Category: Romance

‘Every Last Word’ – Tamara Ireland Stone

every last word

I received a digital copy of this from Netgalley, and I am so pleased that I did.

Sam is 16, a fantastic swimmer and part of a popular group of girls. It might sound like a perfect life, but she also has a secret. Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD, and her life is ruled by the fear of anyone other than her family finding out.

I’ve only just finished this, and my feelings towards it are quite raw.

It was beautiful, and for so many different reasons. I loved the portrayal of a character finding their way and managing their condition. The focus on words and poetry was always going to appeal, but I wasn’t prepared for how moving some of the poems were. I loved the insight into the patient/therapist relationship, and I’d have to be pretty callous not to be affected by the character of AJ.

All in all, a book I would love to read again. It has already been recommended to a couple of students, and I will certainly suggest it should be in our school library.

‘The Paying Guests’ – Sarah Waters

the paying guests

Having purchased this as a gift, my interest had been piqued and I couldn’t resist picking up a copy from our local library. Although some time since I’d read anything by Sarah Waters, I thought I knew a little of what to expect. While that was the case to a certain extent, I was totally unprepared for what I got.

I don’t want to reveal too much. Reviews are widely available, so I’m not giving anything away by talking about the basic premise of the novel. It’s 1922 and the effects of war are everywhere. We are quickly drawn into this once genteel environment, on the cusp of great change, as Frances Wray and her widowed mother prepare to open their home to lodgers Len and Lillian Barber, the ‘paying guests’ referred to in the title.

Although the first section felt slow at times, I found the attention to detail absorbing and I was fascinated by the way in which Waters immerses us completely in this past world. As the inevitable occurs, I was more taken by the way in which Waters focused on the consequences of these shifting relationships. I certainly was not prepared for the two actions – one planned; the other not – that become so pivotal to the novel. From that moment on this book became something far more appealing and I, literally, could not put the book down.