Month: February 2020

Book Review: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

Posted on by Libby Price

 

My Dark Vanessa

I’d seen this book on a couple of lists of “books to read in 2020”, so had a look on NetGalley to see if it was available – and it was!

Here is the blurb:

“An era-defining novel about the relationship between a fifteen-year-old girl and her teacher
ALL HE DID WAS FALL IN LOVE WITH ME AND THE WORLD TURNED HIM INTO A MONSTER
Vanessa Wye was fifteen-years-old when she first had sex with her English teacher.
She is now thirty-two and in the storm of allegations against powerful men in 2017, the teacher, Jacob Strane, has just been accused of sexual abuse by another former student.
Vanessa is horrified by this news, because she is quite certain that the relationship she had with Strane wasn’t abuse. It was love. She’s sure of that.
Forced to rethink her past, to revisit everything that happened, Vanessa has to redefine the great love story of her life – her great sexual awakening – as rape. Now she must deal with the possibility that she might be a victim, and just one of many.
Nuanced, uncomfortable, bold and powerful, My Dark Vanessa goes straight to the heart of some of the most complex issues our age.”

Firstly – this is not an easy read.  It’s dark and disturbing and I could see would be a trigger for some people who’ve been in a similar situation.  That said – it is also a very good read.

It flicks between present day (when Vanessa is 32 and working a pretty dead end job in hospitality) and back when she was a teenager and first crossed paths with Strane.  As the reader you can totally see how Strane groomed and abused Vanessa – but in her eyes it was the love of her life.  It then follows her life through the intervening 17 years – and how her entire life is entwined with the abuse she suffered / her great love affair – depending who you are.

I think the fact Vanessa was a similar age to my eldest daughter made it all the more difficult to read – I could empathise with her parents – as well as with Vanessa herself.

Vanessa is just so totally blind to what is happening to her – and really feels that Strane is in love with her and caring for her and only doing what she wants – it’s desperately sad.  You can see this affects her relationships with all of those around her – family, friends, men, future lecturers, colleagues.

When Strane is accused by another girl of abuse – Vanessa has to question what happened to her too – but still she sees it as a great romance, and that she was far more special to him than anyone else has ever been.  The grooming was exceptionally well done…..

Lots of famous literature is quoted, as Strane is an English teacher – in many instances where there is a similar type of relationship – like ‘Lolita’.  I’ve never read this and wonder if there were more references that I would have understood if I had?  But it didn’t detract from my understanding of the book.

In this era of #MeToo it does make you stop and think more about the older powerful man and the younger vulnerable woman keen to impress.  (Actually – one of the jurors in the recent Harvey Weinstein trial has reviewed this exact book on ‘Goodreads’ which made it to the press for the similarities with the legal case).

This is thought a provoking and well written book, and I was keen to find out what happened  – but it was not an easy read, and some of the sex scenes are quite graphic – although probably needed to be in the shocking context of the book.

Many thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for my advance review copy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: When Life Gives You Lemons by Fiona Gibson

Posted on by Libby Price

When Life Gives You Lemons

I’ve found Fiona Gibson’s back catalogue a bit hit and miss – but when I saw this on Netgalley I optimistically downloaded it. Here’s the blurb:

“Sometimes life can be bittersweet . . .
Between tending to the whims of her seven-year-old and the demands of her boss, Viv barely gets a moment to herself. It’s not quite the life she wanted, but she hasn’t run screaming for the hills yet.
But then Viv’s husband Andy makes his mid-life crisis her problem. He’s having an affair with his (infuriatingly age-appropriate) colleague, a woman who – unlike Viv – doesn’t put on weight when she so much as glances at a cream cake.
Viv suddenly finds herself single, with zero desire to mingle. Should she be mourning the end of life as she knows it, or could this be the perfect chance to put herself first?
When life gives you lemons, lemonade just won’t cut it. Bring on the gin!”

It started off with a husband having a midlife crisis and the marriage splitting up – which felt incredibly similar to a previous book-  in fact it all had an air of similarity to previous books.  I know authors often have a ‘vibe’ but this felt a bit repetitive.

Viv was nice.
Viv’s daughter was nice.
Viv’s husband was a bit of a dick, but a wet, pathetic dick not an offensive dick.
Viv’s son was mentioned – but never really fleshed out.
Viv’s relationships with her neighbours were explored, and Viv was a bit of a wet blanket  with them – and was also a bit of wet blanket at work.  (Just realised wet blanket is a sort of pun on the menopausal hot flushes she was having at night – this wasn’t deliberate!)

The storyline built up to a big event – and potential romance – but both were a bit dull.

I persevered – and the book was ‘fine’.  Inoffensive, easy to read, but just a bit dull.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve read some books I’ve loved recently – but it all just seemed a bit bland and done before and predictable.

If you’re after an easy read that is in no way taxing, then maybe this is the book for you – but didn’t really float my boat at all.  Sorry!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance review copy though!

 

 

 

Book Review: If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

Posted on by Libby Price

If I Never Met You

On the back of this new book by Mhairi McFarlane is a quote from the author Holly Bourne that says ‘If Mhairi released a novel a month I’d ready them all’ – and I have to say I completely concur.  I’ve read Mhairi’s entire back catalogue and loved every single one.

Here’s the blurb about this one:

“If faking love is this easy… how do you know when it’s real?
The brand new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Mhairi McFarlane
Laurie and Jamie have the perfect office romance
(They set the rules via email)
Everyone can see they’re head over heels
(They staged the photos)
This must be true love
(They’re faking it)
When Laurie is dumped by her partner of eighteen years, she’s blindsided. Not only does she feel humiliated, they still have to work together.
So when she gets stuck in the lift with handsome colleague Jamie, they hatch a plan to stage the perfect romance. Revenge will be sweet…
But this fauxmance is about to get complicated. You can’t break your heart in a fake relationship – can you?”

Yet again Mhairi McFarlane has written an absolute cracker which I loved from the offset.  Laurie is a lawyer, and having been an accountant in a previous life, the office politics were very similar – and the inter office relationships!!

I loved Laurie, wanted to punch Dan, and was desperate for a ‘happy ever after’!

The book twists and turns – and as ever, the use of social media is brilliant (I also only recently found out people can see if you’ve looked at their Instastories #oldperson #rubbishstalker)

The supporting cast is also brilliant – Laurie’s colleagues, her BFF and Jamie’s BFF, Jamie’s parents – a whole host of other characters who you are also invested in and are fleshed out in  the story.

I suspected this might have a reasonably predictable storyline – and in some ways I was right – but I was also wrong!  There’s definitely enough to keep you on your toes and you don’t feel totally spoonfed.

Whilst this could be summed up as a ‘romance’ there is so much more to it – and it shows how important friends are as well as family.

Mhairi’s writing is – as ever – quick witted, amusing, emotive, clever, well thought out, intelligent, and just downright brilliant.  I like to think if I ever wrote a book (no plans in the immediate future, but you never know) I would have a similar ‘voice’.  (That sounds far more w*nky than I intended it to……….)

And I’ve just noticed this is currently 99p for Kindle – so download it immediately, you won’t regret it!

 

Book Review: Grown Ups by Marian Keyes

Posted on by Libby Price

Grown Ups

I’ve long been a fan of Marian Keyes (and stalk her on Twitter frequently – especially during the Strictly season!)  When I saw another of my ‘close personal friends’ (actually just someone else I follow religiously on social media who I’m never likely to meet IRL), Giovanna Fletcher, rave about Marian’s newest book, I wondered if it was available on NetGalley to get a sneak preview – and joy of joys it was!

Here’s the blurb:

“They’re a glamorous family, the Caseys.

Johnny Casey, his two brothers Ed and Liam, their beautiful, talented wives and all their kids spend a lot of time together – birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, weekends away. And they’re a happy family. Johnny’s wife, Jessie – who has the most money – insists on it.

Under the surface, though, conditions are murkier. While some people clash, other people like each other far too much . . .

Everything stays under control until Ed’s wife Cara, gets concussion and can’t keep her thoughts to herself. One careless remark at Johnny’s birthday party, with the entire family present, starts Cara spilling out all their secrets.

In the subsequent unravelling, every one of the adults finds themselves wondering if it’s time – finally – to grow up?”

Initially I was a bit confused – there are a LOT of family members and you’re introduced to them all in one go at a family party where Cara starts spilling out family secrets!  The book then goes back in time so that you can see the build up to some of these secrets happen.

It didn’t take long to get the gist of who was who – and that really helped.

I could empathise a lot with Jessie (bossy, organiser type) and Cara (disordered relationship with food) and really liked how the characters were fleshed out – with their good bits and bad bits all wrapped up – just like in real life!

Two of the brothers were fundamentally lovely – although with their own foibles – and one was a knob! (And not just because I suspect he would have posted all of his cycle rides on social media)

The book twists and turns through all of the extended families lives – with them all coming together at various family celebrations. I loved the descriptions of the holiday in Tuscany – and given we’re staying just outside Lucca in the summer, I’m looking forward to going to do a big shop at the supermarket on the ringroad #nichereferencepoint.

Whilst it is, essentially, a family saga – it touches on some big issues – grief / mental health / step families / eating disorders / age gap relationships / marital breakdown – but all wrapped up in normal life, as they are for many of us. I love Marian’s turn of phrase – and the book had me laughing and crying.

I felt like I was an observer into the Casey family for a few months – and felt quite sad at the end that I wouldn’t carry on knowing what they were up to – as if I was losing touch with friends.  Given there are so many characters – I wonder if a spin off or follow up would be in order??

Overall this is a definite recommendation when it comes out later this month – pre order it now, you know you want to!!

Thanks NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC – I am always so excited and grateful to be chosen!