Review: Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

October 15, 2018 Ali@abookishlife5 Comments

Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Not my favourite book by Oliver but it’s a very engaging and dark story that has some truly brilliant moments. Unfortunately, these moments were not quite frequent enough and while I was gripped at points there were other times where I’m afraid my attention wandered.

THE BLURB

It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.

Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.

MY REVIEW

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Broken Things is a really dark read and I feel like I should say upfront there are some very disturbing scenes that could be triggering (pedophilia, violence against animals, murder of a child, fat shaming and homophobic slurs). I will confess these did bother me at times and I found myself deliberately distancing myself from what I was reading so it couldn’t upset me too much. The story is however intriguing and I really loved the way the author brought elements of fantasy and fairytale into what could be just another murder mystery.

The story is told from the point of view of Brynn and Mia, the girls believed to be responsible for killing their best friend Summer. It begins in the present as Mia discovers something that could be a clue to what happened back then and seeks out Brynn so they can start their own investigation. This is interspersed with flashbacks to five years previously to shed light on the relationship between the three girls.

It very quickly becomes clear that all three of them, and Summer’s boyfriend Owen, were somehow broken, escaping into a fantasy world that somehow became real. I’m not sure I would necessarily say I connected with or could relate to any of the characters but they are complex and make for some fascinating reading. Each was messed up back then and is even more messed up now that the whole country seems to be blaming them for the murder.

I thought the way in which the author showed the tendency for society to want to find someone responsible and then demonize them was very cleverly done. These two girls, who were children at the time, are dehumanized and subject to unending abuse and threats including by adults who really should know better. It does make you empathize with Mia and Brynn and makes a lot of their actions understandable. It also explains why they have to turn detectives with the help of a couple of friends rather than involving the authorities.

Their investigation into the murder is for the most part engaging and while it does seem amateurish at times when you think about their age it is probably realistic. I did feel like it wandered off track a little in the middle and lost some of the tension and pace it needed to make it a truly unputdownable read but it did keep me guessing.

The highlight of the story was however Summer’s character. Troubled doesn’t even begin to cover it and my feelings toward her were all over the place. I swung back and forward between feeling sorry for her, hating her and finding her a little scary. It was difficult to remember just how young she was and I was glad of the frequent reminders within the narrative. One thing I would have loved to know though was more of her past and what was going on her head. She just seems to have this power over everyone around her. They either idolize her or are too terrified to cross her.

I also loved the story within the story and how this book the three girls were so obsessed with was such an important part of it. It brought an additional layer to the mystery and also the possibility that there could be something fantastical going on. I will admit I was not so convinced by the extracts from the book (or the girls fan fiction) that preceded each chapter. I’m not sure they added much to the story and I found myself skimming through them.

The writing is however what you would expect from Oliver and there are some genuinely creepy moments but also some that made me emotional. It’s not always easy to read but if you can stand the gruesome bits (or at least skim through them with your fingers over your eyes) it is a great story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Review: Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

October 14, 2018 Ali@abookishlife4 Comments

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

This was a lot different from what I was expecting but I did kind of love it.

THE BLURB

Love, loss, friendship, and the betrayals of the past all collide in this first women’s fiction novel from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Autoboyography, Dating You / Hating You).

The story of the heart can never be unwritten.

Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother…only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.

Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.

MY REVIEW

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me a little while to process this book but it really was kind of wonderful. Different to what I was expecting but somehow more.

Told in two separate time lines, one the present and the other 10-15 years earlier, it really drew me in to the lives of Macy and Elliot and the relationship between them. I absolutely adored watching them first become friends at the age of 11, seeing them grow up together and for that friendship to turn into something more. It’s just so sweet and real and perfect. Also, I have to say how much I loved the way the author portrayed the relationship between Macy and her father, the closeness and understanding between them was beautiful to read and I loved how much he tried as a single parent to do what was best for his daughter despite not really understanding her. He’s such a strong and reassuring presence.

The present day I wasn’t so sure about. I found it fascinating watching Elliot and Macy meet again 11 years later and I still adored Elliot but there was something about Macy I couldn’t get. It is deliberate, she’s shut down, unemotional and distant and it does work but makes it difficult to connect with her or understand her actions.

The story itself focuses primarily on their relationship and is a lot more serious than I was expecting but it does flow along quite nicely. The author gets the pacing pretty much spot on and the mixture of past and present is perfect. There is just enough revealed to give you an idea of what happened but still keep you guessing. It is an emotional read in places and I will admit to crying more than once (including in my workplace on one occasion) but it also made me smile and just sigh with the cuteness of it all.

It really is a wonderful story and I did come to really care about the characters. If you’re a fan of CoHo I think you’ll love this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own

WWW Wednesday: 10th October 2018

October 10, 2018October 8, 2018 Ali@abookishlife25 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

I started reading A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness at the weekend but due to a binge watch of Vanity Fair (which was awesome) I have to confess I haven’t made a huge amount of progress. I am enjoying the writing style and I do want to read asap so I can start watching the TV adaptation. I always prefer reading something first so the show doesn’t influence the way I visualize the characters.

On audio I’ve started listening to Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. At 16+ hours it’s longer than I usually listen for (and I’m not sure I’ll get it done before it’s due back) but I’ve already listened to an hour and I think I may be preferring the audio to the book.

Recently Finished

I’m still spending far too much time on clearing my house (how did I end up with so much stuff?) so I’m reading a lot less. I did manage to finish Broken Things by Lauren Oliver however and really enjoyed it, although I’m not sure enjoyed is the right word as it’s pretty dark. The story is about three young girls who are best friends and then one is brutally murdered and the other two are blamed by everyone but it can’t be proved. A few years later, one of the two makes a discovery that brings them back together to try and discover who the real killer is. There’s a lot of potentially triggering things (paedophilia, animal abuse, fat shaming, and murder of a child) but I thought it was very well written and an intriguing story.

I also managed, at long last, to finish Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli. I don’t know why but I found this a bit of a struggle. There’s nothing bad about it, there was just nothing that made me care about Leah. So overall it was a bit meh. I also don’t really like it when authors muck about with characters so they’re different from how they were in a previous book.

Reading Next

I’ve been overdosing a little on YA contemporary reads at the moment so I think I need something a bit different. I do want to read What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera but I think I may switch to some spooky reads to get myself in the Halloween spirit.

The Twisted Tree A House of Ghosts What If It's Us

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Teaser Tuesday: 9th October 2018

October 9, 2018October 7, 2018 Ali@abookishlife9 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purple Booker. If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of The Purple Booker.

This week my teaser comes from Broken Things by Lauren Oliver, which I received from NetGalley. I know I used this for last week’s post but I just finished it yesterday and loved the writing so wanted to pick something else from it.

My Teaser

He was right: all these people, these hundreds of thousands of people, have stories. Fascinating, ever-unwinding stories. I am just one of them. And I am still midsentence.

loc 3513 Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Blurb

It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.

Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.

WWW Wednesday: 3rd October 2018

October 3, 2018October 1, 2018 Ali@abookishlife24 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

I started reading Broken Things by Lauren Oliver on Monday but have to confess I haven’t had much reading time so not much progress. I am however travelling through to Edinburgh today for work which is around an hour on the train each way so that should help. I mean I could probably do some work stuff but feel like I should be grabbing every reading opportunity I can get.

I also started reading The Quaker by Liam McIlvanney at the weekend but only made it around a third of the way through before I had to return to the library. I’m not happy as I was starting to get into it and it’s going to be at least 3 months before I get it back. I may just cave and buy it, even if it is kind of expensive.

On audio I’m still listening to Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Abertalli and am now around the halfway point. It’s an easy enough listen and the narrator is good it’s just not grabbing me for some reason.

Recently Finished

I’m in the process of buying and selling houses at the moment, so not much reading over the last week. Partly because I haven’t had a lot of time and partly because I can’t concentrate on anything. I did however manage to finish one book, Love And Other Words by Christina Lauren, and I really enjoyed it. I should probably pay more attention to blurbs as I hadn’t realized it was more literary fiction than romance. It is however a wonderful story about the relationship between Macy and Elliot and is told in two timelines, now and 11+ years earlier. It’s very sweet but a little bit heartbreaking.

Reading Next

Not sure what I’m going to be in the mood to read next but I’ve been kind of tempted to pick up one of the older books on my TBR rather than an ARC although I did get one ARC last week I’ve been desperate to read.

What If It's Us A Discovery of Witches (All Souls, #1) More Happy Than Not

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Teaser Tuesday: 2nd October 2018

October 2, 2018October 1, 2018 Ali@abookishlife6 Comments

This week my teaser comes from Broken Things by Lauren Oliver. I received this a couple of weeks ago from NetGalley and just started yesterday so it’s very early days but I do like Oliver’s writing. I didn’t really want to flick forward for my teaser in case I stumbled on a spoiler so I’m afraid I’ve gone for something from near the start.

My Teaser

The Monsters of Brickhouse Lane.

The child killers.

That’s the story the way everyone tells it, at least, a story repeated so many times, accepted by so many people it has become fact.

1% Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Blurb

It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

Review: The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

September 30, 2018 Ali@abookishlife10 Comments

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker is a wonderfully absorbing and intense read that presents the story of the Trojan War from the female perspective. The descriptions are incredibly vivid and it’s a fascinating story but I wish the author had fully committed to the female point of view despite the limitations this would have put on the narrative.

THE BLURB

From the Booker Prize-winning author of Regeneration and one of our greatest contemporary writers on war comes a reimagining of the most famous conflict in literature – the legendary Trojan War.

When her city falls to the Greeks, Briseis’s old life is shattered. She is transformed from queen to captive, from free woman to slave, awarded to the god-like warrior Achilles as a prize of war. And she’s not alone. On the same day, and on many others in the course of a long and bitter war, innumerable women have been wrested from their homes and flung to the fighters.

The Trojan War is known as a man’s story: a quarrel between men over a woman, stolen from her home and spirited across the sea. But what of the other women in this story, silenced by history? What words did they speak when alone with each other, in the laundry, at the loom, when laying out the dead?

In this magnificent historical novel, Pat Barker charts one woman’s journey through the chaos of the most famous war in history, as she struggles to free herself and to become the author of her own story.

MY REVIEW

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Historical settings and stories of war are not something that have ever really interested me but I have always had a fascination with the Greek myths and the Trojan war in particular. I’ve probably been a little guilty of romantacising it and if I did I think it’s safe to say The Silence of the Girls very quickly dispelled these notions of noble heroes and battles fought in the name of love. The picture Barker paints is dirty, degrading and it has to be said depressing. The “heroes” Achilles, Agamemnon, Paris and even Odysseus are for the most part proud, violent and easily offended thugs.

However the focus of this story is not supposed to be on them. This is the story of the women who are caught up in this war between men. Told primarily from the point of view of Briseis, wife of one of the Trojan kings, the story follows her journey from young and noble Queen to a slave, nurse and pawn in the battle between Agamemnon and Achilles.

It’s a wonderful concept and the first part of the story makes from some gripping and intense reading. Suffice to say life is not easy for women in this time regardless of their position in society. Treated like possessions to be used or traded they are never really free. Their value is dependent on how attractive they are and only those who are young, beautiful and connected to a powerful man will ever have some kind of security.

The descriptions in this book are incredibly vivid and it’s very easy to imagine yourself there with Briseis. The battle at the very start of the book where Briseis’s husband and brothers are brutally slaughtered was especially vivid (and horrifying) but what stood out the most to me were the descriptions of the Greek camp with its casual violence, filth, smell and rat problem. I can very honestly say I’m glad to never have to experience it.

Unfortunately however, while it starts strong I felt it lost its way in the second part when Achilles point of view was introduced. He’s such a powerful and intriguing character that he seems to take over the story, pushing Briseis to the side, which to my mind defeats the purpose of the story. He is a fascinating character and there is something both troubling and tragic about him but this was supposed to be the women’s story and it felt like it became centered on him. His relationship with Patroclus, his grief, his vengence and his acceptance of his fate. It’s a great story but for me shouldn’t be the focus of the book.

What makes it more frustrating though is that the author brings in Achilles point of view then doesn’t use it to let the reader experience some of the key events. I often felt like I was with the wrong narrator. I wanted to be with Achilles when he goes up against Hector but instead we’re with Briseis. Similarly, we kind of miss the final big battle and only hear myths and rumours of what happened. I feel like if the author wanted to tell the story from the female point of view she should have committed to it, and yes we would have missed some key scenes, but we kind of did anyway. I would have preferred it if she’d brought in a different female perspective, possibly someone remaining in Troy.

The writing is however wonderful with vivid descriptions and a really intense feel to it. It’s often violent, disturbing and kind of gross but I became completely absorbed in this story and the world. My only complaint was the use of some modern slang in the dialogue which I found a little bit jarring. I do get what the author was attempting but the inclusion of phrases such as “cheers lads” and “gagging for it” didn’t feel natural and knocked me out of the story.

It is a brilliant version of the story and I loved that we finally got the female perspective on it. I just wish the author had committed to the idea a little more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy. All views are my own.

WWW Wednesday: 26th September 2018

September 26, 2018September 25, 2018 Ali@abookishlife19 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

After claiming to be reading it in last week’s post I have to confess I only got around to picking up Love And Other Words by Christina Lauren yesterday. Needless to say I’m only a couple of chapters in and not much has happened but I have a good feeling about it.

On audio I’ve been listening to Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Abertalli. This is a (sort of) sequel to Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (I refuse to call it Love, Simon) and follows best friend Leah. It’s fairly early days but so far so good. It hasn’t really grabbed me yet and it’s not clear where it’s going but yeah, it’s okay.

Recently Finished

I have not had a very good week reading wise. Between sorting out the sale of my home, volunteering at Bloody Scotland and things getting very busy at work I’ve been really stressed and tired so finding it difficult to concentrate on anything. I did however have a day off on Monday and decided to make it a lazy day. I stayed in bed pretty much all morning just reading and finished No One Cancels Christmas by Zara Stoneley. I’d requested this from NetGalley as I really enjoyed her last book The Wedding Date and I’m always up for a Christmassy rom com (even in September). I can’t say I liked this one quite as much as The Wedding Date but it was a nice, easy read so was probably the right book for me. It’s a lot predictable and has many of the usual Christmas romance tropes but who cares.

Reading Next

I still feel like I’m struggling to focus on anything much at the moment so I’m probably going to be sticking with lighter reads for a bit. I will however be reading what I feel like though so who knows I may suddenly be in the mood for a horror or thriller. I am thinking one of the following.

The Christmas Sisters Broken Things A House of Ghosts The Twisted Tree

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤

Review: If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura

September 25, 2018 Ali@abookishlife7 Comments

If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been making a real effort to read more translated fiction, so was very excited to find this story about a man who makes a deal with the devil. It has some really intriguing ideas and raises some big questions but while I did kind of love it and found it a very emotional read there seemed to be some issues with either the writing or more likely the translation that stopped it from being truly exceptional.

THE BLURB

Our narrator’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage for company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can set about tackling his bucket list, the Devil appears with a special offer: in exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, he can have one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week . . .

Because how do you decide what makes life worth living? How do you separate out what you can do without from what you hold dear? In dealing with the Devil our narrator will take himself – and his beloved cat – to the brink. Genki Kawamura’s If Cats Disappeared from the World is a story of loss and reconciliation, of one man’s journey to discover what really matters in modern life.

This beautiful tale is translated from the Japanese by Eric Selland, who also translated The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide. Fans of The Guest Cat will also surely love If Cats Disappeared from the World.

MY REVIEW

This book left me in such a blubbering mess I didn’t know where to start as far as reviewing it. I find it difficult to separate my heart, which kind of loved it, from my head, which recognizes there was something about the writing style or possibly the translation that just didn’t work for me.

I’ve been making a real effort to read more translated fiction but to be honest what first drew me to this book was the cover and that title (yes I totally judge books by their covers). As a cat lover and owner of a small black cat I couldn’t resist that little cutie and it sounded like a quirky and intriguing premise. Thankfully, the story is not about cats disappearing (how awful would that be) but instead is about a 30 year old man who finds out he’s going to die soon and has to figure out what it is that makes life worth living.

He’s offered a deal by the devil whereby if he removes one thing from existence he gets one more day of life. While this initially seems easy, as he agrees to give up each thing he begins to realize that they may have more purpose and importance than he thought. He discovers connections between these items and the events and people in his life and how his life (and theirs) would be very different without them. He has to decide just what his life is worth without these things in it.

It’s told as a mixture of current day interactions and flashbacks to events from his past, gradually revealing the reasons why he’s very much alone, and why his closest relationship is with his cat, Cabbage. As you can imagine it’s an incredibly sad story and there was a lot of it that really resonated with me. He fears a lot of the things I do and has similar regrets and reactions. There was a lot in the story that had be sobbing (and I think I went through practically a whole box of tissues) however, these heartbreaking moments are offset a little with some lighter and funnier moments (generally involving the cat).

Where I’m really struggling however is with the writing as I can’t decide what to think and as it was translated from Japanese it’s difficult to know how much is down to the original and how much to the translation. The whole thing is very short and snappy and there is very little in the way of descriptions or dialogue, it’s almost entirely an internal monologue. There is also very little sense of place or culture so it feels like it could be set pretty much anywhere which for me, seemed a bit of a shame as it could really have added some depth to the story.

In addition to this, there is something off in the dialogue and the interactions between characters. I can’t put my finger on exactly what but something didn’t feel right to me.

Despite this though it did get to me and while I do cry pretty easily this is possibly the most I’ve cried reading a book in a while. So where does that leave me? I think I may need to read it again but I think I kind of loved it. I loved the message in it and I loved how emotional it made me. I just wish they would have a look at the translation.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy. This has in no way influenced my review.

WWW Wednesday: 19th September 2018

September 19, 2018September 18, 2018 Ali@abookishlife12 Comments

The WWW Wednesday meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

I’ve had to schedule this post in advance (it’s a busy week) so I’m not entirely sure what I’ll be reading on Wednesday but I suspect it will be Love And Other Words by Christina Lauren. I’ve been in the mood for a Christina Lauren and this appeared on NetGalley so I couldn’t resist putting in a request.

Recently Finished

I’ve been off work for the last week but have to confess I haven’t really been in the mood for reading. Instead I was taking little day trips and watching lots of TV and movies, basically taking it easy. I did however manage to finish off three books, although the first I was pretty much finished when last week’s post went up.

Jack of Hearts (and other parts) by L.C. Rosen – This was a lot more gripping and disturbing than I was expecting. It’s pretty addictive reading and I thought incredibly informative about some controversial topics but yeah, the stalker side of the story kind of creeped me out (not that that’s necessarily a bad thing).
Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare – I needed something light after Jack of Hearts so yep I was back on Tessa Dare again. This time it’s a kind of historical romance take on My Fair Lady (or maybe She’s All That) given a Duke makes a bet with his mother that if she can turn any girl he picks into a convincing Duchess, he’ll marry her (the girl obvs).
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker – This was an incredibly intense telling of the Trojan war from the point of view of Briseis, a Trojan queen who is taken captive by the Greeks when her city is invaded. I really liked the different perspective this brought to the story but I think it lost it’s way in the second part when Achilles pov was introduced. Still a great read but could have been brilliant.

Reading Next

I’ve got a lot on over the next week, as I’m into the busy time at work, I’m volunteering at Bloody Scotland over the weekend and I’m in the process of selling my house (which means I’m gonna have to clean) so not sure how much reading I’ll get done. I did however receive an ARC of Sarah Morgan’s latest Christmas book so I suspect I’ll sneak that in somehow and possibly either Broken Things by Lauren Oliver (who I also love) or A House of Ghosts (which is by a new to me author).

The Christmas Sisters Broken Things A House of Ghosts

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any others you’d recommend? As always please feel free to leave comments and links below.

Happy Reading ❤