REVIEW: Once Upon A River

“A river no more begins at its source than a story begins with the first page.”

Why Did I Read This Book?

I had heard about this Sunday Times Bestseller being a truly magical book that combined Gothic elements and fantasy within its historical and mystical setting. So when I heard it was everything I love in one beautiful book, how could I not want to immerse myself in its pages. My amazing boyfriend, who I haven’t seen for nearly six weeks now, surprised me by buying the eBook for me from my Amazon wish list. I will never stop loving that boy.

What Did I Think?

Firstly, let me just say that I have not read a book like this one before. Ever. Diane Setterfield deserves more recognition than I could ever give her alone. This masterpiece could make those who had never dreamt of writing before, want to pick up a pen or open a new Word document and begin. Why, you may ask. Because I have honestly never experienced storytelling like this before. Diane Setterfield does a beautiful job of setting the scene and by doing so, she makes you feel like you’ve just tucked yourself in to be told a great secret. The secret of the river and the power of the stories it holds.

The opening chapter had me hooked from the start and the fact that it could be based on the river Thames makes it even more closer to home. The overall story, without ruining it for you, is that a little girl is pulled from the river banks and she could belong to any one of the three families who have recently lost their little girl. The mystery of her appearance uncovers the secrets held by the community surrounding the river and the discovery leaves you holding the book closer to you, afraid of missing a single moment.

I’m struggling to put this book into a specific genre as it has elements of Gothic, fantasy and historical fiction running through it and to put it in a category would be to take away its magic. What I can say is that it reminds me of folklore. One that perhaps is heard by many who journey up and down the river.

“There are stories that may be told aloud, and stories that must be told in whispers, and there are stories that are never told at all.”

Diane Setterfield also plays upon this folklore theme by writing perfectly about the power of storytelling and how stories develop from the very first telling to the most recent. There are some compelling quotes in this book, that once you’ve read them, you just have to take a moment and think, wow…what a sentence!

“For one thing, the river that flows ever onwards is also seeping sideways, irrigating the fields and land to one side and the other. It finds its way into wells and is drawn up to launder petticoats and be boiled for tea. It is sucked into root membranes, travels up cell by cell to the surface, is held in the leaves of watercress”

I would say that even though I was hooked from the start and that the story is magnificent, I would not particularly class this read as a ‘page-turner’. The chapters are longer than I would normally like and it does take a while for things to begin to unfold. However, don’t let that stop you from delving into this book. It may not be a ‘page-turner’ but something else keeps you reading on. Something truly spell-binding. I’ll let you experience that one for yourself.

I do get quite sad when I finish magical books like this one. I felt like I went on a real journey with this book and as I was reading it, I was transported onto the very banks of the river, watching events unfold and helping to solve the mystery. It truly was an amazing experience and one I shall never forget. It deserves every single star I give it. And more.

“And now, dear reader, the story is over. It is time for you to cross the bridge once more and return to the world you came from. This river, which is and is not the Thames, must continue flowing without you. You have haunted here long enough, and besides, you surely have rivers of your own to attend to?”

Once Upon A River

REVIEW: This Is Going To Hurt

“So I told them the truth: the hours are terrible, the pay is terrible, the conditions are terrible; you’re underappreciated, unsupported, disrespected and frequently physically endangered. But there’s no better job in the world.”

Why Did I Read This Book?

It has been a while since I last read some non-fiction. I can hardly think of the last non-fiction book I read. I was gifted this by my lovely friend as part of a quarantine book swap we did. We packed up some of our old reads that we no longer wanted and swapped bags at the end of my drive, following the lockdown rules of course. I decided to pick this one to read because I have seen it EVERYWHERE since it came out and I never knew that it was about a junior doctor in the NHS. I suppose what better time to read about the heroes of this country whilst during a global pandemic.

What Did I Think?

This book definitely wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. I thought it would be more personal to the author himself rather than focusing on the individual stories of patients but now that I’ve read it, I love that it was about the patients that he saw and all their different problems and complications. We don’t hear a lot about his personal life, other than that his relationship with his girlfriend at the time was undoubtedly suffering due to the long hours and the unexpected 16-hour shifts.

It makes me think about everything that NHS staff have to sacrifice to save the lives of others. Relationships, memories, all that fun stuff that you do in your 20’s was put on hold by the author and junior doctor, Adam, because his job needed him more.

It’s not all doom and gloom though I suppose. There are stories in this book that are ultimately heartbreaking and truly shocking but there are also pretty funny stories too. It amazes me that there are some fairly ridiculous people out there. One particular story that stands out to me is the removal of a Kinder Egg from somewhere it DEFINITELY should not have been – not the kind of Kinder surprise anyone wants and especially not after a long 14-hour shift.

“I notice that every patient on the ward has a pulse of 60 recorded in their observation chart so I surreptitiously inspect the healthcare assistant’s measurement technique. He feels the patient’s pulse, looks at his watch and meticulously counts the number of seconds per minute.”

There are also stories within this book that have obviously stemmed from people searching their symptoms, finding little but compelling evidence that it could be the worst-case scenario and voluntarily admitting themselves into hospital to demand urgent medical care. C’mon, we’ve all been there haven’t we? There’s been countless times where I’ve googled my own symptoms and been like yeah, that’s it…the end is near and then just realised that I haven’t drank a single drop of water for three days. Stupid, I know but I still continue to do it don’t I!

However, back to more serious matters…right now, more than ever we are thankful for the NHS and the vital work that the front-line staff are doing every day to cure those with this uncertain illness and to help prevent the spread. These people are heroes. They are giving up their time and putting themselves at risk to ensure that the nation is looked after. I think reading this book really opens your eyes to the amount of hard work these doctors, nurses, paramedics and all hospital staff do and how the NHS just about ‘gets by’ simply because the staff are willing to sacrifice their lives for the health of others. Let us never forget what everyone in the NHS is doing for the UK right now, because without it, things could be a hell of a lot worse.

Stay at home. Save Lives. Protect the NHS.

This Is Going To Hurt

REVIEW: The Cactus

“But, these days, fairy-tale endings come in all shapes and sizes. It’s okay for the princess to end up with the prince, it’s okay for her to end up with the footman, it’s okay for her to end up on her own. It’s also okay for her to end up with another princess, or with six cats, or to decide she wants to be a prince. None of those make her any more or less a feminist.”

Why Did I Read This Book?

Similar to The Flatshare, this was a book I read because it was Beth’s Book Club’s bonus book for March. I had seen it floating around Instagram but personally I didn’t think it was my kind of book. A few of my friends who are part of the book club were raving about it and I thought…ah well, why not ey!

What Did I Think?

I enjoyed this book because I warmed to the narrator and her story straight away. I managed to fly through this one but I know that others had difficulty warming up to her and her personality. This book has a strong ‘Eleanor Oliphant’ vibe, as I would say that Susan’s behaviours are very similar to those of Eleanor. That is perhaps why I adored the character of Susan so much.

I loved how people during the book club discussion were referring to the main character, Susan, as ‘prickly’ because it coincides brilliantly with the title of the book, and I can 100% see what they mean. Susan likes things done a particular way and everything is set in stone. She doesn’t really enjoy interacting with other people and keeps herself to herself. That’s how she likes it and that’s how she has got by for years without any problems.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that I have colleagues, office life would be bearable.”

Yet she falls pregnant unexpectedly and this really puts a spanner in the works for our Susan, who has only ever had to look after herself. As the pregnancy and the book progresses, we gradually learn more about our narrator’s history and this slowly begins to provide clarity on why she behaves like she does. I think the way that the author, Sarah Haywood, introduces Susan’s background through little memories is a really great way of developing both the character and the story and by the end, I was totally in awe.

Family is a theme that runs throughout the book and is one that is explored through many different relationships. I love how we have so many examples of different families running through this book and I think that’s what makes this book just that extra bit more special.

Susan has an unbearable younger brother. I mean, I thought I had the most annoying younger brother in the world but it turns out there are worse out there. Her relationship with her brother is tarnished from the start and as events transpire, we go on a journey with our narrator to learn about the secrets of their family’s history.

I really did enjoy this book and even more so because I got to discuss it with other readers and book fanatics over at Beth’s Book Club. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I would wholeheartedly recommend doing so as it is a fantastic community of book lovers.

The Cactus

REVIEW: Blood & Sugar

“London in 1781 is a ravenous behemoth, swallowing forest and field, outlying villages, entire towns. Five miles to the east, on the banks of the river Thames, lies Deptford; gateway port to the distant oceans and untold riches. A town where fortunes in sugar and slaves are made and lost, thieves and prostitutes roam the streets by night, and sailors lose themselves in drink, trying to forget the things they did and saw upon the Middle Passage.”

Why Did I Read This Book?

I had heard about this book from a friend who, like me, is a history fanatic. I love historical fiction novels and I was really intrigued by this book as it is set in Deptford Docks; the home of London’s dark slave history. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that actually goes into detail about London’s role in the slave trade. We all learn about slavery during our time in education, but this book certainly rewrites London importance in the inhumane trade.

What Did I Think?

First of all, I don’t think this book would have been half as good if Laura Shepherd Robinson (LSR) hadn’t have done all the tireless research into the gruesome history of the Deptford Docks. She said that she spent many endless days in the Museum of London Docklands (somewhere definitely on my list to go to once this whole lockdown is over) and that is probably why her debut novel Blood & Sugar is so enthralling.

The book starts with the murder of pro-abolitionist Thaddeus Archer. His friend and narrator, Captain Harry Corsham, sets off to unveil his murderer and the secrets of Deptford Docks. This historical fiction crime thriller (all of my favourite things combined into one) had me hooked on every page and my opinion on who the murderer was changed with every chapter. I guess that was why I was so hooked.

I hadn’t known before reading this book that Deptford was one of the key ports for the Atlantic slave trade and LSR does a fantastic job of depicting slavery as it was understood in those times; a vital trade. There were only a few known abolitionists back then and they were very much considered ‘extremists’ by society. Perhaps understandable then why all the pro-abolitionists in this story are treated so badly.

I think what is even more important is that LSR gives 18th century black Londoners a voice in this book and highlights their role in society, especially those considered to be ‘free’. The historical note at the back of the book really sheds light on the context of the tale and some of the underlying stories featured inside its pages. One story that runs alongside the murder mystery is the tale about three hundred slaves tragically murdered on a ship called The Dark Angel during its journey across the Middle Passage. It was a really shocking story and one I found hard to read. But it was in fact based on a true story that should never be forgotten. LSR talks about the fact that one of the greatest achievements of the abolitionist movement was the act of publicising slave horror stories like these to shock the British public and to make them aware of the barbarity behind the trade.

“If this were a different, better world, then the murder of Thaddeus Archer might have changed history…yet as Caro says, this is the world we live in…still less give any thought to the three hundred and six African men, women and children who were murdered aboard The Dark Angel.”

The ending. Well I’m not sure if I liked it or not. Some days I’m like yes, I get why LSR did that but then other days I’m like no, I wish it wasn’t who it was. I’ll leave you to decide on what you thought, but I don’t know if I agree with who she decided to go with.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and it differed from the historical fiction I have read before. I love how the author depicted the scenery. The way she writes about Deptford in 1781 is honestly so gruesome and encapsulating, next time I’m down in London, I’ll definitely be able to picture what it was like. Credit to LSR on creating a thrilling read and proving why we should never forget our gory history.

“The fog hung thick and low over the Thames. It rolled in off the water and along the quays, filling the squalid courts and dockside alleys of lower Deptford. The local name for a fog like this is the Devil’s Breath. It stank of the river’s foul miasma.”

Blood & Sugar

REVIEW: Daisy Jones & The Six

“Music is never about music. If it was, we’d be writing songs about guitars. But we don’t. We write songs about women.”

Why Did I Read This Book?

I hate to admit it but the reason I pick the majority of books I read is because I want to see what all the hype is about. I’ve seen Daisy Jones & The Six floating around my social media feeds, so when I found this gorgeous copy in my local supermarket, I just had to have it.

What Did I Think?

Earlier this year I read a book called Queenie and I thought it the best book I had read in a long time. Yet nothing prepared me for how much I would fall in love with this book and every single one of its characters. I was so heartbroken to find out that they aren’t a real band because I tell you what, if they were, after this whole coronavirus lockdown is over, the first thing I would do would be to fly to America and buy a ticket to watch this band live.

I got real Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks/Florence Welch/A Star Is Born vibes from this book and it was so beautifully written, how could I not fall in love with it. The song that Daisy and Billy sing together reminds me so much of the song that Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sing in A Star Is Born. We all know the one…

What made this book so unique is that when you’re reading it, you feel like you’re watching a documentary on how the band rose to fame, with all the characters getting their own say on events that happened. I like how every character remembers things slightly different to each other, making you giggle when you read each account.

I want to be Daisy Jones. There I said it. The way she is depicted in the novel is so enchanting, no wonder everyone loved her. I love how everyone who meets her is completely astonished by her natural raw talent. I love her dress sense and I can really get behind the whole ‘no bra’ thing too.

“I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else’s muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody. End of fucking story.”

Yet she has to fight for the right to be seen and heard. When she gets her first record deal she has to sing the songs they want her to sing, behave how they want her to behave and dress how they tell her. Could you imagine? Being so unique and beautiful in your own way and then having to change all of that just to get your music seen and heard by the public?

What is so harrowing about Daisy’s story is that it is tainted by her drug and alcohol addiction. Yeah OK, it was that time when everyone who was everyone was doing drugs, even more so if you are in a successful band, but no one really tries to help Daisy. Their manager is often questioning whether he should have done more to help her, but I guess she had to make that decision on her own. I felt sorry for her. It broke my heart that she came from a family that couldn’t give a shit about her, and she just dated and slept with men who she didn’t love because she didn’t know anything else. Perhaps Daisy’s story is the most upsetting out of them all and is testament to the fact that fame is not everything.

Love is a well-discussed topic throughout the book and Taylor Jenkins Reid offers some really honest and genuine dialogues regarding the different experiences of love that each character goes through. Some definitely resonated with me, whereas some definitely emphasised how each character felt.

“I used to think soul mates were two of the same. I used to think I was supposed to look for somebody that was like me. I don’t believe in soul mates anymore and I’m not looking for anything. But if I did believe in them, I’d believe your soul mate was somebody who had all the things you didn’t, that needed all the things you had. Not somebody who’s suffering from the same stuff you are.”

I couldn’t believe that this band wasn’t real and when I found this out, all I could think about was how much hard work, dedication and sleepless nights must have gone into the making of this book. Obviously writing a novel is never going to be easy and I celebrate ANYONE who does, but to write a book the way Daisy Jones & The Six is written and to make us believe that this band is so real, Taylor Jenkins Reid must be so, so proud of the work of art she has produced.

I loved this book with all my heart and to be honest, not a day goes by since reading this where I don’t think about the story and the characters. I can no longer listen to Fleetwood Mac without picturing this band. And the fact that the song lyrics to all their songs are at the back of the book, it just adds the icing to the top of the cake!

Thank you, Taylor Jenkins Reid.

“I wish someone had told me that love isn’t torture. Because I thought love was this thing that was supposed to tear you in two and leave you heartbroken and make your heart race in the worst way. I thought love was bombs and tears and blood. I did not know that it was supposed to make you lighter, not heavier. I didn’t know it was supposed to take only the kind of work that makes you softer. I thought love was war. I didn’t know it was supposed to… I didn’t know it was supposed to be peace.”

REVIEW: The Girls

“That was part of being a girl–you were resigned to whatever feedback you’d get. If you got mad, you were crazy, and if you didn’t react, you were a bitch. The only thing you could do was smile from the corner they’d backed you into. Implicate yourself in the joke even if the joke was always on you.”

Why Did I Read This Book?

I remember being on holiday a few years back and EVERYONE around the pool was reading The Girls. No lie. Ever since then, it has been patiently waiting on my TBR list. Now that I have all the time in the world, I thought it would be a better time than ever to tick this one off the list.

What Did I Think?

Don’t hate me…I didn’t like it. I feel so bad that I must be the only person I know that didn’t enjoy this book. Hate me all you want but it’s the truth. For some bizarre reason I thought this book was about something completely different. So when I started reading this book, I just couldn’t get rid of my expectations.

I didn’t hate all of it, there are some parts that are really thrilling and it is written so well. There are some real honest moments of what it’s like to be female, especially in the 1970s. If you’re looking for some great quotes about the struggles of being a woman in a male-dominated society, then this book is what you need. I did find myself nodding along to some of Emma Cline’s wisdom throughout the book.

“They didn’t have very far to fall—I knew just being a girl in the world handicapped your ability to believe yourself.”

The cult story was something that just wasn’t for me. Although I do like weird and wonderful books that discuss all sorts of topics, I just didn’t like this one and for me it did feel a tiny bit unrealistic. I couldn’t really relate to the protagonist. I found that her narrative was boring and rather one-dimensional. She didn’t really offer anything to the story, just told us everybody else’s, so I just couldn’t feel any connection to her.

There is a real horrendous murder scene at the end which left me a little shaken up a while after reading it but other than that, nothing else in the book is worth mentioning. I did enjoy how well it was written as the scenes were very descriptive and I could imagine what the characters and the ranch looked like but I just couldn’t relate to the narrator and therefore, it just wasn’t for me.

REVIEW: The Flatshare

“The next thing I notice is the sheer quantity of crap in my living room…It’s like a terrible episode of Changing Rooms. Flat has been redecorated to look immeasurably worse. Can only conclude that she was doing it on purpose – nobody could be this tasteless accidentally.”

Why Did I Read This Book?

Having joined the Bookstagram community only recently, I have joined many online book clubs to get a feel for what’s out there and what people are reading. One of my favourite book clubs is Beth’s Book Club which you can find on Facebook and Instagram (just search for @bethsbookclub_) and they read one modern book a month and get together for scheduled monthly meetings so everyone can discuss what they thought. The March book was The Flatshare and after reading and hearing everyone’s praises, I thought I’d give it a go!

What Did I Think?

OK, I L-O-V-E-D this book! I’ve not read a romance novel in a long time and I have to say they aren’t usually my go-to but I have to admit I do enjoy a good romance here and there. And with the current lockdown separating me from my beloved boyfriend, I’m in need of some romance in my life.

The short, quick chapters are great and I think that’s why I was able to polish off this book in under two days. I would find myself reading a chapter here and there whilst going about my daily quarantine business. Before you know it you’re halfway through and we all love a good book like that don’t we? It does become quite difficult though when you know the chapters are short so you tell yourself ‘oh, just one more chapter’…and 30 minutes later you’re still sitting in the same place. Guilty AF.

I loved how the narrative of Tiffy compared to Leon’s was so different because you can tell immediately who is narrating. The chapters alternate between the two, helping the story to really advance and provide a great sense of how each character lives and thinks. Tiffy is such a quirky character compared to Leon who is often considered to be a man of few words, and I love how that as the book progresses, Leon seems to come more and more out of his shell. I felt a strong connection to Tiffy, with her clumsiness and awkwardness and also because she perhaps reminded me of my time at Cath Kidston, where like her, I was constantly up to my neck in crafts I didn’t have a clue about.

One of the things that most people disliked about this book is that they found it too hard to believe that people would flatshare (and bed share). This was one of the things discussed with the author when Beth from Beth’s Book Club held a live discussion with her and it was so amazing to find out that people had contacted the author to tell her their stories of when they had done the same thing as Tiffy and Leon. I suppose in big cities like London etc, room is scarce so people have to find what accomodation they can afford.

As Leon and Tiffy hardly ever cross paths, they leave Post-It notes to communicate with each other and this is also something that the author relies on to help provide us with vital information about events that have happened and to move the story along. I adore this idea and I got waaaay to excited the first time that Leon puts a ‘x’ at the end of one of his notes. Can you tell I’m missing my boyfriend?

“It was a weird way to get to know Leon, writing all these notes over the last few months, and it sort of happened without me noticing – one minute I was scribbling him a quick note about leftovers, the next I was in a full-on, day-to-day correspondence.”

What is really touching is Tiffy’s discovery of learning that she was emotionally abused by her ex boyfriend and I loved Beth O’Leary’s way of letting her slowly discover that what she went through during her relationship with Justin was not a normal, loving relationship. We realise from that start that the way Justin behaved and made her feel was completely wrong but we have to let Tiffy come to that realisation herself. I think the journey that Tiffy goes through is both heartbreaking and honest and because it was written by someone who had gone through the same thing, you can really feel how genuine Tiffy’s thoughts and feelings are.

“Remind myself that there is no saving people—people can only save themselves. The best you can do is help when they’re ready.”

I definitely enjoyed this book and I can easily see it becoming a rom-com in the not so distant future. Although it may seem unrealistic, I didn’t personally find it impossible for something like that to happen so I instantly fell in love with Tiffy and Leon. I got a (maybe too real) ‘missing’ feeling a few days after finishing the book and it’s safe to say I can’t wait to read her new novel The Switch which is out soon! Not bad for a book that was written whilst commuting ey?

REVIEW: The Keeper of Lost Things

“We can’t always win and we can’t always be happy. But the one thing that we can always do is try.”

Why Did I Read This Book?

This book has always been one I wanted to read since it was published back in 2017. I found a copy on World of Books which is a discount book retailer and is still delivering book mail to people during these uncertain times, proving that not all heroes wear capes, ey!

What Did I Think?

Now as much as I did enjoy this book, I did find it slow to start. To the point where I was going to give up on it (gasp) but then things really started to kick off, so I’m extremely glad I carried on. It could have just been because I started reading this over the weekend and I was feeling a bit down and overwhelmed by everything going on at the minute so you may not find it as slow to start as me. I promise, by the 20th chapter you will not be able to put the book down.

What I loved most about this book was the concept, Anthony spent his whole life collecting items that people had lost, carefully nurturing them in the hope that one day they will be returned to their owner. It made me realise it is truly amazing what people lose without knowing. Each item gets its own back story, which makes each lost thing that little bit more interesting.

There are two stories running alongside each other and I did find myself repeatedly questioning how the two were connected, with Ruth Hogan keeping me guessing until the very end. It is definitely a ‘feel good’ book and does restore your faith in humanity a little. Maybe I shouldn’t be revealing this much, but I definitely didn’t expect it to turn into a kind of ghost story…but I’ll leave you to enjoy that little surprise storyline on your own.

I also really liked the link to the Patron Saint of lost things, whose name happens to be St. Anthony of Padua. I love how Ruth Hogan’s quirky play on this and the references to old folk tales really add an exciting spin on well, hoarding basically. She actually admitted in an interview that she got her inspiration from her neighbour who was famous in the community for hoarding.

It was a lovely, quick ‘feel good’ read and I’m glad I can (finally) tick it off my list. What is even more special about this read is that Ruth Hogan actually set up her own Instagram account dedicated to advertising the lost things she found whilst writing this novel in the hope, like her main character Anthony, that they will be eventually reunited with their owner! Have a look for yourselves!

REVIEW: Little Fires Everywhere

“To those out on their own paths, setting little fires”

Why Did I Read This Book?

A few years back now I used to run a similar blog to this and I did a feature about new book releases and Little Fires Everywhere was on that list. Having re-joined the book blogging world again, I’ve noticed many Bookstagram accounts and other bloggers reading and reviewing this particular book, as well as it more recently becoming a hit TV adaption series available on online streaming platform Hulu. So I’d be mad not to get a piece of the action, right?

What Did I Think?

OK, I’m not going to lie, I have previously tried to read this book but not got much further than the first couple of chapters. So this time, I was determined to make more progress. Having finally read the whole book, I now know why the book is titled Little Fires Everywhere. There are LOTS of different stories running alongside the main plot…who set fire to the Richardson’s family house? I have read a lot of books recently where the characters’ stories all intertwine with one another’s but this is different. It looks back on the characters’ history so we understand each character in more depth.

There are lots of female protagonists and I LOVE that. Yet upon finishing the book, I was sitting writing my notes and I had to question which character I felt I could relate to the most. Normally I find there’s always one standout character that I feel more closely too and can relate more to but for Little Fires Everywhere, I just couldn’t make my mind up.

I think what is really interesting is the town in which they live, Shaker Heights. The town was one of the first to be planned out so meticulously by its founders, along with set rules on how each house should look and how the families living there should behave.

“Rules existed for a reason: if you followed them, you would succeed; if you didn’t, you might burn the world to the ground.”

So once we understand this, it’s easier to understand how each character is conditioned by the town they live in. Mia, a mother who’s haunted by her past and constantly on the move so she can never fit in anywhere; Pearl (her daughter) is a teenager coming to terms with being in a brand new high school and by default finds herself part of the popular group, Lexie is one of the most popular girls at school and part of a prestigious family with strict morals to abide by, Izzy is an outcast and thought to be ‘strange’ by everyone who meets her and Mrs Richardson is a middle-class woman who has a reputation to uphold.

Now, what I admire is how Celeste Ng focuses on how each character struggles with what society thinks and expects from them and this is perhaps what makes the story so interesting.

I did thoroughly enjoy this read and I found myself forgetting what had happened in the first chapter, with the title reminding me that ‘oh yeah, we’re on the path to finding out who did it’. I love how Celeste Ng keeps you guessing until the very end to find out who did it and I think that’s what makes this book so gripping. It could be any one of the characters because they all have their own motives. I’m just glad it ended like it did, with the novel proving there’s always two sides to one story.

“Sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground, and start over. After the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow. People are like that, too. They start over. They find a way.”

REVIEW: Queenie

“He truly wasn’t very funny but:

1. Apart from Kyazike, who is ten times as funny as me, I don’t find anyone as funny as me, even in this, the darkest period of my life.

2. Actually, no man is as funny as me or any woman I’ve ever met.”

Why Did I Read This Book?

Pictures of this book have been floating around my social media feeds for some time now so when I went to my local supermarket (pre-lockdown of course) and they were selling two books for £8, I just had to pick up a copy.

What Did I Think?

I expected Queenie to be a good read as you don’t win the Sunday Times Bestseller title easily. I expected it to be something similar to what I had read before and a nice, quick read to add to my ‘completed’ list. What I did not expect was for this book to entice me from the very first sentence and for me to become fully engrossed in Queenie’s story. So much so, I found myself constantly updating my boyfriend (whether he liked it or not) on events that had happened in the book just like I do when I get off a call with my best friend.

The scenes in Queenie are so honest and encapsulating that you feel like you’re there seeing and feeling everything that happens to her, with her. Perhaps this is why when you’re reading this book, all you can do is think about what happens next. Questioning how you’d react if everything was going wrong for you.

I have to say, I don’t think I could have been as strong as Queenie is when in the space of a few days, her actions begin to bite her back. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? When the repercussions of our actions make us regret we ever went down the path we chose. Yet Queenie is a perfect role model in showing us how to be resilient and fierce when it feels like your whole world is crashing down on you.

There are a lot of lessons to be taken from Queenie, both from the character and the story itself. The ending is beautiful and left me with a warm feeling inside which I have to say, I’ve not felt so strongly from a book in a LONG time. I’m glad it ends like it ends and in a strange way, I felt happy for Queenie despite everything.

The (literal) laugh-out-loud humour that Candice Carty-Williams incorporates into the story just adds that extra bit of sparkle. She has this wonderful talent in turning casual racist and sexist remarks into comedy, which makes us as the reader laugh but also makes us relate to Queenie as we have surely either experienced or heard casual racism and sexism at one time.

Queenie has to be one of the best books I’ve read in a long time and the fact that I was not expecting it makes it all the more better. I know these quarantine days are hard but if you can try and get your hands on a copy I promise that you will LOVE it. Even if this genre isn’t something you usually read. Be careful though, I can’t promise you’ll get anything done when you start this book and you may even find that your partner ends up asking you “how’s Queenie getting on?”