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733 reviews by:
erinreadstheworld
I've read all of Jane Harper's book and this is now my favourite.
Jane Harper has an amazing ability to bring a setting to life, whether it's the outback or the rough Tasmanian sea. I loved the small coastal town in Tassie vibes. I could almost smell the salty air and hear the crashing waves.
It's a suspenseful crime book, but the story doesn't unfold through the eyes of the police. Instead we see it through the perspective of Kieran, whose temporarily returned home to visit his parents. Who is living with guilt and grief, all of which bubbles up throughout the book.
The mystery is just as much (if not more so) about the past, and while the plot itself doesn't move super fast, there's plenty to build suspense. Jane Harper is the queen of writing chapters that compel you to keep reading. I stayed up past my bedtime a few nights in a row, because I just couldn't put it down. My one my chapter, would quickly turn into four or five.
The only negative thing I have to say about The Survivors, is that I wanted just a little bit more. It ended too soon. We barely saw the impact of the mystery being solved and I wanted to see what the other characters thought.
Jane Harper has an amazing ability to bring a setting to life, whether it's the outback or the rough Tasmanian sea. I loved the small coastal town in Tassie vibes. I could almost smell the salty air and hear the crashing waves.
It's a suspenseful crime book, but the story doesn't unfold through the eyes of the police. Instead we see it through the perspective of Kieran, whose temporarily returned home to visit his parents. Who is living with guilt and grief, all of which bubbles up throughout the book.
The mystery is just as much (if not more so) about the past, and while the plot itself doesn't move super fast, there's plenty to build suspense. Jane Harper is the queen of writing chapters that compel you to keep reading. I stayed up past my bedtime a few nights in a row, because I just couldn't put it down. My one my chapter, would quickly turn into four or five.
The only negative thing I have to say about The Survivors, is that I wanted just a little bit more. It ended too soon. We barely saw the impact of the mystery being solved and I wanted to see what the other characters thought.
(TW below and in the book - depression and suicide)
"Every life contains many millions of decisions. Some big, some small. But every time one decision is taken over another, the outcomes differ. An irreversible variation occurs, which in turn leads to further variations. These books are portals to all the lives you could be living."
Have you ever wondered how different your life would be if you made a different choice?
If you studied something different, didn't go to that party, moved to Paris, gave that guy at the bar your phone number. How would your life look today? What would change?
It's something I think about quite a lot. If you're generally happy with your life than it's something fun to ponder. But what if you're unhappy, struggling with depression and have just had the bad day to top all bad days? Then you might wonder how you found yourself in such a terrible situation.
That's where we meet Nora. After losing her job, her cat and her sense of purpose she decides to end it all. Between life and death she finds the Midnight Library where every book lining the shelves is a life she could have lived.
Given the choice to try again to find the perfect life, of course Nora picks up a book. Fueled by her regrets Nora tries to undo the decisions that led to her lacklustre life.
It's such an interesting concept and philosophical idea to explore and Matt Haig does it simply and sweetly. The story is uplifting but there are certainly moments that a dark and depressing.
This is the kind of book you can take at face value - and enjoy it purely for the journey and the entertainment. But you can also look a lot deeper. There's a big takeaway for appreciating the little things, figuring out what makes you happy and appreciating the role you play in the happiness of others.
If you loved A Man Called Ove, I think you'd enjoy this one too.
"Every life contains many millions of decisions. Some big, some small. But every time one decision is taken over another, the outcomes differ. An irreversible variation occurs, which in turn leads to further variations. These books are portals to all the lives you could be living."
Have you ever wondered how different your life would be if you made a different choice?
If you studied something different, didn't go to that party, moved to Paris, gave that guy at the bar your phone number. How would your life look today? What would change?
It's something I think about quite a lot. If you're generally happy with your life than it's something fun to ponder. But what if you're unhappy, struggling with depression and have just had the bad day to top all bad days? Then you might wonder how you found yourself in such a terrible situation.
That's where we meet Nora. After losing her job, her cat and her sense of purpose she decides to end it all. Between life and death she finds the Midnight Library where every book lining the shelves is a life she could have lived.
Given the choice to try again to find the perfect life, of course Nora picks up a book. Fueled by her regrets Nora tries to undo the decisions that led to her lacklustre life.
It's such an interesting concept and philosophical idea to explore and Matt Haig does it simply and sweetly. The story is uplifting but there are certainly moments that a dark and depressing.
This is the kind of book you can take at face value - and enjoy it purely for the journey and the entertainment. But you can also look a lot deeper. There's a big takeaway for appreciating the little things, figuring out what makes you happy and appreciating the role you play in the happiness of others.
If you loved A Man Called Ove, I think you'd enjoy this one too.
The Pisces opens with one of the strangest paragraphs I've ever read. Just reading the first page made me wonder what I was getting myself into and whether this was the right book for me.
Which really set the tone, because I'm still not sure.
The Pisces is like American Psycho (minus all the murderous rampages) and Bridget Jones's Diary had a millennial baby.
It critiques and explores sex, addiction, loneliness, romance, desire and consumerism in the Tinder era. In a time where we distract ourselves from our feelings, hitting rock bottom is disturbing, uncomfortable and a reality the characters try to avoid facing.
It's dark and strange and funny, but depressingly so.
We see so much of Lucy's inner dialogue and hear all her judgemental thoughts (the ones that we would never normally speak out loud), which makes her a brutally honest and bitter character. She's relatable and unlikable all at the same time.
The Pisces shows a realistic side of sex and dating in the 21st century. There's the good, the bad, the underwhelming, and the awkwardly weird. The random, meaningless hook ups and the mind-blowing love making.
And then there's the less realistic side to the book. Lucy meets and falls in love with a merman. I think it's meant to have a magic realism feel to it, but the merman didn't seem normal to me. Was he real? Was he fantasy? Are we meant to know?
I'm still not really sure what I read and maybe that's the point. When Lucy can't make sense of her life, can we make sense of her love affair with a merman? Can love save you when it's the reason you feel so destroyed?
2.5/5 stars
This wasn't the book for me, but I know lots of people liked it.
It would make a great book club read. There's lots to discuss: the weirdness, dependency and addiction, relationships in the swipe right era, selfish friendships, misguided romance, sex, self sabotage, depression, the value of unlikeable but relatable characters and more.
Which really set the tone, because I'm still not sure.
The Pisces is like American Psycho (minus all the murderous rampages) and Bridget Jones's Diary had a millennial baby.
It critiques and explores sex, addiction, loneliness, romance, desire and consumerism in the Tinder era. In a time where we distract ourselves from our feelings, hitting rock bottom is disturbing, uncomfortable and a reality the characters try to avoid facing.
It's dark and strange and funny, but depressingly so.
We see so much of Lucy's inner dialogue and hear all her judgemental thoughts (the ones that we would never normally speak out loud), which makes her a brutally honest and bitter character. She's relatable and unlikable all at the same time.
The Pisces shows a realistic side of sex and dating in the 21st century. There's the good, the bad, the underwhelming, and the awkwardly weird. The random, meaningless hook ups and the mind-blowing love making.
And then there's the less realistic side to the book. Lucy meets and falls in love with a merman. I think it's meant to have a magic realism feel to it, but the merman didn't seem normal to me. Was he real? Was he fantasy? Are we meant to know?
I'm still not really sure what I read and maybe that's the point. When Lucy can't make sense of her life, can we make sense of her love affair with a merman? Can love save you when it's the reason you feel so destroyed?
2.5/5 stars
This wasn't the book for me, but I know lots of people liked it.
It would make a great book club read. There's lots to discuss: the weirdness, dependency and addiction, relationships in the swipe right era, selfish friendships, misguided romance, sex, self sabotage, depression, the value of unlikeable but relatable characters and more.
Alka Joshi's writing is evocative and vivid, really bringing the 1950's India to life. A time when India was grappling with forging it's own identity, torn between tradition and modern influence. You can tell that a lot of time and research went into creating a story brimming with realistic characters and situations.
Lakshmi is the Henna Artist. At 17 she left an abusive marriage behind, escaping the countryside and eventually creating a life in Jaipur. Thirteen years later, Lakshmi is highly sought by the wealthy women for her intricate henna designs (with many believing her art lead to the birth of their sons or their family's good luck). She's the keeper of many secrets of these upper class women, but she's also hiding many of her own.
She finally feels stable in the new life she created. That is, until the past catches up with her. Her husband finds her, along with a sister she never knew she had.
From here the story unfolds. Alka Joshi weaves a story with superbly drawn main and minor characters, and settings so lifelike that you can feel the humidity, smell the herbs they cook with, and hear the sounds of the streets of Jaipur. It takes skill to immerse a reader in a country so different to their own, but Alka Joshi does just that.
I was utterly engrossed in this beautiful tale of family, hope, revenge and second chances. The caste system, the history of henna, the role of women in 1950's society, and the healing power of the local herbs and plants are just some of the topics explored through the book.
The Henna Artist feels both immersive and informative, and I highly recommend it.
If you enjoy historical fiction or want to travel somewhere while we're all stuck at home, you'll love The Henna Artist.
Lakshmi is the Henna Artist. At 17 she left an abusive marriage behind, escaping the countryside and eventually creating a life in Jaipur. Thirteen years later, Lakshmi is highly sought by the wealthy women for her intricate henna designs (with many believing her art lead to the birth of their sons or their family's good luck). She's the keeper of many secrets of these upper class women, but she's also hiding many of her own.
She finally feels stable in the new life she created. That is, until the past catches up with her. Her husband finds her, along with a sister she never knew she had.
From here the story unfolds. Alka Joshi weaves a story with superbly drawn main and minor characters, and settings so lifelike that you can feel the humidity, smell the herbs they cook with, and hear the sounds of the streets of Jaipur. It takes skill to immerse a reader in a country so different to their own, but Alka Joshi does just that.
I was utterly engrossed in this beautiful tale of family, hope, revenge and second chances. The caste system, the history of henna, the role of women in 1950's society, and the healing power of the local herbs and plants are just some of the topics explored through the book.
The Henna Artist feels both immersive and informative, and I highly recommend it.
If you enjoy historical fiction or want to travel somewhere while we're all stuck at home, you'll love The Henna Artist.
