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Clair (5 KP) rated My Sister's Bones in Books

Sep 29, 2017

My Sister's Bones

Nuala Ellwood | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

7.2

(5 Ratings)

Book Rating

Thank you to Penguin UK as part of an Instagram promotion of this book.
Kate Rafter is a journalist who works in some of worst places in the world, seeing some of the world's worst atrocities. She returns home on the death of her mother. Her sister Sally has never left Herne Bay and is an alcoholic, who hates Kate. The book is split between the main events of the story and scenes in a police station where Kate is being assessed on her mental health. We know that Kate keeps hearing and seeing a young boy in the family garden - but her experiences in Syria which have left her traumatised means that no one believes her.
Marketed as a rival to The Girl on the Train (I wish they wouldn't do that), I enjoyed this book and would ideally have given it 3.5 stars.
Negatives first...I didn't think it was that well written, there were plot holes that annoyed me and I found the characters one dimensional.
BUT the story was fast moving and intriguing and then there is a major twist which I didn't see coming which made me gasp.

Kudos

HLD (99 KP) rated Thirteen Reasons Why: (TV Tie-in) in Books

Jun 26, 2018

It's engaging (1 more)

As a show - without the b.s. of pretending they care about suicide prevention, it is actually quite good

Nothing to do with suicide prevention or awareness. It is a TV show, the main goal of which is to attract viewers (0 more)

Mixed feelings about it

As someone who has struggled with suicidal thoughts for over a decade, I cannot say that this show brings any kind of awareness. It is a show; nothing more, nothing less. Don't omit this as the holy grail of mental health advertising, because it isn't.
It is an interesting show with an interesting plot. Too many viewers, and those involved with production, felt the need to blow the meaning of '13 reasons why' out of proportion.
It is not going to shine a light on those in your family that want to take their own life. I would also argue it is not going to influence someone to take their own life.
Not everybody is the same, I know. But I was engaged until the very end, and the urge I have had to end my life was no greater and no lesser after having watched the show.

Kudos

Leah Lopez (7 KP) rated Strictly Ola: Ola Jordan in Books

Nov 6, 2019

*****Some SPOILERS*****

I have been a SCD fan from the very first show. There have been some amazing professional dancers who have come and gone but there are some dancers you love from the beginning and continue to love despite their exit. Ola and James Jordan are a firm favourite of mine and when I spotted Ola's book in my local library I was like a child in a chocolate factory-I just had to have it. Learning about Ola's childhood and how poor her family and country were was really sad but Ola never let it interfere in her passion for dance. I too wanted to be a professional dancer but due to ill-health this has never really been an option. I was deeply shocked to learn of SCD team behind the curtain and how O+J Jordan were treated. I was appalled how Craig RH was after a few drinks and the way he talked about the celebrities and professional dancers. This book was a real eye-opener.

SCD is back on our screens with a new head-judge. I certainly miss O+J Jordan...

Kudos

lurkykitty (3 KP) rated Saint X in Books

Mar 26, 2020

Saint X

Alexis Schaitkin | 2020 | Thriller

8.0

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

A compelling and intelligent mystery

When Claire is only seven years old, her eighteen year-old sister Alison disappears and is found dead when their family takes a vacation on a Caribbean island. This book takes place mostly in NYC where Claire, now called Emily, is a young adult working at her first job. By happenstance, she runs into one of the men from the island who was accused of killing her sister, but was not convicted due to lack of evidence. She befriends this man to learn more about what happened to her sister, to the detriment of her own mental health. The initial impression of this book was that it would be a fast paced thriller with a stunning conclusion. However, it is more a commentary on unresolved grief, the assumptions that are made based on race and class, and how one event can shatter the lives of so many. It could still be categorized as a mystery. I found the multiple points of view valuable in understanding the characters and events. Even though, at times, Saint X did not move quickly, it was still a compelling and interesting read.