is content enough, she will stay in the other life, if not she will return to the library, but time in her "root life" is running out. It is certainly one to get you thinking. I was thinking about major turning points in my own life when I may have chosen differently, and I would have had a totally different life. As always, the author makes you think about what really matters and it is done with great humour and real heart. There's something cosy and safe about this book, despite there being many occasions when Nora Seed is in peril. I’m so glad I was able to read it in just a couple of sittings from home as the rain poured outside. It felt perfect for this time of year as we approach the final few days of October.

Imagine It's a Wonderful Life of our times. A beautiful, heart-warming hug of a book. Matt Haig knows how to pull on your heartstrings and he does it oh so well. It’s been snapped up for a film adaptation by Studio Canal, and I’m really intrigued to see it the story told on screen next!

The Midnight Library is quietly profound and deeply meaningful. It’s one I know I’ll remember for a long time. What a beautiful book, as expected.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

A Deadly Education: Lesson One of the Scholomance

Author: Naomi Novik

Published by: Del Rey Books

Pages: 320

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★★

From the New York Times bestselling author of Uprooted and Spinning Silver comes the story of an unwilling dark sorceress who is destined to rewrite the rules of magic.

Enter a school of magic unlike any you have ever encountered. There are no teachers, no holidays, no teachers, friendships are purely strategic, and the odds of survival and never equal. Once you’re inside, there are only two ways out: you graduate or die.

El Higgins is uniquely prepared for the school’s many dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out untold millions – never mind destroy the countless monsters that prowl the school.

Except, she might accidentally kill all the other students, too. So El is trying her hardest not to use it… that is, unless she has no other choice.

My thoughts:

“We’re not meant to all survive, anyway. The school has to be fed somehow.”

A Deadly Education is a nightmare from which I never wished to wake. Savage, inventive, and soulful, A Deadly Education is part one of the latest fantasy series from Naomi Novik.

First of all, the world building is so original and incredibly detailed. It's clear Novik put an insane amount of thought into this series, and it really shows. The setting itself is fascinating. The school is a self-regulating living organism which provides the students with a strange experience of education. It is a cross between a prison and a deadly boarding school. If you attend, your life is literally on the line.

“Most of the time less than a quarter of the class makes it all the way through graduation.”

The Scholomance is an isolated magical boarding school in the Void that you enter at fourteen and - maybe, possibly, if you are one of the very lucky ones - get to leave four years later.

There are no teachers, but the students still study hard - it’s the only thing to do when your choices are learn enough useful skills and maybe live or fall prey to the multitude of monsters living there (and occasionally to your own classmates).

It’s undoubtedly a pretty dark concept: every person inside is basically just a child trying to survive. It’s excellent at showing very plausible struggles and anxieties of a young person in a strange fictional world full of gruesome situations. It’s a magic school story with sharp menacing teeth, and I loved that. I was so fascinated by this whole concept that I absorbed all of it greedily.

In this book, Novik has created a heroin for the ages – a character so sharply realised and so richly nuanced that reading her narration is glorious. As you follow her story and hear her points of view throughout the book, you see the various ways she has to defend herself in a (most-likely) un-survivable situation.

She's ostracised for the weird vibes people get off her, and her abrasive personality, but she manages to keep a tight lid on her self-control to not use her powers.  Her personality is her armour to help her survive.  She's prickly and snarky, because she's been hurt so much, but she's also loyal, smart, and incredibly relatable. Her development over the course of the book - from furious loner to someone who lets Orion in, and realises that maybe she's garnering real friends too - is so wonderful. Oh, and also, she's genuinely very funny.

It starts very much as a YA read but throughout the story moves into more adult territory so organically that you notice it more after thinking back on the whole story. I honestly think all ages can enjoy a dark fantasy like this. It’s a beautiful blend of dark academia, magic, action and monsters. What’s not to love? I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

They Wish They Were Us

AMAZAuthor: Jessica Goodman

Published by: Razorbill, Penguin Random House

Pages: 330

Format: Paperback

My Rating ★★★★

In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.

Freshman year Jill’s best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.

Now its Jill’s senior year and she’s determined to make it her best. After all, she’s a senior and a Player – a member of the Gold Coast Prep’s exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, the highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill’s year. She’s sure of it.

But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham’s innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn’t kill Shaila, who did?

Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper means putting her friendships, and her future. In jeopardy.

My thoughts:

They Wish They Were Us is a murder mystery set against the backdrop of an exclusive prep school on Long Island.

Throughout the novel you learn about The Players and their backstories, how they became the cliquey seniors they are. Jill, the main protagonist, receives a text message with information about Shaila's death three years ago. From there, the story flows and I was captivated pretty quickly.

Having said that, it did take time to understand Jill’s motivations in this story. It takes a little while to explore the prep school experience from the perspective of someone who knows the cost of fitting in and introduces you to The Players and other morally grey characters in Gold Coast. I enjoyed how Goodman set the scene for us early on, with lots of detail and a fair amount of backstory for the main key characters. Debut writer Jessica Goodman has created an interesting cast of characters here.

This is a book that you will devour for its secret society, hazing rituals, exclusivity, popularity and power of the privileged few.  Jumping from the past and present POV of Jill, subtle clues to the mystery are dropped and layers are built up to show us who Jill truly is. Jill is a great narrator. Though her moral compass is compromised by being a Player, deep down she cares about right and wrong.

I expected more mystery and investigation, which only got started around half-way through the book. I liked that the writing delved a bit deeper beyond the prep-school murder-mystery trope and also explores female friendships, loyalty and grief. Goodman explores the harrowing consequences of belonging and keeping up the façade in a pressured environment.

The book has already been labelled as Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars, but I’d also probably throw in a similarity to Veronica Mars due to the second part of the story which follows Jill in her efforts to uncover the truth and solve the case for good.

I was quite intrigued by the whole story. I’m not entirely sure about They Wish They Were Us being labelled as a thriller though. It's more of a light mystery in my eyes. All that being said, I thought that this was a really entertaining and gripping read.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

The Devil’s Due: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure

Author: Bonnie Macbird

Published by: Collins Crime Club, Harper Collins

Pages: 365

Format: Paperback

My Rating ★★★★★

London, 1890. A freezing November.

As anarchists terrorize the city, a series of gruesome murders strikes deeper into its heart. Leading philanthropists are being slaughtered in alphabetical order, all members of a secret club, the Luminarians. And with each victim, a loved one mysteriously dies as well.

Hampered by a new head of Scotland Yard, a vengeful journalist and a beautiful socialite with her own agenda, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson attempt to close in on the killer.

As the murders continue, the letter “H” climbs closer to the top of the list – and then Mycroft Holmes disappears. Must Sherlock Holmes himself cross to the dark side to take down this devil? Even John Watson, the man who knows him best, can only watch and wonder…

My thoughts:

Thank you to Tandem Collective who sent me out a copy of the book and invited me to take part in the online readalong in exchange for an honest review.

After Art in the Blood and Unquiet Spirits, Holmes and Watson are back in the third of Bonnie MacBird’s critically acclaimed Sherlock Holmes Adventures, written in the tradition of Conan Doyle himself. It’s 1890 and the newly famous Sherlock Holmes faces his worst enemy to date – a terrible villain bent on destroying some of London’s most admired public figures in particularly gruesome ways.

As he tracks the killer through a particularly busy and cold, rainy London, Holmes finds himself battling both an envious Scotland Yard and a critical press as he follows a complicated trail of crime scenes. But when his brother Mycroft disappears, apparently the victim of murder, even those close to Holmes begin to wonder how close to the flames he has travelled.

Despite this being the third book in MacBird’s series, the story works perfectly as a standalone. The author  does a remarkable job in resurrecting Sherlock, this is a great mystery with Sherlock facing a worthy adversary in this complex story of secrets, corruption and murder.

The narrative is delivered by Watson, a man who has greatly missed being in the thick of city life and the range of London's social circles, from the elite to the poorest. The author does a great job with her characterisation of Watson. Finally, we see an intelligent physician with a deep and loyal affection for his friend, a love of adventure, and someone who is physically and intellectually strong. Holmes and Watson are in perfect form and a new character, Heffie O’Malley, makes a wonderful addition.

The novel races along at a thrilling pace, and while her writing style is her own, the voices of all the characters naturally ring true to Victorian London and the world of Conan-Doyle. It’s clear MacBird has done her research. I haven't read the first two books in this series but I can't wait to buy them now.

The Devil's Due is one of those rare books that I simply couldn’t put down. As a result, I ended up speeding through it at a quicker rate than planned for the readalong. Sorry, not sorry Harper Collins!

I haven't read a story this rich in texture and detail in a long time, yet it moved with great speed. Never a dull moment; there were so many fun elements that made this stand out from the classic series of mysteries. The mystery was complex and clever, which I appreciated, and the ending was great. If you are looking for a Holmes adventure that pays a fitting tribute to Arthur Conan Doyle then Bonnie MacBird is the only author you need to read.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

Writers & Lovers

Author: Lily King

Published by: Picador

Pages: 324

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★

Casey has ended up back in Massachusetts after a devastating love affair. Her mother has just died, and she is knocked sideways by grief and loneliness, moving between the restaurant where she waitresses for the Harvard elite and the rented shed she calls home. Her one constant is the novel she has been writing for six years, but at thirty-one she is in debt and directionless, and feels too old to be that way – it’s strange, not being the youngest kind of adult anymore.

And then, one evening, she meets Silas. He is kind, handsome, interested. But only a few weeks later, Oscar walks into her restaurant, his two boys in tow. He is older, grieving the loss of his wife, and wrapped up in his own creativity. Suddenly Casey finds herself at the point of a love triangle, torn between two very different relationships that promise two very different futures.

My thoughts:

Blindsided by her mother's sudden death, and wrecked by a recent love affair, Casey Peabody has arrived in Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan.

Her post consists of wedding invitations and final notices from debt collectors. A former child golf prodigy, she now waits tables in Harvard Square and rents a tiny, moldy room at the side of a garage where she works on the novel she's been writing for six years.

At thirty-one, Casey is still clutching onto something nearly all her old friends have let go of: the determination to live a creative life. Casey is a quiet and elusive figure, getting soaked by the rain as she cycles home through lonely streets or shrinking from a bully at work.

The author makes her struggles feel monumental, immensely bleak. Yet somehow, you can’t help but feel hopeful for Casey. It’s funny, too. King seamlessly lightens Casey’s misery with a wry and fearless humour throughout.

Writers & Lovers follows Casey in the last days of a long youth, a time when everything – her family, her work, her relationships – comes to a crisis. When she falls for two very different men at the same time, her world fractures even more. Casey's fight to fulfill her creative ambitions and balance the conflicting demands of art and life is challenged in ways that push her to the brink.

The prose, the voice, the characterisation makes this book the kind that becomes a comfortable old friend that’ll stay with you forever. Hugely moving and very funny, it is a transfixing novel that explores the terrifying and exhilarating leap between the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another.

Writers & Lovers is a puzzling and beautiful novel about writing and love. From romance to debt, the struggles of an aspiring writer are observed with humour and emotion. I was also pleased to see how all the conflicts come together at the end in a very satisfying conclusion. Casey is undoubtedly a heroine you’ll cherish.

It is a novel about love and creativity, and ultimately it captures the moment when a woman truly becomes an artist. I loved this introspective, intimate story and highly recommend giving it a go yourself.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

Loveless

Author: Alice Oseman

Published by: Harper Collins

Pages: 320

Format: Kindle Edition

My Rating ★★★★

It was all sinking in. I’d never had a crush on anyone. No boys, no girls, not a single person I had ever met. What did that mean?

Georgia feels loveless – in the romantic sense, anyway. She’s eighteen, never been in a relationship, or even had a crush on a single person in her whole life. She thinks she's an anomaly, people call her weird, and she feels a little broken. But she still adores romance – weddings, fan fiction, and happily ever afters. She knows she’ll find her person one day … right? After a disastrous summer, Georgia is now at university, hundreds of miles from home. She is more determined than ever to find love – and her annoying roommate, Rooney, is a bit of a love expert, so perhaps she can help. But maybe Georgia just doesn’t feel that way about guys. Or girls. Or anyone at all. Maybe that's okay. Maybe she can find happiness without falling in love. And maybe Rooney is a little more loveless than she first appears.

My thoughts:

Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush –  but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she’s sure she’ll find her person one day. As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a whole new town far from home, Georgia’s ready to find romance, and with her outgoing roommate on her side and a place in the Shakespeare Society, her ‘teenage dream’ is in sight. But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, Georgia ends up in her own comedy of errors, and she starts to question why love seems so easy for other people but not for her. With new terms thrown at her – asexual, aromantic – Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever. Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along?

Full of vibrant, lovable characters each with their own unique story, Loveless also gave me lots of food for thought. Before hearing about Loveless, aromantic and asexual sexualities were something I vaguely knew of by name but not nature. The book undoubtedly explores areas of LGBTQ+ representation that were mostly new to me. It explains so much about different sexuality types that aren’t commonly represented.  

I enjoyed Alice Oseman’s style, and this clearly felt like an own voice story. As a result, her narrative voice is both insightful, but also limited. I think it’s really vital to remember that everyone’s experiences and feelings vary in all kinds of ways. Through the characters, the author has done a remarkable job in showing one unique perspective on what asexuality and aromanticism can mean.

Oseman summed up the spectrums pretty nicely in this quote:                                        “The aromantic and asexual spectrums weren’t just straight lines. They were radar charts with at least a dozen different axes.”

Georgia’s character growth is really interesting as the plot unfolds. Her story is full of confusion, figuring things out and coming to terms with an asexual identity. It was so refreshing to see a character like this reflected, and I enjoyed reading about her journey. I’m hopeful that this original little book will reassure many young people that there's a happy, accepting future of love out there for all who identify as asexual, in friendships deeper than any romance.

Loveless is a sprightly, affecting work from a writer at the top of her game and it really is no surprise she is considered one of the most authentic and talked-about voices in contemporary YA at the moment. Even for readers no longer in their teens, Oseman's writing feels like retrospective hand holding.

It's full of flawed, messy characters and bad decisions and aching holes of loneliness.  I wasn't expecting to get so attached to the characters, but I really did find all of them surprisingly likeable. I liked the flirtatious rivalry between Pip and Rooney, and the friendship trio between Jason, Pip and Georgia was completely heart-warming, believable and sweet. The final chapter provides a heartwarming and positive conclusion to the story, with enough space for a possible sequel at some point in the future. 

Loveless is a journey of identity, self-acceptance, and finding out how many different types of love there really are. And ultimately that no one is really loveless after all.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

Piranesi

Author: Susanna Clarke

Published by: Bloomsbury

Pages: 245

Format: Paperback (Proof Copy)

My Rating ★★★★

Piranesi lives in the House. Perhaps he always has. In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides which thunder up staircases, the clouds which move in slow procession through the upper halls.

On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food and waterlilies to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone. Messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want? Are they a friend or do they bring destruction and madness as the Other claims?

Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming strange and dangerous. The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.

My thoughts:

Bloomsbury were kind enough to send me out an early proof copy of Piranesi a little while ago, and I went into it knowing almost nothing about the plot. The synopsis basically just says that Piranesi has always lived in the house. In hindsight I’m actually really glad I didn’t know anything more than that before I started reading.

I’d highly recommend going into this book without any prior knowledge about the premise. Things start out a little slow, but as more and more details begin to emerge, the pace quickens and becomes so intriguing. It’s a complicated story and the plot can be quite confusing, especially early on. The story is mystery-driven, and our protagonist knows very little. This is perhaps what is so immersive about the writing. It’s kind of a guessing game and a slow careful unravelling of information in order to figure out what exactly is the truth here.

If you can avoid reading any blurbs, do. I knew nothing about it and I enjoyed it so much because of this! It made the mystery that much more satisfying and allowed me to fully connect and empathise with the protagonist throughout.

The protagonist, Piranesi, is one of a kind, unforgettable, and the sort of character you are genuinely very sad to leave behind once you finish the book.

What else can I say? The book is glorious. I read it feverishly in a few hours and was blown away by this multi-layered little novel. It turned out to be far more emotionally touching than I anticipated. It’s so beautifully written, so strange, and I was instantly transported to the incredible world Susanna Clarke has created. Utterly unputdownable.

All in all, Piranesi is an intoxicating, hypnotic new novel set in a dreamlike alternative reality. I loved every second of it.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

The Animals at Lockwood Manor

Author: Jane Healey

Published by: Mantle

Pages: 340

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★

August 1939. Thirty-year-old Hetty Cartwright is tasked with the evacuation and safekeeping of the natural history museum’s collection of mammals. Once she and her exhibits arrive at Lockwood Manor, however, where they are to stay for the duration of the war, Hetty soon realizes that she’s taken on more than she’d bargained for.

Protecting her charges from the irascible Lord Lockwood and resentful servants is work enough, but when some of the animals go missing (and worse) Hetty begins to suspect someone – or something – is stalking her through the darkened corridors of the house.

As the disasters mount, Hetty finds herself falling under the spell of Lucy, Lord Lockwood’s beautiful but clearly haunted daughter. But why is Lucy so traumatized? Does she know something she’s not telling? And is there any truth to local rumours of ghosts and curses?

My thoughts:

Part love story, part mystery, The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healey is a gripping and atmospheric tale of family madness, long-buried secrets and hidden desires.

Jane Healey writes a dark, disturbing and slow moving gothic mystery with echoes of a number of classic novels, set amidst the background of World War 2, the decline of the aristocracy and the social norms, attitudes and expectations of women in this period.

Hetty is sent from London to watch over the animals, which have been moved from the museum to Lockwood Manor for the duration of the war, so that they might have a better chance of survival.

Hetty and the animals move into the manor and almost immediately strange things begin happening. First, the jaguar vanishes. Then, animals seem to move to new locations throughout the night. Rumours of the manor being haunted are whispered amongst the servants. Details of Mrs. Lockwood’s madness and Lucy’s night terrors and nervous personality come to light. Overwhelmed by the amount of work, isolation, and never-ending damage to the animals she must try to mitigate, Hetty wonders if the house is making her mad too.

The manor's lord is a menacing sort of fellow, and strange things are occurring - animals are moving about or being misplaced, and there are rumours of a ghost being seen in corridors.

Feeling isolated and out of place, Hetty focuses her efforts on protecting the museum's specimens, while slowly becoming closer to the lord's daughter, Lucy.

She finds her task significantly more challenging than she expects in the face of the hostility and resentment she faces. The widower Lord Lockwood is an extremely difficult and menacing presence but Hetty feels a kinship with his daughter. Lucy is an anxious, fragile and haunted woman, plagued by grief, fears, dreams and nightmares. Within the unsettling and creepily atmospheric narrative, the manor is a character in its own right, where strange and mysterious things commonly occur, the animal exhibits move and disappear. There are strong hints of a malevolent presence, and rumours of ghosts and curses linger in the air.

The story gets off to a great start, and becomes eerie almost immediately, but for me it did slow a little around the halfway point with not a huge amount of plot development for a while.

The tension felt steady when I wanted it to continue to increase, and I felt that there were a lot of secrets that weren't quite utilised to their full potential. I enjoyed the second half and found it such an addictive read but felt slightly disappointed when there was no real exploration of the earlier dark and menacing themes that had been hinted at in the first half. The author surprised me in choosing to flick the focus of the story back to the developing relationship between the two women instead. I would have liked to see more time taken to elaborate on all the creepy occurrences. Despite this, the love story aspect of the novel was intriguing and emotional, allowing more insight into both the leading ladies and their different lifestyles.

Overall, I found The Animals at Lockwood Manor a thoroughly enjoyable, thought-provoking and entertaining read. It is a fascinating story full of family secrets, an unexpected love, loss, mental health, madness, sexuality and abuse.

Healey expertly builds up a claustrophobic, spooky and oppressive feel to her multi-layered storytelling. the ending was a little anti-climactic for my tastes. It is, however, beautifully written with a real Gothic horror feel to it. I enjoyed it very much.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

The Girl Who Reads on the Métro

Author: Christine Féret-Fleury

Published by: Mantle

Translated by: Rob Schwartz

Pages: 202

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★

‘Have you heard of the principle of releasing books into the wild?’

When Juliette takes the Métro to her loathed office job each morning, her only escape is in books – she avidly reads on her journey and imagines what her fellow commuters’ choices might say about them.

But when, one day, she decides to alight the train a few stops early and meets Soliman, the mysterious owner of the most enchanting bookshop Juliette has ever seen, her world will never be the same again…

For Soliman also believes in the power of books to change the course of a life – entrusting his passeurs with the task of presenting the perfect book to the person who needs it most – and he thinks Juliette is up for the job.

And so, leaving her old life behind, Juliette will discover the true power a book can have…

My thoughts:

An ode to booklovers everywhere, this gem of a book follows Juliette as she rides the Paris metro to and from work and muses about her fellow passengers and their reading choices.

One morning, avoiding the office for as long as she can, Juliette finds herself on a new block, in front of a rusty gate wedged open with a book. Unable to resist, Juliette walks through, into the bizarre and enchanting lives of Soliman and his young daughter, Zaide.

Before she realizes entirely what is happening, Juliette agrees to become a passeur, Soliman's name for the booksellers he hires to take stacks of used books out of his store and into the world, using their imagination and intuition to match books with readers. Suddenly, Juliette's daydreaming becomes her reality, and when Soliman asks her to move into their store to take care of Zaide while he goes away, she has to decide if she is ready to throw herself headfirst into this new life.

What follows is an uplifting story, lots of lists of books, some you may recognize, some you may wish to add to your own list.

Most books similar to this are drenched in romance and thank goodness that this one wasn't. I’m really not a big fan of cheesey romance in my reading, and it was refreshing to see the plot not take a predictable or dull route in that direction. The book is actually a sweet and very moving celebration of the power of books and how they can unite us.

I would describe The Girl Who Reads on the Metro as a belated coming-of-age story about a young woman who dares to change her life and find her freedom. I especially loved the idea of the passeurs who give out books to strangers based on their perceived need for a specific tome.

This is a sweet short read, perfect for fans of Jean-Paul Didierlaurent and Antoine Laurain. I loved the setting, the quirky characters and intriguing plot.

The writing is whimsical and entertaining, with hints of magical realism and many heart-warming moments. The ending was lovely and exactly what I wanted for Juliette.

All in all, this book certainly exceeded my expectations. However, I do feel that the novel could have been even stronger if its ideas were more fully developed. It’s a shame it wasn’t just a bit longer to allow for more in terms of character growth and backstory. I also felt that the charm and importance of the setting could have been better explored for a novel set in such a beautiful city.

If you enjoy reading, I really do think you’ll love this modern homage to books and bibliophiles. I know I did.

Overall reaction:

[bookramblings]

Sisters

Author: Daisy Johnson

Published by: Penguin Random House UK

Pages: 185

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★

Something unspeakable has happened to sisters July and September.

Desperate for a fresh start, their mother Sheela moves them across the country to an old family house that has a troubled life of its own. Noises come from behind the walls. Lights flicker of their own accord. Sleep feels impossible, dreams are endless.

In their new unsettling surroundings, July finds that the fierce bond she’s always had with September – forged with a blood promise when they were children – is beginning to change in ways she cannot understand.

Taut, transfixing and profoundly moving, Sisters explodes with the fury and joy of adolescence. It is a story of sibling love and sibling envy to rival Shirley Jackson and Stephen King. With Sisters, Daisy Johnson confirms her standing among the most inventive and exciting young writers at work today.

My thoughts:

The darkly riveting relationship between teenage siblings is explored in this gothic tale from Daisy Johnson. It is a haunting story about two sisters caught in a powerful emotional web and wrestling to understand where one ends and the other begins. Born just ten months apart, July and September are extremely close, never needing anyone but each other. Now, following a case of school bullying, the teens have moved away with their single mother to a long-abandoned family home near the shore. September is extremely complex, forceful and hard to interpret. I loved the mystery around her character and the way we are gradually drip fed more and more little bits of information about her as the story develops.   

Set in the North York moors, the house becomes a character, a significant, misty presence looming over the small family. With evident traces of depression and desperate actions of self-harm, darkness has engulfed the two girls. The house seems alive, full of sounds and shadows, full of memories and lurking threats. A creeping sense of dread and unease descends inside the house. Meanwhile, outside, the sisters push boundaries of behaviour—until a series of shocking encounters tests the limits of their shared experience, and forces shocking revelations about the past.

The rain doesn't stop, the birds are menacing, the ants are crawling inside the walls, whispers and cracks and the fragile mind of July who struggles to understand her sister and the world around her.

This book certainly cast its spell on me. It was hypnotic, engrossing and hallucinatory. This story is beautifully written and full of atmosphere; especially within the Settle House.

Daisy Johnson is simply a master when it comes to evoking an enchanting and haunting atmosphere. But ultimately it is the author’s talent in portraying complicated family relationships in Sisters that really makes this one such a memorable and entertaining read.

I loved this beautiful and very unique story. At times it’s quite ambiguous and I really liked the way things came together and became clearer in the final part of the book.

It gave me that surreal and mind-bending experience that I absolutely love. Sisters is brilliantly written and works so well as a gothic thriller, a mild horror and also a psychological drama.

This is a book that I will always remember. A wonderful, unsettling story and the perfect choice for a creepy Autumn read.

Overall reaction: