Review: All The Wicked Girls

All The Wicked Girls by Chris Whitaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All The Wicked Girls is a simply stunning second novel from Chris Whitaker. I loved Tall Oaks so much that I actually put off reading this book because I was so worried that I wouldn't enjoy it as much. However, I am pleased to report this exceeded my expectations.

What I really loved about this book was the way it made me hold my breath. My friends all know that I usually see the twist coming and can predict what's happened. Not this time. Whitaker kept me guessing the whole way through, which is a lovely unique experience for me!

When I read Tall Oaks, the one issue I had was the wide cast of characters and I found them hard to relate to. Not so this time. The cast was just as wide, but the authors skill has improved and I actually felt a connection to them all - whether it was a good or bad feeling there was one. Nobody hit me as just a filler person. And it was the nuances of the people that really hit home and even when somebody did something awful I couldn't help but sympathise with them (with one notable exception) because they were multi-dimensional.

Honestly, I am so happy that I finally got around to this book and I will be eagerly waiting for the next title from Chris Whitaker!

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Review: The Treatment

The Treatment by C.L. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'You have to help me. We're not being reformed. We're being brainwashed.'

This was my first time reading a book by Taylor and I have to say it was one that I couldn't put down. At 300 pages long is is a fast-paced, thrill ride that leaves you wanting to find out just what on earth is going on.

You have to suspend your disbelief for a good portion of the book, the way some of the characters (especially the adults) act totally beggars belief, and in all honesty it paints a pretty appalling picture of our society as it currently stands.

It's the main character of Drew that holds this book together and makes it the success it it. She is a strong character, and her flaws make her seem all the more realistic. She cares and fights for what she believes in, so it made sense to me when the other characters chose to put their trust in her. She's the type of girl I would want to be friends with.

This book is coming out on the 19th of October and I recommend you get your hands on it if you fancy a quick read that will keep you guessing.

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Review: The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts

The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sweet and funny. I really enjoyed this romantic romp with my favourite type of chemistry - love/hate. The snark was just what I wanted from this book and I easily read it in one sitting. I found Posy charming and the way that she grew through the book was endearing and her relationship with Sam was an unexpected highlight!

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Review: The Language of Dying

The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a hard book to read on many different levels.

The title alone shows you the main theme of the book and so going in I knew it wasn't going to be a laugh a minute thrill. What I wasn't prepared for was how much it would actually hit me.

Sarah Pinborough is an author whose writing I have loved for a long time and I have had the pleasure to hear her speak. She never pulls her punches and always surprises me with her books. The Language of Dying was no different for me.

The central character (whose name you never know) is telling us the story of the last week of her father's life and how her dysfunctional family comes together over it, and then instantly splits again. Moments of this were incredibly beautiful and touching, and I wanted to remind myself that I was seeing these characters through just one person's eyes. Only one side of the story was being told. Penny, bright and beautiful, had a life beyond what we see and has so many good qualities to her that I found it important to remember them.

The ways it's told can be frustrating upon occasion, but I do believe that only revealed more of how they must be feeling. I wanted to know more and delve even deeper into their world, but you're just left with this snapshot that is hard to shake.

Finally, I found it significant that the people's names that you never learn are the protagonist and her father. I feel like this was a clever way to link them and to show how their paths were tied together.

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Review: Numbers

Numbers by Rachel Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The first book in the 'Numbers' series, really serves as a prequel to what I would consider to be the main storyline. Its the events that lead up to everything else, and having read all three in the series this first book holds a special place for me.

At first I thought I was getting myself into a dystopian world and so was confused to find myself very much grounded in the here and now, apart from the one crucial difference that was Jem's special ability.

There are huge things that I do find incredibly unbelievable about it. And several times I just wanted to smack some sense into the pair of them, but for the most part I felt like the author did her characters justice. Both Jem and Spider are hideously flawed and that is what made them seem real. How can you root for people and their relationship if you don't believe they are actual people. The flaws also made it more charming that they came together.

I certainly came to care for them enough that during the final few moments of the book (even though you KNOW it has to happen) I was sad and secretly hoping something would happen to fix it all.

Well worth a read, but just know what you're getting into and you have to read the whole series to truly appreciate it!!

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Review: Girl in the Dark

Girl in the Dark by Anna Lyndsey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was much more than I expected it to be.

It is not a pity me story, which it could have easily been. Instead it faced the harsh realities of a woman who is living with something I don't know I could handle, but it also celebrated the wins and joy that she could find. This is something that I found incredibly touching throughout the story.

Anna is a woman who develops a severe sensitivity to light and how she has to try to work to make the world around her livable. It chronicles how she occupies her mind during lengthy periods alone, her joy at brief moments of remission and most importantly of all her relationship with her husband.

While the book would have always been an important one, Anna's story deserves to be told, it is the central relationship with Pete that really spoke to me and I think makes the book as lovely as it is. They way they grow and handle things is touching, the moment where they made it to a rose garden together made me genuinely well up. Because of course a couple wants to go sit in a beautiful location together and the fact that it was made possible, that made me incredibly happy.

The book is also frank about the way that when you have an illness (I think any long term one, not just in Anna's case) that you will lose people who simply don't have time or find it difficult. This book is careful not to blame them for this and shows it in an understanding light. But also the network of people that comes out of it was something special.

I'm left rather rambling as I think back about this book, because I couldn't decide if I was happy or sad at the end. I rather think this is how it is meant to leave the reader. That is life. Nothing is all good or all bad and humans have an amazing adaptability to try and make the best out of any situation.

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Review: Armada

Armada by Ernest Cline
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a book that I so desperately wanted to like and have been waiting to read until I could sit down and consume in in one go. Ready Player One had totally blown my mind when I first read it and I was so ready to have it happen again.

I think that anticipation is what leads me to want to give this book a three star rating, but sadly I just can't justify it and had to remain strong at two stars. The premise of Armada is amazing, and as someone who loves to game (please can I go into a Final Fantasy world now??) I was excited to read about someone like me who had to face up to the reality of it happening. And the very start of the book lived up to this, mostly. Zack was interesting and there were so many facets of his character that could be explored, the people around him had real potential to develop and further the plot.

Then it was almost like the story got away from Cline. It started to unravel so quickly it was hard to keep up with it and I felt almost became a parody of itself. I rarely say this, but I feel the book could have benefited from being another 100 pages long. Many of the plot points that were brought up were just left in the dust as the action got underway.

For example, a lot was made of Zack's anger issues and that was the reason he wasn't recruited sooner, but nothing ever came of it. It was never dealt with. Once its stopped being a useful plot device it was discarded and I felt like it could have rounded him out so much better!

This is what happened with the side characters too. They had their brief purpose and just not enough time was devoted to anyone to give them real personalities. After Ready Player One had such an amazing cast of characters, I do feel this was the biggest let down of the book for me. I wanted to fall in love with them and wish them well through this journey, but they were stereotypes at best.

As I said, I like the premise of this book and I think with more space it could have been developed well. I will certainly read whatever Cline brings out next, because this could easily be a blip or second novel issues. His first book let me know that he has amazing talent. Sadly it just didn't shine in this particular novel.

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