This is How We Are Human by Louise Beech

Sebastian James Murphy is twenty years, six months and two days old. He loves swimming, fried eggs and Billy Ocean. Sebastian is autistic. And lonely. 

Veronica wants her son Sebastian to be happy ... she wants the world to accept him for who he is. She is also thinking about paying a professional to give him what he desperately wants. 

Violetta is a high-class escort, who steps out into the night thinking only of money. Of her nursing degree. Paying for her dad's care. Getting through the dark. 

When these three lives collide - intertwine in unexpected ways - everything changes. For everyone. A topical and moving drama about a mother's love for her son, about getting it wrong when we think we know what's best, about the lengths we go to care for family ... to survive …

I received a proof of this book from Orenda Books and Louise Beech in return for an honest review.

I blasted through this book in a day. I first saw the book when Louise was talking about it on her Twitter account, and as soon as I knew she was writing a story about a young adult with Autism, and she had worked closely with a good friend and her autistic son, I knew it was a book I wanted to read. As a mother of 2 autistic children (on the cusp of becoming teenagers), I love reading stories like this, and seeing how similar they are to our lives. 

Well this one was great. There were so many things that made me say, ‘yep I know that feeling’, or ‘my son/daughter does that!’. I’m obviously nowhere near the sex stuff yet with my kids as they are only 11 and 12, but if this is what to come I’m not ready haha! 

You know from the blurb what this book is about, some may say it’s all about sex. But really it’s about love and understanding, and it brings up some real and huge feelings. I cried like a baby during the last few chapters, and my heart absolutely broke for Sebastian. He just wants to fit in, be a normal young adult and do normal young adult things. But like I always say to my kids, what is normal?  There is no normal. I totally understood where Veronica was coming from and why she done what she done. Would I do it. Probably not haha, but did I get why? Of course. 

I don’t know much else to say apart from read it, love it, understand it, and feel it. It’s full of love, laugh and tears, and is ultimately a beautiful story of growing up seeing the world a little bit different.

Thank you again to Karen from Orenda Books and as always, the author Louise Beech... you made me cry.

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.

WWW Wednesday 7.4.21

 

Welcome back to another WWW Wednesday! Sorry this one is a bit late today. WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Worlds and asks 3 questions. What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading Circus of Wonders for our #TsundokuSquad book group April choice. I’ve only read a small amount but I’m hopeful this one will be good. I’m also reading This is How We Are Human by Louise Beech which I’m excited for and have been for a while.

What did you recently finish reading?

I finished 3 books over the last week. The Iron Man by Ted Hughes which was lovely. Then I devoured  The Summer Job by Liz Dent which I’m on the blog tour for today so make sure you check that out. And I finished reading All Girls by Emily Layden, which I ended up giving 3 and half stars to. My review for that will be along soon.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Next I’m hoping to get to Becoming by Michelle Obama as I’ve had it for a while now and think it will be a good end. Also The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalia Harris which I’ve had on my Netgalley for a while.

Thanks for stopping by folks, see you next time!

BLOG TOUR! The Summer Job by Lizzy Dent

Have you ever imagined running away from your life?

Well Birdy Finch didn't just imagine it. She did it. Which might've been an error. And the life she's run into? Her best friend, Heather's.

The only problem is, she hasn't told Heather. Actually there are a few other problems...

Can Birdy carry off a summer at a luxury Scottish hotel pretending to be her best friend (who incidentally is a world-class wine expert)?

And can she stop herself from falling for the first man she's ever actually liked (but who thinks she's someone else).

I was very very happy to join in the blog tour for The Summer Job! I dived into this book at the start of the week and was finished over a couple of days. What a fab book. I was pulled in quite quickly wondering what was going to happen and how Birdy was going to get away with what she was doing!

I loved Birdy (fake Heather), what a character! She is funny and has some fab one liners. I was really rooting for her all the way through hoping she wouldn’t get found out, and was on edge every time a close call happened! But James…. ahh he was my favourite. I have an image of him in my head and phwaor he’s a looker! There was a couple of characters I wasn’t too fussed on but I’ll not say anything just yet, no spoilers. 

I learned a few things about wine reading this, and didn’t realise how hard being a Sommelier must be! And the food made me quite hungry!

I gave this book 5 stars as I really just enjoyed reading it. The perfect get away read, and it draws you in to the lovely peaceful surroundings of Scotland.

Thank you to Lizzy Dent and Viking Books for my advanced copy ❤️

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!