Category: Contemporary

‘Love, Secret Santa’ – S.A. Domingo

A heart warming, Christmas-themed romance that will not fail to have you smiling.

Angel Green is a serious young lady. Determined to become a doctor, she is about to sit an exam to get a scholarship to study further, but she can’t help but worry that things may not be so simple.

Angel is busy with school and helping to fundraise for her school committee. They decide to raise funds for the Bluebell Hospice, the place Angel’s mum works. Unfortunately, Angel is paired to work with her old friend Caspar Johnson – publicly charming and talented at pretty much everything he turns his hand to, but notoriously unreliable.

Though this infuriates Angel, she is keen to try and reestablish their friendship. She doesn’t want to admit it, but there’s sparks between her and Caspar. So it’s lucky that she has her mysterious Secret Santa gifts to keep her occupied.

Whoever her Secret Santa is, they know her well. The home-made Advent Calendar pushes Angel to try new experiences and just open herself to thinking in a different way. This mystery person clearly knows her well, but as the gifts become more thoughtful Angel starts to wonder whether there might be more to it…

For a clever girl, Angel is a little short-sighted. Key details are rather obvious from early on, and yet she’s the kind of character you find yourself rooting for things to go as we predict. For things not to have worked out as you predict them to would have totally ruined the Christmas spirit here.

On occasion there’s just a little too much going on, but it all adds up to a quite entertaining read. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for my thoughts.

 

‘Call It What You Want’ – Brigid Kemmerer

A tough lesson to learn here for so many characters.

Maegan was caught cheating on her SATs last year, and now spends her school day being ignored by people. Rob was the star lacrosse player, but is now ostracised because his father stole money from many people in the town.

Both teens are struggling to deal with their circumstances. They have to accept what others dole out to them. Rob can’t tell anyone about how his life has changed after his father tried to kill himself. Maegan has to keep the secret that her sister has left college as she’s pregnant with her tutor’s child.

When they’re paired for a calculus project, Rob and Maegan start a tentative friendship. Slowly, and falteringly, they break down some of their self-imposed barriers.

This was a thought-provoking and emotional read. Highly recommended.

 

‘The Third Twin’ – C.J. Omololu

This took a little while to get going then went haywire.

Lexi has always thought of herself as serious, focused and rather dull. She’s set on studying business at Stanford. So, when we learn that she and her twin sister, Ava, have an alter-ego they use when they want to cut loose it comes as a bit of a surprise. Alicia is someone who likes to party, and who does crazy things just for fun.

Though Lexi dislikes the way this often ends up, she recognises that playing at being someone else can free her to be a little more adventurous than normal. However, when a boy she meets up with one night is then killed things start to seem less fun.

Somehow, without really quite knowing how we got to this point, two more boys end up dead. The only link being their dates with Alicia. Lexi doesn’t want to believe it, but could her sister really be a killer?

From the moment of the third murder we are plunged into crazy territory. The sisters are on the run from the police, wanted for murder and nobody trusts the other. Then we get a true humdinger of a revelation that makes little sense, but definitely ties up a few loose ends.

A bit like Pretty Little Liars it’s implausible, highly exaggerated and yet quite good fun.

 

‘The Truth Commission’ – Susan Juby

Quirky is definitely the best word I can use about this.

Normandy Pale is our narrator, and she is the younger sister of a celebrated graphic novelist. Her whole life has been laid bare in print, and Normandy doesn’t challenge this.

We meet Normandy as she’s starting a creative project – a piece of non-fiction exploring the outcomes of something she and her best friends set up. Finding out truths starts small, but very quickly Normandy is having to deal with truths that were previously hidden.

The style (with its endless footnotes) could have been irritating, but I found Normandy’s attempts to make sense of the things she learns quite entertaining. I liked her friendship group and the way they interacted.

Ultimately, I was quite appalled by her family. Her sister was, to put it bluntly, unscrupulous and her parents were bordering on negligent in their handling of this scenario. Part of me wants to say I was surprised by this, but I’m also wondering how much was set-up for an artistic attempt to manipulate the truth.

 

‘Frankly in Love’ – David Yoon

Frank Li…Korean American…what does that mean?

In Frankly in Love we have the sideline story of Frank planning to fake-date his friend, Joy, so he can get to take out a girl in his class. He knows his parents would not appreciate him dating a white girl (after all, they disowned his sister for her choice of partner) so he and Joy cook up an elaborate plan.

Things set in motion often pick up their own momentum. That’s exactly what happens here and, before we know it, there’s a pretty big relationship mess. However, the novel seemed to be more about a young boy trying to work out his place in society. It explored his feelings of identity and showed the sense of a developing relationship with his parents.

There was something about the voice here that I found really hard to feel much for. Frank was quite self-obsessed and there were some events that had huge glowing signs pointing them out, yet they were ignored because they didn’t register on Frank’s radar. Perhaps if I’d felt more about the main character I’d have been more engaged with this.

 

‘The Year I Didn’t Eat’ – Samuel Pollen

Max is a character you’ll feel for, but simply because his experiences sound exhausting.

When we first meet Max he’s struggling to deal with his illness. He gives it a name, Ana, and is acutely aware of the impact it has on his family. Max can’t pinpoint what started it, but he recognises that his constant calorie counting and obsessive attempts to control his food intake are destructive. He tries to go along with his counselling sessions, but that voice becomes stronger.

This was a sensitively told story, looking at some aspects of living with anorexia while also showing a teenage boy learning to develop friendships and live with some of the family issues that arise.

It’s hard to know how successful this is in conveying an experience which will, probably, be different for everyone but I did like the hopeful tone to it.

 

‘All We Ever Wanted’ – Emily Giffin

There’s no escaping the fact that this is a tough read, particularly when you stop to think about the implications.

Nina has got used to her lavish lifestyle. Through some shrewd business dealings her family are seriously wealthy, and that brings with it a certain amount of respect within their community. Her son, Finch, has just got into Princeton but that doesn’t prevent him doing something unbelievably crass which jeopardises everything he’s worked for.

Our first alert to the issue is mum being told by a ‘concerned’ friend (who you can tell is just loving it) that her son has taken a picture of a young girl from his school. The girl is clearly passed out, exposed and there’s a racist comment posted underneath. Immediately we want to know what comes next.

The novel doesn’t disappoint on that respect. We get a range of viewpoints so we can gauge the situation’s impact. Nina immediately shows concern for the girl, Lyla, and the emotional consequences of her son’s actions. His father, Kirk, believes that throwing money at the situation will resolve things. Lyla is embarrassed and wants to downplay things, believing her crush wouldn’t mean harm. Her father is angry, and wants to protect his daughter.

As we watch things unfold we can see just how devastating certain attitudes can be. As a parent it made me so worried. Just how much do we influence our children? What do we do if they make decisions at odds with our beliefs?

This is not a book that offers easy answers. No-one comes out of these events unscathed: and some are certainly more impacted than others. It made me angry, and desperately hoping that no son of mine ever feels it’s okay to support such attitudes.

‘We Used to Be Friends’ – Amy Spalding

The title pulls no punches. This is all about the break-up of all break-ups, and though it’s upsetting on occasion I couldn’t help but warm to both James and Kat.
James and Kat were paired together in kindergarten and have been best friends since. Our story opens with them about to go to college, and things are no longer looking as rosy as they were.

The premise itself is quite straightforward. Two friends are developing and their relationship is shifting. They’re dealing with family issues, evolving relationships and the movement into adulthood. So, what’s special about this?

For me, it comes down to the innovative structure of the novel. We get alternating viewpoints, which allow us to see both perspectives, and then there’s the construction of those views. James’s story begins with her about to start college, reflecting on the last year and examining just how her relationship with her best friend came to such a place. Kate’s story opens at the beginning of senior year, full of promise and excitement as she begins a new relationship and slowly comes to learn some of her flaws.

Both characters were flawed. Kat was highly dramatic and self-obsessed, while James was reticent to discuss emotions never mind deal with them. Cutting between time/situation lent a fascinating air to this. We could see how it would end up, and the signs were obvious but both seemed unable to do anything to salvage it.

Though I enjoyed the style of telling, and grew to feel some compassion for both characters, I’m not entirely sure what the message of this book is. Relationships change. Sometimes people aren’t what you thought. Too much introspection is a bad thing. Too much self-obsession is a bad thing.

I’m grateful to NetGalley for granting me access to this in exchange for my thoughts. This might be one to return to upon publication (scheduled for January 2020).

‘Lullaby’ – Leila Slimani

I’ve had Lullaby on my bookcase for ages, but never really felt I could face reading it because of the subject. After reading the opening, which is pretty graphic, describing the violent way in which the nanny has attacked her two young charges I felt vindicated in not having picked it up earlier. What on earth would possess someone paid to care for children to attack them?

Having opened in this way it was inevitable that time would then have to be spent plotting the lead to this event. We get to see Myriam and Paul adjusting to life as parents, and Myriam’s resentment of her husband which leads to the decision to find a nanny. I felt the attitude of these parents was quite disturbing. They wanted cheap childcare but felt a sense of superiority over the women they were interviewing.

When they meet Louise she’s given glowing referrals, immediately bonds with the children and – before we know it – she’s hired. There’s then a slow creeping sense of unease as we watch Louise insidiously work her way into the very heart of the family. She cleans, cooks, keeps the children entertained and seems a regular Mary Poppins.

Having seen how this turns out, we’re acutely conscious of any signs of a problem. Initially it seemed as if Louise might end up having an affair with Paul, but the reality was much more scary. The family need her, but not as much as Louise seems to need them. Her declining mental health was hinted at, but each character was exhibiting signs that they could cause a problem.

As I neared the end of the book I was struck by the ambiguity of the situation. There’s no evident resolution, and yet this felt more appropriate than tying things up neatly. I feel this will sit with me for some time.

‘The Poet X’ – Elizabeth Acevedo

Xiomara comes from a strict religious background. She feels a wedge between her and her parents, and this novel explores how that impacts on her life.
Like so many teenage girls she’s opinionated, and curious about the world around her. She is – we’re told – quick to use her fists to defend her twin brother, but sometimes you have to find another way.

From the outset it seemed clear there’d be a developing tension between Xiomara and her mother. She is desperate to find her voice and try to establish who she is. But who she thinks she is seems at odds with her parents’ hopes and expectations.

Yet one thing our narrator has is words. Used to pouring her thoughts out in her notebook, the way her mother treats this book could be seen as the ultimate betrayal. Yet it brought about a shift in thinking that offered some solace.

I liked the fact that there were characters around who offered some respite. Her best friend was so different, yet offered genuine love and support. The teacher who introduced her to slam poetry sparked something new. The priest – who seemed to represent everything she found so constricting- was actually the one who helped set things up to indicate a much more positive outcome.