April 2016 – Page 3 – My Good Reads

‘Hold Still’ – Tim Adler

I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing I have to make clear is that this novel is very different in subject matter from the kind of stuff I’d normally read. This might explain some of my issues with the novel.

An excellent beginning. We see Kate and her husband in their hotel room in Albania, where they have travelled for a relative’s funeral, and within minutes he is dead – having fallen off the balcony. The easiest explanation for this is that Paul was depressed because of his failing business, and this is nothing more than a suicide. Unfortunately, Kate is convinced she saw someone else on the balcony at the time and that someone was watching them. She also is curious about the message Paul received just beforehand where he is pictured in a hotel with a younger woman. So begins her quest to find out what really happened.

Before we know it, Kate is drawn into the seedy underbelly of life. She learns things about her husband’s involvement in things that she would probably rather not have known about: drugs, bribery, corruption, human trafficking and Albanian gangs.

Though the story was well-plotted and kept you interested, I spent most of the book feeling quite detached from events. Kate simply wasn’t a character that I cared that much about, so I didn’t quite feel the emotional investment in her situation that I think was needed for this book to be totally successful.

‘Birdy’ – Jess Valance

When Frances Bird is asked to show the new girl, Alberta, around school it marks the end of her isolation. The two girls strike up a somewhat obsessive relationship; with each of them recognising in the other something that they, personally, are lacking.

As time goes on, Frances learns things about her new friend that start to paint a very different picture.

Narrated from Frances’s viewpoint, this novel really captures the awkwardness that can be felt by people who are seen as a little bit different from their peers – for whatever reason. We are never quite sure of exactly what is happening in certain situations as Frances herself is not the most reliable of narrators.

Without giving away any details, the end of the novel blew me away. You sensed something big was about to happen, but the extent of the betrayal only becomes clear as you finish the book. A quick read, but highly recommended.

‘In the Dark, In the Woods’ – Eliza Wass

This novel explores one girl’s attempts to escape the confines of her upbringing. Castella Cresswell and her five siblings are used to being seen as the outcasts of their school environment. They are used to being left alone, and it is such a shame that they are.

Castella makes for an interesting narrator. Even though she is seventeen, she seems much younger and I assume this is because of her upbringing. As she starts to question the extreme religious views of her father, and to recognise that the abuse he metes out is not normal, you could see her growing in confidence.

The children’ acceptance of their home-life is horrible to read. The weakness of the adult characters and their influence over these children was truly horrifying. By the end of the novel I was desperate for something to happen to provide the opportunity to escape.

A curious read. Dark, but compelling. Thank-you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Way I Used to Be’ – Amber Smith

The image on the cover of this novel perfectly sums up the experience of the main character, Eden. It also captures perfectly one of the only moments in the novel – though she doesn’t see this until much later – when she is happy.

I think the first thing to say is that this is a book that will divide opinion. The subject matter is not going to appeal to everyone, but for me this is one of those books that you really have to make yourself read.

While some reviewers have commented on the fact that this doesn’t add anything new to books about rape, I’d argue that it shouldn’t have to. Every survivor of rape will have a different story to tell; every survivor of rape will react differently and the outcome for each will be very different. Why should a writer feel compelled to add something new to the mix?

Putting that view aside, I think the structuring of this novel is what most intrigued me about the book. We start with the night of the rape, and there is no easing us in gently to the horror. Like Eden, we are abruptly forced into a position from which we cannot escape. I was appalled, yet horribly resigned, to the way in which she reacted in the immediate aftermath of her attack. It revealed a lot about her as a character, and the relationships that she had with her family and her attacker.

As I read the opening section which focuses on Eden at 14, I felt so angry on her behalf. I reacted very emotionally to this character, wanting her to have that all-important person to reach out to who would believe her when she told them what had happened. Unfortunately, Eden keeps quiet…and nobody seems to notice quite enough to go beyond the surface attempt to convince everyone she’s okay.

The novel is split into four distinct parts, each focusing on a different year in school. As time progresses, we see Eden more and more damaged by her experience. She finds her coping mechanism. Unfortunately, this also brings with it further problems, as she gains a reputation for being a slut amongst her peers. For this portrayal of high school alone I think the novel is worth reading.

The novel’s strength – taking us through Eden’s reaction over a prolonged period of time – is also its weakness. There are many events glossed over or ignored, but I found this a fairly minor issue.

All in all, I had a very emotional reaction to this novel. It didn’t have quite the ‘killer touch’ of Louise O’Neill’s ‘Asking For It’ but it packs a pretty hefty punch that will certainly get people talking.

‘Carrie’ – Stephen King

This is a book that I feel I should have already read. I’ve seen the movie a number of times, so my reading of the book was marred at times by reconciling what King wrote with the images that were put on screen.

The story seems well-known: Carrie White is the victim of bullying throughout her life, and her mother’s extreme religious views do not make it any easier for her to fit in. Carrie’s emerging telekinetic ability wreaks havoc as she gets her revenge on those who’ve made her life hell.

As I read the novel I confess to finding myself waiting for key scenes. What struck me most about the novel was the fascination with the supernatural and the portrayal of small-town America. Cleverly structured and a rattling good story. I’m so pleased that I finally cleared this off my to-read pile!