Booker Prize Shortlist 2022 and in my opinion a 'must read'.
“Goddamnit, I hate murder more than just about anything,” said Sheriff Red Jetty. “It can Booker Prize Shortlist 2022 and in my opinion a 'must read'.
“Goddamnit, I hate murder more than just about anything,” said Sheriff Red Jetty. “It can just ruin a day.”
"Oh Lordy, Lordy" that was a superbly written and darkly humorous novel. It is a satirical study of the drawn out genocide of people of colour in the US and uses the murder of Emmett Till as its anchor. This is the first novel in which I have been deeply disturbed one moment and laughing out loud the next. Make no mistake this is a hard hitting novel that looks at racial discrimination and violence towards people of colour. We get to know the small minded and backward thinking community of Money, Mississippi, as they grapple with the horrific murders of two of its white community members. The murder scenes are gruesome and spark fears of an upcoming race war. This is an absolutely brilliant, relevant and insightful novel and I thoroughly recommend the incredibly entertaining and well read audiobook....more
I gotta say, it's hard to enjoy a book when you detest the main character.
Tallie and Emmett were really difficult to like bec1.5 Stars rounded up to 2
I gotta say, it's hard to enjoy a book when you detest the main character.
Tallie and Emmett were really difficult to like because their behaviour was a mix of inappropriate, unprofessional, unacceptable and invasive. I probably should have dnf'd at 4% when I could tell I would find Tallie a tad annoying but I pushed through. I went in expecting a more moving story but alas this was not the case.
CW: Suicide and depression (view spoiler)[wife committed suicide by carbon monoxide in a car but left door open to house and her child also died, cheating, false imprisonment, infertility, grief, injury in fire (hide spoiler)]
CW:(view spoiler)[staged suicide which is quite a bloody scene as the wrists are cut, loss of loved one, mob related murders, possessive and aggressivCW:(view spoiler)[staged suicide which is quite a bloody scene as the wrists are cut, loss of loved one, mob related murders, possessive and aggressive boyfriend (hide spoiler)]
3.5 Stars
Well that was a good YA murder mystery. The main character was a bit of a smart-arse which made for a few entertaining moments. There are enough twists and turns to keep the target audience guessing with some pretty good red-herrings. Overall, an interesting story that I will definitely order for the library....more
Well that was a charming YA romance with an endearing Thai American CW: (view spoiler)[Mother abandons son and husband for another man (hide spoiler)]
Well that was a charming YA romance with an endearing Thai American main character.
This story will appeal to many as it was filled with some standard YA romance tropes making it a fairly 'safe' read. However, this will stand above other similar books for me because the characters were so enjoyable to read about and I adored the family dynamics. The romance was cute and flirty with some witty banter thrown in. It also touched upon some coming-of-age/identity type issues as Winnie struggles in the shadows of her amazing and accomplished older twin sisters. I really enjoyed this light-hearted YA rom-com....more
UPDATE: 9/11/23 - Reread and loved it all over again!
CW: lots of blood and gore
Well that was utterly amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
The setting UPDATE: 9/11/23 - Reread and loved it all over again!
CW: lots of blood and gore
Well that was utterly amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
The setting was nothing short of incredible with sumptuous writing to help immerse us into 1920s Shanghai. Everything felt so vivid in my mind and it's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. I loved all the characters and appreciated the diversity, although there were a fair number to keep a track of on both sides of the gang feud. The fascinating political backdrop was a blend of real and imagined and I loved the references to Romeo and Juliet that were woven throughout the story. I thought it was a clever reimagining that incorporated the themes of the original play beautifully. I only just finished and am still a little bit stunned by this lush and complex story and by the spectacular ending. I genuinely loved it....more
CW: (view spoiler)[marriage break-up of parents, mention of inappropriate staff student relationship, emotUPDATE: 01/07/2021 - Reread and review added
CW: (view spoiler)[marriage break-up of parents, mention of inappropriate staff student relationship, emotional cheating, bullying (hide spoiler)]
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4
Well I may have teared up a little at the end!
What a fabulously painful story looking at the slow demise of a friendship.
Some parts were so brutal I actually gasped out loud as this once solid pair were torn apart by jealousy, resentment, and revenge. I loved that it was told in a dual timeline from Cleo's perspective. We move back and forth between 'Then' and 'Now' and slowly learn about the events that started the downward spiral. The pacing is a bit slow at times and a good edit to reduce some of the less engaging parts would have made this a more enjoyable read for me. The end had me a bit emotional because sometimes, as in this story, (view spoiler)[the damage and hurt are too great for a friendship to recover from. (hide spoiler)] I listened to this as an audiobook which was fabulously read. It is filled with high school teen drama but underneath it all is a story I think most people can relate to. _________________________ 3.5 RTC This is my third review to come. Going back to work in the real world is ruining my Goodreads life ...more
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