Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

Born under different stars, Protestant Mungo and Catholic James live in the hyper-masculine and violently sectarian world of Glasgow's housing estates. They should be sworn enemies if they're to be seen as men at all, and yet they become best friends as they find a sanctuary in the pigeon dovecote that James has built for his prize racing birds. As they find themselves falling in love, they dream of escaping the grey city, and Mungo works especially hard to hide his true self from all those around him, especially from his elder brother Hamish, a local gang leader with a brutal reputation to uphold.

But the threat of discovery is constant and the punishment unspeakable. When Mungo's mother sends him on a fishing trip to a loch in Western Scotland with two strange men whose drunken banter belies murky pasts, he will need to summon all his inner strength and courage to get back to a place of safety, a place where he and James might still have a future.

I received a lovely physical proof of this from the publicist at Pan Macmillan, and also an e-arc on netgalley, all in return for an honest review (and, I have had it on pre-order for ages, a signed copy too!).

Ok so everyone pretty much knows now that Shuggie Bain is my favourite book, and I tell everyone who hasn’t read it that they need to. When I heard the news about Young Mungo, I knew I had to read it and was so excited when Camilla gave in to my cheekiness and sent me a proof (thank you).

I started reading Young Mungo as my first book of 2022. I read a few pages the first night, a few more the second, then devoured the last ¾ of the book in one day! I couldn’t put it down. Douglas Stuart writes with so much love. The book is filled with it, yet so much heartbreak too. 

Young Mungo is 15, but he seems so much younger. My heart broke for him so many times during the story, I cried for him, and cheered him on. The book gives you so many emotions, it easily flips you from sadness to happiness in the same sentence. I loved the other characters too, James seems like a proper little Jack the lad, quietly mischievous, but not very noticeable to others. Jodie was one of my favourites. I love how much she cared for Mungo, she practically raises him, she’s like a mother to him. But their mother is also there, when she’s there. A strange one for sure, but as you read you see how she is in the situation she is and why, and even though sometimes you hate her, you also feel sorry for her. But Hamish, Mungo and Jodies older brother, wow. I pictured him so clearly. A bully with a secret heart. 

The scene with the fighting had me on edge, my heart was in my throat. I will say no more. But the last third of the book was the best, it had me glued to the pages and I honestly didn’t move until I finished it all. 

I’ve since been nursing a book hangover, and need Douglas Stuart to wrote another very quickly! Please read this book, it’s amazing, heartbreaking, warm and beautiful. And if you haven’t read Shuggie Bain already, why the hell not?! 

Thank you Mr Stuart for another amazing book that will stick in my mind for a long long time.

Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

1866. In a coastal village in southern England, Nell picks violets for a living. Set apart by her community because of the birthmarks that speckle her skin, Nell's world is her beloved brother and devotion to the sea.

But when Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders arrives in the village, Nell is kidnapped. Her father has sold her, promising Jasper Jupiter his very own leopard girl. It is the greatest betrayal of Nell's life, but as her fame grows, and she finds friendship with the other performers and Jasper's gentle brother Toby, she begins to wonder if joining the show is the best thing that has ever happened to her.

In London, newspapers describe Nell as the eighth wonder of the world. Figurines are cast in her image, and crowds rush to watch her soar through the air. But who gets to tell Nell's story? What happens when her fame threatens to eclipse that of the showman who bought her? And as she falls in love with Toby, can he detach himself from his past and the terrible secret that binds him to his brother?

Moving from the pleasure gardens of Victorian London to the battle-scarred plains of the Crimea, Circus of Wonders is an astonishing story about power and ownership, fame and the threat of invisibility.

I received a copy of this from the publisher Pan Macmillan, and Netgalley in return for an honest review.

We read this as our Tsundoku Squad Books group April book, and we changed it up a little this month. Instead of splitting it into 4 parts and chatting each week, we decided to split it into 2 parts and chat every 2 weeks. To check out Em’s collective group review and her thoughts click this link https://emandherbooks.com/2021/04/25/circus-of-wonders-elizabeth-macneal-spoilers/

I loved this book, like really loved it. I love stories about the Circus (I wouldn’t go to an animal circus and have never been to one), and was pulled into the dreaminess and magic of it all.

The book is 2 different stories, one is sadness and the shame felt of being different, the sadness of being unseen and seen at the same time, then there’s the magic, love and friendship of the Circus and the performers. Nell grew up knowing she was different, and covered herself in long dresses so no one could see the birthmarks. But when her father sells her to a circus to be one of Jaspers ‘freaks’, everyone sees her. 

I loved Nell. Such a loving girl who wanted nothing more than to be seen as normal. I loved how at home she seemed amongst the others in the Circus, how she cared for them. And her love for Toby was so true. I didn’t like Jasper, he was an arse. But it made for a good baddie if that makes sense. The way he treats the performers as if they’re his pets, something he controls and owns was horrible. Yet in a way you feel for him deep down, you get a kind fo understanding of what went on back when he was in the war, and he turned out the way he did.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and if you like stories of the circus then this is definitely for you. I’d love to see a sequel and see where it goes!

Thank you again to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for my advanced copy, no as always the author, Elizabeth Macneal.

When I Ran Away by Ilona Bannister

When the Twin Towers collapsed, Gigi Stanislawski fled her office building and escaped lower Manhattan on the Staten Island Ferry. Among the crying, ash-covered and shoeless passengers, Gigi, unbelievably, found someone she recognised - the guy with pink socks and a British accent - from the coffee shop across from her office. Together she and Harry Harrison make their way to her parents' house where they watch the television replay the planes crashing for hours, and she waits for the phone call from her younger brother that never comes. And after Harry has shared the worst day of her life, it's time for him to leave.

Ten years later, Gigi, now a single mother consumed with bills and unfulfilled ambitions, bumps into Harry again and this time they fall deeply in love. When they move to London it feels like a chance for the happy ending she never dared to imagine. But it also highlights the differences in their class and cultures, which was something they laughed about until it wasn't funny anymore; until the traumatic birth of their baby leaves Gigi raw and desperately missing her best friends and her old life in New York. 

As Gigi grieves for her brother and rages at the unspoken pain of motherhood, she realises she must somehow find a way back - not to the woman she was but to the woman she wants to be. 

An unforgettable novel about love - for our partners, our children, our mothers, and ourselves - pushed to its outer limits.

I received a copy of this from the publisher Two Roads Books in return for an honest review.

I loved this book. It made me laugh and cry so many times. 

Gigi is amazing. My heart broke for her so much and I related completely to what she was going through in relation to the Post Natal Depression. I remember thinking I could just hug her, she needs someone and she needs space and time. But she is a brave woman too, she moved from New York to London where she knew no one except her other half Harry (and her son), now that takes some courage. I quite liked Harry, especially at the start, and loved how they met under such sad and bad circumstances, which I can only imagine was horrific, yet years later they just knew they were meant to be together.

The start of the book which focuses on The Twin Towers and the death of Gigi’s brother was so sad. It brought back memories of when it all happened. I remember exactly where I was, and still feel just as much sadness now when I think about it.

This book deserves its 5 stars from me, read it.

Thank you as always to Two Roads Books, and Ilona Bannister.

All Girls by Emily Layden

An all-girls boarding school in a hilly corner of Connecticut, Atwater is a haven for progressive thinking and feminist intellectuals. The students are smart, driven and worldly; they are also teenagers, learning to find their way. But when they arrive on campus for the start of the Fall term, they're confronted with startling news: an Atwater alumna has made a troubling allegation of sexual misconduct against an unidentified teacher. As the weeks wear on and the administration's efforts to manage the ensuing crisis fall short, these extraordinary young women come to realise that the adults in their lives may not be the protectors they previously believed.

All Girls unfolds over the course of one tumultuous academic year and is told from the point of view of a small cast of diverse, interconnected characters as they navigate the social mores of prep school life and the broader, more universal challenges of growing up. The trials of adolescent girlhood are pitched against the backdrop of sexual assault, consent, anxiety and the ways that our culture looks to young women as trendsetters, but otherwise silences their voices and discounts their opinions. The story that emerges is a richly detailed, impeccably layered, and emotionally nuanced depiction of what it means to come of age in a female body today.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher John Murray Press, and the author in return for an honest review.

I liked the sound of this book, set in an All Girls Boarding school, what fun this could be! The story focuses on a historical allegation of sexual assault and rape, made by a former student against a teacher. The school newspaper/magazine try to get involved and the school try to keep it under wraps as much as they can. We see a lot of similar stories from girls, which all tie into the theme of the book, and it’s what I knew and expected to happen. But the biggest downfall was that there were far too many characters and it took a lot away from the story. I got confused between girls, forgot who was who and what happened to each girl.

I have this 3 and half stars as it has an important theme, but I couldn’t eat past the many voices in the book.

Thank you to John Murray Press and as always the author, Emily Layden.

The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer

Tony has always looked out for his younger brother, Nick. So when he is called to a hospital bed where Nick is lying battered and bruised after a violent sexual assault, his protective instincts flare and a white-hot rage begins to build.

 

As a small-town New England lawyer, Tony’s wife, Julia, has cases involving kids all the time. When Detective Rice gets assigned to this one, Julia feels Nick is in good hands. Especially because she senses that Rice, too, understands how things can quickly get complicated. Very complicated.

 

After all, one moment Nick was having a drink with a handsome stranger; the next, he was at the center of an investigation threatening to tear not only him but his entire family apart. And now his attacker, out on bail, is disputing Nick’s version of what happened.

As Julia tries to help her brother-in-law, she sees Tony’s desire for revenge—to fix things for Nick—getting out of control. Tony is starting to scare her. And before long, she finds herself asking: Does she really know what her husband is capable of?  Or of what she herself is?

I received a copy of this from the publisher Penguin Michael Joseph, and Netgalley in return for an honest review. 

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure where it was going to go and it took a few turns before it got to the end, this was a good thing as it kept me guessing for a while! 

The story is told from a few different points of view. There is Nick, Tony, Julia and Detective Rice. I really felt for Nick the whole way through the story. The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the male sexual assault storyline, it’s not something I think I remember reading in a book before. So this piqued my interest. Poor Nick, the trauma he endured and was going through afterwards was awful and my heart really went out to him.

Julia I liked, she is a strong woman and knows what she wants. She is Tony’s wife, and Nicks sister in law. Tony was a strange one. I liked his character and the caring nature behind him, but he was easy to snap. I can’t imagine I wouldn’t feel the same though, so I understand his anger and frustration. Detective Rice was one to figure out too, he seems sneaky and underhanded. 

The story has so much hurt in it, sadness and love. It digs deep into relationships with marriage and family. I’d definitely read more from his author.

Thank again to Penguin Michael Joseph, and Caitlin Wahrer for my early copy of the book!

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street.

All these things are true. And yet they are all lies...

You think you know what's inside the last house on Needless Street. You think you've read this story before. That's where you're wrong.

In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. But it's not what you think…

I received a copy of this from the publisher Viper Books/Profile Books, and Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I’m going to try my best to talk about this book without giving away any spoilers.

This book blew me away. From the start I was drawn in to what was happening, and honestly, until about half way though I still had no idea what was going on! The story focuses on 3 people: Ted, Olivia and Dee.

Ted is the one we hear most from. He lives alone in a little house on Needless Street and his young daughter Lauren visits once in while. We hear from Ted’s childhood, his relationship with his parents, and his life now as a grown adult and parent. Ted is a little bit different from other people, but seems nice enough, keeps himself to himself, and loves his daughter.

Olivia is Ted’s kitten who is the second voice in the story. She see’s everything Ted is doing, she see’s when he comes home drunk, tries to grab her and she claws him. She doesn’t know why they live in a small house with all the windows boarded up, but she wants to be out.

Dee is the third person, and is on the hunt for the person who took her sister when they were little. Dee’s sister Lulu went missing while they were at the water with her parents, and years later no one knows what happened to her still. But Dee has hunches, and is headed back to the place it all happened to find out what went on and if her sister is still alive somewhere.

I can’t say much more except please read this, it messes with your head so much and it all becomes very clear towards the end. It’s brilliantly written and I’m jealous of anyone who gets to read it for the first time!

A Taste of Home by Heidi Swain

Fliss Brown has grown up living with her mother on the Rossi family's Italian fruit farm. But when her mother dies, Fliss finds out she has a family of her own, and heads back to England with Nonna Rossi's recipe for cherry and almond tart and a piece of advice: connect with your family before it is too late...

Fliss discovers that her estranged grandfather owns a fruit farm himself, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, and she arrives to find a farm that has fallen into disrepair. Using her knowledge gleaned from working on the Rossi farm and her desire to find out more about her past, Fliss rolls her sleeves up and gets stuck in. But what will she discover, and can she resurrect the farm's glory days and find a taste of home...?

I received a copy of this from the publisher Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This is the first of Heidi’s books I’ve read, even though I have so many friends who love them, and wow do I agree! I loved this book and was pulled in quite quickly with the descriptions of lovely Puglia, then Fenviw Farm.

Fliss, or Felicity, is left a letter by her mum when she passes away, telling her about her childhood home back in the UK, and the farm she grew up on. Fliss’ mum never talked about her home life, after leaving and going to Italy at a young age when she fell pregnant. She heads back to the UK, and meets her Grandfather who runs a fruit farm. I loved this farm. Heidi draws you in to the surroundings and makes you feel like you’re there, in the warmth picking strawberries, siting under the apppe trees with a slice of cake and cup of tea. 

Fliss is a very likeable character, as is her Grandfather Bill. There are other characters in the story whom I wasn’t fussed on, and a big twist which I thought I had seen coming, but turns out I was wrong! 

I’m definitely recommending this one, and I guarantee I will read more of Heidi’s books.

Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding

Tommy's mother is too much for Sonya. Too much love, too much fear, too much longing for the cool wine she gulps from the bottle each night. Because Sonya is burning the fish fingers, and driving too fast, and swimming too far from the shore, and Tommy's life is in her hands. Once there was the thrill of a London stage, a glowing acting career, fast cars, handsome men. But now there are blackouts and bare cupboards, and her estranged father showing up uninvited. There is Mrs O'Malley spying from across the road. There is the risk of losing Tommy - forever.

I received a copy of this from the publisher Bloomsbury Publishing, and Negalley in return for an honest review. 

I requested this book as soon as I saw someone compared it to Shuggie Bain, which is my favourite book ever, and although it is similar, it stands its own and is brilliant.

The story is based on Sonya, and is all told from her point of view, and her 4 year old son Tommy. Sonya is an alcoholic, and is living alone with Tommy and their dog Herbie. She loves Tommy, that much you can tell and feel from the pages, but the pull of the alcohol is too much and it takes over, the bad fairy comes out and it makes things seem more important than her son, or herself.  

A neighbour and Tonya’s father intervene, and she goes to a rehab facility which is ran by nuns. You can see how much she wants to succeed and live a good life, Tommy by her side, but it’s not going to be easy, and the pain I feel for her was real. 

Poor Tommy, growing up in such a bad environment, bringing his drunk hungover mam water in the mornings, not eating enough so much that his tummy hurts. But boy when he visited her, did my heart break for him. 

This book will pull at your emotions hugely, feel anger and sorrow for Tonya, and probably make you cry, I did.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for the advance ebook, and as always the author, Lisa Harding.