Social Themes

Review: Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin

May 19, 2020 Yvonne Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

51608699. SX318 SY475 1 - Review: Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin
Published by Penguin on February 18, 2020
ISBN: 9781250239556
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Thrillers & Suspense, Girls & Women, Social Themes, Violence
Pages: 336
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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one star - Review: Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin

Hannah Capin's Foul is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes.
Jade and her friends Jenny, Mads, and Summer rule their glittering LA circle. Untouchable, they have the kind of power other girls only dream of. Every party is theirs and the world is at their feet. Until the night of Jade's sweet sixteen, when they crash a St. Andrew’s Prep party. The night the golden boys choose Jade as their next target.
They picked the wrong girl.
Sworn to vengeance, Jade transfers to St. Andrew’s Prep. She plots to destroy each boy, one by one. She'll take their power, their lives, and their control of the prep school's hierarchy. And she and her coven have the perfect way in: a boy named Mack, whose ambition could turn deadly.

Where do I begin with Foul is Fair? The premise of the story was one that had intrigued me wholeheartedly. A revenge thriller with a feministic twist. A classic retelling based upon Macbeth that became darker and darker the further you travelled through its pages. I want to include a trigger warning about the book before I go any further – It is a revenge tale after a sexual assault. The premise is one that I would have expected to grab me and hold me hostage but the preceding emotion it left me with is an uncontrollable anger – the narrative within the story could be quite dangerous.

It unfortunately, was not what I was expecting. I had hoped for a read that would leave me feeling empowered, a sense of strength pulsating from within but it fell flat, and the actions carried out were unnecessary and brutal. Foul Is Fair was written in such a way that the survival of sexual assault and trauma should be retaliated in actions that were wholly unhealthy and catapults the victim to a level that is on par with the perpetrator. This book was not enjoyable. The way in which sexual assault is handled by everyone close to Jade/Elle is quite frankly repulsive.

The one true thing that galls me the most. The one aspect I could not look past if I tried, is the fact that her parents were told about the assault and they did nothing. NOTHING. I mean as a parent isn’t it your job/responsibility to do what is best for your child whether they ask you not to do something or not. I would want the scum to put behind bars the minute I found out. The parents seem to be an influential aspect (definitely not a positive one) into why she takes this course of action over reporting it – they seem standoffish and there social standing being of more import than the serious situation slapping them about the face.

Just for one minute imagine a young adult reading this book and taking the very wrong decision not to report a serious sexual assault. She was a child and she was seriously let down but those that supposed to care for her.

Revenge as imagined in Foul Is Fair seems to be without consequence. Murder a bunch of people and not be afflicted with the human emotion of guilt or remorse…once again what does this say about the way she has been brought up? Revenge hardly ever benefits anyone. Murder is still murder. It hurts those around you, it maims you psychologically and this book just left bewildered and deeply angry.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

17092556 - Review: Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin

hannah capin wrote her first “novel” when she was 11. it starred a girl detective and a brilliant villain seeking revenge on her enemies in the FBI.

thousands of pages later, she’s still writing about smart girls and vengeance. THE DEAD QUEENS CLUB is out now and FOUL IS FAIR comes out in february 2020 from wednesday books.

when she isn’t working on her next manuscript, you can find her sailing, singing, or scheming with her friends. she holds degrees from columbia university and the indiana university jacobs school of music, and she lives in tidewater virginia.

Hannah Capin

Review: White Rose by Kip Wilson

November 24, 2019 Yvonne Leave a Comment

White Rose by Kip Wilson
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on April 2, 2019
ISBN: 9780358049173
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Historical, Holocaust, Novels in Verse, Social Themes, Prejudice & Racism, People & Places, Europe
Pages: 368
Format: eBook
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four stars - Review: White Rose by Kip Wilson

“In a searing indictment of silent complicity, White Rose shines a light on one remarkable young woman’s insistence on the power of truth, no matter the cost. A timely call to resistance.” – Joy McCullough, author of Blood Water Paint
“White Rose is a resonant testament to courage. In a time of horrific brutality, young people found a nonviolent way to resist. Told in the form of poetry, the story of their hopes is honored and brought back to life, still relevant today, when regimes that spread hatred are once again thriving, and words are our most powerful defensive weapon.” – Margarita Engle, author of Newbery Honoree The Surrender Tree and 2017-2019 Young People's Poet Laureate.
"Both heart-wrenching and inspiring, Sophie Scholl's story, as retold by Kip Wilson in White Rose, is a stunning reminder to stand against evil, even when you stand alone. This is the kind of book that sticks in your heart long after you've finished. An incredible story of heroism incredibly told." – Mackenzi Lee, author of New York Times Bestseller The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue
"White Rose is a deftly plotted, absorbing read. A bold tribute to a brave hero of the German resistance during World War II. Wilson’s debut is a triumph!" —Melanie Crowder, author of National Jewish Book Award finalist Audacity
“A graceful, moving portrait of a heroic young woman’s defiant refusal to remain complicit with Nazi oppression.” – Julie Berry, Printz Honor author of The Passion of Dolssa A gorgeous and timely novel based on the incredible story of Sophie Scholl, a young German college student who challenged the Nazi regime during World War II as part of The White Rose, a non-violent resistance group.
Disillusioned by the propaganda of Nazi Germany, Sophie Scholl, her brother, and his fellow soldiers formed the White Rose, a group that wrote and distributed anonymous letters criticizing the Nazi regime and calling for action from their fellow German citizens. The following year, Sophie and her brother were arrested for treason and interrogated for information about their collaborators. This debut novel recounts the lives of Sophie and her friends and highlights their brave stand against fascism in Nazi Germany.

I am a huge fan of Historical Fiction. This refreshing take on Young Adult Historical Fiction was just sublime. It was such a beautiful take on prose and I enjoyed it immensely. It is a novel written in verse and let me be honest I haven’t ever really connected with a novel being written in this format. Kip Wilson however, nails the craft and had me hungering for more…I inhaled this book in a mere afternoon. The writing style just blew my mind. This author now has a firm fan in me and I just hope that their other books have a similar effect because they are getting added to my TBR pronto!

The book cover and title immediately captured my interest. It was captivating, the synopsis delivered a crushing triple threat. From the first page I felt like I fell into a book lovers party that only I had the golden ticket for. There was just something so uniquely special about the story I was slowly falling in love with. It felt like something beautiful that a grandmother would share with her only grandchild. I was listening, and I was enraptured. I fell within the pages. It felt like a magnetic force pulling me inwards. I couldn’t refuse. I didn’t want to.

I skipped through the pages so quickly that I didn’t really have the chance to take notes like I usually do so hopefully this review makes sense. If you want a beautiful book that you will immediately fall in love with…buy this book. Buy it for yourself, buy it for your child, buy IT. I fell hard for the main characters, their spunky can-do attitude, their love of their country and the need to make it better, their love as a family and most importantly their innate desire to do the right thing. The stakes have never been higher…the threat of being caught by the Nazis mean being tried with treason, persuading people that they must do what is right, to start a revolution. There is plenty of thrills and tears but mega loads of resolve. The characters take us on a journey of self-discovery, consequences, ingenious plans and a strengthening of bonds.

Luckily, I started this book on an afternoon where I had no plans. I literally couldn’t stop reading. Each page just blended into the next, there was no stopping me! I was truly at the mercy of the author. I loved the style of the writing, injecting enough fear and thrills to keep me engaged. You know the story, but the journey is untraveled, but I was buckled in ready for the experience.

Sophie was a hero. Her gender didn’t hold her back in wanting to take a stand, her age wouldn’t hold her back. Her determination of character was her greatest strength. She was mesmerising. The author has such talent for writing that I connected to Sophie on a deep level. I wanted to look out for her, care for her but I wanted her to succeed more than anything. She was a truly revolutionary character. How would they implement their plan? Would they succeed?

White Rose is a deeply addictive read. Steeped in brutality, courage and a resounding need to do what is right. It’s an emotion punch to the jugular.

Review: Other Words For Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin

September 25, 2019 Yvonne 18 Comments

Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin
Published by titan Books on March 12, 2019
ISBN: 9780062408938
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Social Themes, Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance, Monsters, LGBT
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
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three stars - Review: Other Words For Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin

Twins Mae and Rossa’s summer away from home becomes life altering when they discover a house full of witches, experience devastating first love, and face a dark power beyond any imagining.
Sarah Maria Griffin’s haunting and literary sophomore novel explores the balance between love and fear, weakness and power, and the lengths one will go to claim one’s freedom. For fans of Libba Bray’s The Diviners and Maggie Stiefvater’s All the Crooked Saints.
When the women from the house at the end of the lane went missing, none of the townspeople knew what happened. A tragedy, they called it. Only twins Mae and Rossa know the truth about that fateful summer.
Only they know about the owl in the wall, the uncanny cat, the insidious creatures that devour love and fear. Only they know the trials of loving someone who longs for power, for freedom, for magic. Only they know what brought everything tumbling down around them. And they’ll never, ever breathe a word.
With an unusual structure spanning five summers, intriguing characters, and a dark mystery, this uncommon novel will appeal to readers of Rin Chupeco’s The Bone Witch and Madeleine Roux’s House of Furies.

A Beautiful story with such poetic flow. A strong and prominent storyteller. A story that seeps magic, betrayal and wonder straight from the heart of the pages. The author uses the English language like an artist uses a muse. It’s well-crafted and unique.

The synopsis jumped out from the screen at me. I just adore anything magic. Talking cats, magical creatures behind wallpaper and a mysterious room with neon lights. I loved everything this book stood for. The cover is beautiful, and it just screamed for you to read it. The horror side of the story really took me by surprise, and on the most part it worked very well.

The story follows twin siblings, Mae and Rossi. They have sent to their Great Aunt’s for the summer. The mum and dad seem to have major problems and it seems like a great idea for the twins to spend the rest of the summer with an aunt that he have barely seen or had any contact with. It’s a summer of witchy delirium and figuring out what your place is in the world. The story for sure epitomises the expectation of how summer holidays feel at the age of fourteen. If ever there was a strong representation of an Irish story this is it. The descriptions, the language and the folklore that the author incorporated into the story was heart-warming.

There was certain things that I couldn’t gel with no matter how much I wanted to love the premise of the story. I finished the book and didn’t really know how to feel about it. I usually know by about a couple of chapters if I’m going to love or hate a book but with this one, I’m not sure if I felt either. The prologue starts at the very end and then tells the story backwards if you will. We flip between several point of views and at times it can be difficult to follow which direction and with whom its headed in. There were a number of big revelations/ events that with the writing didn’t appear to be very big at all. There should have been more explanation, more emphasis on whether these were extraordinary things or not. I found myself flicking backwards to work out if they were going to be big things, in general I just felt mightily confused.

It’s more a story of self-discovery. A journey from being a teen into an adult. Life can be difficult, and we don’t always get what we want. Its definitely a right of passage story. Love can hurt, and so can life but it’s all the little positive things that you can take from the experience and move forward. The story is basically about Mae. It’s the self-discovery of her sexuality and how she goes from being confused to owning it in her own right. Her naivety and shyness blooms into her becoming a self-assured and confident young adult.

Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

September 17, 2019 Yvonne 4 Comments

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
Published by Simon and Schuster on 2012-06
ISBN: 9781442419964
Genres: Young Adult, Family, Siblings, Love & Romance, Social Themes, Emotions & Feelings, Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Contemporary
Pages: 454
Format: eBook
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five stars - Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Perfect for readers who enjoyed Flowers in the Attic, this is a heartbreaking and shocking novel about siblings Lochan and Maya, their tumultuous home life, and the clandestine, and taboo, relationship they form to get through it.
Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As de facto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: A love this devastating has no happy ending.

Wow wow wow

I added this to my TBR about five or six years ago and I have just finally got around to reading it…why did I wait so long? This book is one of the few to have extracted such an emotive and raw reaction from me as a result of its beautiful prose. Its outstanding in a complex and devastatingly crushing way. In all honesty it made me grateful for the quiet, uneventful childhood that I experienced. Some children aren’t so lucky. Some children have to fight, have to hide, have just get through each damn day never knowing if tomorrow is going to be the day where everything comes crashing down. This book made me SOB. Inconsolable tears. It ripped my heart out, stomped all over it and made some lame attempt at putting it back in my chest and sewing me up…I felt destroyed. It’s a damn good book that can engage its reader in such a way. Suzumas skill is magical wizardry.

This novel tackles the taboo subject of an incestual relationship between brother and sister, Lochan and Maya. It’s written beautifully and taken from a different angle – not the usual disgust from onlookers but how it develops under an extremely stressful home situation. It’s a situation that is borne from children having to grow up very quickly and act like adults. The only solace they have is each other.

You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel.

I’ll warn you – this doesn’t have a HEA. There’s no flowers, no butterflys, no skipping into the horizon without a care in the world. The ending will break you, just like it did me. Its an utterly devastating book.

The premise of the story had me extremely nervous – why wouldn’t it? It’s a story about forbidden love between a brother and a sister. This is my first apprehensive walk into the world of forbidden love, maybe that’s why it has taken me so long to get around to reading it. I think in order to be able to read this story you are going to have to let go of any preconceptions, any judgements around the topic and just let the story guide you. The story is incredibly tragic but you do find yourself rooting for their HEA.

Lochan and Maya are seventeen and sixteen year old siblings. Their life is incredibly hard. They are left to run things in the home, sort out their younger siblings everyday – thirteen year old Kit, Tiffen and Willa. Their mother is the worst kind of mother anyone could have. She’s selfish, she’s got a drink problem and doesn’t give a damn about any of her children. Its painful to read and she really had the red mist settling around me. What mother could care so little? Nothing is more important than her children. Lochan and Maya have always felt more than siblings – they are each others best friend and they both confess that they are each others soul mate. The situation they are in is screwed up and I think its this that pushes them together. They are dealing with a hellish situation. Kit is struggling with the behaviours of their mother. He’s self destructive, angry and lashes out at any moment. He needs the love of his mother – a love he is never going to get. Tiffin is mischievious and he is confused about the what is happening to his family. Willa is the baby but even she can see the destruction of her family happening all around her. The two eldest siblings have an impossible task but they keep trying to drag them out of the mess. They are suffering with exhaustion of trying to get through their A levels and coursework and do everything else as well. They fear that Social Services are just around the corner. They will do anything to keep them altogether and under one roof. Its this stress that is pulling them together like an invisible magnet, pulling and pulling until they have found themselves falling in love. They are aware its wrong, they know its not right and if anyone finds out about them, they are going to have more troubles than they do right now.

“He is my soul mate, my fresh air, the reason I look forward to getting up every morning.”

The book is told in Lochan and Maya’s POV. The romance building, although extremely taboo is written beautifully and it seems very natural and compassionate. Don’t forget that they have both been through and are GOING through hell. They have no one else to confide in except each other. They both know the implications of their forbidden love and its always at the forefront of their mind but its like an itch you can’t scratch, once you know its there, you just cant stop.

“But the downside to that taste of pure happiness is that, like a drug, a glimmer of paradise, it leaves you craving more.”

The author has an impeccable way with words. The story doesn’t read as disgusting or cringy despite the theme of the story. The realism is just too real. The family situation, the utter loneliness all the children feel and just that pure need to be wanted by another soul screams from the page.

This story will stay with me for a very long time. Now pass me the tissues *sob*

ARC Review: Coral by Sara Ella

August 29, 2019 Yvonne 9 Comments

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

coral by sara ella - ARC Review: Coral by Sara Ella

Coral by Sara Ella
Published by Thomas Nelson on November 12, 2019
ISBN: 9780785224464
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Adaptations, Mermaids, Social Themes, Mental Illness, Romance, Clean & Wholesome
Pages: 384
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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Inspired by “The Little Mermaid,” Coral explores what it means to be human in a world where humanity often seems lost.
Coral has always been different, standing out from her mermaid sisters in a society where blending in is key. She fears she has been afflicted with the dreaded Disease said to be carried by humans: emotions. Her sister had the Disease, and Red Tide took her away. Will it come for Coral next?
Above the sea, Brooke has nothing left to give. Depression and anxiety have left her feeling isolated. Forgotten. The only thing she can rely on is the numbness she finds within the cool and comforting ocean waves. If only she weren’t stuck at a new group-therapy home that promises a second chance at life. But what’s the point of living if her soul is destined to bleed?
Merrick may be San Francisco’s golden boy, but he wants nothing more than to escape his controlling father. When his younger sister’s suicide attempt sends Merrick to his breaking point, escape becomes the only option. If he can find their mom, everything will be made right again—right?
When their worlds collide, all three will do whatever it takes to survive. But what—and who—must they leave behind for life to finally begin?
Praise for Coral:
“This heart-wrenching tale will pull you under its spell.” —ANNIE SULLIVAN, author of A Touch of Gold and Tiger Queen
“A beautiful reimagining.” —LAUREN MANSY, author of The Memory Thief
“A breathless, powerful journey of the heart and mind.” —LINDSAY A. FRANKLIN, award-winning author of The Story Peddler

A stand-alone, full-length Young Adult novel
Trigger warning: suicide and depression

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Oh, how I wanted to enjoy this book. I had been saving this one for a while, waiting until the right mood took me, waiting until I was ready to fully immerse myself in the world of a very special retelling…essentially A Little Mermaid retelling. I love a retelling, but this just fell flat for me and I can’t tell you just how disappointed I am that this was the case. I was grateful that the author/publisher inserted a trigger warning at the front of the book, but I didn’t fully appreciate just how apt inserting that proviso was going to be.

Before I try to wade through this review, I will give credit where credit is due. Sara Ellis had a monumental task of giving representation to sufferers of mental health. It is a beomoth of a topic. It varies so much from person to person and there isn’t enough representation in Young Adult fiction. Ellis chose the most complex of topics to write about and for that she needs to be commended. This book is just so sad though. It does wrench emotions from you and depending on whether that impacts upon you negatively or positively it could be a good or bad thing. I have a history of mental health problems, mainly PND after the birth of my babies so this did resonate with me. I deal with social anxiety and in that regard, I use books as an escape, a way for me to just forget about real life for a couple of hours. Life is seriously tough and yes that’s what you expect and deal with, but this book just didn’t even give me a glimmer of hope that things were going to get better and I just NEED that. The end result of finishing this book was that I was just damned confused way too much.

The multiple POVs were extremely difficult for me to follow and I did find myself flicking back and forth to try and make sense of what was happening with each character. At points it felt like I was reading three different stories rather than it flowing as one. The writing style was awkward also and it read in a jittery fashion.

The Story complexity just didn’t fit the characters. The internal voices of each character just left me feeling meh. I didn’t particularly care much for any of them and it really shouldn’t have been that way. Corals voice just faded away into the nothingness for me and I got quite confused with sections of dialogue because she wasn’t memorable for me and I wasted time going back to read certain pages again. She should have been the strongest character but instead nothing warmed me to her. I think the storytelling between modern day humans and the life underwater with the merfolk just didn’t gel well for me. It had incredible potential but it’s a no from me.

The thing that has knocked the rating down to 2 stars from me is the fact that the theme of mental health was far bigger than the story. The characters seem to have been written so that the mental health seemed to define who they were, and that FUCKING pissed me off. Mental health doesn’t define me and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t for others either. You didn’t really get to find out more about their personalities, what makes them tick, what they loved, what they hated outside of being a mental health sufferer. There were no complexities to their characters just mental health.

The plot was pretty much dead in the water. Sorry for the pun. It was slow as all hell. Every chapter I got through, I found myself wondering just when would I work out what the plot was? You would think by 50% that I would have worked that out, but no, it was not obvious at all. The three characters didn’t come together until quite far on at the expense of a perceived big twist that really wasn’t all that twisty and ruined the experience that could have been woven intricately by this point. I do like what the author tried to do but it just didn’t work for me.

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

May 11, 2019 Yvonne Leave a Comment

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
Published by Random House Children's Books on January 8, 2019
ISBN: 9781524714727
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Social Themes, Friendship, Thrillers & Suspense
Pages: 336
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four stars - Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

"A must-read YA thriller" (Bustle) from the New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying!
Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.
The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone has declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.
Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous--and most people aren't good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself.
Praise for Two Can Keep a Secret 2 STARRED REVIEWS!
"Tightly knit and well-placed plot elements...keep pages turning until the revelation of the murderer's identity and motivations, as well as some other secrets that turn out satisfyingly well." --Bulletin
"[A] twisted mystery...[that will have readers] speeding their way to the end."-Booklist
Praise for Karen M. McManus's One of Us Is LyingA New York Times BestsellerAn EW.com Best YA Book of the Year A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of the Year A Popcrush Best Young Adult Book of the Year
"Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club....so make room for One of Us Is Lying in your bags, because this is one carry-on you won't want to put down." --EW.com
"You'll tear through this juicy, super-fun (if murder can ever be fun?) thriller." --Bustle
"A whodunit with a Breakfast Club twist...following four unique voices on a chase to find the killer, this one will keep you guessing until the very, very end." --Popcrush
"This is no ordinary whodunit...surprising and relevant."--USA Today

Ellery and her twin brother Ezra arrive in Echo Ridge after their mother, Sadie has a mental breakdown. Their introduction to the town is somewhat foreboding of what is to come after discovering a dead body on the road. Ellery discovers that the town is drowning in secrets, several murders and disappearances of girls. The one things in common is that they are all homecoming queens or in the present day scenario, voting into homecoming court. Ellery is especially interested in the dark history of the town as her Mother’s twin sister, Sarah disappeared around twenty years ago in similar suspicious circumstances.

Lacey is the next victim who is found dead by strangulation. Fast forward 5 years and Ellery is caught up in the re-emergence of chilling messages, another girl gone missing. The events that take place seem on the surface to be unrelated but are they?

I gave this book a solid 4 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed this book, when I really emersed myself in the story I couldn’t put it down. This was my first outing with this author and can categorically say that I will read others by her too. I enjoyed the two perspective takes in the chapters and it gave us a useful insight too the multicomplexity of the themes used throughout.

It was a suspenseful book and it had me gripped especially in the second half. The plot was well developed and the flow just worked beautifully in my opinion. I enjoyed the character arcs of all the intertwining personalities – it just WORKED. I had estimated a guess at who was responsible and I was completely wrong (and usually I’m not too far off). It was a shock!

If you enjoy Young Adult and thrillers then give this a go, you will not be disappointed.