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Only the Good Die Young
Only the Good Die Young
Julie Mulhern | 2023 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It Was a Fall, Wasn’t It?
This is a short novella that is set back between the first two books. While Ellison and her daughter are off in Europe, Ellison’s mother, Frances, gets involved in a mystery. When she goes with one of her friends to check on the friend’s mother-in-law, they find the woman dead in her bedroom. But it couldn’t be murder. Frances doesn’t get involved in murder. The woman hit her head in a fall, right? Right?

I found Frances’s horror at getting caught up in the case to be funny. I also liked the fact that we got to know her better, something I definitely needed. The rest of the characters aren’t super well developed. Likewise, the mystery is a bit simple, but it kept my interest and reached a great climax. The thing to keep in mind is that this is a novella, and I read it in about an hour. As long as they remember the length, fans of the series will be happy with this story.
  
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ClareR (6247 KP) rated Blessings in Books

Aug 22, 2024  
Blessings
Blessings
Chukwuebuka Ibeh | 2024 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the heart wrenching story of Obiefuna, and how his father sends him to a strict religious boarding school after he catches him kissing another boy. He basically cuts him off from his family and especially from his beloved mother.

Obiefuna has to keep his sexuality hidden as Nigeria moves to criminalise homosexuality, and he finds himself living a lie at school, and even participating in another boys brutal beating.

This could just be an emotionally devastating story of an ostracised boy, but there is love in this, from Obi’s mother and those he meets when he leaves school. He is a resilient boy and man who does find love.

I listened to this on audiobook (from Xigxag) and it was read so well by Fejiro Emasiobi and Tariye Peterside. This added much to the story itself - even just by teaching me how to pronounce the characters names properly. They also ramped up the emotion for me, especially when Obi is a boy.

This is a stunning debut and well worth a read (or a listen!!).