February 2023 Mini Reviews - part 2

 Home by Cailean Steed

Published: 19th January 2023 by Bloomsbury

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I have always found stories about cults fascinating, so when I saw what this was about, especially the whole escaping and returning element to it, I was immediately intrigued. The dual timelines, of 'then' and 'now', were a good plot device in providing a sense of mystery and tension for the reader, propelling us towards finding out what happened in the past to lead Zoe/Catherine to where she is in the present day. However, I do think that the rigidity in every chapter alternating between the two, with no leeway, did cause some of the flow of the story to be lost at times. There were a couple of instances where I felt it would have been better off if Steed allowed for more of one story to be told before swapping to the other. The relationship between Steed's protagonist and the 'Hand of God' character was interesting, and added an extra layer to this story, and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for whatever the next work from Steed is!

3.5 stars

Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood

Published: 7th February 2023 by Little, Brown

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I was honestly blown away by the originality in Wildblood, the concept of this was like nothing I'd ever remotely heard of before! I felt fully transported into a whole new world with Blackwood's writing, and it was certainly an original experience, getting to read about the power of the jungle and those with a connection to it. I hated seeing Victoria, the protagonist, repeatedly being treated so badly by the men that she worked with, and the vulnerability that her stammer created, but she did also have such strong supporters by her side. That is, until the untimely deaths of two of her colleagues, which I did find to be potentially too much, especially as I would've liked to have seen the connection between Victoria and Samson explored more. This didn't read like a YA novel at all; nothing felt simplified and I do think it would appeal to all audiences!

3.5 stars

Maame by Jessica George

Published: 14th February 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

This was a highly anticipated debut of mine, as I had heard quite a lot of talk about it, and all of it was glowing, and for the most part it really didn't disappoint! I love discovering books concerning family dynamics, and although this one was fraught with tension, I found Maddie's role as 'Maame' within her family very interesting, especially getting to understand how it fundamentally shaped her sense of self for so long. George depicts Maddie's navigation through indpendent adult life in such a raw way, not shying away from the  reality of awkwardness at times, and I honestly just wanted to reach out and give Maddie a hug and tell her it was all going to be alright. It felt like a privilege getting to witness such a formative time in a character's life, particularly learning who her lifelong friends were and how she deserved to be treated. A real gem of a debut.

4 stars

The Memory Book by Lara Avery

Published: 26th January 2017 by Quercus Children's

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.

I thought the premise of The Memory Book was really interesting, not something I'd come across before and I think it really worked as a format for the story that the book told. I really liked Sammie's narrative voice, in the way that she told the story and also how she spoke to herself. The way that her siblings frequently appeared in her recounting of memories showed how much she truly cared about them, and it was nice to see how she made an effort to really remember them in her memory book. It was interesting to see how relationship dynamics in the book changed once Sammie's friends and relationship interest found out about her condition, and getting to read her inner thoughts and her reactions to these situations felt like a very personal insight, which I appreciated. However, I don't think this will be particularly memorable for me, especially compared to some other books from this year.

3 stars