#144 Youll be the death of me

 You'll Be The Death Of Me by Karen M. McManus 

Sorry i have been so MIA both on my blog and Twitter, i started my dream job in September and its been a massive adjustment with very little left for blogging never mind a social life! Things will hopefully settle down in the new year and i got start creating some content on here again! (fingers crossed)

So todays post is for 'You'll Be The Death Of Me' by the amazing Karen M. McManus, i was thrilled to receive an e-arc from Penguin organised by the ever amazing Dave (@TheWriteReads), sorry my post is 2 days late, i did start the book a week ago but work kept getting in the way! 

The book follows three main characters, Ivy, Cal and Mateo and it starts off very much like Ferris Buellers Day Off. Three childhood friends who drifted apart when they started high school are accidentally thrown together in unlikely circumstances and decide to skip school for the day, all is going well if a little bit awkward until they stumble upon a crime scene. When the victim turns out to be a classmate they flee and try to figure out how and what happened. 

Ivy comes from a well to do family but struggles under the pressure of living up to her genius brother. She has spent years struggling under the pressure of doing everything perfectly whilst her brother naturally excels at everything he does. I found Ivy as a character to be the very epitomy of a teenage girl, shes struggling to keep up academically and when she loses her three year in a row class presidency to a kid that really doesnt seem to care she loses it all together and decides that skipping school is a good idea. I wonder how different her story would have turned out if she had only sucked it up and went to school that day.

Mateo was raised by a single mum, when his mum is diagnosed with a joint disorder in the same week she loses her bowling alley business that she built from the ground Mateo has to step it up alongside his cousin Autumn who was taken in when her parents died in a car accident. They work 5 jobs between them to make ends meet and to pay for the medicine that their mum needs. Mateo was a complex character, probably my favourite of the 3 but he wasnt without his flaws either which made him a lot more believeable. 

Cal was probably the least developed of the 3 main characters. From the beginning he is harboring a secret that may or may not be linked to the crime scene them stumble upon. I feel like even though i just finished this book i remember very little about Cal or his home life, not sure if thats a me problem or a book problem! 

I really enjoyed how this story becomes a journey of how 3 friends need to figure out what is happening before someone else they know is killed. It was fast paced and i know if i had had more time i would have flew through this in probably one sitting! I enjoyed this just as much as McManus' other books and i absolutely adore her story telling style, she has definitely become an auto buy author for me and one i find myself always recommending to other people.

Thank you again to the publishers and to Dave for the awesome blog tour and opportunity to read this book! 

#143 A Woman is no Man

 A Woman Is No Man By Etaf Rum

One of my favourite books that ive read in 2021! A Woman is no Man is a story following three generations of Palestinian women in two timelines, one is palestine in the 1990's and the other is Brooklyn in 2008. The books main focus is on these women living in modern day America whilst trying to uphold their Palestinian values. We follow Isra in 1990 Palestine and then her eldest daughter Deya in 2008 Brooklyn, we also get input from Isra's mother in law Fareeda so there are lots of perspectives on how a woman should be within this one tiny snapshot of family life. 

At the beginning of the story we learn that Isra and her husband Adam have both died in what Deya has been told was an accident by Fareeda. I found Fareeda as a character to be highly frustrating, her choices are highly questionable but as the story unfolds and we learn more about her you can see how she has become the woman she is, she was a well fleshed out character and i often wondered if the author had based her on someone in her life as she was so raw, flawed but most of all real. For me the main reason i gave this book 5 stars was purely down to the character building, we learn so much from each of the characters and we root for them all in such different ways. I found myself rooting for Deya and wanting her to get out and to escape the restrains laid upon her by her culture and family expectation. 

Adam was a very conflicting character for me, he does a lot of very wrong things and makes a lot of bad decisions but on the other hand we can see the enormous pressure placed on him by being the eldest son and the pressure for him to provide for his family whilst also looking after his parents and helping them out as much as possible, this was his demise really and what ultimately broke him. I spent the majority of the story hating him but parts of me did feel for him also. Adam was just as trapped as some of the female characters in this story. 

Isra was my favourite character, from the beginning she is destined to marry Adam and to move to Brooklyn. Isra believes that this is her golden ticket almost and when she arrives in America she is shocked to see that she will be staying in a window-less basement in the bottom floor of her in-laws home whilst her husband works long hours. Isra is very unfamiliar with how things work in America and has to rely on her husband to get around if and when he deems it appropriate for her to leave the house. Adam is receiving a lot of pressure from his parents to produce a grandson as soon as possible, after a string of pregnancies Isra ends up only having girls. I found this part to be really hard to read, each pregnancy Isra is praying for a boy just to placate her husband and in laws and she is terrified of his reaction each time she gives birth and its another girl. In this culture Isra isnt allowed to breastfeed her babies in the hope that she will become pregnant again quickly. It was in equal parts frustrating and sad to read. 

Deya is Isra and Adams eldest child and at the beginning she is living with her grandparents and they are raising her and her sisters in the same way that their father was raised, strictly and conservatively following in line with their Palestinian culture. Deya does not wish to be married off at a young age and wants more for herself and her sisters but at the same time is worried about the implications of straying would be and if she could survive on her own. When a stranger reaches out with information about her late mother Deya realises that unlocking secrets of the past can possibly help her make decisions in regards to her future. 

The author has described this book as strength and resilience of women which is the perfect summary in my eyes. This book was really eye opening to me in terms of learning about a different culture and i really immersed myself in that aspect of it. At the same time i realise that i read this book through very western eyes and that it was very easy for me to question why these women made the choices they did and especially why Isra didnt fight harder to get out and escape the cycle of abuse. Its very easy to make snap judgements on someone elses culture when you dont understand. Arab-American culture is so under represented in modern fiction but upon watching a wonderful interview with the author she makes a point to say that this book is not relective of all Arabs nor is it a reflection upon Islam. This book is simply following the story of one conservative Arab family. 

The ending of this book blew me away, i cant remember the last time that I couldnt put a book down before this one. I dont want to say too much in order to keep this review as spoiler free as possible but all i will say is that this book will stay with me for a long time, will be a book that i purchase for others and one that i am sure i will reread many times. I couldnt put this book down, it was honestly an absolute triumph! I would urge every lover of fiction to pick this book up! If i could scream about this book from the rooftops i would. PLEASE JUST READ IT!!! :D 

#142 Such a Fun Age

 Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid 

Such a Fun Age follows the story of a 25 year old black woman called Emira, she is hired as a babysitter for a middle class couple and looks after their 2/3 year old daughter Briar. One night Alix who is Emira's employer calls Emira for some last minute baby sitting whilst the couple deal with an emergency at their home. Emira takes Briar to a local supermarket/grocery store and whilst the 2 are in the store the security guard has been alerted by a fellow shopper that they believe Emira has kidnapped Briar, this turns into a confrontation between the security guard and Emira that is caught on video by another shopper. Emira has to call Alix's husband to come down to the store as the police have been called and no one seems to believe Emira's version of events. This scene is the opening of the book and plays a very powerful role in the themes throughout the book but the story is about so much more than this one single instance. 

The chapters are split into POV's from Emira and Alix. Emira as a character was so relatable, her life has lost direction after finishing college and shes not quite sure what she should be doing next. When she is offered the role of being Briar's babysitter she just views it as a job and a way to make money but she soon falls in love with Briar and looks forward to spending time with her. I really enjoyed Emira's chapers much more than Alix's but i understand as a reader why it was important for them to be written in this way as both POV's are highly necessary for the overriding story. Alix works as an influencer and has 2 daughters, Briar is her eldest and she also has a baby too. Emira is hired solely to take care of 'spirited' Briar. Alix's husband is a news anchor and towards the beginning of the story he accidentally says something racist whilst on air which is another theme that influences the rest of the story. Alix takes on a very much 'white saviour' role in this story, her entitlement and privilige made for a very contrasting POV. At the beginning i was very willing to give Alix the benefit of the doubt but as the story went on i just lost more and more respect for her. I think Alix is so hyper aware of being perceived as racist that she almost does too much and winds up on the racism spectrum regardless. Parts of this were painful to read. 

This book is not what i was expecting at all, it was much more of a coming of age story than i thought it would be. Emira's character growth was done so well, i loved how all of Emira's friends seem to have their careers and lives figured out and are so much more financially stable than Emira and even though Emira enjoys her babysitting role she cant help but feel that she should have something more concrete in place. There is a romance throughout but it wasnt a very big part of the story overall. As a result of the grocery store incident Alix begins taking more of an interest in Emira and becomes almost obsessed by cyber stalking her and checking her phone when Emira leaves it to charge whilst shes at work. 

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was simple and a lot less literary than i was expecting from a Booker Prize Longlist contender. The writing is so clever and witty, i couldnt get enough of it and it kept me turning the pages. All the characters read as very real people and the story was accessible and relatable. I loved the drama in this story but also how it was about everyday life, it read like a soap opera. The topics covered were very heavy but told in such a light away that left the reader with some thought provoking situations. This was such a fantastic read, 4.5 stars. It would have been a 5 star read but im not the biggest fan of ambiguous endings, i liked things a bit more wrapped up but that was my only real issue with this book. 

#141 Long Bright River

 Long Bright River by Liz Moore 

Im not going to lie to you, i 100% bought this because it was on Obama's list of favourite books and thats enough for me to buy it and read it! Its not a book i have seen much on bookstagram and its honestly so underrated! 

Long Bright River is a story about two sisters, Mickey and Kacey who grew up in Pittsburgh. The story is told from Mickeys POV and is told in past and present tense. The sisters grew up in a very disfunctional household and didnt have any healthy adult role models which shaped who the sisters themselves became as adults. Mickey as a character who just did her best and wanted to suceed and do the right thing whereas Kacey who is slightly younger than Mickey was more of a rebel wild child who got into trouble a lot. 

At the beginning of the story we leap into present tense of Mickey as a police officer and Kacey is a drug addict. Mickey spends her time on the beat watching out for Kacey on corners or hanging out with her usual bad crowd even though the sisters are no longer close. Both sisters have their issues to deal with, Mickey is a single mother trying to juggle her career and her son whereas Kacey has her obvious struggles with addiction. 

The main plot kicks off when a series of murders take place and all of the victims are drug addicts. Mickey is trying to discover who is behind the murders and the foul play behind them. When Kacey disappears Mickey becomes overly obsessed with finding this killer and finding out what has happened to her sister. 

I really loved the writing, i was completely enthralled by the story and cannot remember a time i was that emmersed in what was happening in a book. The author does a great job of fully sucking you in. The characters are so flawed and well written. I loved the past and present tense and the themes are so relevant to todays modern society and things that are happening in families all over the world. The drug addiction theme was very eye opening, ive read books featuring drugs before but this book did an excellent job of showing you a rounded view of the amount of people it affects, the addict themself, the family, the wider community and also the strain it puts on local law enforcement. The broken family dynamic was so powerfully written. What i will say is that its not a fast paced book, its such a slow burn. There is so much character development throughout, the characters are so real. Such a gripping novel, thanks Obama ;) 

#140 The Cactus

 The Cactus by Sarah Haywood 

I never would have picked this book up if it hadnt been a Reeses Book Club Pick, im not much into romance books so dont tend to buy or read them usually but i thought id give this one a go as im slowly making my way through all of the Reeses books and im so glad i did as it was such a pleasant surprise!

In this book we follow our main character Susan Green, Susan is a no nonsense woman who knows exactly what shes doing and when shes doing it. Susans life is very mundane and planned out, she isnt spontanous and she doesnt take risks. We learn very early on in the book that Susan is pregnant which was very much not a part of her plan. Susan doesnt have a serious boyfriend and is 45 years old so becoming pregnant was a massive shock to her. 13 years prior to the present time line in the story Susan answers an ad for a 'no strings attached' ad for a companion/lover, someone to go to nice dinners, plays and the opera with as well as the physical side of a relationship minus all the feelings and attachments that come with a relationship. Susan didnt want to share a life with anyone and for 13 years her needs were very much met through this companion ad, the man in question Richard felt the same way but when Susan discovers she is pregnant she cuts things off with Richard without explanation and decides to raise the baby by herself. 

Another side plot in this story is that at the beginning Susans mother dies and her estranged brother Edward  calls to give her the news but to also list his mothers wishes on what will be done with her estate which she has left to her son. Edward and Susan are polar opposites, whilst Susan has plans and contingencies in place in order to support herself Edward is very non chalant and takes life as it comes. Their mother recognised this and wanted to provide for Edward after her passing so left the house to him when Susan disagrees with this decision she decides to contest the will and fight against her mothers wishes in order to sell the house and split the money between them. Susan believes that Edward influenced their vulnerable mother into making this will 2 months before her death. Susan has a difficult time believing that their mother would cut her out like this. In Susans mind she was relying on her inheritance to help buy a flat and to further help her raise her unborn child. 

When Susan goes back to her home town and her childhood home for her mothers funeral she runs into her brothers friend, Rob. Shes immediatley suspicious of him as she thinks hes in cahoots with her brother in conspiring against Susan. Rob tries to reassure her that he wants to stay neutral and not get involved in their sibling issues but Susan is so closed off to people that she is very wary of him from the get go. Susan tries to use Rob to gain more information about their late mother and Edwards, anything that will help her in her fight to have the will ammended and her equal share of the estate. Susan also tries to get closer to her mothers sister, her neighbours and her mothers vicar in order to slightly manipulate them into agreeing to join her side. Lots of family secrets come out that rock Susans world and change everything she thought she knew. 

During the story we get some flashbacks to Susan and Edwards childhood to further understand their relationship which was really insightful and really supported the over arching story. I adored this book, i loved the simplicity of the story. It flowed so well and i couldnt put it down. Yes it did remind me of Eleanor Oliphant but it was also a very different story. The only similarities between them is that it follows two single women who are 'set in their ways' and enjoy their own lives and routine. I can understand that but thats where the similarities end for me. Susan is a very flawed yet real character, she is very relatable and even though she is difficult you find yourself rooting for her throughout regardless. I also liked the romance, it was very natural and not over done. The book is a very light and quick read about love, family and the importance of trusting and letting people in. 

#139 Echoes Of Gravity

 Echoes of Gravity (Tapache's Promise Trilogy) by James Murdo

• Page count: 337
• Genre: Sci-fi
• Publisher: Cranthorpe Millner 
• Release Date: 29th June 2021(UK) 

Blurb: Ancient machine intelligences. Resurrected species with no memories of the past. Creatures composed of gravity strings. What is hidden in the void between galaxies? Tapache, a machine intelligence with great power, has revived the Roranian people from their derelict remains. It has gifted them the Great Ship to voyage through space, and given them a purpose: to discover the truth about a weapon capable of unthinkable devastation. An unexpected attack, followed by hundreds of years in stasis, scuppers those plans. Hope seems lost for a small group of Roranian survivors, until something far greater draws them in: a megastructure beyond comprehension. The megastructure is far from safe. There are incumbent species that already lay their claim, all with secrets of their own, and a strangely smart information network that exists where it has no right. Was Tapache lying?

The lovely author James reached out to me over on instagram asking if i would like a copy of his upcoming sci-fi novel in exchange for an honest review and promotion over on instagram. I get a lot of these requests over on my bookstagram (@rach_the_reader) but this one was different as James had actually taken the time to look through some of my posts and had noticed that i had recently reviewed an arc of 'Shards of Earth' by the amazing Adrian Tchaikovsky (@aptshadow) and loved it, it meant a lot to me that James had taken the time to look through my posts and check out one of my recent reviews to see if i would be the right kind of reader for his new book and let me tell you i devoured this book in 2 days! I dont want to go into too much of what the book is about or the plot as i think its one of those books where its best to go in blind. All i will say is that we follow Diyun who is a member of the humanoid alien race, he wakes up from a period of stasis and finds himself in an unfamiliar place. This sets into motion Diyun trying to save his friends whilst questioning everything he thought to be true with some political conflicts thrown in. 

Echoes of Gravity is phenomenal, i wasnt sure what to expect going into it but my mind was blown with every chapter i read it was a tiny bit of a slow start and it does feel like a lot of information all at once but once you get over that bit its all smooth sailing. James does a wonderful job with the world building, its so expansive and vast. The descriptions used allow you to paint an amazing picture of this universe, i would put it up there with some of the best world building ive ever read! Im still in awe everytime i think about it. It also has a glossery which was so so helpful! Not every fantasy or sci-fi book includes that and it can sometimes be the downfall of the book if the reader cant follow what you are saying, i didnt have this problem with this book but did enjoy referring back to it sort of like bonus material. 

This book reminded me of so many other sci-fi books i love and deserves a worthy space amongst them. I must say it had a different feel to it than a typical sci-fi novel, there were so many twists and turns in the story that i honestly couldnt put it down! Im hoping and praying that James does a bit of a Sanderson/Tolkien/Martin/Hobb (take your pick) and writes multiple books in his Wanderer Universe. I loved this book and its 4 main characters but kept thinking throughout just how much potential the world has to follow so many different characters in different settings. 

*edited to add* So silly me, James has already become a Sanderson/Tolkien/Martin/Hobb as this book is one of many set in the same universe (facepalm) haha

Thank you to both the author and the publisher for yet another great blog tour and for reaching out to me! This book is currently also £1.99 on kindle, a total bargain that you should snap up quick!

Thanks for reading :)

#138 Mirrorland

 Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone

Yet another great blog tour for @TheWriteReads gang! Thank you as ever to Dave, the publishers and the author for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Boy oh boy was i sucked in by this one! The book follows El and Cat who are identical twins, at the beginning of the story we learn that El has gone missing whilst on a boating trip and that Cat is travelling back to Scotland from California. Cat is returning back to the home that she grew up in with her sister that El and her husband Ross later bought at auction. Cat had not been back for 12 years and the twins have been estranged in that time. We learn that Cat and El are mirror twins and Cat is convinced if something bad had happened to El that she would be able to sense it, she returned to find out what game El is playing and why she has dragged Cat back to where they grew up after all these years. 

We as readers are slowly fed drips and drabs of a place the twins invented called Mirrorland. When Cat arrives back in Scotland she is immediatley flooded with memories from the past and everything she ran away from. 

This is definitely a book to annotate and take notes for, it reads like a mystery novel as there is so many layers and things we need to discover. There are a lot of hidden details and meanings that you really need to take your time and pay attention to, the writing is so intricate and i really must applaud the author for how well thought out things were. I would find myself reading a part and thinking 'hmm thats odd not sure how that will be relevant later' on only for a few chapters later to say 'ahhh that all makes sense now!'

I really enjoyed the magical realism elements to the story and when it veered down a more fantasy route with the twins childhood imaginings. I dont tend to read a lot of contemporary so i was really glad that this book was so multi layered with its genres, it felt like there was something for everyone. I really enjoyed the world building and immediately wanted to read more from this author. 

My only critique is that the book had a very slow start, i would say it took me over 2 hours to get to 10% of the way through. It didnt begin to feel more fast paced until around 30% for me but i fully put this down to getting used to the writing style and the story itself, once i was in i was fully in and it began flowing much better.