stuckinthebook's Reviews (248)

The first rule of Sunday Lunch Club is don't make any afternoon plans. And it's a good job that I didn’t have any plans the day I read it because I could not tear myself away from it. I enjoyed it. It’s a really easy, enlightening read and I felt attached to every single character.
What I loved most about this book was that every character has their shit going on and when they get together, it’s like one big counseling session for each other. It shows the strength of family and sibling love, as well as highlighting that every family has its problems and secrets.
The Piper family is far from perfect and one of many mismatched families in society, yet when they are all sat together feasting on Sunday lunch together, every single one of them is accepted and loved no matter what.
The book is written from the main character, Anna’s perspective. Her own story is both heart-warming and heartbreaking but the overall reason why I fell in love with her is that each member of her family confides in her. Whenever anything goes wrong in her siblings’ lives, Anna is there for them to rant to. She acts as the mediator in the story which cleverly allows us to get a deeper insight into each character’s story.
As a nice added touch, each chapter starts with a menu of food being served at that particular Sunday lunch. Some of the menus made me cry with laughter, whereas others simply made my mouth water. Each character has to host Sunday lunch at some point and what I think was clever by Juliet Ashton, was how each menu shows each character’s personality in the choice of food they serve.

One thing that really struck me about this book was that Robert J Fanshawe has a wonderful way with words. His writing is brilliantly descriptive and every sentence is encapsulating.

I enjoy reading books about the war, especially those that focus on the struggles of soldiers and everyday people affected by the impact of war. However, I would say that this book was slightly out of my comfort zone in an attempt to broaden my horizons a little.

I really enjoyed the story and I thought it was one that did a wonderful job in humanising soldiers. I think it is often hard to envisage the men that gave up everything to go and fight for our freedom. They were just ordinary men (and often young lads), thrown very much into the deepest ends with little or no preparation.

I loved how the main character, Cello, was a musician before he was sent to war, and he tries his very hardest to remember his 'real' life back home. I was rooting for Cello all the way through the book and his, is a story that demonstrates just how brave these men had to be at times.

These men were cast into the midst of war and told to kill the 'enemy' without much explanation. It was men killing men. So I think Robert J Fanshawe does a wonderful job in highlighting that there were soldiers who didn't know/understand what they were fighting for, as well as others who were caught in between what is expected of them and what is right. So it is extremely interesting to read a book about a soldier who was prepared to abandon his weapons to save an injured man at any cost.

Some of the language and terminology was unknown to me so it took a while for me to understand what different phrases meant, but I soon acclimatised to the language and was able to settle into the story properly.

I read this book at a time when we as a country were celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day, so it was extremely relevant and still is to this day. For anyone looking for an alternative soldier narrative, I would highly recommend The Cellist Solider.

Had to DNF unfortunately, wasn't something I enjoyed!

There are lots of different narratives in this book and it took A WHILE for my brain to get to terms with who was speaking and to remember what was happening in each of their stories so far. I don’t know why I struggled so much because I don’t usually have problems with different POVs but I struggled with this one, I have to say.

It also took me a while to get into the story. It was different from what I’ve ever read before and as I was reading it, I asked myself whether I was enjoying it. I couldn’t decide if I was or not, and that was a strange feeling.

For a little bit of context, the story is about magic red shoes that when worn by women, they control that person’s mind and make them dance till they can no longer. I hadn’t realised that this was a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Red Shoes. I would strongly suggest reading the author’s note beforehand if you are going to read this book because had I know it was a modern twist of an old children’s story, I probably would have noticed the links and play on events more.

It was a nice story with a great ending and I really enjoyed the LGBT+ characters that shone through this novel. Only a short read but one that I would recommend to fantasy and YA lovers! I’ll say it again, the book is B-E-A-U-tiful!

I think that I See You has everything a good thriller should have. I was hooked by the first chapter and I just wanted to keep reading so I could gather all the clues I needed to work out the culprit.

Now that I know the ending, I think there are little (tiny, I must admit) clues that Clare Mackintosh hides in the book. Once I finished the book, I could not believe the MASSIVE twist at the end, but since looking back on the book and discussing it during the book club meeting this morning, I can now see the little hints telling us who it was.

The book is told from both Zoe’s and Kelly’s perspective. This was a little confusing at first and it took awhile for my brain to get around the fact that chapters were being narrated by different characters. Zoe is terrified after seeing her picture used in an advert for a dating agency. A dating agency with a very different agenda, as the women pictured in the newspaper adverts are either robbed, raped or killed days afterwards.

This is where the character of Kelly plays an important role. With a police background and a job in helping to solve and prevent transport crime, Kelly is ultimately the only character who believes Zoe’s story and seems to be the only one taking her seriously.

This part of the story really annoyed me. How the people closest to Zoe didn’t believe her. How her husband and children just thought she was being overdramatic or going crazy. How her boss told her to take some time off work because her mind was elsewhere. If something creepy like this was happening to me, and it was being investigated by the police, I would expect my family to operate as my support network and take my allegations seriously.

I believe that Kelly’s narrative was important to the story because it wasn’t for her, would the investigation have ever gone ahead? However, I did find myself skim reading her chapters in order to find out what happened next in Zoe’s.

Clare Mackintosh also does a really great job of offering different perspectives of how victims of abuse, violence and criminality think. You may just assume that every victim wants justice, but some just want to try and erase that memory/event from their story. To move on and live life how they want without having to fight for justice every waking moment.

First of all, I struggled with how I would write this review because I personally think it is too difficult to write a review on My Dark Vanessa without going into detail about what happens. So this is your warning…I’ll try and keep it to a minimum but this review may include some spoilers!

I think with any book that is hyped up as much as this one is, you always go into it expecting BIG things. I found the book disturbing at times but as I have read books like this before, I wasn’t as shocked as perhaps others (who maybe hadn’t read anything like this before) were.

I don’t think the word enjoyed works for a book like this. I think the story is one that needs to be heard as it takes a very different approach to the topic of abuse. The story is told from Vanessa’s perspective. We have her narrative from when she was in high school, as well as her narrative from the present day. I think the way the two narratives link is really clever from the author and I really liked how events were subtly introduced in the present day narrative, for it to be explained in detail during the narrative of her younger self.

The abuse story is one that is disturbing and heartbreaking. Kate Elizabeth Russell (KER) is very clever in the way she writes, as throughout the book I am constantly questioning whether it was abuse or rape? There were times when the sex was consensual and there were times when it was not.

As we are reading from Vanessa’s perspective, it is quite easy to believe that she initiated the relationship with her teacher. We see it from her point of view and we witness her way of thinking; that she fantasized over him and took it upon herself to become close to him through her passion for reading and writing. Yet when we think about it, Jacob quite clearly knew that Vanessa had these feelings for him and he used this opportunity and her vulnerability to his advantage, getting what he wanted by making her feel special through providing literature that discussed sex and illicit relationships, such as Lolita. He was obviously giving her all the right signals, whilst ensuring he was covering his back at all times.

As the reader, I felt so confused throughout the book, as sometimes I would wince at some of the things that happened during her affair with Jacob Straine, whereas other times I would debate with myself on whether it was love. Because if it was love then why were there other girls who he had an affair with? Yet if he was a paedophile, then why did he carry on the relationship with Vanessa when she grew older?

The therapy sessions she has are a really good device in helping us understand how Vanessa feels about events now she is older and we get an insight into the impact that her unstable relationship with Jacob has had on her life. With her therapist she discusses some challenging questions about her denial.

She is given the opportunity to speak out about her relationship with Straine to help other women who may have gone through the same thing but as Vanessa does not believe that she was abused, she refuses to speak about her experience publicly. Even when she learns that Straine did the exact same things with all the other girls, she still believes that what she had with him was love and that she was different to all the others. She keeps her secret until the very end, just as she promised.

I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. Personally, I think the first half of the book was much better than the second half and I was left wanting more when I finished the book. Yet after much consideration, I suppose I found some closure from the ending because Vanessa could begin her journey to recovery and subsequently, start living her life.

My Dark Vanessa is a remarkable read that will leave you with so many questions and after finishing it, you will definitely need some time to mull it all over. Honestly, I’m glad I read it but I can’t say that I was as shocked as I hoped I would be. I suppose the hype may have ruined it for me so I’ve certainly learnt my lesson for next time.

(P.S. I’m sorry for the EXTREMELY long review, I just had a lot to say!)

What I L-O-V-E-D most about this book is its short chapters. It really add pace and panic to the story, and for the most part, the quick chapters help you consume this book in under a day. I probably could have read this in one night had I fought harder against falling asleep.

If you are unaware of what this book is about, well basically the title says it all. It is about an incredibly beautiful young girl in Nigeria, named Ayoode, who every man seems to fall in love with. However, something always leads to her killing the men that she dates. Accidentally, or as an act of self-defence, so she claims.

We follow her sister, Kerode (who is also out narrator) as she works tirelessly to clean up the mess that Ayoode creates, as well as witnessing her internal battle against doing what is right to save these men and doing what is right to save her sister.

I think Oyinkan Braithwaite has created a literary sensation with this book, and it is no wonder that it was shortlisted for the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Braithwaite is extremely clever in the way she introduces and explores a magnitude of themes, ranging from male dominance and fickleness to domestic violence and the power of women’s beauty.

I absolutely HATED the character of Ayooda. I have come across some girls who remind me very much of Ayooda and they have made my blood boil as much as she does. Ayooda knows she is beautiful (probably because she is told by everyone who meets her) and she uses this to play people. She never gives much thought to how her behaviour makes people feel and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Her poor sister, Kerode, has spent her whole life sticking up for her sister, and Ayoode doesn’t seem to be the slightest bit grateful or thankful for it.

However, as much as you hate her, you do kind of have to admire her too. Men are depicted as both powerful and weak in this novel. Characters like their father show how men can basically do whatever they want and their wives will still be there every day because it is deemed shameful for a woman to separate from her marriage. His power is also shown in many other ways too, particularly violence.

Yet Ayooda plays upon the weakness of men. How these men she meets are only interested in dating a beautiful girl and will do anything to win over her affection. When Tade buys Ayooda a huge bouquet of orchids, Ayooda simply texts him saying that she prefers roses. Not a thank you in sight. Yet later that day, a huge bouquet of roses is sent to the house. Ayooda knows how to play men and use her beauty to get what she wants. Because she is beautiful, no suspects that she is a serial killer or would even blame her if they did. This is why I have to admire her.

I didn’t cry whilst reading this book but I could definitely see why some people had. I think if it was the right time of the month, I think it would have broken my heart in two. There are definitely moments in this book that make me feel extremely grateful that I have (very luckily) never had to deal with grief. Because like Lydia Bird, I don’t know what would happen.

Lydia Bird has her perfect man and is very much happily in love, engaged and waiting to get married. Yet life ever-so-cruelly steps in and takes that all away from her. I really felt for Lydia and I was rooting for the whole way through the book. She makes some questionable decisions, but who can blame her when her whole life came crashing down in front of her very eyes…on her birthday of all days. A day that is now a day for grieving rather than celebrating.

I really enjoyed the concept of the two lives. I loved how Josie Silver managed to create this second life where Freddie is still alive, but there are consequences for being in that world for too long, both in that world and outside. It offers Lydia a space to be with Freddie and remember him. It offers her time to grieve and feel like she still has some normality in her life. However, although this world may not be realm the consequences are really quite tangible.

I think its a really clever book and gave me all the P.S I Love You vibes. A great story that discusses coping with grief whilst offering a very authentic outlook on what it is really like to live after the death of a loved one. I would highly recommend if this is something you’re going through or still coping with, as there is a lot to take away from this read.

Everything To Lose is actually part of a wider book series I believe, and I’m saddened that I’m only just joining the series! The Lambeth Group books follow the secret government investigations of agent Zoe Tampsin; a strong female protagonist with courage, determination, and guile. If the other six books in the series are as action-packed as this one, we are in for a treat.

Lambeth Group is a secret department of the British government with the responsibility of protecting the country. Agent Zoe Tampsin is everything you want from a strong female protagonist; resourceful, brave and tough. She is tasked with the job to look after scientist, Gavin Shawlens, who whilst battling his own grief, is investigating a performance-enhanced drug which seems unbelievably too good. Shawlens is also strongly disliked by some powerful and dangerous people, who will not stop until he is dead. That is where our girl, Zoe comes to the rescue.

What I loved about this book is the character dynamic. Shawlens is the fact and figures guy; analysing everything down to a T. Zoe on the other hand, has the skills but she doesn’t have Shawlens brains. She needs his expertise in this arena to complete her mission, and for two charismatic characters, they complement each other very well (obviously not without some bumps in the road at first, of course!)

This book has everything you need from an action-packed novel, and then more! Credit to the author for creating a story that is filled to the brim with exhilarating and edge-of-your-seat action. If anything, this book has made me want to go and read the other books in the series, to see what other missions Zoe Tampsin can complete!