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!

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins

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The Hunger Games: A brutal Reality TV show taking place in a dark, dystopian world in the near future. Pitting 24 of the nation's poorer people against each other in an arena. They fight to the death for the entertainment of the rich who live in the Capitol. Only one can succeed, but can anyone really come out of this a winner?

The Hunger Games tells the tale of Katniss Everdeen, a young girl who enters the Games to spare her younger sister. She struggles to conform with what is expected of her by the powers that be and this results in some dire consequences for her and those she loves. The second and third books follow on from this, examining the aftermath of Katniss' controversial actions. You may well have seen the film or the trailers and I don't want to give too much else away!

I read the trilogy after watching and enjoying the first film. Even knowing the outcome of the opening book, I was still unable to put it down and the writing absorbed me. Collins paints a picture of a truly awful time and place to live so vividly. We learn how the corruption originally came about and, and how those who don't want to accept this way of life rise up to fight against it. 

Being filed in the YA category. I feel, may put some people off this title. I tend not to let that scare me! The subject matter addressed here is every bit as adult as Orwell's 1984, just that the protagonists here are teenagers.

I have recommended this trilogy many, many times and will continue to do so. A really gripping read. Give it a bit of your time!

Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn

Given my rave review of Gone Girl, I approached Sharp Objects with caution. It's always risky to delve into the back-catalogue of an author you've just discovered. Will the previous novels be as good?

Camille Parker, journalist, for an overall unremarkable newspaper, has been assigned to a story in her childhood town of Wind Gap. She is to cover the abduction of two young girls, which could be the breakthrough piece she's after for her career. The problem is Camille has already escaped Wind Gap once, and she isn't in a hurry to return. 

She has already escaped her highly-strung mother once too. A mother that drove her to self-harm. Camille's half-sister has changed a lot since she last saw her. Once a little mummy's girl, she is now a spoilt, precocious teenager and ringleader in her group of girlfriends, with some dark secrets of her own.

Camille's investigation unearths some long-buried information that threatens to upend all she knows about the people she grew up around. She needs to finish her story, before being in Wind Gap destroys her for good.

What we have here is another example of a Flynn novel that I just could not put down! The claustrophobic, small-town atmosphere is perfectly captured in Flynn's descriptions. While I didn't particularly 'bond' with the lead character (she's not entirely likeable) the narration is easy to get absorbed in and there is a realism about her. 

The story itself was really engaging and I kept wondering, over and again, if I had figured out the twist. Hint: I hadn't! A good mix of a twisted family dynamic and a crime thriller. Overall, another fantastic novel from Flynn. I'm definitely a fan and will be reading more from her in the near future.

1984 - George Orwell

1984 is a must-read classic that I'd been putting off reading for too long! I must admit, this book sat on my shelf many years before I decided to give it a go and I'm not really sure why.I think sometimes I find 'classics' a bit of a struggle to read and think I may have been intimidated by it!

1984 tells the story of Winston Smith. An ordinary member of the community, born in a post nuclear world where all freedoms have been removed by the privileged elite of the Inner Party and individuality is a thing of the past. Unfortunately for Winston, he seeks more from his life and begins to think for himself. A behaviour that is not well received in Oceania. Winston must keep this a secret, else risk the Party having to take action to prevent it.

So it seems that my initial intimidation was unfounded and this was an easy-to-read and enjoyable novel. I also realised how many of the phrases from the book are used in day-to-day life now.

The subject matter is alarmingly relevant, even in this day an age when one might think we have all the freedom in the world. I recently watched a documentary on North Korea and the similarities were staggering. Orwell really makes you think. How would I react if I lived in this dystopian world? 

Would I accept it and conform? 

Or would I feel the need for more? 

For books? 

For love? 

For art? 

For freedom?
And my own thoughts!

House of Silk - Anthony Horowitz

It seems that Anthony Horowitz is the Flavour of the Month, after taking on not only Sherlock Holmes, but now James Bond too. Two much-loved British characters have been entrusted to him and while I have not read his Bond novel (Trigger Mortis) yet, his two Sherlock novels have met very much with my approval!

When Holmes and John Watson hunt out an Irish gangster for a case, they find themselves in ultimately more danger, stumbling upon another criminal organisation. Treading on the toes of the House of Silk proves to be much more perilous, with the members of this group willing to do anything to keep it a secret. Predictably Holmes rubs them the wrong way and finds himself in a whole world of trouble. Luckily, as always, Watson is there to assist  Holmes, when his own intellect and wit can't help him

While the Sherlock that we meet in House of Silk doesn't have the arrogant air that Conan Doyle gave him, the character we are presented with does carry many of the traits we expect from out favourite sleuth! The story itself is a fast-paced mystery, full of plot twists (as one would expect!), typical Holmes wit, and written with an easy to read narrative, in a suitably Conan Doyle tone.

Overall another great job by Horowitz at revisiting one of the greatest detectives in literary history!

Whispers - Lisa Jackson

Sixteen years ago in Oregon, something strange was going down. A young man plunged from a cliff to his death. Another disappeared without a trace. A third man drowned in the waters of Lake Arrowhead. Surely they are all connected?

Now the mystery has reared it's ugly head again and is being investigated by a local journalist. At the centre of the original investigation were the Holland sisters, and with their father about to run for office, he wants all the skeletons out of the closet, or burying much, much deeper. Needing to know what could be uncovered, Holland hires a private detective to get to the bottom of this, before anyone else can.

The story is written in two section with the first part of the book as a flashback to the events at the Lake. The rest is written in present day and follows the investigation, the repercussions, and the solving of what actually happened all those years ago.

When I started reading this book, the story drew me in quite quickly. The plot made me start guessing who-dunnit almost immediately. This was a theme through out the whole book as I constantly changed my mind on who the culprit was! Who would have motive?

I did struggle with a couple of aspects of the book. The first was the writing (a biggie). There is a lot of repetition of particular words and phrases, It stood out like a sore thumb, the overuse of the phrase 'jumping at shadows' and the word 'sired'. Surely there are other words which could be used here? 

Secondly, it seemed that every female character in the book was only interested in men, only existed to please them. Making their man happy, getting the man, worrying what the man thought of them, bedding the man etc etc. This served only to make the women very one-dimensional and unrelatable. Surely these women have more going on in their brains?

I was pulled in by the novel and while the language and some characteristics frustrated me, the suspense was very effective. I might not rush to read Jackson again, but Whispers was a very readable book, with a good mystery.

The Girl On The Train - Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train was recommended to me when I  was struggling to decide what my holiday read would be. For years I used to get the train to work and spent a lot of that time looking into people's back gardens as we chugged by. A story about the drama that unfolds after seeing something untoward from the train window seemed like something I could enjoy! The synopsis intrigued me so I was sold!

Rachel is an alcoholic, unemployed, divorcee. Taking the train to 'work' every day to keep up the pretence that she is employed and avoid that discussion with her housemate. It is on one of these journeys that Rachel becomes more involved than she could have anticipated in the lives of a couple she has never met before. Police questioning, an angry ex-husband and a stranger's affection follow. Along with more wine. Well it is a lot to cope with.

This book is billed as a page-turning thriller and has been widely compared with 'Gone Girl'. The only similarity I can see would be the genre. The story itself bares no resemblance. And aside from the fact that Gone Girl is also told from several different narratives the writing styles aren't similar either.

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately it didn't quite match up to them, I found the writing style to be clumsy and Hawkins often relied on the reader to make a leap in judgement as characters did unexplainable things or reacted unrealistically. I did stick with the book as the plot was good, but unfortunately I saw the twist coming from quite a way.

The Girl on the Train is a really easy read and has an interesting plot which gets you thinking and questioning your judgement, If you're not too fussy about writing styles then it might be worth a go, but for me this was a hard one to ignore. 

The Psychopath Test - Jon Ronson

This story begins when Jon is contacted by a leading scientist who, along with many other professionals, has received a book in the mail. The book is puzzling and no-one knows why they have been sent it. The pooling of knowledge throws up many theories, but nothing is concrete. It is hoped that Jon's investigative skills will help them discover the meaning behind it.

Jon is propelled into an investigation of the human mind. Mainly that of psychopaths. Feeling that the country is essentially run by psychopaths, Jon starts to do some digging. Along the way we meet some very interesting characters and hear tales of people with mental disorders in society and some of the disturbing things they get up to. The way Ronson analyses the people he meets against the famous Bob Hare's 'Psychopath Checklist'  leads us to realise that people can very easily be misdiagnosed and, on the other hand, how some traits we see as greatness in people, could actually be a sign of psychopathy. Who is even running this country!?

I particularly enjoyed the way that this story is written with lots of cut-aways and side stories, it felt very informative and certainly didn't get stale.The humour kept it light when this could really be a much more sombre subject matter. I actually laughed out loud at one point, and that's something I rarely do with a book!

One thing I can take from this book, I don't *think* I'm a psychopath.

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

A time-travel novel with a difference, The Time Traveller's Wife is a heart-wrenching story of two people's love and how that love transcends the years.

Henry has a genetic disorder which causes him to unpredictably time-travel, leaving his wife to cope with his frequent absences and (as Henry has no idea where and when he will disappear to) sometimes dangerous experiences.

With lives that have been intertwined since she was a young girl, Clare feels that she knows Henry very well when he 'first' meets her at a time when she is 20 and he is 28-years-old. Chronologically this is the first time Henry has met Clare, but he soon learns that he is to visit her childhood many times in the years to come, which is how she knows him so well.

The story of Henry and Clare is one of true love. That is clear. But Henry's condition means that their relationship is not a traditional one, and while time-travel has it's perks, it also has huge downsides for the couple, causing huge rifts bewteen them at times.

This is the first book in a long time to really get in my head. I found myself thinking about the characters when I wasn't reading the book in a much deeper way than usual.  This book does tug on the heartstrings and I'm not ashamed to admit, it made me cry on a couple of occasions!

I see that this book has quite a bad rap, but I honestly didn't see a single things wrong with it. I'd stand by it if recommending it to others, which I already have done. Now to find myself a copy of the DVD!

Room - Emma Donoghue

Five-year-old Jack has spent his whole life in a single room. He and his mother are held captive in a small outbuilding with a little kitchen, a bathtub, a bed and very little else. Not wanting her son some to realise the despair they are living in she protects him from the truth. Jack is oblivious to the situation and therefore he is happy. He is healthy, clean and clever. He doesn't know that Ma was kidnapped seven years ago and that he is the the product of Ma being raped by her abductor.

When their kidnapper loses his job and is set to lose the house, Ma realises that he will rather kill them than set them free, so she comes up with a plan to escape. Given that Jack knows nothing of the world outside the room, enlisting his help on this is very risky.

Donoghue tells this story from Jack's point of view. The writing is beautiful and the naivete of this boy who has never left the room really does come through. Jack has a very innocent soul and this shines through in the writing, without having him sound like an obnoxious or precocious little boy.

Jack thinks of every object in the room, such as Rug and Melty Spoon, as a friend with characteristics and they are referred to as proper nouns. This is a wonderful writing tool. It emphasises Jack's youth and vulnerability at every turn, as well as showing his caring nature.

While the first section of the book can be a little tedious (hey, they have a day-to-day routine and live in one room, how exciting can it be!?) it is absolutely worth sticking with. The story is compelling, the writing is creative and overall I really enjoyed this book.

We Need to Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver

Eva is very unmaternal. She never wanted children and they weren't part of her life-plan. So when she fell pregnant with Kevin a huge weight landed on her shoulders, one she has carried through her life, not helped by the fact that her son is cold and unlovable.

Kevin's story comes to a head two days before his sixteenth birthday when he murders nine people in a high school crossbow shooting. It seems he's been planning this for a long time.

Two years after the event Eva writes a series of letters to her now estranged husband, and it is these letters that form the novel.

The twist at the end, well from what I've read online it seems a lot of people saw this coming. Maybe I just read this quite naively (I'm normally quite on top of plot twists) but I didn't see this one coming at all. Not wanting to potentially reveal anything, I'll leave that one there!

When starting up with this book I did make a few false-starts. Shriver didn't really engage with me for the first 100 pages or so. It's a really slow starter. I can't tell you what made me stick with it. Maybe curiosity, or maybe it was the fact that it had been so highly recommended, I didn't want to miss anything. Either way, it paid off.

If you can slog through the first few pages, the rest of the novel is very engaging, with the last quarter of the book being fast paced and very eventful. There's no denying that the subject matter is sensitive, and at times can be very graphic, but I feel that the gruesome-ness was justified as a way of painting Kevin's character to us. It was needed to help us understand.

Heart-wrenching at times. but worth the read.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

This novel tells us of an adventure undertaken by Christopher Boone. Christopher is 15 years old and he has with Asperger's Syndrome. He lives with his dad, and they have a very close relationship. This adventure begins when Christopher finds a neighbour's dog murdered on the lawn. Disappointed by the lack of concern that the local adults have after this crime, he sets about trying to find the culprit himself. The journey turns his whole world around.

This innocent and honest boy is forced to make some brave decisions, and when his investigations require him to travel away from home, he must face his fears to solve the mystery.

A curious book indeed, this story is written in a first person narrative and so we get to experience the inner workings of Christopher's mind. The way in which Haddon writes is both insightful and moving, and not at all patronising. Christopher's Asperger's Syndrome is handled sensitively, but without shying away from the difficulties faced by parents and carers, as well as the difficulties faced by those with the condition when integrating with others.

The plot itself is quite tame whilst never being boring, but it is the writing around it that makes this such a magical story, promoting understanding and patience.

Given that this is now a West End show I'm not sure how this has been translated to stage. Most of the book is spent in Christopher's thoughts, so I'm very intrigued to see how they managed that. I'd very much like to see this in theatre though.

One Day - David Nicholls

One Day tells the story of Emma and Dexter and all that goes on in their lives. Their story starts the morning after the night that they meet, proceeds through many years of friendship, details what they are doing on 15th July at intervals through their lives. The way that their lives intertwine is mesmerising, the ups and downs are all in there. They clearly belong in each-other's lives, but in what capacity? It makes you realise how much one person can influence another.

Nicholls writes in a way that flows from beginning to end, which is even more impressive considering that the narrative is written from the perspective of both the lead characters. An ability to tap in to the silly, insecure, totally barmy musings of women meant that I saw a lot of myself in Emma. I really did like her!

Luckily for me, this isn't a mushy romantic love story. That's not my thing at all. It is realistic! The characters are very endearing and I found myself longing for them to be happy!

From the very first page I was enthralled. I would recommend this book in a heartbeat. Totally un-put-down-able! Not a bad word to be said. Also, if you weren't aware, One Day has since been made into a film starring the lovely Anne Hathaway. Has to be worth a watch after what I thought was an amazing novel.

The Shining - Stephen King

Down-on-his-luck author, Jack Torrence, takes on the job of hotel caretaker through the chilling winter months. The hotel becomes isolated from civilisation due to heavy snowfall, leaving the Torrence family totally at the mercy of the Overlook Hotel and the strange things which start happening.

Supernatural forces which inhabit the Overlook start to influence Jack, putting his wife and son at risk.With nowhere to turn, they are in a very dangerous place, with a very dangerous man.

Knowing full well that King is royalty among horror writers, I set about reading this book full of expectation. It is the first Stephen King book I've read and I wasn't let down! The Shining is packed full of suspense and tension and is  very hard one to put down!

Having seen the movie, I had a rough idea of what to expect...I was wrong.

The movie and the book seem to tell two such different stories it seems foolish to mention them both in the same article! The film is one of the best horror films I've seen and I would always recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre. The book however, tells another tale altogether, a much creepier and chilling one. The character development and descriptive writing in the novel put you in the hotel itself and allow you to feel the atmosphere.

While I did feel that the first third of the book was a little lengthy and over-explanatory, once the action started I was hooked. It's easy to see why King has such a reputation!

The Casual Vacancy - J.K. Rowling

Life in Pagford is pleasant, friendly and charming. That is, until the death of Parish Councillor, Barry Fairbrother, causes a Casual Vacancy on the council and brings out the ugly side to village life.

Backstabbing, sabotage and deceit are just some of the measures the villagers are willing to employ in order to get their way, and who cares the consequences!

Being a naturally nosey person I enjoyed greatly the 'curtain twitching' feel I got from learning what was going on behind the closed doors of the picturesque village. 

Rowling doesn't shy away from those darker social issues that can be found in most communities. Tackling drugs, rape, racism and self-harm, to name a few, the book is certainly not for children and a brilliant step away form the Fantasy genre.

I did find it difficult to put this book down. A need to know how one strand tied into the other and a wanting to know how each story was resolved lead to me powering through this book with great joy.

Now I must find the TV version and give it a watch!

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August - Claire North

A time-travel novel with a difference!

After every death Harry August is reborn, back in the 1920's on the floor of a railway station bathroom, with all the knowledge of his previous lives.

'As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. ‘I nearly missed you, Doctor August,’ she says. ‘I need to send a message.’

When Harry is told by a fellow 'kalachakra' (person who is constantly reborn) that the world is destined to end, he realises that he and others like him must act to stop it. The story of Harry's lives holds the fate of humankind.

Claire North (Or should I say Catherine Webb) bravely takes on existential questions, belief systems, science and history to produce a very sympathetic and very sensitive story.

I did, at times, struggle with the flow of this book as it can be quite heavy with technical information. I also feel that anyone who didn't have a little knowledge of post-WWII Germany may have trouble with context while reading parts of 'Harry August'.

Overall I found it to be an enjoyable read, and a really interesting concept. It got my brain working at times, which is good! I just couldn't quite gel with the story, though the idea intrigued me enough to keep reading