Category: Contemporary

‘If This Gets Out’ – Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

If This Gets Out takes on what I’m fairly sure is an age-old issue (the manipulation of young singers by their management) and turns it on its head while delivering a sweet romance.

Our focus is a boyband called Saturday, formed after a summer camp and at a high point in their careers. Two years after they formed, the boys are starting to find the relentless grind and excessive management stifling. Relationships are strained and all four feel they are struggling to be true to themselves when their every public moment is monitored and choreographed.

Ruben, Zach, Jon and Angel were great friends and things began well. Somewhere along the way things have started to feel less fun, and as their success grows they are under increasing pressure to toe the line.

The book focuses on the relationship that develops between Ruben and Zach, but it also explores attitudes to sexuality, the mental health issues such a high-pressure existence creates, the way friends and family can sometimes be part of the problem and the role the media/fans play in such situations.

Perhaps this is a reflection of my age, but I found the romance element of the story the least engaging as I was more fascinated by the behind-the-scenes look at this fictional boyband. I can only imagine this story may have been influenced by events surrounding some of the highly successful boybands over the last few years, but the issues it explores are probably age-old. The lack of resolution may have been an attempt to show the growing empowerment these boys felt they had, but it also left it a little too open-ended for my liking.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

 

‘Breaking Point’ – Edel Coffey

Dr Sue is well-known. A busy paediatrician, a busy mum, a busy wife…and someone who is accustomed to paying in order to maintain the illusion of having it all. The story opens by allowing us an insight into the lives of Dr Sue and her family, which marks them as relatively normal (if we ignore the level of wealth they have).

On the day we meet Dr Sue things are more hectic than normal. Work is pressured and events are not quite running as smoothly as they need them to. This is the day that will change her life forever, as she forgets her six-month old daughter is in the car when she goes into work. The temperature is high…and her daughter dies.

We follow her as she is put on trial for negligence resulting in the death of her child. We see the devastating impact such an experience has on her and her family, and we also see how this event impacts on reporter Adelaide Gold who has her own interest in this case.

I found the descriptions of the initial event impactful. Nothing could prepare you for that sight, and the trial/story around it allows us to reflect on so many elements that will touch readers. At times it was incredibly hard to read, but I think the way it explores grief and some of our issues surrounding working parents and attitudes to childcare was very necessary.

While this had some elements that could seem melodramatic, the portrayal of the characters and the closing stages of the book kept me hooked. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this before publication, and I’m pretty sure I won’t be the only parent who reads it and hugs their kids a little harder afterwards.

 

‘The Measure’ – Nikki Erlick

The idea of getting the measure of something is toyed with here in an intriguing book, which got off to a slow start but which drew together in an eminently satisfying way. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before its expected May 2022 publication in exchange for sharing my thoughts.

We are asked to imagine a world where the world’s population is, one day, given a delivery of a wooden box left on their doorstep. For those who open it they discover a piece of string. Nobody knows where the boxes have come from or what the string signifies and the initial confusion/panic was well-presented.

Introduced to quite a number of characters, this made it quite hard for me to get into. I felt a certain disconnect initially, perhaps mirroring the sense of unease and uncertainty about the boxes.

Over time we learn that the string length represents how much time you have left. This, quite naturally, throws up some interesting ideas about how we live our lives and the extent to which others should control our lives.

As we develop our knowledge of the scenario and see how characters respond to events, it was easier to feel some affinity with them. This raises some interesting questions, and I can see this book proving a hit with many readers. The closing message felt rather earnest, though in current times where we are facing (potentially) further restrictions it will certainly resonate.

 

‘Idol’ – Louise O’Neill

What a twisted web has been woven here. A timely and engaging read, packed with O’Neill’s wry observations, but one which left me feeling distinctly nauseous.

Samantha Miller is the kind of character you might love to hate. Ruthless in her determination to succeed and something of a social-media icon, I found her whole demeanour unpleasant. She is adept at spinning the truth to suit her narrative, and this propensity makes the crux of the book more than a little problematic.

Sam herself is a victim of abuse, in therapy to help her manage the effects of the trauma and definitely struggling to keep a lid on her more self-destructive tendencies. This is heightened when her best friend from school sends an email accusing her of assault. Sam recalls the night referenced very differently, and we get to watch things unfold as we follow Sam try to manage this potentially disastrous moment.

As we journey with Sam through a return to her home-town we learn just how difficult it can be to ever know the truth, as each of us will experience things differently and bring our own experiences to events in our lives. Just because two people remember an event differently doesn’t mean one is lying.

This was a murky read, certainly encouraging us to reflect on how we interact with others and the role social media has in our lives. I can’t wait to see what other O’Neill fans make of it when it’s released next year, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication.

 

‘Real Easy’ – Marie Rutkoski

Real Easy was not what I expected at all…and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before publication.
Our setting is the Lovely Lady strip club. We get to meet the girls, the other staff and some of the patrons over the course of the novel as we watch the police try to uncover the identity of the person responsible for running two women (both of whom worked at the club) off the road, killing one and then holding the other hostage.
The scenario around the serial killer targeting strippers feels like it has been done before, but this was a cast of characters that you couldn’t help but root for. We receive a sympathetic portrayal of a business that may not be to everyone’s states, and a chilling reminder set of the risks involved in certain types of work.
There were more than one or two moments where I found it hard not to prejudge. While I still had a lot of questions, there was plenty to keep me satisfied.

 

‘The Paris Apartment’ – Lucy Foley

Lucy Foley does it again…a thriller that gets its hold on you and draws you in.

Featuring a cast of characters that you can’t help but hate/love, The Paris Apartment is a story that I’m sure lots will be talking about upon its release.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this in advance of publication.

Our story focuses on a mysterious apartment block in Paris and a family with plenty to hide. Sometimes secrets can be kept for years, but just one thread unravelling can pull it all apart. While the secrets are not anything out of the ordinary, the way they have tangled over the years and the resulting problems make for a most intriguing read.

When Jess needs to escape her life in London after a run-in with her pervert boss, she flees to her brother, Ben, who has found himself an apartment in Paris. She gets more than she imagined, as we already know that something has happened to Ben. Watching Jess blunder into this macabre building – with deliciously creepy characters and a wonderfully oppressive atmosphere full of shadows that could just be hiding something threatening – felt uncomfortable at times. We sensed she was getting into something potentially dangerous, but her determination to leave no stone unturned and to help those in need meant you couldn’t help but wish her success in her endeavours.

Knowing no more than is revealed to us in the blurb is important for this read. We know something is not right, but the way these little details are revealed is done well. Perhaps a little more background information about some of the characters would have been welcome but there was plenty to be getting on with.

 

‘Falling’ – T.J. Newman

From start to finish I did not want to put this down. I’d heard rave reviews, wondered if it would be worth the hype and I’m happy to jump on the bandwagon and urge people to read this book.

We open with a routine day; a family preparing for the day ahead. Little do they (or we) know just how rapidly their lives are about to change once the cable guy drops in.

Bill, a pilot of some standing, has been called onto a last minute flight. He regrets letting down his wife and kids, but his duty is important to him. The chilling moment when Bill learns that his family are being held hostage and he has a choice to make had my jaw dropping! Allow his family to be killed in order to protect his passengers, or save his family and be responsible for the deaths of over a hundred innocents. What a dilemma!

Particularly since 9/11 and the increasing instances of terror attacks, this is a very real fear that Newman plays upon. How much do we value duty and family? Which would take precedence? Should anyone ever have to choose? I could not imagine being put in this position and it was gripping to see this dilemma play out.

However, the action focuses on a lot of other characters. We follow them on board and through their experiences and this really brought a sense of immediacy to the story. Some very serious issues were raised, and I genuinely found myself far more caught up in this element than I thought I would.

Packed with drama, plenty of heart-stopping moments and a truly Hollywood ending…what’s not to love?

 

‘Her Perfect Twin’ – Sarah Bonner

The joy of finding a book that you get so caught up in cannot be underestimated…having read so many of Bonner’s reviews on Twitter, I was desperate to read her debut. I am stunned!

Due out in January 2022, I’m so grateful to NetGalley for letting me get my hands on this early…and I’m desperate to read it again to try and make sense of the twisted mind-games and genius plotting that I’ve been fortunate enough to read.

The book started with a humdinger of a quandary. Megan finds a picture of herself on her husband’s phone wearing electric blue underwear. Only she doesn’t have any. I cannot imagine what would go through your mind in this situation, but when we learn Megan has an identical twin her behaviour and subsequent actions make sense. At this point I imagined we’d get an engaging thriller as we followed Megan try to cover up her actions, but really wasn’t expecting anything too out of the familiar.

If I could only take back all my pre-judgments I would be happy, because within a relatively short space of time we are given a complete bolt out of the blue.

Nothing will be given away here, but it didn’t take long for me to realise we were in far from familiar territory and being played. And there were more shocks to come!

Told in four parts, this story was so cleverly constructed that I really want to go back and reread it to see which elements I’d missed in the initial read. The characters were far from idealised, but those flaws actually played a key role in the success of the plot.

I am so excited to see what friends make of this when it’s released…though I’m still not entirely sure there isn’t something I missed!

 

‘The Trial’ – Laura Bates

A solid read, which will serve its purpose if it gets just one person to think about the way they treat others. Once again, Laura Bates brings her social commentary to a story that you find yourself drawn into.

I don’t usually comment on covers, but this was one I felt drawn to. It shows the power girls could have, in the right circumstances, and it emphasises just how small this little world that the group of characters inhabit is.

Seven teens survive a planet crash as they are travelling back from a baseball tournament. They are, initially, excited by the break from routine but it doesn’t take long for the gaps and issues between them to bubble up.

Very different personalities; each thinks they know the other but their time on the island soon shows they don’t know as much as they think.

Strange events start to take place and some of these events are serious in their potential for harm. A sense of mistrust soon develops and all we know is that it has something to do with a party that was held before the night of their crash. Who is behind this? Can they find out what is going on before someone is seriously hurt?

We learn fairly early on that the tension is real, and that it links to their life before the island. Of course we want to know exactly what led to this point, though it felt quite obvious fairly early on what we’d focus on.

The crash came from now where but as a means to an end it works well. The group don’t seem to know each other very well, and though we could see the developing issues, it was good to see how they all slowly came to realise the significance of their actions/inaction. Unfortunately, it felt as if the latter part of the story was rushed which was a shame as it certainly is a story that has resonance.

This is a book that you feel you ought to recommend though, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book before publication.

 

‘Meredith, alone’ – Claire Alexander

Our introduction to Meredith is very matter-of-fact and it’s almost comical how she tells us it’s been over 1,000 days since she left her home. We learn she has a cat called Fred, enjoys jigsaws and has a best friend (Sophie) who comes to check she hasn’t died and been eaten by her cat! However, someone willingly becoming a social recluse has – in all likelihood – experienced a traumatic event, and it doesn’t take us long to see these signs in Meredith.

The book focuses on Meredith making the best of her very narrow life. Interspersed with details of her online friendship are details of her developing friendship with Tom, part of a charity group that befriends people in isolation, and details about her brief interactions with her sister and mother. Through the course of these interactions, and the flashback memories of her past, we come to learn more about Meredith and how she came to be in this situation.

While there is not a lot of action in the plot, we’re given a clear picture of Meredith and her experience. As we grow to learn exactly what happened to her I feel it’s hard not to feel sympathy for her, and anger on her behalf.

The details of Meredith’s story are not easy to read. She’s a character who becomes increasingly self-aware, and seeing just how those who should have been helping her treated her was challenging. It’s a fairly bleak story, told with love and I can’t help but feel Meredith will be a name we’re hearing a lot of next year when she ventures into the open.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for allowing me into Meredith’s world early. It was a true experience.