The Grownup - Gillian Flynn

When purchasing this book, I hadn't realised that this is short story. I was still very keen to give this a go as I had really enjoyed my previous Flynn reads. This was really easy to get through in one sitting!

Our protagonist is a 'phsycic' con-artist and it is during an appointment with a client, that our lead spots an opportunity to extort some more cash from them. The gullible client tells that she feels her new house is haunted by malevolent spirits and that her stepson is being possessed. The psychic offers to cleanse the house. A sort of exorcism. But the more time spent there, the more convinced she becomes that something supernatural actually is lingering in the building, and sets about solving the mystery of the haunting. 

Given that it is a short story, it is hard to get a sense of who the characters really are, though a good job has been done by Flynn despite this. You're definitely not meant to like the lead character anyway! I know that much!

The story keeps a good pace and flows nicely. It did all seem to be all over very quickly though and we went from the depth of the action to the abrupt ending in bit of a whirlwind! In my view, this could easily have been a great full-length novel with some more exploration of the background and more character development. A really enjoyable light read.

Attachments - Rainbow Rowell

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Where were you in 1999? With the new millennium looming, and the Millennium Bug threatening our very existence, this cute office love story shows that the 2000s are nothing to be afraid of!

With the relatively new introduction of emails and the web on office computers, the local paper hires Lincoln to monitor activity and make sure that staff aren't abusing the privilege and wasting company time on the internet. With such a boring job, it is easy to see why Lincoln gets drawn in to one of the conversations that is flagged for his attention. Though his morals try to guide him away from reading rather than reporting the emails, he finds himself growing fond of these two women and their friendship.

Beth and Jennifer chat about exactly what you'd expect two best friends to talk about on email. Family, relationships, colleagues and health issues. As Lincoln learns more and more about the women, he finds it harder to stop the deeply intrusive monitoring of their messages. What good can possibly come from this?

This is my first Rainbow Rowell novel and I have to say, I really like her writing. There is a great flow to the novel and it was very easy to consume whole chunks of the book in one sitting. Part of the book is written in email format and I really like this. I always enjoy reading this format as it feels much more direct. Like a letter from the character themselves.

The characters I found to be entirely likeable. They were easy to relate to and I even saw bits of myself in one character (I won't say which!). It is very rare that I really do just root for the protagonist, but here I was totally Team Lincoln!

The plot is where I struggled. Lincoln and Beth's unlikely migration towards each other and near-misses I found to be a little bit of a stretch, but it's really not such a big deal. The book is an easy read that doesn't get too deep and stays light-hearted.

I'll definitely be adding a few more Rainbow Rowell's to my TBR list!

The Fault in our Stars - John Green

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Chances are you're familiar with this one! The book itself  has received rave reviews, and the award-winning film was also very well received.

The Fault in our Stars tells the story of sixteen-year-old cancer patient, Hazel. Hazel is forced by her parents to attend a support group for cancer sufferers and this is where she meets Augustus, who is there to support a mutual friend. Augustus is seventeen. He plays basketball. He is gorgeous. They fall in love.

Hazel's parents are finding it difficult to cope with her condition, not knowing quite how to act around her and how to react to what is happening to their family. Hazel pushes away  as she struggles to let herself be loved, not waiting to become a 'grenade' in someone's life, who will just hurt them when she dies. But Augustus pushes through, making a place for himself in her heart, and place for her in his.

The whole novel is geared towards showing just how temporary we all are. About how we are, in the main, very insignificant except to those who love us. To those people we will have great significance and we do matter. It is important to show these people that they matter to us too because once we go, they are still there, just without us.

The inevitability of this story lead me to read everything in a slightly more melancholy frame of mind. We know where the plot is taking us. There is only one possibly outcome. Regardless, there is a kind of hope throughout, an optimism and lightness in all that Hazel & co do.

Through a great use of dark humour John Green manages to ensure that this book isn't overly sentimental or sickly. The characters were really likeable, if not a little too Dawson's Creek-ish for my liking. A little too wise beyond their years, with poignant speeches ready prepared for the right moment. This didn't take away from the fact that the novel was very moving and really tugged on the heart-strings.

Us - David Nicholls

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When Douglas' wife tells him that their marriage has run it's course, it comes totally out of the blue. He is devastated and desperate. He adores his wife, Connie, even if they are polar opposites. Douglas is a scientist with a clinical mind and a need for organisation. Connie an artist and free spirit who will go where the mood takes her.

With their son about to leave for uni they propose going ahead with the planned family holiday to Europe before parting ways. Douglas has never quite forged the father-son bond he had hoped for, with Albie taking after his mother and resenting the rigidity of his father. Yet another element in the wedge between Douglas and his wife.

This novel tells how the relationship between these three is stretched and pulled as Douglas tried to hold them all together in a desperate bid to keep his wife from leaving. The literal and emotional journey that this family takes seems to have only one final destination.

My overiding feeling when reading this was that I really struggled to identify with any of the characters on a level that allowed me to get emotionally involved with the story. Douglas seemed to be lacking in understanding and Connie was frustratingly impatient with his quirks, despite having lived with them for 20 years. Albie, well he's a typical teenage boy, embarrassed by Dad and very stroppy!

Having really enjoyed works by Nicholls before, I was left a little disappointed with this book. Maybe it's because it was all a little too stereotypical. Maybe the characters didn't go deep enough. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it just didn't hit the spot. 

A positive to take away from this though, it really made me want to see more of mainland Europe! Holiday anyone?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

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This 'coming-of-age' novel tells the story of Charlie, a naive and slightly unusual teenage boy, through his first year in high school. Having had a turbulent few years, losing his best friend to suicide and losing his Aunt to whom he was very close, Charlie has grown old before his time. This really comes across in his general approach to life.

Charlie is a very loveable character who is befriended by a couple of seniors from his school. He soon integrates into their social group and starts to have exciting and enlightening experiences. Adult themes are not shied away from, with this story tackling suicide, alcohol addiction, sex, drugs and homosexuality to mention a few.

Charlie puts his thoughts and experiences into open and frank letters which he sends to an anonymous recipient. These letters form the story that we read giving the novel a diary-like feel. The language used and experiences had really help us to get to know the protagonist and as a result I found myself rooting for him! Go Charlie!

In short, this book has all the themes you expect of a high school story with proms and house parties, but it shows the darker side of these events. It isn't a feel-good romance novel. There isn't the typical moral at the end and Chbosky didn't feel the need to tidy up all those loose ends and put a pretty bow on it. And that's why I like it!

I haven't seen this film yet, so would love to hear what you thought of it and how the book and film compare. Let me know!