Monday 28 June 2021

Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig


 



Blurb:

Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.
 


My thoughts
5⭐

"Every life contains millions of decisions. Some big, some small. But every time one decision is taken over another, the outcomes differ, An irreversible  variation occurs which in turn leads to further variations. These books are portals to all the lives you could be living."


Simple put. I loved everything about this book 

This story had so much depth and meaning and will go down as the best book I have read in 2021 so far.

The story follows Nora Seed a young woman in her thirties who feels as if she has made all the wrong choices and let not only herself but everyone in her life down. having been a champion swimmer she let her father down by not pursuing it to the Olympics. She let her brother down by not continuing with their band and this has strained their relationship. After loosing her job, Nora thinks that she has nothing else to live for this is when she enters the midnight library. In this library each book opens to a world that she has wanted to live.

Will she find true happiness in the end??

In life very often we regret decisions we have made. I myself often wonder about certain paths that I have chosen especially in career, marriage. This story reminded me that the life we live now may not have been our first choice in how we wanted to live, but it is the life we are supposed to live.

I would highly recommend this book, I read it as an eBook but I will buy a physical copy for my collection



SPOTLIGHT: The Island by Mary Grand

Today on the blog I would like to spotlight a book that I am excited about reading, The Island by Mary Grand. 



 

The Island

The Island - where everyone knows everyone, and secrets are impossible to keep...

‘Be careful, you don’t know them as well as you think. Remember - anyone can kill.’

Juliet has returned to the Isle of Wight from years abroad to visit her sick father and to be reunited with her three sisters – Cassie, a professional musician who seems to have lost her way in life, Mira, who is profoundly deaf, is married to the local vicar but their relationship is falling apart, and Rosalind, glamorous and charming but now deeply unhappy and secretive about her life. 

As Juliet’s father lies dying, he issues her with a warning. There is a killer on the loose, and they may be closer than she can ever imagine. He anxiously tells Juliet that he confided a family secret in son-in-law Rhys, and now regrets ever saying a word.

Days later, as the clock strikes one in the morning, a man comes out of Rhys’s church, walks along the path and is run down by a car driven by an unidentified person. When the finger of suspicion points to Juliet, she realises the only way to clear her name is to uncover the secrets her family has been keeping from her for years. But with a killer on the loose, danger is getting closer all the time…

The Island  is set on the Isle of Wight - insular,  claustrophobic, and where secrets are hard to keep. Mary Grand's heart-stopping who-dunnits are perfect for fans of Louise Candlish. Agatha Christie and Lucy Foley.


Sounds Interesting???

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE


Author Bio:

Mary Grand is the author of five novels and writes gripping, page-turning suspense, with a dark and often murderous underside. She grew up in Wales, was for many years a teacher of deaf children and now lives on the Isle of Wight where her new novel, The House Party, which was published by Boldwood in August 2020, is set.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarygrand

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authormaryg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryandpepper/

Newsletter Sign Up Link: https://bit.ly/MaryGrandNewsletter

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-grand

 




Wednesday 23 June 2021

BLOG TOUR: BETWEEN YOU AND ME by CAROL MASON @rararesources


 

Between You and Me
Is her new husband really who she thinks he is?

When young doctor Lauren Matheson meets Joe, an older divorced businessman, at a glittering poolside in California, it’s a chance encounter that seems life-changing for them both. Back home in London, their feelings only strengthen. But Lauren soon discovers that building a happy future with Joe is going to be an uphill struggle…

She’s determined to be a good stepmother to his children, four-year-old Toby and complicated teen Grace. But under the watchful eye of Meredith, Joe’s intimidating ex-wife, Lauren can’t seem to do a thing right. Why won’t Joe ever take her side against Grace? And what really happened between him and Meredith?

As her husband retreats into a cold, secretive version of the dashing man she met in California, Lauren starts to wonder if she’s made a costly mistake. Was Joe ever the man she thought she married?

 





My thoughts

This novel is definitely a page turner. 

I do not know why but Lauren has a world of patience indeed. I think this story was a very important one because like Lauren many women find themselves in similar situations being second wives and having to deal with step children like Grace and Toby. 

Grace was definitely a believable step daughter character, so disrespectful. But I enjoyed for an odd reason reading about Joe. From the very beginning I thought that there was something a bit odd about him, how he approached Lauren at the hotel and the chain of events into their marriage. 

The ex wife Meredith as well was also quite interesting. This book would make for a nice TV series I think is almost as if I could picture the actors in my head....Lol I am getting a bit carried away here. I would recommend this book, because it was well written , interesting and enjoyable. 


Click below to purchase 

AMAZON LINK



Author Bio – 
Carol Mason is the Amazon Charts and Kindle #1 bestselling author After You Left (more than 300,000 copies sold), The Secrets of Married Women, The Last Time We Met, The Shadow Between Us, Send Me A Lover and Little White Secrets which hit the Bookstat digital bestsellers list top 3 in the week of its launch. She was born in the North East of England where most of her novels are set. She now lives in Canada with her Canadian husband, a rescue dog from Kuwait and a three-legged cat. When not writing, Carol loves to read, cook and binge watch Netflix.

 

Social Media Links – https://www.facebook.com/CarolMasonAuthor

https://twitter.com/CarolMasonBooks

https://www.instagram.com/carolmasonauthor/



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Monday 21 June 2021

The Darlings by Angela Jackson #TheDarlings @AngelaJ @EyeAndLightning @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

 



Book Blurb:

THE DARING NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE EMERGENCE OF JUDY TAYLOR

 When Mark Darling is fifteen years old, he is the golden boy, captain of the school football team, admired by all who know him. Until he kills his best friend in a freak accident.

 He spends the next decade drifting between the therapy couch and dead-end pursuits. Then along comes Sadie. A mender by nature, she tries her best to fix him, and has enough energy to carry them both through the next few years.

 One evening, Mark bumps into an old schoolfriend, Ruby. She saw the accident first hand. He is pulled towards her by a force stronger than logic: the universal need to reconcile one’s childhood wounds. This is his chance to, once again, feel the enveloping warmth of unconditional love. But can he leave behind the woman who rescued him from the pit of despair, the wife he loves? His unborn child?

 This is a story about how childhood experience can profoundly impact how we behave as adults. It’s a story about betrayal, infidelity and how we often blinker ourselves to see a version of the truth that is more palatable to us.

 

My thoughts 

The Darlings by Angela Jackson took me on a very interesting journey while reading. I was drawn to the complexity of Mark's character. I felt that the accidental killing that he experienced in his young life really impacted every aspect of his life into adulthood in every possible way. 

Mark, being haunted by this event creates a somewhat content life with his wife Sadie who after years of trying is finally pregnant, however there is a void in Mark's heart that remains unfulfilled. I love how from the very beginning he asks himself whether he will be a good father or not. That part really stayed with me.

But Ruby's entrance in the story changed everything. Oh yes, this blast from the past Ruby, was a witness to that freak life altering accident. This chance encounter really impacted Mark's life in more ways than you can imagine.....

The writing in this novel was superb to say the least. It is my first time reading Angela Jackson and it would not be my last.  I truly enjoyed this novel mainly because it was so well written. The story line was good and the cast of characters really drew you in. 

When reading The Darlings you will feel every emotion sadness, regret and even joy and a bit of humor. 

A very nice and INTERESTING book.


Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3cpZ7gk

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3v3OgiD

Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3v409Vw

Hive.co.uk: https://bit.ly/34ZEaVq

 


About Angela Jackson:

Angela Jackson is a former psychology lecturer and teacher trainer. Her debut novel The Emergence of Judy Taylor won the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s First Book Award and was Waterstones’ Scottish Book of the Year. 

 

The Darlings is her second novel. 

 

Originally from the north of England, she now lives with her family in Edinburgh.

 

 

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngelaJ

Website: http://www.angela-jackson.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelaedinburgh/

 

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BOOK BLITZ: THE PERFECT MURDER by KAT MARTIN

 

The Perfect Murder
Kat Martin
(Maximum Security, #4)
Publication date: June 22nd 2021
Genres: Adult, Thriller

New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is back with her most thrilling novel yet in the Maximum Security series—The Perfect Murder. Fans of Sandra Brown, Linda Howard and Julie Garwood will fall in love with The Max.

The eldest of the three wealthy Garrett brothers, Reese Garrett is in the middle of a major purchase for his multimillion-dollar oil and gas company, Garrett Resources. The Poseidon offshore drilling platform venture will greatly enhance the company’s value.

But when Reese is on a trip out to see the rig, his helicopter crashes, leaving him hospitalized and two men dead. It’s discovered the chopper was sabotaged, and Reese is determined to find out who’s behind the crash—and whether he was the intended target. Then, when his lover, Kenzie, is accused of her ex-husband’s murder—a man with a vested interest in the Poseidon deal—clues start pointing to a connection that puts Reese, Kenzie and her young son in the sights of a killer.

From the Texas heat to the Louisiana bayous, Reese and his brothers must track down the truth before the body count gets any higher.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

EXCERPT:

“I’ve got a few things I need to add to my schedule,” he said. “Derek Stiles called yesterday. Looks like we’re having more problems with the rig.”

“You’ll get them sorted.” She flashed him a smile. “You always do.”

But there was one thing he was having more and more trouble handling and it was standing right in front of him.
Reese clenched his jaw and went to work.

He was sitting at his desk two hours later when his intercom buzzed.

“It’s Frank Milburn,” Kenzie said. “He has news about the crash.”

Milburn was in charge of the NTSB investigation. “Put him through.” Reese pressed the speaker button and settled back in his chair.

“I know you’ve been anxious to hear from us,” Frank said, a small man with close-cropped brown hair. “I wish we could have completed the investigation sooner, but these things take time.”

“I’m aware. So what have you found out?”

“The last of the reports came in. We’d been waiting for some metal structural tests. Combined with the rest of the information we’ve assembled, the reports revealed what we had recently begun to suspect but until today weren’t able to confirm.”

“Go on.”

“Sometime before the flight took off the morning of the crash, someone tampered with the engine. A piece of metal in one of the gears was filed just enough to cause it to grind itself to pieces. The flight control mechanism disconnected, rendering the helo uncontrollable. To put it in layman’s terms, the helicopter was sabotaged.”

Tension tightened Reese’s shoulders. He didn’t ask Milburn if he was sure. The NTSB team had been investigating the crash for weeks. Two men were dead. The authorities had to be extremely thorough. The question now was who had done it? And why?

“Have you found out who’s responsible?” Reese asked.

“Unfortunately, not yet. As we’ve known from the start and you were informed, pilot error contributed heavily to the event. There should have been room for the chopper to safely auto-rotate down, but the pilot misjudged his position. He came in too close to the building, one of blades clipped the corner, and the helicopter was torn apart.”

“So what, exactly, do you know?”

“As of today, we know a criminal act was committed that ended up causing the deaths of two men. As of this morning, the FBI will be taking over the investigation. They’ll be actively pursuing whoever is responsible for the crime, now a double murder.”

Murder. The news sent a chill down Reese’s spine. He leaned over his desk, shut off the speaker, and picked up the phone. “Whatever you find out, I’ll expect you to keep me in the loop.”

“I’ll do my best,” Milburn said. “It’ll be more difficult once the gears of the FBI begin to turn.”

He understood how a federal agency worked. Lots of interlocking pieces and parts that inevitably slowed things down. The call ended, but Reese had no intention of leaving the matter in the hands of some governmental bureaucracy, not even the FBI. The feds would have to start over, look at the crash from an entirely different angle. It could take weeks, even months.

Two men were dead and he could have been the third. He thought of the accidents that had been plaguing the Poseidon. The helo crash hadn’t been accidental. The chopper was meant to go down.

Was it possible he had been the target?

Author Bio:

Currently living outside Missoula, Montana, Kat Martin is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventy-five Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. Before she started writing, Kat was a real estate broker. During that time, she met her husband, L. J. Martin, an author of Westerns and high-action Thrillers. Kat is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. She spends her winters in Arizona.

"I love to travel and especially like visiting the places where my books are set," Kat says. "I love history and enjoy spending time in museums and art galleries. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and historical houses. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era."

To date, Kat has over seventeen million copies of her books in print. She is published in more than two dozen foreign countries, including Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, China, Korea, Bulgaria, Russia, England, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Japan and Greece.

Kat is currently writing her next Romantic thriller.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


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Saturday 19 June 2021

Blog Tour: The Five Things by Beth Merwood @rararesources

 



The Five Things

For nine-year-old Wendy, the summer of 1969 will never be forgotten.

                Local kids have always told stories about the eerie wood on the outskirts of the village, and Wendy knows for sure that some of them are true. Now the school holidays have started and she's going to the wood again with Anna and Sam, but they soon become convinced that someone is trying to frighten them off.

                When a terrible event rocks the coastal community, the young friends can't help thinking there must be a connection between the incident, the tales they’ve heard, and the strange happenings they’ve begun to witness. As glimpses of a darker world threaten their carefree existence, they feel compelled to search out the underlying truth.

 

Below is a sneak peek for your enjoyment.






Rural England, 1969. Wendy and Sam are on the beach. Sam’s Grandad has given them bread to throw to the gulls, and they begin to discuss their young friend Tommy and how he’s been taken up with stories about the dead birds they’ve seen in the local wood. Stories are circulating about the wood and the old farmer, Bridges, who’s owns the land.

 

            We took the bread and walked farther on round. The gulls were crying. Sometimes they sounded as if they were laughing, and sometimes they sounded as if they were crying; sometimes they sounded like cats meowing. They soon found us. We waited until a gull flew quite close and threw a piece of bread up toward it. We were up on the wall, and the birds were a few yards away, flying low over the sea, landing and floating, flying off again. After a couple of throws, one gull caught on and swooped to get the food. Within minutes, we had attracted a large flock that could expertly pluck the pieces out of the air.”

                You know Tommy is always talking about the birds in the wood,” Sam said.         

                “I know, and I told you he dressed up as a bird at that fancy dress party I went to.”

                “Do you know what he said to me?” Sam threw another piece of bread. “He said the birds were strung through the heart. I was sort of surprised when he said it like that. He never saw them, did he?”       

                “No, I’m sure he didn’t,” I said. “He’s just heard people talking about it.”

                “Do you really think Bridges put them there?”

                “He must have done.”

                Then we talked about Bridges. He was always known as Bridges, and nothing else. I’d only ever seen him from a distance. He was stout and wore the same old long coat no matter what. If we spotted him in the fields, we didn’t go in. I’d never come across him at the shops or walking through the village. Sam said he was supposed to go to the inn sometimes, but we didn’t know if that was true.

                “Do you think it was him that scared Judy and Susan?” Sam questioned.

                “I expect so,” I said.

                “Is he old?” Sam asked.

                “I think so,” I said.

                “Is there a Mrs. Bridges?” he asked.

                “I don’t think so. He lives on his own.”

                “Do you think he killed the birds, or were they dead already?”

                “I don’t know,” I said. “But why would they be dead already?”

 

 Enjoy it???

Click below to purchase 

                                                               AMAZON UK /  AMAZON US


Author Bio Beth Merwood is from the south of England. The Five Things is her debut novel.











FOLLOW THE TOUR AND LOOK OUT FOR MY UPCOMING REVIEW 




 


Friday 18 June 2021

BLOG TOUR: FRACTURES, DREAMS AND SECOND CHANCES by Stephen Anthony Brotherton




BLURB

“This is my story of first love, but it is told through the eyes of two fictional characters, Freddie and Jo\-Jo. My life, like Freddie’s, was fractured by my dad’s death when I was seven years of age. As a teenager, at the end of the 1970s, I had a first love relationship that I dreamed would last a lifetime. My partner, like Jo\-Jo, was strong, independent and had her perfect world dreams, but she was haunted by her own fractures. In 1980 a heartbreaking event killed our love and, for us, there has been no reunion. But I’ve always wondered, what if? This book explores that possibility. It tells the story of Freddie and Jo\-Jo’s fractures, their teenage romance, their lives apart and their attempt to reignite their love after being separated for over three decades. Their story is a love story, but it also asks questions about the impact of early life trauma, the degree to which this travels with us down the years and the impact it can have on our relationship with others and the wider world.”


My Thoughts


The first thing that drew me to read this book was the title Fractures, Dreams and Second Chances. I found that this was a very unique title for a story but of course as I read the book, I realized now that it was perfectly chosen. This was a story of young love and fate. Freddie and Jo Jo, two young people in the late 1970s at the peak of their young lives and personal family struggles found kindred spirits in one another, formed a bond that blossomed beyond friendship to that of young love. Separated due to circumstance in the early 80s the strength of their bond was so strong that they were reunited over thirty years later and the love that they thought was lost well...... (You will have to read it yourself).

I liked this story a lot.....

The writing was very good. The layout of the book was quite interesting I think, I liked how the author was able to take us through time and events to make the reader really understand the present. In my opinion it shows advanced writing skills. I felt many emotions for each character. As I read about their lives it spoke to the impact of family and trauma to an extent and how these factors can create fractures in our lives at an early age. I love also the fact that Freddie and Jo Jo after breaking up did try to move on with other people but something or someone seemed to always be missing.

A very romantic and interesting story with an amazing cast of characters. Very enjoyable.

Much thanks to Anne of  Random Things Tours for this review opportunity.



Click below to Purchase 

AMAZON UK


About the Author 


I was born in Walsall, grew up in the West Midlands and now live in Telford with my two cats, Boris and Tai.

As a Social Worker, I've worked in various roles across the health and social care sector over the last thirty five years.

I've always had a passion for writing stories, but I started writing more seriously about seven years ago when, inspired by an MA in Creative Writing at Keele University, I finally started to put down on paper the story that has been in my head for most of my adult life.

I've developed this story through my three novellas, and I've have now brought these together in my first novel, Fractures, Dreams and Second Chances.

I'm currently working on a short story collection, which I'm hoping will be published next year.

 Twitter @SABroAuthor

 


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Saturday 12 June 2021

BLOG TOUR: THE HAPPY FAMILY BY JACKIE KABLER @rararesources


 

The Happy Family

A mother who disappeared… 
When Beth was 10 years old, her beautiful, wild mother Alice walked out and never came back. Beth’s life since hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but now she is happy and settled, with a successful career, a loving family and a beautiful home. 
 
An unexpected visitor…
Then one day there’s a knock at the door. Alice has returned. Overjoyed to have the chance to rebuild their relationship, Beth invites her mother to move in.
 
A life that comes crashing down…
At first, everything seems wonderful. But then Beth’s friends begin to drift away, strange things start to happen at home, and rumours begin to circle about her past. As the mysterious events around Beth become darker and more dangerous, she is forced to question everything. Is somebody in her life trying to destroy her happiness? And how far will they go?



My Thoughts

Wow!!! I did not see that twist coming at the end.

This book was nothing short of amazing. This psychological thriller was quite an entertaining, jaw dropping story.

Beth, 40, a single mother of two, is trying to live a peaceful life. After her divorce from ex husband Jacob she settles into a new home, has a great job and is content to be happy. 

There has been a missing element in her life though, her mother. Who after abandoning her and Beth's father thirty years prior miraculously returns at her doorstep. This supposed happy occasion in Beth's is not as it seems, since shortly after reuniting with her mother things in her life started to shift. Things from Beth's past seems to be lurking at every corner. 

I liked the sequence of events in this book. I was eager to know what would happen next. There was a point in time where I started questioning everyone's sanity in the book especially Beth. The author was clever to make the reader wonder what Beth did in the past I think that was a nice touch because it had me literally screaming wanting to know what Beth did. I need to talk about Jacob. He was by far a typical ex husband I found he was so mean to Beth really. 

Alice's character was very interesting. I did not know what to make of this long lost mother who just came back after thirty years. 

Beth's life spiraled downward fast. Who was behind it?? I think you will be very shocked to know who. All in all I liked this book as I knew I would and I hope you like it too. For fans of a nice psychological thriller, mystery you can check this one one. 

Much Thanks to the author and Rachel's Random Resources for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.


Links to Purchase

AMAZON UK/AMAZON US


Author Bio – Jackie Kabler worked as a newspaper reporter and then in television news for twenty years, including nearly a decade on GMTV. She later appeared on BBC and ITV news, presented a property show for Sky, hosted sports shows on Setanta Sports News and worked as a media trainer for the Armed Forces. She is now a presenter on shopping channel QVC. The Happy Family is her sixth book; previous novels include the international bestseller The Perfect Couple. Jackie lives in Gloucestershire with her husband.


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Monday 7 June 2021

Read Caribbean Month Book Feature : Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat

Trini Girl Reads is happy to be celebrating Read Caribbean Month.
In the month of June all Caribbean Book influencers will be reading and featuring some of our favourite literature from the Caribbean. As a proud Caribbean person and a lover of books I will be reading and recommending a few Caribbean Books during the month of June.

With that being said, I just finished reading a short story collection called "Everything Inside" by Edwidge Danticat.




About the book


From the internationally acclaimed, best-selling author of Brother, I'm Dying, a collection of vividly imagined stories about community, family, and love.

Rich with hard-won wisdom and humanity, set in locales from Miami and Port-au-Prince to a small unnamed country in the Caribbean and beyond, Everything Inside is at once wide in scope and intimate, as it explores the forces that pull us together, or drive us apart, sometimes in the same searing instant.

In these eight powerful, emotionally absorbing stories, a romance unexpectedly sparks between two wounded friends; a marriage ends for what seem like noble reasons, but with irreparable consequences; a young woman holds on to an impossible dream even as she fights for her survival; two lovers reunite after unimaginable tragedy, both for their country and in their lives; a baby's christening brings three generations of a family to a precarious dance between old and new; a man falls to his death in slow motion, reliving the defining moments of the life he is about to lose.

This is the indelible work of a keen observer of the human heart--a master at her best.



My brief thoughts


This short story collection was very rich.

Every story spoke to a different issue and evoked a different emotion. I really appreciate how the author too us into the lives of Haiti and the struggles of those who both live on the island and those who would have migrated to the United States.  I have always had personal interest in Haiti since my Caribbean History classes both at Secondary School and at University. I have always believed that Haiti is a very misunderstood part of the Caribbean region and their struggles are unique wherever they are in the world. Ms. Danticat represented the territory well through these eight stories. My favorites were Dosas and the Port Au Prince Marriage Special. All were good but these two were WOW!!! 

This was my first time reading this author and from the body of work that I see she has it would not be my last. So if you are looking for a nice short story collection check this one out.



About the Author


Edwidge Danticat was born in Haiti and moved to the United States when she was twelve. She is the author of several books, including Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah Book Club selection; Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award finalist; and The Farming of Bones, an American Book Award winner. She is also the editor of The Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States and The Beacon Best of 2000: Great Writing by Men and Women of All Colors and Cultures.

Danticat earned a degree in French Literature from Barnard College, where she won the 1995 Woman of Achievement Award, and later an MFA from Brown University. She lives in Miami with her husband and daughters.



CLICK TO PURCHASE 

Saturday 5 June 2021

Book Review: Suffer Little Children by Freda Hansburg

 


Description:


Robin Perry’s life is finally on track with her dream job and a promising relationship with Ben Martin, even if his two spoiled children, Amber and Jaden, hate her. But things take a downhill turn when Gloria Reyes, an acquaintance of Ben’s, asks her to admit her young son to a cancer study meant for adults and Robin, heartbroken, must turn her down. But Gloria won’t take no for an answer and begins an insidious crusade to force the issue.

Amber Martin hates living with her crazy mother since her parents’ divorce, but she can hardly live with her dad, who’s too busy with “Miss Perfect” these days. When Amber runs into her mother’s friend Gloria, she’s glad to finally meet an adult who seems to be on her side. But as Amber becomes friends with Gloria’s sickly son, Alex, she begins to think Gloria is not as nice as she first thought, and Alex may be in trouble.

As Gloria’s threatening behavior escalates, Robin must protect the children while finding a way to save her career and her relationship with Ben. But Gloria always manages to stay one step ahead. When a secret comes to light, Robin discovers the stakes are even higher than she imagined.


My Review



"Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not...." - Luke 18:16-17


I am a fan of psychological thrillers and this book hands down represented this genre. 

Robin thinks she finally met her dream guy in Ben. A divorcee with two kids Amber and Jaden, he is everything that Robin desires as she sets off to begin her new life as a single woman (having been divorced herself) and an empty nester (with her son Sean being off to college). To top it all off she has this wonderful career opportunity in cancer research, yes life is perfect, that is until she meets Gloria. Gloria is an acquaintance of Alex and a friend to Vanessa, (Alex's ex wife, who suffers from mental health issues of her own,) who after meeting Robin in a party becomes obsessed with Robin's work and is adamant for Robin to help her son by any means necessary. 

Meanwhile Ben's children, Amber and Jaden are dealing with their parents' separation and new relationship in a negative way. Especially Amber who does not like Robin's or Miss Perfect's presence in their lives. Preying on this Gloria befriends Amber and this leads to a series of events that left me up late at night.

Robin dealt with a lot in this story. While reading I kept questioning: "Why is she taking this?" I wanted her to leave Ben so bad. Yet I get why she stuck on as long as she did. Gloria was CRAZY. She scared me so much that I honestly do not know how I would react to someone like this. It was indeed interesting to learn about this mental condition that Gloria had. I honestly did not know this was something that a parent could get. Ben got me so angry with his passive nature to everything. I think this was realistic because some people in their attempt to create damage control actually make situations worse.

Amber was the star of the whole story though, in my opinion. A girl of ten, her character represented many things. She had ADHD, she was dealing with her parents split, she wanted to be taken seriously by adults (hence the reason she gravitated to Gloria). I think Amber was dealing with a lot and it spoke to the instability of the parents, Ben and Vanessa to find common ground. I liked how Robin suggested family therapy because I think in situations like these it is very important to go to therapy. Although even in these times therapy may be considered a bit taboo. 

While this book was good the one slight criticism I would make is about how it ended. I would have liked to know a little more about Robin's life after this ordeal maybe in a chapter or so. While it was mentioned briefly, I was looking forward to that. 

Overall this was a wonderful story. Captivating and full of surprises. You will love it. 


Much thanks to the author Freda Hansburg and Xpresso Tours for this review opportunity.

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