emma_rreads's Reviews (183)

I thought this was going to be lighthearted - it really wasn’t! And I loved it!

Three best friends Simi, Ronke and Boo are living their lives in London when a face from the past, an old friend of Simi’s, Isobel appears. Rich and privileged she befriends each of the women - but is her friendship quite as it seems?

With a group of complex women, all great characters in their own right and a mysterious and thrilling plot, this was a rollercoaster of a read! It would have been a 5* but I was anticipating more from the ending - the reveal was great, it all just ended a bit quickly and I wanted just a few pages more. Very highly recommended.

I’m very conflicted about this book. It took me at least until halfway through to settle into it, and I found the mixture of verse and prose initially quite jarring. That said, once I got into it and figured out what was going on, I really enjoyed the latter half and felt if I re read the first half would be a completely different experience.
The writing is beautiful, it’s lyrical and pulls you up, forcing you to read a paragraph again to take in the beauty. But this sometimes feels a priority over the characterisation. Despite the emotional subjects covered; war, motherhood gained and lost - I never felt close to the characters, I felt constantly kept at a distance.
It’s without doubt an interesting read, and there is lots to unpick and discuss in terms of literary choices and devices - and as this is a book club read I’m really looking forward to hearing what others in the group felt about it.

Based across dual timelines with Nila in 2019 and Janani in 1992/3, The Daughters of Madurai is recent historical fiction focusing on life in India and the issue of infanticide.

To say I found it shocking was an understatement. That this takes place in my lifetime and not hundreds of years ago really got to me, as a human being but also as a mother. I felt Janani’s pain and championed her throughout.

It’s a slow burner, but one that is absolutely worth sticking with. It crept up on me, eventually becoming an obsessive read. It’s rich in detail of Indian culture with interesting character interactions and insights. With themes of motherhood, family and friendship it’s a powerful and emotive read.

At times an upsetting read but  ultimately hopeful, The Daughters of Madurai will stay with me for a long time.

If you love Killing Eve and How To Kill  Your Family, How to Kill Men and Get Away With It is definitely going  to be up your street!

Kitty Collins is a rich and privileged influencer leading a perfect life until she discovers a desire to kill. More specifically, to kill men who pose a threat to women taking on a vigilante role.

This is dark. Wittily written, it did make me laugh in a way that made me question whether I should be laughing! It’s a a bit in the gory side  but I thought it was a really entertaining read! 

Inspired by Made in Chelsea and the MeToo movement behind all the glitz, glam and, well - murder, is an observation of the continuing danger men often pose to women.

I feel emotionally bruised after reading In Memoriam.

Two young men, Gaunt and Ellwood meet at their posh boarding school….and this is where it nearly lost me. The early segments of the book focus on their time at school and I was not a fan of the inate sense of entitlement, I’ll be honest - it riled me.

However, once the characters are fleshed out I thawed somewhat. Gaunt and Ellwood love one another, but live in a time where to be with one another is illegal.  And with the war looming large, it’s not long before the boys start signing up.

This is a love story. But it’s one which is raw, powerful and honest. It’s one that will break your heart several times over. You’ll feel hope and joy, then crushing pain and sadness. You’ll be horrified, elated and then horrified all over again.

The trench scenes are incredible. I felt as if I was there. Burning with anger at the way the men were treated. Seething as the men were sent into battle over and over again, ill prepared and scared.

It’s breathtaking. Without doubt the best book I’ve read this year sliding with ease into 5* territory. 

Wow. This was quite the read!!

Ascension isn’t my usual genre, and yet reading about the book, it called to me.

A mysterious mountain appears from the sea and a team of scientists are gathered to investigate. But as they climb higher the mystery deepens and strange, mind bending events begin to plague them.

Much of the story is told epistolary style, in letters from scientist Harold Tunmore to his niece, Harriet. In them events on the mountain are explored as is his past and the events that lead to him severing ties with his family.

Classed as a high concept thriller, I was indeed enthralled by Ascension! It had my mind buzzing with theories and although I can’t claim to 100% understand all the intricacies of the science involved - the author did an excellent job of explaining them so I had the basis of an understanding.

An absolutely fascinating read, and one which takes the thriller to a new level. Filled with intelligence, action, twists and turns with a very human tale of love at its core. I loved every moment with Ascension.

Yes, I’m very late to the party with this, but it was worth the wait! I’ve listened to this on audio and as I listen while I do chores, my to do list is seriously diminished after blitzing through the last 6 hours in a oner!

I’m not sure I can say anything that hasn’t been said before, but this is definitely one that deserves a listen to on audio. The interview style narrative is brilliant and I loved the inconsistencies of certain events. It all felt so realistic and like i was there as a fly on the wall. 

It’s just brilliant and I have nothing negative to say….onto the tv show now!!

The story of a man on death row, hours before his execution for the murder of several women sounds like it might be a gratuitously violent story about a serial killer. But this is something quite different. Whilst we get Ansel Packer’s voice as he awaits execution, the story is told through the women surrounding his life; his mother, a police detective and his former sister in law. Through them we see him in different roles and we form a picture of a man, rather than a monster.
This isn’t a book that excuses his actions, but instead explores the shades of grey that exist within his life.
Fascinating points of view and really well constructed - highly recommended.

This was so close to being a 5* read, the only reason it wasn’t was that

as a mum who suffered with PND I felt it’s use in this book was to facilitate the twist rather than create real awareness and that gets me a bit twitchy…but that’s just a personal trigger

That aside, this was one engrossing read. I love a book that explores controversial subjects with a a human element rather than bare facts. It lays bare gaps in your own knowledge, opinions and in this case had me wondering what I would do in their situations.

The friendship between Bry and Elizabeth is brilliantly written and the love and warmth between the two families really shines through, making events hit the heart even harder.

As a huge Jodi Picoult fan, the comparisons are fair and I’m very much looking forward to pouncing on future releases from Emily Edwards.

This wasn’t what I was expecting, a review on the reverse said it was a whodunnit style mystery, but I think that review does The Raptures a complete disservice.

There are so many layers to this book; Irish history, religion & faith, folklore & myth with supernatural elements woven in, all set against the backdrop of a tragedy in a small Irish community.

The characters are fantastic. From young but insightful Hannah, her religious parents and her wonderful Granda Pete. The colourful characters in the town with different backgrounds, beliefs and coping mechanism, and the children themselves.

It’s a completely unique story, fascinating, emotional and with so much to unpick.