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‘Malibu Rising’ – Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Riva family are a force to be reckoned with, and Malibu Rising shows us this group at a key moment in their lives. The format is quite simple: 24hours focused on the time around Nina Riva’s infamous annual party.

Having loved the complexity of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo I can’t help but feel this was a gentler read. Though we watch moments of intense drama, it felt rather detached – as if I were watching some kind of documentary of the lives of the rich and famous (which we had, in book form).

The dynamics of this family group are everything. Part one introduces us to the family and build up to the party. We see Nina, Jay, Hud and Kit and learn a little about each of them/what they’re doing. These four have – after the death of their mother, June, and the well-documented abandonment by their father, pop star Mick – come to rely on one another.

Interspersed with the details of the four children we get the back story to Mick and June, and some elements of that were genuinely heart-breaking. Then we move to part two focusing on the hours of the party and how some of the strands resolve themselves in dramatic fashion.

While I really liked parts of this, the party scene was drawn out and exaggerated to the point of incredulity. It served to illustrate some aspects of the relationships between the family but it seemed to be about setting up a way of instigating a new start for certain characters. There were also some areas that were underdeveloped which I would have liked to see more of.

Closing the book I was struck by the sense of hope and optimism that ran through what was, for the most part, a book about very selfish people hurting each other. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but I still enjoyed it.

 

‘True Crime Story’ by Joseph Knox

 

True Crime Story is a relatively familiar story – about the disappearance of a young female student at Manchester University – but its execution was clever, and certainly had me convinced its origins were in truth.

The book begins with a rather strange note from the publishers to Joseph Knox, the author, indicating that this book is problematic. Of course you want to know why.

We then hear about Evelyn Mitchell, the actual writer, and how she meets Knox. Both are trying to think of a great idea for their difficult next book and Evelyn thinks she’s hit upon a gem of a story…the disappearance of Zoe Nolan.

Last seen on the night of a party at Owens Park, Zoe went missing and has not been seen since. Police say her case remains open but they have no clue what happened to her. Family and friends of Zoe were interviewed at the time but to no avail.

After some years Evelyn decided this case is worth re-examining. Her interviews have, she insists, thrown up new information and suggest some aspects of the police investigation were not as thorough as they might have been.

From the outset I found myself invested in this. Having studied in Manchester it was a bit of a trip down memory lane to be reading about places that were so familiar…but what really endeared this book to me was its sense of self-awareness.

Knox inserts himself wholeheartedly into the story and this offered us something a little different in what was a story that, at its heart, moved forward little.

From start to finish we are offered insight into the Nolan family and the dynamics between the new group of friends starting their lives at Manchester University. Some of the characters are quite unlikeable. All of them have things they’d rather stay hidden, and I was constantly looking for clues as to what the missing pieces of the story might be.

I genuinely did not want to stop reading this once I’d started. There are twists and turns, and not all the scenarios are (if we’re being honest) wholly credible, but with the villains of the piece hiding in plain sight it was a lesson in keeping your eyes open and not trusting everything you’re told.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this in advance of publication.

‘The Ivies’ – Alexa Donne

Getting accepted into one of the Ivy League colleges is hard work, and this book exposes just how brutal the system is.

Olivia has a place at Claflin Academy on a scholarship. For reasons she’s not sure of she has been befriended by a group known as the Ivies…girls from wealthy backgrounds who will do whatever is needed to get into the college of their choice, and not worry about who they trample in the process.

When Olivia gets early acceptance into Harvard she should be screaming it from the rooftops. However, in the world she’s part of the Harvard spot was meant for Avery…and when she’s rejected it sets in place a truly scary sequence of events.

We have the death of a student, and Olivia is convinced one of her friends could be behind it. We follow her attempts to investigate what happened…and though it is quite ridiculous it is just on the edge of credibility. There’s intrigue and scandal aplenty, and I imagine readers will lap it up.

‘Instructions for Dancing’ – Nicola Yoon

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star Nicola Yoon is back with her eagerly anticipated third novel. With all the heart and hope of her last two books, this is an utterly unique romance.When your family shatters around you it’s easy to see how you might feel somewhat disillusioned about love and relationships.


Evie Thomas has struggled to accept the breakdown of her parents’ relationship. She knows her father had an affair and she wonders if falling in love is worth it if it’s going to end badly. This book offers an alternative way of looking at things.

Evie finds herself picking up an unusual book, Instructions for Dancing, and it sets her on a path that is not expected but which offers her a more positive way of engaging with the world. She finds herself learning to dance and entered into a competition that involves her opening herself to new opportunities.

From the start, I loved this. There’s a genuine optimism to some potentially difficult subjects and I found myself desperate to see how things resolved.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this before publication in exchange for my honest thoughts.

 

‘This Is My America’ – Kim Johnson

Tracy Beaumont is only a teenager, but she is a powerhouse. For seven years she has written to Innocence X asking them to review her father’s case. Imprisoned on Death Row for the murder of a business associate, her father only has a short time left until he will be killed. Convinced of his innocence, Tracy is determined to try and get him help.
We are given access to Tracy’s family and see the daily effect on them of this incarceration. She has been shaped by her experience and her moments of reflection on the racism experienced by her and her family is illuminating.
That story alone would be moving, but when her brother – a promising track student – is forced to run when police knock on the door it becomes a whole different thing. The girl he has been seeing – a white girl who happens to be the girlfriend of the sheriff’s son – is found dead. Jamal’s jacket is over her and witnesses claim he was the last to see her. As soon as this happened, I feared what was going to be unleashed.
What we got was a blistering story, revealing deeply ingrained prejudices, strong characters, a fascinating insight into the history of such attitudes and a compelling argument for never turning the other cheek.
There is so much going on in this book, but it never feels too much. Everything melds together so well. Certain scenes – the attack on the Beaumont home that heralds the understanding of the bigger picture behind this story, for one – made me feel physically ill. I felt anger, I cried and at times I even felt despair that such stories remain feasible. Thankfully, this is a story so there was hope at the end…Even though the love triangle element irritated me and felt unnecessary, I can’t knock a star off just for that (but 4 and a half would be right).
This is a book that I only happened to hear about from another reader. I had not heard about it or seen it talked about anywhere and I genuinely am curious to know why this isn’t being given more attention. I honestly feel this should be compulsory reading.

 

‘The Push’ – Ashley Audrain

The Push is a dark psychological study and it covers areas that could trigger many readers, but its key focus is the exploration of the bonds between mothers and daughters. It is far from comfortable reading, and I always felt slightly on edge – never certain to what extent these ideas were based in reality, and what was the product of a disturbed mind.
Our main character is Blythe, a young woman who reluctantly becomes a mother. She doubts herself and her capabilities, constantly feels judged by her ‘perfect’ mother-in-law and worries about the lack of maternal love she feels for her daughter, Violet. Her husband, Fox, seems a natural father and his relationship with Violet is a stark contrast to the one Blythe has. When I read these opening chapters, I really felt for Blythe and wondered how much of her discomfort stemmed from the novelty of her situation.
As the story progresses we learn more about Blythe’s life and the abuse she experienced at the hands of her own mother. Can she be blamed for not feeling comfortable in a role that she has been ill-equipped for?
The novel shows us Blythe’s increasingly dark concerns about her daughter. Mystery accidents that befall children she’s near, things going missing and the callous disdain shown her mother by Violet. She’s so young, but her behaviour is eerily adult. It seemed almost too much at times and it’s very hard to determine how much is in Blythe’s head because we only see her perspective.
Determined to try and make a better job second time round, Blythe pushes for a second child. Sam is a very different character, and Blythe has no issues bonding with him…but when tragedy strikes it’s hard not to wonder exactly what has happened.
I found myself desperate not to believe the worst of either character, and incredibly frustrated by the lack of support shown by those who are meant to be looking out for and caring for their loved ones.
We start to reach an uneasy truce, where it seems both are moving forward and learning to accept their shortcomings. Then came that awful ending, where my heart was in my mouth and I immediately jumped to the conclusion (as I’m sure I’m meant to) that perhaps what we’d been reading was a very deliberate study of someone incredibly dangerous.

 

‘The Other Black Girl’ – Zakiya Dalila Harris

Thanks to NetGalley for granting me early access to this in exchange for my honest thoughts. The Other Black Girl was not quite what I expected, but it is definitely a book I’d recommend.

Nella, our main character, works at an established publishing company in New York. She dreams of becoming an editor and would love to see her boss do more to represent the voices of black Americans. But two years after starting at Wagner she remains on the periphery of events, and little seems to be changing in her white world of publishing.

When Hazel joins the company, Nella is thrilled to learn she is black…and imagines a more racially enlightened working environment. What happens is far from the picture Nella had in mind.

From the outset Hazel seems to settle into the company. She makes friends easily and her opinions are sought by those who’ve overlooked Nella in the past. Hazel is confident, proud of her black background and keen for others to know about it…in some ways the very opposite of Nella, who has had a very different upbringing.

For a substantial part of the book it felt like a case of someone who’d become complacent in their environment resenting a new face stirring things up a little. When Nella starts to receive anonymous notes suggesting she leave the company and is in danger, she starts to second-guess Hazel and is convinced she’s a target of racial abuse.

Once we shifted into this arena, there was more of a thriller feel to the book. It was obvious something odd was happening, that someone knew about it and that Nella was in the middle of something explosive. When we finally learned what it was, I was rather taken aback – wondering if that could really happen – and whether Nella would stand up for what she believed to be right, or whether she’d maintain the facade and become complicit in perpetuating what many might want to challenge but don’t see the need to rock the boat.

 

‘For the Wolf’ – Hannah F. Whitten

Aderys (or Red) has, since she was born, known her fate. As the Second Daughter to the Queen it has always been known that she will have to go to the Wilderwoods and be delivered to the Wolf as part of the deal to try and do what is needed to bring back the Five Kings. Her sister, Neve, urges her to run away but for reasons she doesn’t want to share Red is keen to follow through with the plans for her.

Upon her arrival at the Wolf’s castle she is surprised by what she finds. Yet something keeps her from embracing this world…her love for her sister.
We follow Red as she tries to control the wildness inside her, and tries to find a way to return to the life she has known.

An interesting idea, and there was plenty crammed in here. The background to the Kings being trapped in the Wilderwood wasn’t fully explained and Neve’s behaviour seemed to be rather too convenient on occasion. However, the focus on Red and the Wolf was interesting and there were suggestions of more going on that could be explained in book two.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my thoughts.’

‘Tell Me When You Feel Something’ – Vicki Grant

A charismatic female student is in a coma. Drugs are rumoured to be involved, but everyone who knows Viv maintains she would never touch drugs. So, what happened?

We learn the shocking truth as we flit between the stories of Viv and her friends. Piece by piece we get to put the story together..and it’s not a pleasant one.

The common factor in the story is the fact that people have secrets they don’t want to share with others. Some of those secrets are more dangerous than others, but – combined –  they create a toxic environment.

Initially it seemed we were being encouraged to see this as a love triangle gone wrong. The home situation of Viv made it all too easy to see how some of this was not seen earlier. There’s a few red herrings thrown in to suggest alternate stories…but I did suspect the truth from quite early on and it became a case of waiting to see how the strands would fit together.

This is certainly a story that will have appeal to many, but there are potentially triggering experiences that could have been better signalled. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for granting me access to this prior to publication.

 

‘The Things We Don’t See’ – Savannah Brown

Sometimes, it’s hard to trust what we see in front of us…and in the case of Mona, our narrator, she is determined not to accept at face value anything she is told. As CAP she broadcasts a regular podcast looking into the disappearances of people over time. This is – as we come to realise – a situation very close to her heart, but Mona becomes fascinated by the mysterious disappearance of singer/songwriter Roxy Raines.

Ever since her guitar was found washed up off the coast of Sandown, people have wondered what exactly happened to Roxy. Nobody in the small community wants to talk…so Roxy decides to take a three month sabbatical, spend the summer on the island and try to learn the truth.

Of course, nothing is what it seems.

Mona gets herself a reputation for being nosy and manages to alienate most of the small community. Her dogged determination draws in some of those she encounters, and of course I spent most of the book trying to work out what had happened to Roxy.

For me, the situation surrounding Mona and her past was actually more engaging. We got some answers, but it was hard to tell to what extent we could trust Mona’s recollections. Things built to a head more rapidly than I expected, and I was left with rather more questions than I was prepared for.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance of publication.