emma_rreads's Reviews (183)

If I could give it six stars, I would.

Without doubt my book of the year so far, Fair Rosaline takes the well known play of Romeo and Juliet and looks at it from an entirely new perspective.

And what a perspective it is! Rosaline is Juliet’s cousin, and Romeo’s love prior to Juliet. 

I studied R&J at GCSE and it is the play I know best, having read it in depth, seen various stage productions and thanks to a major crush on Leonardo DiCaprio in the 90s, harboured an obsession with the Baz Luhrmann film. Knowing great chunks of the play by heart did give this extra depth as I recognised lines throughout and it felt like satisfying little Easter eggs, however even if you only know the bare bones of the story, Fair Rosaline is without doubt a cracking read. Familiar enough to sink into, yet jarring enough to be completely compelling.

With characters to root for, new background and an entirely new and much seedier perspective on events, this is a complete ‘untelling’ of everything you think you know, and it’s blinking brilliant!!

This was a book club read for me, and post discussion my review has altered somewhat and has helped me view it from a different angle.

A plague mainly targeting children has wiped out huge numbers of the population, and How High We Go in the Dark provides snapshots of lives as the plagues progresses over a number of years.

What I loved was the connectivity between each story. At times it felt like a jumble of short stories with a common theme, but then suddenly I would recognise a character or an element of some sort and my perspective would alter.  

Was the book for me? Not completely. Some parts were sheer brilliance and had my mind in overdrive. Sone went a bit hard on the sci fi side of things and lost me. So it was definitely a bit of a so-so read for me, but an author I’d definitely try again. 

I mentioned viewing it from a different angle, and this is why I love discussions at reading groups. One of the ladies loves sci fi and fantasy novels and this was right up her street and she absolutely loved it. I really think this is a case of finding the right reader for the book, and I’m only partially there!

A story of obsession featuring true crime fanatic, Roach and her fellow bookseller, Laura. Death if a Bookseller was definitely a book of two halves for me. 

What I loved was the distinct and creepy narrative voice belonging to Roach. I would struggle to think of a character I’ve railed against quite so strongly, I really did not like her….but I loved not liking her! In contrast Laura’s POV wasn’t quite as impactful - however I really liked that her character was complex and imperfect rather than an innocent.

It was a read that kept my interest, but for me the end was anti climactic and I did feel a bit cheated. It’s not to say it was a bad ending, but speaking purely out of preference it just didn’t deliver for me. 

I would definitely read more from Alice Slater, I found her writing style easy to slide into and her characterisation and narrative voice (especially Roach) were very good. 

The Sisterhood is the world of George Orwell’s 1984, but told from the viewpoint of Julia.

If there was one thing I wish I’d done before reading this, is I wish I had re-read 1984. It’s been a good twenty years since I read it, and though I remember elements of it, time has done its work. It’s definitely not a necessity to have read 1984, The Sisterhood stands alone perfectly well, but as someone who had read it I just knew that there would be little Easter eggs and shared plot moments that would mean more having read it. 

Unfortunately, due to my poor planning I was forced to put The Sisterhood down for a couple of weeks, however when I picked it back up things were just kicking off!

It’s a read that has taken so much of Orwell’s original in terms of world building, but has also made it feel more modern and relevant to today. At certain points I felt a shudder go down my spine as I was able to relate to the world today.

Julia is a character with a secret. Part of The Sisterhood, a group of women seeking out The Brotherhood who they hope will bring about change. But Julia is not quite who she seems to be….

I love stories that focus on other viewpoints, and I really enjoyed this.  It felt a little slow to begin with, but with hindsight it did a great job of building tension and the feel of how it would be to live in this world as a woman.

Highly recommend if you enjoy dystopian reads, and practically essential if you were a fan of 1984. 

My first read from Sarah Waters and I really enjoyed it. It brilliantly builds characters, place and story and I loved the intricacy of detail in the telling of the story. At times I felt it dragged it’s heels a bit but the twists and we’re fantastic and I really enjoyed that the language felt authentic to the time. Very often historical fiction can feel too modern in terms of dialogue, but I never had any hesitation of where I was in time as the reader.
I’m very much looking forward to reading more from Sarah Waters.

Crikey! That was quite the ride!! I think I’ve gone through a whole rainbow of emotions while reading!

Killing Jericho is a crime thriller like none I’ve read before. Featuring crime fiction’s first Traveller detective in Scott Jericho, who also happens to be a former police detective - now disgraced after beating a suspect in a case and doing time in prison.

Now out, he’s returned to the Traveller family he once rejected and is not doing well at all. Until a case sparks his attention, a serial killer is staging murders in horrific ways, and it all harks back to an old fairground legend. 

Scott is a very complex man. Predisposed to anger and violence, yet he also has a sweet, caring and vulnerable side. 

Killing Jericho is a brilliant start to a new series. It’s cleverly written, definitely on the macabre end of crime fiction, and there’s lots going on. Yet, there’s also a real heart to the story. The Travelling community and their familial bond, and several relationships which feature throughout are really heartwarming. 

It’s strength lie within it‘s shades, taking the reader from heartfelt moments to gruesome discoveries from reflective scenes, to high action all within a blink. 

Exciting and unique, I am very much looking forward to reading more from William Hussey.

I love Jane Eyre, and so this story of a governess at a gothic inspired country house filled with secrets, really spoke to me. After a promising and intriguing beginning,   it felt to be very slow going. Once the pace picked up I was I felt myself slowly getting lost in the book.
I think my main gripe was Marta herself. I really enjoy an unlikeable character, and she is definitely unlikeable - but

I wanted more from her. That she was Miss Jessel from The Turn of the Screw was a good reveal - but in a way I felt like the leading up to the fate that had been written for her in that story kind of diminished her somehow in this one

If you’re a fan of gothic fiction, then this will be a treat.

I raced into reading this seconds after finishing The Family Upstairs.

While much of the mystery element was spent in the first book, The Family Remains reunites the reader with the Lamb family, while also introducing them to Rachel, Lucy’s ex-husband’s second wife. 

Beginning with a mud larkers discovery of a bag of bones in the River Thames, DI Samuel Owusu finds his investigation leading him to Cheyne Walk and the events of twenty five years previous.

Although I didn’t feel on edge with this in the same way as The Family Upstairs, I did love being back with the Lamb family, and in particular in the rather disconcerting mind of Henry. It’s a brilliant follow up, keeping the characters true to themselves, while interweaving new stories to seamlessly blend with everything we already know.

Lisa Jewell has found a new fan in me!

I’ve been a fan of Jennifer Saint since reading Ariadne, with Elektra being another step up, Atalanta was again a level up.

Focused on the titular heroine Atalanta from her abandonment on a mountainside through to her quest with the Argonauts and beyond. 

While Jennifer’s other novels use a multi POV narration, this is just Atalanta’s voice - and what a woman she is. Brave and strong, she is constantly having to prove herself in a world made for men, her achievements grudgingly noticed but quickly pushed aside or ‘forgotten’.

I absolutely loved this book. As with Elektra and Ariadne it has sent me down a Greek myth rabbit hole, wanting to stay in Atalanta’s world a little bit longer.

I was completely drawn in from the beginning and so hooked that I moved into the The Family Remains within seconds of finishing! A twisted unravelling of the events that led to a well looked after baby being found in a run down but once grand house along with three decomposing bodies. Excellent storytelling with intriguing characters who I’m looking forward to spending more time with in the sequel!