REVIEW: SWEET PEA

SWEET PEA
By: C J Skuse
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: HQ
Source: HQ
Rating: 4/5




I in reality can not get sufficient of black comedy. Black comedy, with a smattering of crime, is the bees’s knees. Sweetpea is blacker than a black element. It’s quirky, hilarious, completely clean and formidable.

things you will do whilst analyzing Sweetpea:

laugh out loud
Scare the cat laughing
snicker even louder
trust some of Rhiannon’s mind
fear which you have a teeny little bit of Rhiannon in you!

Sweetpea is Rhiannon’s magazine, following her adventures thru lifestyles. it is advised in a dry witty style. She make lists of things that pressure her around the bend or humans she wants to kill. they're spot on! extremely unique. Bloody marvellous. She has a dark aspect. now and again, she kills human beings. She is type to animals and kids even though. possibly great to be great to her eh?! deliver her some thing she wishes, sell her at work and make sure you stay friends together with her. other than that murdery inclination she in all fairness everyday, dwelling together with her boyfriend and dog and working as a form of skivvy at the neighborhood newspaper.

this is simply gorgeous. splendid! Sweetpea is a ought to examine in 2017 for all fans of black comedy. be a part of in the love fest for Rhiannon, a girl who is aware of how to use a knife!

advocated, in case you want a assured snigger!

C J Skuse has created enormously plausible characters with such intensity and creativeness that each single certainly one of them stood out for one cause or any other. Sweetpea turned into an absolute pleasure to read. however, it certainly won't be for every person because there is violence, profanity and stuff this is quite surely, very, very incorrect. but, for me, leisure-clever, it was very, very proper. I just desire the author will be writing any other instalment, because, rattling it, that ended on a cliff-hanger! I want to recognise what happens to Rhiannon subsequent!

This gets a nicely-earned 5 stars from me, in particular due to the fact I can not prevent considering it and that i grow to be chuckling to myself!

Oh, and here's what might be on my Kill list, only for the report;

1. Boasters.

2. Upstairs neighbours who suppose it is a grand concept to have laminate floors with insufficient underlay and 3 faucet-dancing kids.

3. folks who lick the wood stick of an ice lolly.

4. The preceding tenant of MY flat, who insists on getting 'payday loans' under MY address and not using a aim of paying it again. YOU DO now not stay here ANY greater. they may find YOU. AND KILL YOU. Or maybe simply insist you pay it returned in plausible instalments of £1.21 a month.

i would like to thank the writer, C J Skuse, and the writer, HQ (united kingdom), for the opportunity to read this.

REVIEW: THREE THINGS ABOUT ELSIE

THREE THINGS ABOUT ELSIE
By: Joanna Cannon
Publisher: The Borough Press
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Publishing date: Expected 2018


Florence is eighty four and lives in sheltered accommodation. Her potential to keep coping there's currently beneath overview by way of the personnel, and the threat of being moved to Greenbank hangs over her head like the sword of Damocles. daily lifestyles is disrupted with the advent of a new resident- one that bears a great similarity to someone in her beyond lifestyles, and he or she units out to analyze the whys and wherefores.
There are times while this novel feels too bleak to undergo, and others when Joanna Cannon’s sparkling, chunky talk and experience of amusing compensates. As within the trouble with Goats and Sheep, the characters right here spring to existence, although it takes a while, and curiously, the writer spends as an awful lot time growing the apparent below-achievements within the lives of the group of workers, in the form of pass over Ambrose and handy Simon, as she does in her examine of the residents.
even as the conclusions drawn at the mark we go away by the lifestyles we stay is comforting, this sneak preview of ways confusion units in is troubling. Did i love this? sure, but now not all the time. this is concept scary for a reader of a sure age, however nevertheless manages to be humorous, touchy, unexpected and entertaining.



the writer has superbly conveyed the impact that assembly diverse humans will have on our lives and irrespective of our responses or actions, suitable or horrific, it does no longer outline us. we're all precise folks who do have something to contribute to society, whether or not we ultimately find it or now not. it's a pity developing old can be any such perilous journey and locating yourself one of these difficult exercising.

I finish with the blurb for this e-book from Borough Press as it sums up this novel flawlessly. "here are just three things you may learn from this book: 1) The nice threads of humanity will connect us forever 2) there may be so very lots extra to all of us than the worst factor they've ever finished and three) Even the smallest life can depart the loudest echo."

Joanna Cannon, first-class selling debut creator of The problem with Goats and Sheeps provides every other warm and endearing novel this time approximately locating your destiny in existence and developing vintage.

REVIEW: REMNANTS OF SEPARATION

REMNANTS OF SEPARATION

By: Aanchal Malhotra

Genre: History

Source: Harper Collins IN

Rating: 4/5

Human reminiscence is a dangerous issue, wrote Milan Kundera, for one can't be sure which photograph/event/facts may have a long-lasting influence on your mind. furthermore, malleability of reminiscence means that reminiscence modifications over the years. It gets shaped, influenced and conditioned with the aid of the changing nature of the socio-political order, symptomatic of the institutionalized method of disbelief and denial promoted by the dominant ideology of a particular geopolitical vicinity. That various data concerning the Partition of South Asia were purposely consigned into oblivion, and lots of others strategically distorted, inspires one to reconstruct the precarious domain of human memory. Aanchal Malhotra, at the same time as amassing gadgets that witnessed the Partition, opens up a brand new area of analyzing the event thru cloth reminiscence. She writes: “The memory buried within ‘things’ sometimes is extra than what we are able to bear in mind because the years pass. One is familiar with her argument. after all, there may be no denying that “memory dilutes”, to cite Malhotra, “but the objects remain unaltered”. She tries to understand migratory memory in a visceral way and highlights that it isn't the concept of country however of domestic that haunts those she interviewed. for example, she draws the example of one Pirzada Abd-e-Saeed who introduced the suffix Pakistani to his name most effective to alter it after the Partition to Pirzada Abd-e-Saeed Jullunduri, carrying the identification of his lost domestic. The money owed presented in the book are characterised by a breezy, light statement where the happenings are unfolded in a dialogical narrative. The frank conversational narratives, albeit non-public and deeply political, are broadly speaking intimate, depicting history of families which might be targeted on the Partition. The narratives accommodates a colonizer’s perspective of decolonization, an orthodox Muslim’s love for India, a poet’s innovative recollection of the occasions, a League activist’s opinion of Hindu-dominated India and additionally Malhotra’s family records, interspersed by her very own narrative voice. Her insightful account of the nuances of language of a era that resided in undivided India is a factor to reckon with. you can actually argue pronouncing that, extra regularly than now not, Malhotra fails to appear as a indifferent narrator. Her writing is extraordinarily emotional and, at instances, this seems to be her weak spot. but then, she nearly offers herself because the co-author of the memories that she hears and this injects a wonderful authenticity to her authorial politics

REVIEW: THE BOY WHO SAW

The Boy Who Saw
By: Simon Toyne
Genre: Thriller, mystery
Rating: 4/5
Source: Harper Collins


The Boy Who saw is compulsively readable for many motives notwithstanding (for me) the gruesome establishing scene. Solomon Creed is an enigma. What are his reasons? What are his origins? those questions and lots of others tempted me to position apart TBWS and select up the primary e book on this series, The Searcher, but my internal book addict become already hooked into this story.

The Boy Who noticed makes use of the Holocaust mandate of never forget to discover themes about the context and points of view of those reminiscences. Karma, retribution and restitution are tested in a story that combines factors of The Manchurian Candidate, The Equalizer, The Pretender (a 90's U.S. tv display), Dr. Jerkll and Mr. Hyde with the idea of a bit of Benjamin Button, too.

even though he makes use of factors of magical realism, Simon Toyne additionally uses vibrant detail without any trace of sentimentality or histrionics to offer his fictionalized places of real horrors. His characters' almost clinical memories magnify the cascading impact of the inhumane acts.

Marie-Claude and Leo embody the advantages and vulnerabilities of younger generations who're protected from the info of the struggling and sins in their mother and father, elders, and former generations.

in the Boy Who noticed, some human beings forget a few information, however no person forgives each person.


an exceedingly written book, The tale became extraordinarily fluid and in no way stagnated. The characters had been woven so beautifully and the twist I couldn't, for the life of me, see coming. normal a superb e-book, one that I enjoyed very well.

REVIEW: WARCROSS

WARCROSS
Author: Marie Lu
Genre: YA, Science-fic
Published: Putnam's Sons
Source: Penguin Random House UK
Rating: 4.5/5


Tokyo. digital fact. Spies. Do I really need to mention anymore?

Oh ok, I wager i will say a few more. apart from some kinks so one can likely be ironed out by means of the final guide, Warcross is a interesting sea of motion and interesting sci-fi possibility. It affords a international that, given our contemporary era, doesn't seem that unbelievable at all, and in this global, Lu introduces a plot complete of secrets and techniques and lies, friends and enemies, and the promise of even better matters to come.

Emika Chen is a college dropout, hacker and bounty hunter in new york metropolis. Ever on account that her liked father died, she struggles to maintain a roof over her head by way of catching the petty criminals who the police positioned out rewards for. Then sooner or later she gets determined and takes a risky possibility to earn some brief cash - via hacking into the stay Warcross beginning rite at the Neurolink. alas, or thankfully, she receives caught.

Warcross is a virtual truth fight recreation created by young billionaire, Hideo Tanaka. almost every body performs round the arena, and the stay championships are watched through all. groups compete in digital arenas to scouse borrow the opposing crew's artifact. whilst Emika hacks into Warcross, she thinks she's in big problem, so it comes as a big wonder when Hideo gives her an undercover process as a player (and a spy) in the sport.

it's miles a completely visible book, full of stunning international descriptions as the gamers discover themselves in new and exciting arenas. but in addition to this, Lu knows her audience nicely, and she infuses the entirety with bloodthirsty movement and competition, someplace midway among The starvation video games and an excellent ol' sport of Quidditch.

Of route, Emika's digging into the dangerous underbelly of the hacker international will display some dark truths and motive her ever greater issues. I anticipated one aspect that would manifest, but in no way foresaw the alternative huge display. And my predictions were no longer certainly disappointing - they simply made me even more eager to realize what takes place subsequent.

Warcross is likewise a beautifully diverse book. Emika is chinese-American, Hideo is eastern, the captain of Emika's Warcross team is in a wheelchair, and Roshan and Tremaine are gay. The international attraction of the sport gives Lu the opportunity to include people of all colours and backgrounds - an opportunity she does no longer pass up.

I sense like the few difficult patches might be fixed in the very last version, however perhaps i'll must pick out up a library reproduction to find out. There had been a couple of factors toward the end that felt poorly-explained. together with (view spoiler) and (view spoiler) however these were now not big problems.

The finishing units the book up for what looks to be a outstanding sequel. I even think there's room for Lu to explore a few dying notice-esque moral ambiguity if she's feeling adventurous, which I clearly wish she is. I cannot wait

REVIEW: SWING TIME

Swing Time
Author: Zadie Smith
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
Source: Penguin Random House UK
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Literary Fiction

Oct 07, 2016

My first Zadie Smith and perhaps not the best one to have started with. The prose itself was fine but the story left me cold. It started promising enough, our narrator and her friend Tracy, two brown girls dream about being dancers. Our narrator, however, has flat feet and little talent for dance, though she can sing. Tracy is the one with dance talent and her acceptance into a dance school with serve to start the separation of our two friends.


Forward to the future, our narrator is an assistant to popular dancer/singer, maybe a Brittany Spears type of entertainer who wants to build a girl's school in West Africa. We go back and forth in time, the past, the present in Africa. I should have loved this part but I found the characters flat, our narrator little changed from her youth, and the pacing incredibly slow. It is hard to overcome the fact that a secondary character, Tracy is so much more interesting, that the parts that include her pulled me in, while the other characters just seem wooden.

Cultural identity is explored, old movies, dance but not as much as the title of the book leads us to believe. I found myself skimming, never a good thing, and at the end there were finally a few noteworthy and redeemable events. I will try to read another of her books, as I said the prose itself was worthy, just wished for more interesting aspects in the plot itself. There are many four and five star reviews for this book, keep in mind, this is just my reaction to it and may not be yours.

A distinguished thread that one may observe in this expansive narrative, is the non-linear time line. The narrator continues swinging among today and the day gone by, and day after tomorrow and day earlier than the day gone by. The casualty in such preparations is typically empathy, that's suspended a lot earlier than its formation due to the breckneck tempo of its beholders. however Smith’s skill lies in her clever writing, which bridges the gaps to a point. Her seamless fusion of cultural factors belies the sharp sting of race fallout: the friendships and relationships she depicts are not without the disjoint perspectives that emerge from exercising one of a kind racial hegemonies. there is a positive tenderness in her narrator’s call, nearly like an impervious actor defeated from interior. but the overdose of details robs a vast sheen off the analyzing pleasure. some quantities, mainly inside the center, are tediously drawn, in which the elements seem doing not anything else however fill the pages. possibly, the superfluity did what the overlapping timelines did now not – overshadow the narrator.

notwithstanding all, ‘Swing Time’ is a good trip; one that brings a few essential air, if no longer a chunk of clean memory to take again home.

Thank you Penguin Random House for sending over this book for review !

REVIEW: The Silent Companions

The Silent Companions
Author: Laura Purcell
Genre: Gothic, Horror
Rating: 4/5
Publisher: Raven Books
Source: Bloomsbury India


This is a deeply unsettling, wonderfully atmospheric and truly creepy novel. We first meet Elsie Bainbridge as a patient in an asylum, where she is suspected of murder. The progressive Dr Shepherd encourages her to write down her story, as she is refusing, or unable, to speak. What emerges is her recounting how she married Rupert Bainbridge, largely to help save her brother’s match factory. However, although the marriage was one of convenience, Elsie found herself surprisingly happy to be the wife of her new husband. Sadly, though, she shortly finds herself both pregnant and widowed; sent by her brother to stay at her husband’s country house, The Bridge.

The Bridge, where her husband, Rupert, recently died. She has never been there before, and is accompanied by a spinster companion, Sarah, a poverty stricken relative of her husband. The house leaves a lot to be desired, with two inexperienced maids and Mrs Holt, the housekeeper. Locals believe the house is cursed, once inhabited by a witch, with a history numerous strange deaths and accidents.

Elsie hears strange sounds and hissing which unnerves her. The house is littered with 'companions' constructed of wood and painting intended to startle, Dutch in origin. One looks uncannily like Elsie, they appear to move, with new ones appearing out of thin air, sinister and exuding menace. 



Unsettled and lonely, Elsie begins to hear noises at night. Exploring with Sarah, the pair uncover some strange wooden Dutch ‘companions,’ which are lifelike, cut out paintings. Initially Elsie thinks they are interesting and unusual, but soon the companions seem to have a life of their own… Along with the companions, Sarah uncovers a diary from Anne Bainbridge, her ancestor, written two hundred years before. Anne, and her husband, Josiah, are thrilled that Charles I and his wife, Henrietta Maria, are to visit their house. However, Josiah is keen that their mute daughter, Hetta, is kept away from the royal visitors. Tragedies also seem to follow the house throughout the years, leaving a sense of deep disquiet and unease among the locals. 

 It was interesting and addictive to read. And, I just wanted to learn the truth about the wooden figures, the silent companions and what the old diaries from the 1700-century will tell. And, what really happened to Elsie's husband Rupert? Did he just die, and are the servants really sincere? What really happened in the house that is said to be cursed? I just love haunted houses, cursed houses, placed in a desolate landscape with an atmosphere of doom. 

If you like a book with dual storylines, mysteries, and especially love to read about old houses that are said to be cursed than you will love this book. The Silent Companions is a book that took me by surprise and I loved how I slowly was bulled into the story and how I just needed to read one more chapter. Love books like that! 
The last few chapters do get a bit silly and over-the-top, and I think the ending would have had more impact if it'd been a little more ambiguous. 

Overall, very clever, entirely captivating and a darned good read.

Thank you Bloomsbury India for sending me a review copy of this !

Review: Silver And Salt

Silver And Salt
By: Elanor Dymott
Genre: Jonathan Cape
Rating: 3.5/5
Source: Vintage Books


On the death of her father, a celebrated photographer, Ruthie returns to his villa in remote, wild Greece. After 15 years in exile she is welcomed by her older sister, Vinny. Together they build a fragile happiness in their haven above the sea, until the arrival of an English family at a neighboring cottage, and one young girl in particular, triggers a chain of events that will plunge both women back into their dark pasts, and entirely derail their present lives. This is a story of love and violence, and of what happens when a child is lied to by someone who has their trust.

Max is a photographer, who marries Sophia, an opera singer, and then takes her away from her career in London and on his work trips with him. Eventually the couple have two daughters and while Max is frequently traveling, when he is home, he is abusive to both his wife and his children. This eventually pushes Sophia into mental illness and Beatrice, Max's sister, eventually comes to care for the children. Their two daughters Vinny and Ruthie, are very different; while Vinny is older and focused on school, Ruthie is younger and still craves her father's attention, although he continues to be abusive. After their father passes away, the sisters meet at his villa in Greece to reconnect. Things are going fairly well until a family arrives at a neighboring villa, which triggers both the girls to remember the violence from their past.

I typically stray away from adult or contemporary fiction, but this book sounded interesting so I gave it a chance and I did enjoy it. The book does deal with some very serious issues, such as abuse and mental illness, so reader be warned. This is the first I have read by the author and enjoyed her writing style. The book moves along at a steady pace and I felt like I got to know both Vinny and Ruthie fairly well. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of this genre, just be prepared that it does deal with some hard topics. 

This was an emotional book, I enjoyed reading it.
Thank you to the publisher for sending this book !

REVIEW: The Stopped Heart

The Stopped Heart
By: Julie Myerson
Gnere:  Fiction, mystery, suspense
Rating: 4/5
Publisher: Vintage
Source: Penguin Random House



This book takes a stranger who enters a family home and turns it into something so much more complex than I could ever have forecast. Let me just rave about the characters for a while. Indulge me. There are characters in this book that I despised with every single bone in my body and those that I embraced and wanted to protect and care for. The depth of each character, their presence in the book, their humanness, just everything was freaking brilliant.

The book took me to some dark places in the human psyche and shocked me with choices made by human beings towards other human beings. Truly, I now believe that some people are just born in darkness and it follows them wherever they go. The Stopped Heart is an exceptional work of fiction that had me feel every single emotion on the spectrum, I could NOT put this book down. Life stopped from the moment I started to read it. I can't do it justice with this review

It is a story full of atmosphere, a truly emotional look at love, loss, life, death and all the stuff in between. Julie Myerson weaves a haunting and evocative web here as we learn about Mary, living with devastation, caught up in the moment unable to move on. Alongside her and us the readers, is Eliza, 100 years earlier, about to experience some devastation of her own. 

As the narrative links the two characters, through event and circumstance, through emotion and a hint of other, Julie Myerson writes with true sense of feeling, painting a real picture of different lives lived in the same area many years apart. Tragedy links the two - this is both horrific and very real throughout - you know that something is coming for Eliza but trust me you will not be prepared. And Mary, her loss is tangible, you can taste it - as she struggles to maintain her relationship with her Husband, also grieving, as she tries to find some semblance of a life worth living, this is beautifully done.

This novel is beautifully written. The characters leap off the page with their clarity. The description and events are so realistically rendered that I felt I WAS there. It was an expose on the devastation of grief as well as a chilling portrayal of obsession. I've read some reviews that said the ending let the story down. I disagree. In my mind it couldn't have ended any other way. A chillingly dark, atmospheric, historical suspense thriller, which I will recommend to all who don't mind a dash of paranormal. Definitely one of my favorites this year so far...

There are ghosts/visions and creepy uncomfortable moments, but a book I could read at night alone without totally freaking myself out.

Start to finish, 2 days which indicates a good compelling read.

Highly recommend this novel.



Thank you Penguin Books for sending this book for review !

REVIEW: The Islamic Enlightnment

The Islamic Enlightenment
Genre: Religious, non fiction,
            History
Publisher: Liverlight
Source: Penguin Random House
Rating: 4/5


An interesting recreation of Islam's modernization over the past few centuries, focused specifically on three major sites of change in Iran, Turkey and Egypt. This is a standard intellectual history, and charts the lives of most of the well-known Islamic thinkers of this period (Afghani, Abduh, Kemal, Tahtawi, Ale Ahmad etc.), while also recounting the works of a few other lesser-known writers and activists. De Bellaigue's basic contention is that Islam as we know it today has been radically and irrevocably shaped by the forces of modernity. Even ferociously "anti-modern" approaches to religion are colored by their interaction with the thing they are rejecting. Islamism is not a rejection of modernity as much as an articulation of a different way of being modern, one that attempts to take inspiration and guidance from the past. Like quantum physics once something is being observed its own behaviors necessarily change, and Islam's interplay with Enlightenment ideas once it encountered them is no different.


The book seems to have been intended as a rebuttal to the asinine claim made by some pop intellectuals that Islam is not modern and needs to be confronted by modern ideas. It generally accomplishes this, and is thus worthwhile for people seeking to understand contemporary Islamic thought and practice around the world - though I regret that he did not include South Asia. De Bellaigue does a good job of crafting a coherent narrative that enriches ones understanding of contemporary political events in many Muslim countries, places that are far from being mired in ancient ideas today, for better and worse.


The book demonstrates that Muslim countries have adopted and still desire enlightenment even when some of them are governed by Islamic movements. Turkey, Iran and Egypt are profiled before WW1 to the present. 

If Islam engaged so successfully with modernity until the First World War, why since then has reactionary revivalism been able to impose itself on ever larger swathes of the Muslim world?

The rise of Islamism is a blowback from the Islamic Enlightenment – a facet, however detestable, of modernity itself.

Although Muslims were not the authors of the achievements that we now associate with the Enlightenment. No Istanbul blacksmith discovered movable type. No Muslim Voltaire sniped at the clerics by the Nile. But there is a great difference between accepting that Muslim civilization did not initiate the Enlightenment and saying that it did not accept its findings or eat of its fruit. This is a big claim to make. It means that Muslims are either congenitally barred or – even worse – have deliberately cut themselves off from experiences that many consider being universal. It means that the lands of Islam have remained aloof from science, democracy and the principle of equality. It is a claim that is often heard in today’s divided, rebarbative, edgy world, and it is nonsense.


Thank you to Penguin Books for sending me a review copy of this !

Review: Water In May

Water In May
Author: Ismee Williams
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Rating: 4/5
Publisher: Abram Books And Chronicles



Mari is fifteen and when she found out that she was pregnant, she soon grows to love her baby. In him, she sees a chance for a family member who will always love her and never leave her. But when she finds out that her son has a heart condition, it all gets even more complicated.

I quickly grew to sympathize with Mari. Her mother took off when she was seven, her dad is in prison and her grandmother always makes her feel like she's a burden. But she has her girls and her boyfriend, who all support her.

The relationship that I most enjoyed, was the one between Mari, Yaz, Teri and Heavenly, her best friends, as they always hung around together and just had a really close bond, which was really great to read. The one between Mari and her unborn son, where also great to read. You could always tell that she really loved her son.

This is a fascinating contemporary that deals with heavy themes like teen pregnancy, sick babies, absent parents and drugs, all while never slipping in a too dramatic mood. Despite all of this happening, the story still manages to spread hope and it was really nice to see that.

I would write a spoiler, but I wont, that's the whole point of reading..just to let you know - this book has heavy content, Spanish in every other sentence and the slang! Oh, as a reader I got to know all Mari's grammar and punctuation errors. I also found this pregnancy sad, because there are pregnancies who are carried at the very young age and they do have these gene issues, something not right during the pregnancy..as a woman in general, I think it is something completely heartbreaking for both parents and does not matter the age, although being more mature we have more stability and we see more than a 15 year old who seeks love. 

I was most fascinated by the medical surgery staff roles, completely surprising and down to earth attitude, especially when one is 15 years old...

Water in May challenges stereotypes about single mothers. It presents Mari as a fighter, strong, determined, and wanting the best for her child. The people around her might not think his life is worth saving, but Mari does. And her love for him makes her capable of great sacrifice. It’s a heartwarming tale about how one life can change and challenge others.

My only criticism is of the personal sort. This novel won't hit everyone the same way. For me, it didn't hit just right. It's not for lack of a point or emotional appeal or character growth or good writing--it has all those things--but I thought it could stand up to more plot. The beginning and ending are excellent, but the in-between of doctor visits and moving from place to place wasn't quite enough. But overall? A solid debut. I would really like to see more of Williams' work in this setting, and I'm looking forward to her novels to come.


And a big thank you to publishers for sending me a review copy of this book !

REVIEW: The Dazzling Heights

The Dazzling Heights
Published by: Harper Collins
Genre: YA, Sci-Fic
Source: Harper Collins India
Rating: 4/5


This was an entertaining read filled with lies and betrayals.The futuristic technology was amazing. Forever puppies, tunnel in the sky, YES please! I also liked Watts sarcastic artificial intelligence. Despite all the technology, the writing wasnt difficult to understand. Now that Ive read this book, the cover and the title totally make sense. Both books start and end with a bang but the plots a little slower toward the middle. With all the different points of view I was impressed with how easily I could tell them a part. Each voice was unique and compelling.

The storyline in this was mainly about a new girl called Calliope who was a con-artist, and was trying to con the teens in the tower out of money, and mainly had her sights set on Atlas who she apparently had met previously when the pair had been travelling round Africa. This relationship didn’t go down too well with Avery though, whilst Calliope started to have second thoughts about leading the life of a con-artist. 
We did get a little bit of romance in this, with the shaky romance between Avery and Atlas, and from another more unexpected source as well, but there wasn’t a lot of romance. I did find the pace in this book rather slow though, although the mystery over who would end up dead kept me reading.
Despite the futuristic setting and multitude of exciting and innovative gadgets that fill the lives of this elite cast, there remained something essentially understandable about these characters. Their troubles were real and their pain was authentic. Their stories might differ but heartache, grief, and love are timeless emotions experienced by characters and readers alike. I think that's what makes this series so special to me - it is a seamless blend of the exciting unknown and the relatable.

But man, I loved how this book was less about drugs and more about a dangerous web of lies. It was just so good seeing them plot against one anther and ugh, was it juicy!!!!

One thing I thought was choppy was Leda's sudden friendliness with Avery and Rylin. I know Leda said that Watt changed her, but we didn't get much of that, so that transition was a bit weird.

And then there's Atlas leaving for Dubai and staying away from Avery. Honestly I didn't care.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Once again the book starts with the death of a character and in this case it is a person who supposedly drowned. Honestly in the beginning, i thought it just had to be Avery. Like who else. But towards the end I was like no, it has to be Leda because Maribel poisoned her and Leda spilled all their secrets. I was freaking out when Leda said that Maribel was out to get them all in revenge for Eris' death. But then someone murdered Maribel and Leda lived. I feel relived that Maribel is dead but who did it? It could have been either Watt or Leda, but they were with the rest of the group, and Avery and Rylin would have never let them do it, and I don't think they would do it either since Eris' death. But all I have in my mind now is WHO KILLED MARIBEL??!?!?!?!

This book was such a fun and thrilling read and i cant WAIT for the third book. I recommend this book series to anyone who is interested in dark secrets and lies!

REVIEW: Then She Was Gone

Then She Was Gone
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 4/5
Publisher: Penguin Books
Source: Publisher


So, I have read some books before by Lisa but this was the one which moved me to tears in the end. I totally loved this book.

 The narrative goes back and forth between the present day and the past, and is told from the perspective of four different characters, at different times throughout the book, although mainly from the pov of Laurel and Ellie. As a reader it's not at all difficult to keep on track, the perspectives don't keep changing continually, but rather gently weave in and out. 

Other than that, Then She Was Gone, is an enjoyable suspenseful read, filled with characters with shady secrets and questionable pasts. There are many emotional parts with plenty of moving moments. The book has some twists and turns, but I think I may have read so many books of this genre.

It's not a fast paced story but it does contain a couple of unexpected twists and some heart breaking moments towards the end.I really enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well written,engrossing drama/thriller

 The book centres on Laurel Mack whose youngest daughter 15 yr old Ellie went missing on her way to the library.

Ten years later Laurel is divorced from husband Paul and rarely sees her two surviving children Hanna and Jake. Then she receives a phone call from the police, Ellie has been found dead with the same rucksack and clothes she went missing with 10 years earlier.

Laurel meets Floyd in a chance encounter in a cafe. Things are going well and she meets Floyd's 9 yr old daughter Poppy. Poppy reminds Laurel of Ellie, as she gets to know Poppy she finds out some disturbing things about her background.

Keeping things mostly unpredictable, the story flows outwards and back on itself, cleverly allowing certain things to come to light at well placed moments. It is both psychological thriller and family drama, a gorgeous mash up of the two which makes for a highly addictive read.

It was a page turner for me ! Highly recommended !

Thank you Penguin Random House for sending this book for review.

REVIEW: Everybody Lies

Everybody Lies by Seth Stephan
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 3.5/5
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Bloomsbury India

This is an engaging and informative book about the huge amount of data available online and what it tells us about society.
As a chapter tells us, ALL THE WORLD’S A LAB. The data collected and shared by Seth Stephens- Davidowitz is downright disturbing at times. That there are dark sexual proclivities isn’t shocking so much as what they are, based on research. Also, who knew that your neighbor winning the lottery can have a strange impact on your own life. How odd human nature, what bizarre subjects human beings become, and subjects of research, it seems, we all are. What the heck does google searches reveal about us? A lot, actually. I spent a few chapters of this book with my moth hanging open, catching flies. Ethical questions certainly give rise to much of the research, just where is the ‘internet’ taking us all? Just who is watching, why? Well, read on my fellow test subjects. Do we think in strange ways? Naturally. I struggle with the methods of collecting data and yet, it’s true that while it can be used for nefarious purposes, just like anything else, there can be great benefits too.

The author's writing style is comfortable to read, which is no easy feat when you're talking about statistics and other difficult concepts. The dude obviously is a brainiac but he makes sure you're not intimidated by that fact


His conclusion is an argument that Big Data is the best shot for the social sciences to officially move into the realm of “real” science, even claiming that if Karl Popper were alive he’d likely be convinced. I’m not quite so skeptical of the social sciences as Popper was, and certainly no science, even “hard” science, is completely free from the biases of the scientist. But there is definitely more room for ideology to skew results in the social sciences. Stephens-Davidowitz makes a good case that big data (in combination with smaller data) can significantly strengthen the reliability of results. He convinced me that it does, but not to the extent that he believes it does.

The book makes the point that social science and literary studies have a fantastic new source of great data in big data. It's an interesting and seemingly valid point.

In short, this was a great read. I really enjoyed reading this book.

 Thank you Bloomsbury India for sending this over !

REVIEW: My Absolute Darling

Book: My Absolute Darling
Publisher: 4th Estate Books
Genre: Fiction, Yong Adult
Rating: 4.5/5
Source: Publisher



Damn! This book is a masterpiece.
The writing is some of the finest I've ever come across in modern literature, and I dare say it actually got me out of the book rut I was in. 


At the start of "My Absolute Darling", it's clear by the descriptions--that Author Gabriel Tallent wasn't painting us a rosy picture of Turtle's home life --no matter how gorgeous the beach was. The old house up on the hill…with peeling white paint, boarded windows, an unfinished back deck, grainy redwood kitchen counters, and *Turtle*, 14 years old, has been sleeping on a plywood bed, with an army surplus bag pulled over her since she was 6 years old. 
She goes to sleep at night listening to rats eating off the dirty dishes in the kitchen. She wakes up in the mornings- going into that kitchen - getting a can of beer to toss to her dad grabs eggs for herself that she cracks right into her mouth. 

As I was reading throughout this story --there are so many situations where we see how the 'daddy' manipulates Turtle's thoughts - and is so clever at it. What Martin did next with the knife boggled my mind. He turned Turtle's thinking around- ( while still controlling and abusive) - to where she surrendered inward -- in the same way a turtle retreats it's head into its shell. 

The one thing that truly bothers me is hard to quantify here, but it has to do with the way it's written. It almost feels as if there's a deliberate attempt to stir adrenaline in the reader or even to reap enjoyment from reading about the graphic sexual abuse. I've seen this in some horror movies as well, where the creator appears to want the viewer to enjoy what they're seeing...

If I had to guess I'd say that this is the root cause of why so many of us feel uncomfortable, unsettled, or downright disturbed with this book. It isn't the story line per se, but the way that it's presented to the reader.

The prose is excellent. Gabriel Tallent writes in a measured, unmelodramatic but rather lyrical style, which brings the people, especially Turtle, wonderfully to life. Just as a tiny example, we get sentences like this: "She waits there in the grass, feeling her every thought stored up and inarticulate within her," and this sort of brilliant distillation of internal experience shines through the book. The sense of place is excellent and dialogue is completely convincing; I especially liked some wonderful episodes of the jokey, wordy, literate chatter of two High School boys as it contrasted with Turtle's near-silent inarticulacy. 

I find it hard to express quite how good I thought this book was. It is a rare combination of an utterly gripping story, excellent writing and genuine depth of content. 

Highly recommended.

REVIEW: All the Wicked Girls

Book: All the Wicked Girls
Author: Chris Whitaker
Genre: Mystery, fiction, crime
Source: BonnierZaffre
Rating: 5/5












I highly enjoyed this book, I was drawn into the story immediately and it never let go, keeping me gripped to the very end. 
Everyone loves model student Summer Ryan, she's a ray of light in the struggling small town of Grace, Alabama, especially compared to her troubled sister Raine. Then Summer goes missing, after several girls also went missing in Briar County and never found the residents aren't sure whether the same person nicknamed "The Bird" is responsible for Summer's disappearance. Her sister throws herself into finding her, supported by a most unlikely ally. But maybe there was more to Summer than meets the eye.....





"Raine sometimes complains that nothing exciting is ever gonna happen in Grace again. Daddy told her careful what you wish for." 



I found myself reading this book so slowly as I was savouring each page/chapter and character instead of my usual rapid read and that is because each page is a literal work of art.

This is a crime story with a difference, a beautifully plotted, genuinely absorbing set of character studies, worked into a wider story of missing girls and religious fervour. If you try to put All the Wicked Girls into a genre box you’ll fail miserably because there isn’t one. I guess crime novel suits it as much as anything else would but when I was attempting to describe it to someone at work the other day I ended up tongue tied. It is deliciously dark but so intensely traumatic I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. Maybe Chris won’t either but I hope so because seriously he needs to write forever. Tall Oaks was amazing, add to that quality x 1000 with what is sure to become a trademark touch of insanely creative genius and you’ll be close to All the Wicked Girls.







All The Wicked Girls might sound like a book that is just about one girl’s search for her missing sister, but it is not. As I read many pages I was quoting sentences aloud to anyone who would listen. There is a very distinct style to Chris Whitaker’s writing. He has captured the essence of this small Southern town with all the characters and nuances you would expect to find.

All The Wicked Girls is a novel that you will become one with. The characters’ emotions will become your emotions ; Tragedy, grief, sorrow, regret, yet also, hope, self-discovery and atonement.

REVIEW: Home Fire

Book: Home Fire
Published: 15th August
Published by: Bloomsbury
Genre: Modern Literature
Rating: 5/5
Source: Bloomsbury India

Home Fire is the candidate I support to win the Booker Prize. 
The novel is divided in 5 sections, each focusing on the experience of one character. At its core, it is the story of a British family of Pakistani origin and their struggle to live in their adoptive country in the shadow of the terrorist threat, especially because of their troubled history. 

I thought the beginning to be a bit shaky but please persevere. The writing gets much better after 30 pages or so. It becomes a powerful, emotional and important novel for our times. 

We learn about the methods used to recruit young people, usually 18 or 19, to the Islamic terrorist cause. The novel is narrated in alternating chapters by the five main characters. Each succeeding chapter is more intense, and by the time we hear from Aneeka, this story had radically changed, become super charged, very intense. The novel displays a confidence not only in prose but in how the story is related, which I found extremely effective.Complex issues. Love of family, youthful mistakes, how much can be forgiven. Government stances versus family, fear versus love, and the difficulties of Muslims, how they must act to fit in with society. 

In Home Fire, we get the story of Isma and her twin, younger siblings Aneeka and Parvaiz. Since their mother died, Isma has raised the two younger children. The story starts when Isma gets the opportunity to travel to America to resume her interrupted studies (the other children now being old enough to not need her around). Her journey to America quickly reveals some of the key themes that will develop. At the airport, she is detained for questioning purely, it seems, because she is a Muslim. Once in America, she continues to worry about her brother and sister and it soon becomes clear that something has gone seriously wrong with Parvaiz. Then Isma meets someone whose father is an influential politician back in England. 

Long listed for the Booker, I find tis a very worthy addition. Unforgettable, some of the visuals displaying a sister's love I don't think I will forget.

I have not read any of Shamsie’s previous novels, so this was new territory for me. It’s a good sign, I guess, that I have immediately added two other books to my “to read” list to try some more. 


No doubt, its a very strong book. And ending was quite unexpected for me.
Home Fires poses some complex questions about race and does answer them.

So yes, I thought this book was excellent. It piles on some heavy themes but is readable, and let's face it: a well constructed novel.


Thank you Bloomsbury India for sending this book to me for review !

REVIEW: Dunkirk

Book: Dunkirk
Author: Joshua Levine
Publisher: 4th Estate Books
Rating: 4/5
Source: 4th Estate Books
Genre: History, Non-fiction




The Dunkirk evacuation is such a remarkable story of survival and the sheer courage humans have, when tested to the absolute limit.
The narrative begins a tad slow, and it did take me a couple of chapters to really be pulled in to the book completely. By the time the actual stages of the evacuation of Dunkirk were being described, I was completely in deep. 

Levine has personal accounts in this book of soldiers on the ground, as well as higher ranks. It was interesting to read the different perspectives from individuals.
An amazing, inspirational story that changed the fate of the world! I thought I knew about Dunkirk from history classes but I learned so much more about the defeat/success that occurred there from this book. This made the action real and personal. This was a treat to read.


"When you're in the middle of what turns out to be history, you don't know it's history. It's not history to you. It's another day for you, it might be a more dangerous day than usual, but it's a day. And then you hear Winston Churchill talking about you and your life. Turns out you were present at the beginning of something" 

Dunkirk is a fascinating look at a historical event that many people don't know about. While some people felt that this event was a story of a failed battle, Levine looks at it as an incredible story of survival. The goal was to save 40,000 troops, and the reality was that over 260,000 troops were rescued from the shores of Dunkirk, an astonishing number.

England used Dunkirk as a rallying cry and people in England today still speak of the "Dunkirk Spirit" when talking about bucking up and working together to achieve a goal that seems unattainable.

This book was an interesting read. I appreciated the fact that it not only held to what the British and French, but also the German and American viewpoints. It is quite simply, unlike most books ever written. While this is now a motion picture 
 The history and the time that this book encompasses shows the authors attention to detail, details that we do not find together. Take the young German girl who laughed at the ideals that were set forth during their education and had a Jewish friend, but refused to think anything about the treatement that was being meted out to Jews all over Germany. I feel as though this book (and the movie) will appeal to many. It is a simple timeline, but begins a chain of events which will, quite literally, change the world.



Thank you 4th Estate books for sending this over !
Highly recommended book. 

REVIEW: The Footprints Of Partition

Book: The Footprints Of Partition
Publisher: Harper Collins India
Rating: 5/5



A book with different windows opening up at the generations of two countries; always at tryst. 
The narratives included in the book leave behind nostalgic notes of memories deeply held.
A book both heartening and distressing (specially towards the end).... the author has done a good job in collecting some valuable memories before they're lost and their counter-intuitive implications but the account of poisoned young minds is most disheartening...


I saw this book on Harper360 twitter page and I wanted to read this as I am from Pakistan. So I  ordered myself a copy of this book.
This book  is precious because it holds memories of partition of many people.
So many people share their stories and each story is heart wrenching. I became so emotional while reading the book.

   '' PARTITION CREATED A TURMOIL IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE"

We have always heard stories from our grand parents about partition, how it all happened.
People sacrificed so much for Pakistan. They had to leave their everything for Pakistan.
For the people who left their homes in India and came to Pakistan  to live, India is as much as their home as Pakistan is.
This book does not spreads negativity . It tells us how Indians felt when they lost half of their land to Pakistan at the time of partition and then same how Pakistanis felt when in 1971 we lost East Pakistan.
How people who migrated from India to Pakistan fellt when they had to leave their homes back. How they feel now when they look across the border, how they cannot visit those places where they spent their childhood due to strict visa policies.

At the time of partition people thought everything will be ok after a couple of days but everything worsened and they had to leave their friends, family, properties back.
It isn't easy to leave things back.




Written in simple language, the book is full of hope and heart. Unlikely that the indo pak equation can be done justice through an anthology of short interviews, but the objective set out by the author to record and share micro narratives that have been pushed to the back burner by state controlled meta narratives, is achieved. Her particular references to concepts by Ashish Nandy and treatment of school history text books being colored to propagate the dominant view of criminalizing the other drives home the point effectively. Must read for all in the subcontinent to tone down tempers and assuage baseless hatred towards the other. Happy to have read it and recommend it strongly to the mainstream consumers of partition narrative.



I don't think so that I did justice with the review of this book. All the emotions, feelings I felt while reading this I just cannot express them in writing.
Thank you Anam for writing this book. You did a great job.


I would recommend this book to every Pakistani and Indian out there to READ this wonderful book.