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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Stop the World in Books

Nov 26, 2019

Stop the World

S.D. Mayes | 2015 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

17 year old Jody appears to have everything. She is popular in school, a beauty queen, engaged to the most eligable boy in town and living in a close family unit with her parents. But after she is paralysed in a car crash, and the finger of blame is pointed at her, she loses everything.

This book then is her story from that fateful moment and how she rebuilds her life, not as it was before but into something new and better. On the way she must fight through every emotional and physical low and push herself further than she thought possible in both mind and body. A modern allegory, this shows that no matter what set backs life throws at you, there is always a light if you know where to look.

Jody as the narrator of her own tale is a great character, her thoughts even at the bleakest moments are always worth attention and Sherry Mayes does an excellent job of portraying her struggle. Jody comes to recognise her own flaws as well as those of the people around her and learns to cope with them. The result is an extremely positive and uplifting novel.

The other characters are also terrific - her parents are well drawn, with their own demons that she has been blind to for 17 years. Particularly strong and amusing is her physiotherapist who is extremely blunt and no-nonsense and never fails to provoke a smile in both Jody and the reader.

The story ticks along at a great pace but always taking the time to focus on how Jody's actions affect those around her (and vice versa) and her thoughts as she struggles with events.

This book is for anyone who wants to read something that is in turns inspiring, emotional, gritty, heartwarming and funny. This is quite simply one of the best books I have ever read

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ClareR (6256 KP) rated Pine in Books

Jan 21, 2020

Pine

Francine Toon | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Mystery

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Pine tells the story of 10 year old Lauren and her father Niall, who live in a small Scottish village. Lauren’s mum, Christine, disappeared when Lauren was small, and Niall has never recovered. No one knows where she is. Lauren is bullied at school by a girl who lives in her village because of her mother, because of the way she looks and dresses, and because she can.

Lauren keeps seeing a strange woman around the village, a woman that everyone else forgets they’ve seen immediately after they’ve seen her. Lauren remembers the woman though.

Lauren wants to remember her mother - she wants to learn more about her, but Niall just can’t bring himself to talk about her. He has been badly affected by their apparent abandonment: he drinks too much, stays out late and expects the neighbours to look after, and often feed, Lauren.

There is an undercurrent of dread throughout this novel. I was never sure if it was going to turn into a full-blown horror-fest, and I don’t think I would’ve been disappointed if it had. All the ingredients are there: a child left alone in a farmhouse away from everyone else; a still, dark forest; a constantly dimly lit farmhouse with strange smells and noises; a strange figure moving in the trees and around the local houses, that everyone sees and no-one rememberers.

I loved the atmosphere of this book. I had to remember to actually breathe, and the tension was set at just the right level to achieve this for pretty much the entire book.

I won’t say anything else about what happens in the story, in the hope that it’ll encourage someone to read it. It definitely WON’T be time wasted! This is one of my highlights of my January reading!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and review.