I've just finished my advanced readers copy of this book. I'm sat in bed in floods of tears. This book has blown me away. I'm broken from the journey of this book has taken me on yet sitting here hopefilled. Book hangover loading...

This is my first ever Kristin Hannah read and I can assure you it won't be my last. I have seen so many Kristin Hannah fans across bookstagram. This wonderful woman just gained a new one.

There are so many pages I wanted to highly quotes from.

I'm breaking my book buying ban to ensure I have a copy to cherish for years to come.

THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING to me right now. It's so timely.

Here's to Warrior women and hope filled days ahead. ❤ And this bold statement to follow:

'I know I just read my book of the year 2021'.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for my advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Wow. What a read! This book has given me all the twisted psychological gripping thriller feels! It's hard hitting. Dark. Twisted. Traumatic. Not a light read, compelling none the less. There are some brutal moments in this book and I'm really pleased I have read this book.

Thank you so much Netgalley and ViperBooks for an eARC in return for an honest review.

Every mothers worst nightmare comes true for pregnant mum of two Kim. She is momentarily distracted while out shopping with her kids. Toyna aged 5 is abducted, coaxed by a lady interestingly only known throughout the book as 'Mummy'.

This story is told in short sharp chapters through the viewpoints of the two women. Worlds apart in social standings yet have more in common than they would ever realise. Broken, abused, with low self worth, one blessed to be a mother the other desperate to be. Both deprived of Love, both adults navigating their lives through their cloudy existences.Desperate times call for very desperate actions...

Who I liked - The supporting characters, Steve and Ayesha. Both incredible prop up characters for Kim. She needs them in her life. She is so fortunate to have them.

When I consider my reflective thoughts on this book...You just don't know what someone has gone through in their life. This book has reminded me, not to judge someone until you have walked in their shoes.

Figuratively speaking, this book is symbolic of a pebble, no scrap that, a big boulder being dropped into the ocean and the ripple effects of waves and currents that form as result. It's representative of the effects of abuse on generations and anyone in the tide to come.

It's a very good debut from Tina Baker and I cannot wait to read more from her in the future.

I am particularly moved to learn that 10% of the books royalties are being donated to Action For Children UK

It's a must read if you loved the twisted nature of Verity then you will LOVE this!

Overall it was an eerie convincing performance from Sophie Aldred, She did a great job at narrating this story creating an effective tense and spooky atmosphere particularly during the seance scenes, that said I also have a contradictory opinion! I did not like listening to the hymn singing during the ghostly seance performance. It was just weird, I get it, how else can this be portrayed in audiobook format? I could not deny that this is what contributed to the tense and spooky atmosphere of the overall performance bringing the text to life.

The pacing was also a little up and down for me. The story started well. I was hooked. The protagonist Miss Darken I found annoying at times. Melodramatic is how I would describe her, she couldn't help it and thankfully I did get over those annoyances pretty quickly. The unrequited love and affections of her close family friend Simon and his affections for her I found charming and endearing. I was looking forward to how this relationship unfolded in the story. Her cause for concern for the spirit medium child Pearl is also endearing I wanted to see how this relationship developed too. The plot lost me a little in the middle but certainly picked back up pace at the end. The murder mystery aspect of the book with its twists and turns had me on edge anticipating where the story finished right to the very last seconds of the audiobook. I felt it was a satisfying conclusion in the end. which is great and altogether I would say it was a satisfying audiobook listen. A 3.5 star rating for me.

Fans of Historical Fiction, Gothic fiction, Suspense, and Ghost stories will enjoy this audiobook greatly. It’s creepy, atmospheric and mysterious.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook in return for an honest review.

This book is not a fast pace read.
This book is not action packed.
This book has a pretty cover yet with nothing pretty about it inside.
Let me start by saying, the book is sad and heart wrenching yet beautifully crafted.

What it is is a profound character driven look at Gifty the protagonist's desperate bid to understand living with the effects of growing up in an immigrant family in Alabama, where love and affection was not displayed or found in any abundance. When tragedy hits when her brother dies of an overdose Gifty makes it her life’s mission to understand depression and addiction. To come to terms with the grief that plagues her and her parents Gifty fervently ploughs her energy into science, and grapples with her evangelistic faith based foundations from childhood and questions whether faith and science can exist side by side. It reads like a scientific experiment. It's extraordinary. And most certainly a unique piece of fiction that I have ever read.

I loved this book.

It is a relatively short read at 256 pages but boy does it pack some heart wrenching punch. I enjoyed the pace, with the second half really holding me captive. There is hope through the heartbreak. I thought Gifty was a rich character in all her brokenness what she lacked in self esteem she makes up for in great strength, intelligence and determined courage.

I read Homegoing before this and I can say it is a completely different book. Not worthy to be compared by one another as each deals with such deep and emotionally driven topics of great difference. What is relatable is Gyasi’s ability to break down these deep themes with ease without it becoming heavy or dragging. It is so raw and it left me questioning if Gyasi has experienced this kind of familial loss and addition herself?

This book deserves all praise. It is no wonder at all it is longlisted for the women’s prize. Thank you Yaa Gyasi for blessing us all with your wondrous talents. I am ready and excited for whatever she is to write next. You have my eyes, ears and heart open and waiting.

Thank you to NetGalley and @vikingbooksuk for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.