Book Review: The Child by Fiona Barton

Book CW: Child abduction; Death of a Baby; Rape, Rape drugged; sexual assault; child abuse; paedophilia (a young teenager); sexual crime ring; consent issues; child grooming; grooming; mental illness from trauma; parental negotiate. 

People are the worst.

When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it’s impossible to ignore.

For one woman, it’s a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her.

For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered.

And for the third, a journalist, it’s the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth.

The Child’s story will be told.

This is the second book by Fiona Barton and the second following old school reporter Kate Waters, now on to another case. I did review the first one. This time the body of a baby is found. This book deals with just as heavy subjects as the last book (hence the content warnings). I think pretty well, revalent to real-world events so not a great book for escapism.

Because we've given three POV almost from the start, you know there's a reason why we're hearing these two women. Obviously, Kate Waters is a reporter and slowly come across the other two and their connection to the baby. Once again, I wouldn't call this a thriller, because it's mostly characters reflecting back and there's no urgency to what is going on, besides the slow death of Journalism. Kate is the only one whose present day is the big factor of this story. This for people who like fictional crime cases and exploration of characters dealing with consequences far after the fact.

This deals with lots of characters including ones who are very unlikable. I don't think I really connected to these characters as people, which is not an issue for me. Maybe if I had that would have added stars.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, as read by Finty Williams, Steven Pacey, Adjoa Andoh, Clare Corbett and Fenella Woolgar. This book had a bigger cast with three main voice actors, Clare Corbett is back the Kate Waters character I think. The cast was good, and distinct from each other.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Journalist Ethics. Once again a well-crafted novel; I am planning on listening to the next book in the series, I'm curious about how that will go with it being set in another country from these ones.

Finished reading 5th January 2020, Reviewed 8th January 2020.

Book Review: The Widow by Fiona Barton

Book CW: Child Abuse, paedophilia, computer grooming, murder, child murder, infertility, unhealthy relationships, minor domestic abuse (isolating, being in control of life decision, gaslighting), mentally unstable characters, questionable consent porn, sexual crime ring;

This is a case where you shouldn't stand by your man.

When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen …

But that woman’s husband died last week. And Jean doesn’t have to be her anymore.

There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment.

Now there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them that there were secrets. There always are in a marriage.

The truth - that’s all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything …

This is a book dealing with crime and investigation. I wouldn't call it a thriller as I think it's too slow pace and there's no big surprise at the end. Yes, there is that climax at the end but no real tension building up to that. I often do read books where I figured out the ending page one, so I don't mind that, but this could be a bit misleading as this is sold as a thriller. I get why the publisher has done so but it's more like a slow exploration through the past of the characters, rather active present as its told.

This is told in multiple points of view: the Widow, the Reporter and the Officer. All talking about their connection to a murder case. The widow, Jean is the wife of a man accused of killing a child and going through their relationship. Kate the reporter is the one who this series turns out to be, as she does her own investigating. She basically what reporters should be like and her best pal the officer who gives her inside information. All the characters are on the older side and near to the end of their careers which is an interesting insight as Journalism and Police investigation have both changed a lot in the past 30 years. Fiona Barton is a retired Journalist which probably why Kate became the stand out character.

Jean is both a sympathetic character and sometimes dislikable. She has let a man dominant her life, which is sort of understandable for her generation, but it also goes to the extreme lengths in the divorce age. The author talks about in an interview included with this book, that she wanted to explore the wives of these men accused/who have done terrible crimes. I believe this woman exists, but not sure if I like her, which is fine as you don't have to like a character for their story to be worth reading. I hesitate to say enjoy because of the terrible subject matter of this book.

I listen to this on audiobook. It's a well-done production, Clare Corbett does a good job of distincting each POV character. Also does announce whose who every time, I know some audiobooks don't. Listening to this book would be a good way to consume this book.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Locked Computers. This is a well-crafted novel, with characters slowing building up a case together and was an interesting idea. I think the idea is strong enough that other writers would do something completely different while both having good books come out of it. I would read a book with this same premise but more importantly more by Fiona Barton.

(Though, her having worked for the Daily Mail is off-putting). I now have reviewed the sequel.

Finished reading  29 December 2019.

Book Review: Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

When you've got to be slightly different?

What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong? 

Frances has always been a study machine with one goal, elite university. Nothing will stand in her way; not friends, not a guilty secret – not even the person she is on the inside.

But when Frances meets Aled, the shy genius behind her favourite podcast, she discovers a new freedom. He unlocks the door to Real Frances and for the first time she experiences true friendship, unafraid to be herself. Then the podcast goes viral and the fragile trust between them is broken.
Caught between who she was and who she longs to be, Frances’ dreams come crashing down. Suffocating with guilt, she knows that she has to confront her past…

She has to confess why Carys disappeared…

Meanwhile at uni, Aled is alone, fighting even darker secrets.

It’s only by facing up to your fears that you can overcome them. And it’s only by being your true self that you can find happiness.

Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has.

I reviewed Alice Osman's debut, Solitaire and just to say that this book is set in the same world/town so Radio Silence spoils the end of Solitaire, not majorly but I know some people don't want to have knowledge of any kind about the books before they read them. So just a heads up.

So why don't I liked Radio Silence as much as everyone else. Okay, this story doesn't feel like it about Frances. Yes, she has a lot of growth and realisation about herself and life. However, we also  have an odd ball character that Frances saves, with me relating to that character more (shared labels and all), I didn't like that.

I do find it kinda funny that Tumblr is called Tumblr in this book instead of just refereed to as blogging like it was in Solitaire, but I suppose that was the early days of Tumblr so no way to know if it would last any point of time. The internet use to move on a lot quicker than it does now. Does anyone still use LiveJournal anymore?

This book is more than diverse than her last book, with the main character being mixed-race  and other characters clearly being described as not being white. There is a conversation about growing up in a British white dominated culture and with Frances lives with her white mum, how she feels like she is not in touch to the other side of her heritage. As I am Scottish white, I can't say how good this diversity is. It's seems like a good effect, the things I can comment on. Once again, there is a character that could be read as being autistic, as in if I met them in real life I would wonder if they were autistic.

This book might have been sold to you as having a demisexual character. It does, but it's a big reveal at the end of the book. It's discussed by other characters more than the the demisexual character themself. It's more this is a thing than exists and you shouldn't be confused by Ace/greysexual people. It's a starting point but don't get your hopes really high in finding yourself if that you. It's wrote more for others to understand than it being about that character. There's not a lot of other demisexual characters so it's something to be appreciated, but in the hope that it will cause other books to have main characters that are demisexual or even side characters from the start being stated as that.

In terms of plot structure this is a mystery, Frances wants to know who the creator is, then what happened to this person, what is behind this plot element which I guess is why the book in the point of review of Frances.

Another good thing is that this book explores possibilities outside of going to uni and how that's not for everyone, and is some for others. Not many YA books discuss this positively.

This book as also been sold on it's fandom Tumblr aspect, of this story podcast/hosted on YouTube in the vain of "Welcome to NightVale." That sounded cool, but similar to Solitaire.com in her last book, in it is more to surfiliate the characters interaction with each other. The only fandom parts it goes into is the annoying, toxic side of fandom that harass the creators of shows, the side that ruins it for everyone else. Parts of the podcast are in the book, but it was disappointingly lacking in those part of the audiobook. But hell I finished listening to this book right after Sadie by Courtney Summers which will go down as the standard to beat when having a audiobook involve a podcast. This was an okay book to listen to on audio.

I am a fan of NightVale and found it an odd choice to make it so that NightVale exist in this world. I think that always a risky thing to do to co-exist with the thing you're inspired by. I think the fictional Podcast, University City is meant to be smaller than NightVale at the start of the novel. Also University City is different, it's just be this odd alternative place like Night Vale and is also used to give insight to the Creator. Fan Theories are thing that plays into character plot.

I wouldn't recommend reading Oseman's books back to back, she could have up her game with "I was Born for this", but these books are actually really similar except now it a podcast that pushes the plot instead of a weird prank website. I definitely wouldn't recommend reading Solitaire while having Radio Silence be the audiobook you listen to while you have to do stuff other than just read all day.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Drunken Uploads. I just didn't like it much as Solitaire, I know Oseman sees this as growth, but the only improvement I see is giving more diversity in terms of race. Maybe 'We born for this' will have disabled characters (outside of mental illness), on serious note it does explore more letters of the LGBTQ+. I guess it just might be preference and my hang up of characters with autistic traits being side characters to someone else's discovery about them. I don't think it was intentional, especially with the plot this book was meant to have with the whole podcast thing: the take on the fantasy of becoming friends with the person that made something you love so much. It also one of those rare things where the main character finds growth by making a friend, instead of getting a lovefriend, which is there is definitely not enough YA books about friendship. (Okay, imagine if Lovefriend if that becomes the acceptable gender neural term for boyfriend/girlfriend. I am sorry if it does.)

Disclaimer: A long time ago, I did received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. I also brought this book on audiobook.

Book Review: The Creeper Man by Dawn Kurtagich

 nn

There's a man in the trees, a man with no eyes, but still he watches, that's the surprise. Stay away from the woods, it couldn't be clearer, but the trees are creeping nearer and nearer...

Beware the creeper man.

This is Kurtagich's second novel, her first being The Dead House (which I have reviewed). With both titles of this book, you get what it's about: The Creeper Man, The Trees Creep In. Trees are spooky, the woods have something in them or do they?

This one also plays with formatting. Having different perspectives being written on different things, and in different ways.  Also creepy poetry which everyone loves. The narrative is done well and it pretty clear who writing from text alone.

There's only four characters that appear in the actual novel, other characters are mentioned or appeared sort of flashbacks (though, those are more fairy tales, than actually placing the reader in the past). We also have a Silent Character in the sister of the protagonist, while we do hear from Nori's POV, the story is definitely Silla's story, so no there will be no Silent Protagonist Review of this book. Maybe in a bonus round. It never made clear why Nori can't physically talk, can sign and write, and I can't decide if the implication is enough or not. Aunt Cath is also there. The thing I don't think I can really discuss the characters or their relationships with each other without spoilers. There's interesting stuff there.

This is set in the future, something about War. Not really sure why, especially when technology is so not in this book that it could be set in before World War II and no difference. Maybe life is a circle. Probably meant to keep the reader off-balance. Also all horror books must at one point takes place in the 80s. It's the current law.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Rotten Apples. This a creepy book with a cool concept and you will definitely ponder on The Creeper Man.

Book Review: We Are Young by Cat Clarke

This book continued the trend of YA coma books I'm reading.

Three People died

and no one's asking why.

But I need answers.

I have to find out

what really happened 

that night.

Back once again with another Cat Clarke book, this time the actual year of publication. Reviews of most of her books can be found here. I found Cat Clarke by her YA debut and I have followed her since. She an auto-buy author. Basically, I really like her writing and have high expectation of her.

This book does involve a band and the main character really like playing music, but it not really a music book. They only have gig practices and only pop artists are named. I mention because someone else said they thought the vinyls indicated it as a heavy music book. No, they broken vinyls that the thing to play attention to and obviously to match Clarke's other books.

Evan Page is suspicious about her Stepbrother's car accident that involved four people that didn't belong to the same circle. Basically, this is a murder mystery involving drugs and spoilery things. I did miss that Evan's last name was Page so I was real confuse when people would call her that. Did she go through a name change and it was somehow not picked up in certain places during the revisions. Nope, I'm just Dyslexic.

Characters and their relationships with each other play a big part. Different families dynamic are explored within Evan own family  and her interactions with the families of those in the car, as she tries to solve the mystery of why.

Within the Band, there is a triangle of Exs with Evan at the centre. Evan is bi, Sid and Daze are friends and that events of the novel explore her feeling towards them. It's a nice addiction. I like it.

This book deals with a lot, most of it going into spoilers. (I do Trigger warnings in my labels). Clarke manages to handle all these well. The ending is slightly preachy, but also was a coherent and is a satisfying ending. With it being a hard subject, there no real satisfying ending of this book.

Overall, I give this 5/5 stars for Earned Guitars. In terms of mystery, I never guess exactly what was going to go down, which I often do and the writing is good as usual. Cat Clarke continues to breaks hearts. Breakfast Tim will stay with me and I will wonder about his career.

I got this book for Review off of NetGalley and is being published by Quercus Children's Books on 3rd of May 2018.

Book Review: Monsters by Emerald Fennell

In my tourist trap of a town, the body showed up at the lake.

A blackly comic tale about two children you would never want to meet. Set in the Cornish town of Fowey, all is not as idyllic as the beautiful seaside town might seem. The body of a young woman is discovered in the nets of a fishing boat. It is established that the woman was murdered. Most are shocked and horrified. But there is somebody who is not - a twelve-year-old girl. She is delighted; she loves murders. Soon she is questioning the inhabitants of the town in her own personal investigation. But it is a bit boring on her own. Then Miles Giffard, a similarly odd twelve-year-old boy, arrives in Fowey with his mother, and they start investigating together. Oh, and also playing games that re-enact the murders. Just for fun, you understand... A book about two twelve-year-olds that is definitely not for kids.

This is a murder mystery from the pov of someone who likely behind a murder mystery when they grow up.

I found the writing style in the opening to be off-putting as it read "special needs" (fake) that a certain book I hate wrote in completely. The style gets better as it goes on, I don't know if changes or I got used to it. The book is completely from the point of view of the girl, with her dead parents and neglectful at best aunt and uncle.

This deals with a lot of things common to Serial Killers, I didn't enjoy of how much of a follower the girl was, as I don't buy that narractive that female serial killers need a male counter-part to wake the killer. It seems more sexist than fact, a way to get less time when you're caught and is why female serial killers are likely to get a way with it as we speak.

The resolution was okay, it was set up fine, There was a part I just didn't buy. The journay was better than the end.

Overall, I give this 4/5 stars for obvious deads. This was an interesting book that plays with clichés and does a decent job of it. If you have a fascination with death and serial killers, then this is worth your time.

I got this book for review off Netgalley and published by Hot Key Books on 3rd September 2015. (I got it from the library recently so I'm finally getting to it.)

Book Review: Finding Jennifer Jonas by Anne Cassidy

Can we lose her again?

Kate Rickman seems just like any other nineteen-year-old girl. She goes to university, she dates nice, normal boys and she works in her local tourist office at the weekend. But Kate's not really normal at all. 'Kate' is in fact a carefully constructed facade for a girl called Jennifer Jones - and it's a facade that's crumbling fast. 

Jennifer has spent the last nine years frantically trying to escape from her horrifying past. Increasingly desperate, Jennifer decides to do something drastic. She contacts the only other girl who might understand what she's dealing with, breaking every rule of her parole along the way. Lucy Bussell is the last person Jennifer expects any sympathy from, but she's also the last person she has left.

This is one the best example of pointless sequels. This sequel really adds nothing to the story and the fact it came as part of the first book's 10 year adversay just make me think that Anne Cassidy didn't have a story about JJ in her and forced one out instead. There are things resolved from the first book, perhaps because readers kept pointing out. For the point of ease I'm just gonna call our protagonist JJ in this review. I have a review of the first book if you're interested in that rather than the sequel.

Even though JJ has sworn off relationships, of course there's a romance. He treats her better than last one, so obviously she not that invested in him. I know Frankie was her first love, but she was a 16 year old who thought about breaking up with him often (and should have), then the did the deed because virginity is always made out to be a big deal in all media. I mean  this attitude isn't really about Frankie and more JJ has decided to be a loner and just let depression take her. 

This book's lesson is that depression makes people do incredible dumb stuff. JJ unhappy so decides to put her way of life in danger for no real reason and no play off. In this book, the journalist that found her in the last book has comes back with a book which would have been, the meta interesting thing to have released for the 10th anniversary and it would have been a lot more interesting. The idiot that JJ is, she never reads this book which could have contain all the answers she was wondering about. The fact she didn't, makes me think it does fact contains the answers to the universe.

A lot of stuff happens in this book and then is immediately dropped.There is a random murder in this book and JJ shows she somehow doesn't know how the police work, despite all her encounters.

Overall, I give this 2/5 stars for sandy cliffs. The ending is really stupid to match what an idiot she is. Feelings of lack of identity is an interesting thing to explored but its not a decent length. I just don't think book add anything to JJ's journey.

Book Review: Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy

I was never caught for my childhood murders and I never will be. *Evil Laughter*

Three children walked away from the cottages on the edge of the town towards Berwick Waters. Later that day only two of them came back. Alice Tully knows exactly what happened that spring day six years ago - though it's still hard for her to believe it's real. The images, the sounds and the aftermath are imprinted on her memory. She'll never be able to forget, even though she's trying to lead a normal life. She's making a go of things, putting her past behind her at last. But Alice's past is dangerous, and violent, and sad - and it's about to rip her new life apart.

This book big selling point is its about a child killer, as someone who killed someone when they were a child. I forget when it actually discoursed in the book that what Alice has done but it not spoiler as this standout feature of this book.

The plot is mostly made up with her new daily life and constant threat she will be discovered. Her murder was big news event meaning now she been released they are people looking for her for a cash grab. Ar...the horror of 00s newspaper, slowly becoming aware of their dying. 


The book is made up of the present with flashbacks to the past to explain what lead to the murder. This works well and the past is mixed well though out the present narrative.


Alice is a our main character who starts her life anew at the age of 16. She a sympathetic character and I wanted things to turn out well for her. The characters were realistic, except for the victim. She a emotional manipulating bully and a spoilt brat. There's never any more depth to her, therefore it doesn't feel like she actually killed a person. Alice is a flawed character and justifying her murder by having the person she kill be so detestable takes away from the horror JJ feels after her crime and the realism. 

Alice does become unlikable as she never chooses to tell anyone her reason for going to the lake that day which I get at the start but at certain point I don't get why she continues to kept it a secret. She loses her reason pretty quickly and it could effect more people than just her.

Alice's boyfriend, Frankie is a fail that kept distracting to me. In this book for some reason, uni is called college despite being set in England. He is in his third year, meaning he's like 21 year old. At least 20 to Alice's 16. That's four years difference during major development years. I know Alice has got a her A levels and is ready for uni when she 17. This is more noticeable since he controlling arse. The thing is we are meant to feel for this relationship as though it would be sad if Alice was separated from him, where I'm thinking she should break up with him. Was this seen as acceptable 10 years?

I did not like this voice actor at all. I think it might have just been personal taste, but I did not appreciated her character choices. I hoping for a better actor in the next book as I know they are different actors for that one.

Overall, I gave this book 3/5 stars for nude dolls. The novel has a good idea, but they were some hiccups in the execution of it. I'm aware of the time period it was written, but still I rated as someone who would have been just ageing into target market upon its release. I probably would have liked at the time as it does feature a ten old killing someone, but that probably why I don't the get the shock or Tune in next week for the Review of the sequel.

Book Review: Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard

Finally, a contemporary without the main character declaring her love...romantically.

Here’s my theory on Significant Life Events: everyone has them, but some have more than others, and how many you have affects how interesting you are, how many stories you have to tell, that kind of thing.

I was still waiting for my first one.

After yet another typical summer where nothing of any significance happens, Caddy vows that now she’s sixteen this year will be different; she’ll get a boyfriend (a real one), lose her virginity and experience a Significant Life Event. If only Caddy knew what was just around the corner - a whirlwind of wild spirit and fury with a dazzling smile and sad eyes by the name of Suzanne – and a significant life event that no one could have predicted.

Caddy and Rosie have been BFF’s since they were little girls, but when enigmatic and beautiful new girl Suzanne starts at Rosie’s school, Caddy allows her insecurities to threaten her friendship with Rosie. Caddy wishes she were more like Rosie and Suzanne – confident, funny and interesting – but beneath the make-up and bravado lies a secret side to Suzanne that intrigues Caddy. Despite their differences very soon the three girls are inseparable, and things get a whole lot more complicated.

Under Suzanne’s influence, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But climbing out of bedroom windows for forbidden midnight walks on the beach begins to lose its shimmer as Suzanne’s troubled past is revealed and her present begins to unravel. The course of friendship and recovery is rougher than any of the girls could have imagined, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own.

The books opens with the character stating she wants to get a (first) boyfriend, lose her virginity, have a significant life event. This last one is confusing as wouldn't the two above it be significant life events? She listed them first. To be honest this is not a good start for me. However, the book gets a lot better.

Caddy is our narrator, she self-proclaimed as being boring and I don't know if this is the reason why she reads that way. There lot of discussion about self worth in this book and the two main characters both struggling with it. Except this not satisfying when both characters are flat and don't feel like real people at all. Caddy has nothing going on besides her best friend, Rosie and she doesn't like going out. She too much of a Mary Jane to be able to attach to her.

Whilst the relationship between the girls being the core of the in book, its not that great. The girls are sometimes terrible to each other for very little reason and never felt they cared that much about each other. I think it comes down to not buying the characters. Certain things are done well in their interactions. I don't know how the characters could feel more real and feel like they have a history. I think it just one of those things: it might just come down to my bad start with the book.

 This book deals with abuse and the mental consequences of suffering from it. This is the best part of the novel. Its about the aftermath after leaving the abuse. This done well and I think it manages to capture the mental state of the sufferer and how complex relationship with their abuser can be. 

The ending of this book is rather disappointing. The actual ending is okay and works, but the way we get to it is badly executed. The dialogue before it especially. It just too much on the nose.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for sunflowers. The idea of this book is really solid and does manage to capture the complex nature of abuse. The girls' friendship could be better,especially as that meant to be the base for the novel. I would like to see a book with a similar focus on friendships and do think this a strong début. 

 I got this book for Review off Netgalley and it is being publish by  Children's Books on 11 February 2016.Macmillan

Book Review: The Haunting by Alex Bell

Water and Witches don't traditionally go together.

Some curses grow stronger with time… 

People say that all Cornish inns are haunted, but the Waterwitch’s history is particularly chilling. Built from the salvaged timber of a cursed ship, the guest house’s dark secrets go further back than anyone can remember. 

Emma is permanently confined to a wheelchair after an accident at the Waterwitch which took place when she was ten. Seven years later, she decides to return to the place where the awful event occurred. But the ancient inn still has its ghosts, and one particular spirit is more vengeful than ever…

This is Alex Bell's second book in the Red Eye series (I have reviewed them all but Sleepless which I'm technically currently reading, they are all labelled Red Eye). I was a big fan of Frozen Charlotte and had big hopes for this book especially as I had found the other Red Eye books to be a bit lacking.

Not quite sure what was with the changing first person point of view. I think the book would have worked better with just one. Especially as our starting narrator just falls by the waste lines at a certain point. We do have the experience of unreliable narrator but I'm not sure if it works. In a way it just distracts from the book.

I know one of the main character is disabled and that sucks, but why did she hate her wheelchair so much. She just kinda hates on it without any emotional depth behind it, especially as she hates on her spine as well. It just feels really out of place sometimes with the situation that Emma is facing. With my other issues with the choice of POV through the novel, this character feels unnecessary. While diversity is important in books, I think its also important that the character belongs to the story and I'm not sure what she brings to the story other than her disability and her service dog. Or I'm just over analysing, as I am probably hasher to media that feature characters with disabilities/disorders/chronic illness as lot of it does it terribly or just gets it completely wrong. She does contribution to the plot somewhat and doesn't fall into any of the clichés that for some reason often come paired with disabled characters.

The horror has a good foundation but is a bit underdeveloped. There is a lot of great set ups that don't go anywhere sometimes. There is disturbing imagery, except it somewhat ruined by who sees it. I did enjoy the mythos of the ghost and the Waterwitch. It is both creepy and exactly like hotel you find in Tourist Hot spots by the British Sea. I wish we had gotten more the building and it permanent residence. The magic was interesting and I haven't came across something like it.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for incense sticks. I think there is good base for a story here, but the execution could have better. I enjoyed the story and think this would be a good introduction to the horror genre. While not as good as Frozen Charlotte, I would definitely read more of Alex Bell's work in the future. This is still the better side of Red Series and would probably rank it with Flesh & Bones, not that scary but good attempts.

I got this book for Review off Netgalley and it is being publish by Stripes Publishing on 11 February 2016.

Book Review: Electricity by Ray Robinson

You could say this was an "electrifying read", but that just me pushing a pun.

 Lily's epilepsy means she's used to seeing the world in terms of angles -- you look at every surface, you weigh up every corner, and you think of your head slamming into it -- but what would she be like without her sharp edges? Prickly, spiky, up-front honest and down-to-earth practical, Lily is thirty, and life's not easy but she gets by. Needing no-one and asking for nothing, it's just her and her epilepsy: her constant companion. 

But then her mother -- who Lily's not seen for years -- dies, and Lily is drawn back into a world she thought she'd long since left behind. Forced to renegotiate the boundaries of her life, she realises she has a lot to learn -- about relationships, about the past, and about herself -- and some difficult decisions ahead of her. '

This book me a long time to read, because of reasons like it was sort of for uni, but I didn't need to actually read. The book follows Lily as she tries to find her brother who she hasn't seen since she was a child whilst with living epilepsy.

Lily is a sympathetic, unlikable character. She been through a lot, but she still innocent and strangely trusting. She realistic in that she is contrasting traits. The other characters were okay, but generally unlikable except for the middle class one, who at the moment I can't think of a bad thing about her. Hmm...

This book sort of falls into the trap of a lot stories featuring main characters with disabilities and illness do, but as it just teeters on the edge I'll leave it be and not spoiler the book by discussing it. While Lily's epilepsy plays a big part of the book, as it is a big obstacle in her life, the character is not define by her disability and I think it is a decent portrayal (though, I do know very little about epilepsy other it's brain disorder that causes seizers and varys on severity). The writer has took the time to actually think about the disorder and how it affects

The seizures were represent by static of letters on the page which made the book stand out from the start and I also liked pictures of pills being used to show passing of time almost. It was nice way of giving another insight into Lily.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of five stars for padded corners. It was okay book heavy on character and also feature forest homes, child abuse and a depressing beach town.