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The Mars Room: A Novel
The Mars Room: A Novel
Rachel Kushner | 2018 | Thriller
8
6.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A stunning debut.
Romy Hall has been given 2 consecutive life sentences for the murder of her stalker. This novel follows her arrival at prison, and reveals the story of her life in the lead up and at the start of her incarceration. We also meet some of the women who she lives with during this time.
I can see why this book has been nominated for The Man Booker Prize 2018 - it clearly shows how a childhood of poverty and benign neglect can lead to drug addiction and crime. It also shows the awful conditions of the prison that Romy is kept in and the hatred of the guards towards their charges. This isn't an environment of rehabilitation, it's an environment of harsh punishment. Which probably explains the high rates of reoffending.
It's a frustrating book to read, because I think the reader really does start to care about the people that they read about (at least I did), even though the writing doesn't actually invite us to feel for the characters. In fact it's all written in quite a detached way. They are more than just the crime they committed, and this book shows that.
  
Together Bound (Sentries #2)
Together Bound (Sentries #2)
Elizabeth Noble | 2019 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
TOGETHER BOUND is the second book in the Sentries series and we continue with Todd and Nicky's story. I would definitely recommend reading this as a series as we deal with the same characters in the same world and if you don't, then this may not make any sense at all!

Todd and Nicky go undercover at a slave rehabilitation camp to try and find out if the Chancellor has gone crazy or not. It turns out he's not crazy, but he's not himself either! This is a dangerous mission, more so for Nicky in many ways, but Todd has his own battles to fight too.

I loved returning to their world and seeing how they interact with each other. I don't think this was as "hot and heavy" as the first book but there are definitely moments where Todd goes Alpha!

There is a great cast of characters in this book and I would love to hear more from them in future books. A fantastic ending that wraps up this part of their story nicely whilst leading onto the next... which I CAN'T WAIT FOR!!!

Definitely recommended by me and bring on the next!