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ClareR (6086 KP) rated Edge of The Grave in Books

May 16, 2023

Edge of The Grave

Robbie Morrison | 2021 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

These are the mean, violent streets of Glasgow in 1932. It’s a time when police officers like DI Jimmy Dreghorn and his man-mountain ex-Olympic wrestlerDS Archie McDaid get the results that are needed in the way that is necessary.

Corruption is rife, as is poverty and unemployment (it’s the Depression). Everyone is out for themselves - and that includes the police.

This is a hard, gritty read, not for the faint hearted, but compelling nonetheless. I was gripped from start to finish, and I’ve spotted that there’s more to come from Dreghorn and McDaid in a second book - it’s on my wish list already!

Kudos

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Before I Fall in Books

Jan 10, 2018

Before I Fall

Lauren Oliver | 2017 | Children

7.6

(60 Ratings)

Book Rating

Compelling main character (0 more)

I think I would have enjoyed this book even more if it wasn't coming on the heels of me reading several other tragic YA books about teenagers dying (including The In Between and If I Stay). I sort of felt bludgeoned by the senseless tragedy of it all - perhaps I need to get out more?!

Anyway, the book follows the main character Sam, who dies in a car crash one night after a party. However, she finds herself reliving that day over and over (think Groundhog Day) for some reason and has to figure out how to make it stop. It's a rather weird premise and the way she finally breaks out sort of bothers me, so I felt a little deflated at the end.

That being said, I really liked Sam. She's a compelling character. Also refreshing is the fact that Sam and her gaggle of friends are the popular kids, on top of the pyramid at school. It's a change of pace from the usual romantics and geeks that show up in YA novels. (It does, however, make me 110% terrified for my children to reach high school.) As Sam starts to realize her own mean girl status-- and that of her friends--Oliver sets up a good message about high school and friendship. Not sure it would be readily apparently to every teen reading the novel, but I appreciate the effort.

Kudos

ClareR (6086 KP) rated Adèle in Books

Apr 19, 2019

Adèle

Leila Slimani | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

An uncomfortable, yet compelling, novel

On the face of it, you would think that Adèle has it all: a good job as a reporter, a handsome surgeon husband, a young son, she’s slim and she’s beautiful. But this all masks another side to Adèle. She’s dissatisfied with her life: she controls what and how much she eats, and she engages in risky sexual behaviour with strangers. The sex is an addiction. When she’s not doing it, she’s thinking about it, and she wants a lot of it. There’s no eroticism in the telling of these encounters - it’s function, pure and simple, and quite violent sometimes. It’s like the drug addict getting their hit. You can feel the self-loathing emanating from the pages.

This is a dark, uncomfortable to read book, but it’s also compelling. There’s nothing voyeuristic about this book, no titillation, it’s just sad. And if you’re into books with a final resolution, then this is not the book for you.

It sounds as though no one could possibly enjoy this book, but strangely enough, I really did. I thought that the atmosphere of the book was really well written (and kudos to the excellent translator, Sam Taylor), and the main characters feelings of being trapped made for a really claustrophobic read. I think it’s definitely worth a read, if you’re in the mood for something as, dare I say, depressing, as this. I use the word ‘depressing’, but honestly, it was a good read!