Title: Girls in The Garden Author: Lisa Jewell Genre: mystery/thriller Source: Library hardback Rating: 4 out of 5 paws
A young mother moves into a picturesque terrace of houses in London. In the center of the terrace is a beautiful garden that all the children have the freedom to play in, or whatever they wish to do. It is the perfect place for secrets, whisperings, and gossip as well. Grace is found in the garden on her birthday unconscious, which leads to many questions about the residents of this small community.
This is not the first Lisa Jewell book I have read, I've read several so far and each time I enjoy her work even more. I am always left wanting to read more and be brought into her world deeper each time. Lisa Jewell has the knack of delivering character driven stories that captivate and engross her readers. She gets into the mindset of the characters and provides readers with everything they need to have an enjoyable reading experience.
Girls In The Garden is an expertly written novel filled with intrigue, suspense and keeps you guessing at every turn. There are so many red herrings that you don't know who can be trusted and who to question. It is a steady pace that keeps the story moving making you want to know what happens next, who's secret will be revealed next. In the beginning of the book is a map of the garden, so readers get a good idea of where each of the homes are.
There are some things that are eluded to in this novel that might be a trigger for some readers, but Jewell presents it in a way that is tasteful and respectful. Jewell gives readers a set of characters who are not perfect. They are flawed in every way and I think that is one thing that makes her writing so wonderful. It is easy to relate to the characters and picture them as yourself or even someone you know.
I loved this novel and plan on reading a lot more of Lisa's novels. If you haven't tried her writing yet, this is a good one to begin with.
Title: All The Missing Girls Author: Megan Miranda Genre: Thriller Source: Paperback Rating: 4 out of 5 paws
Nic hasn't been home in ten years. Ten years since she left everything behind. Ten years since her best friend Corrine disappeared. But when Nic returns home to help with family ties, the past is dug up and another girl has gone missing. The past comes back to life as a town relives the ordeal from ten years ago to find a connection. Nic and her family struggle to stay out of the investigation, but every turn leads them right back into it. Right back to where they were ten years ago. All eyes are pointed at Nic and her high school boyfriend. Can they figure out what happened to Corinne and Annaleise. Too many things are a coincidence, too much familiarity. Will it all end?
The cover is gorgeous and is what originally grew me to the story. I couldn't take my eyes off it whenever I seen it in the book stores. Everything about the story hinges on one night ten years at a local fair. Nic is encouraged by her best friend to climb over a Ferris Wheel and jump down to her boyfriend. Once on solid ground her brother hits her and everything else spreads into chaos. Corinne disappears and everyone becomes a suspect. Afterwards Nic leaves town only to return to help with her ailing father. The night she arrives, everything is opened all over again. Another girl has gone missing and no one knows what happened to her. The last person to talk to her, and the prime suspect is her boyfriend, who happens to be Nic's high school sweetheart. And everyone's alibi from ten years ago. How crazy is that!!
It took me a few chapters to get into the story, and when I did, it took a few more to get used to the backwards telling of the story. It starts the night Nic arrives then jumps to 2 weeks since Annaleise goes missing. At this point it begins to backtrack back to the beginning filling in small details at a time until we get to that fateful night and find out exactly what had happened to the girl. I found it an interesting way to tell the story, and it is explained a little bit as to why it was done this way. But it is confusing and difficult to get used to. It may even turn a few people away from the story. Hopefully it doesn't because it is a good story.
The characters were interesting enough, and seemed typical of your small town people, where everyone knows everyone's business. Nothing is private and rumors fly faster than Superman. At times I found Nic to be reckless in running through the woods at night following shadows, not knowing what was out there. I liked that everyone seemed to have a little something to hide, past and present. Something they didn't tell others, something that made up the skeletons in the closet. I loved the mystery of the monster in the woods and allows the reader to come up with their own ideas of what the monster in the woods could represent. The looming past, teenagers having a good time, neighbors spying on each other, one's own fears. It could have been anything and I loved that feel added into the book.
I also like the mystery of the caverns. They loomed in the background, a dangerous place to be, yet so innocent in being barred. I kind of wish more was done with the caverns, they seemed to be the perfect thing to add a little more mystery, such as the police finding the lock broken or like signs that someone lived there (maybe a homeless person or something) or was camping leading suspicion to one of the girls hiding in the caves. I just feels like more could have been done with the caverns, or else why mention them other than to say it was a place some one died or things get lost (perfect to add a different twist to the ending).
I did get lost in it and finished it in about 6 hours or so, I feel I may have even ignored the boyfriend a little bit because I was so lost in the story. I couldn't go to bed until I found out what happened next. Miranda flawlessly executed her story-telling skills in this novel, and makes me want to read more from her. I happily recommend this book to people who like thrillers and suspense novels, but be ware, there storytelling is unique and out of the norm: Beginning, end, middle, beginning, end of sorts.
Title: The Forgotten Ones Author: Steena Holmes Genre: Women's Fiction Source: Ebook from Netgally Rating: 4 out of 5 paws
** I received a copy of this book from Netgally in exchange for an honest review**
Elle has grown up with only her mother, a mother who keeps things hidden from her and seems to have emotional breakdowns at the drop of a hat. Elle fears a part of her mother exists within her. She tries to hold on to the memories and fairy tales her mother used to tell her to help chase away the bad dreams. When Elle discovers she grandfather is alive and on his deathbed within the hospital where she works. Against her mother's wishes she visits him and hears his stories. But as he tells his story, there are more questions and secrets. As frustration builds she tries to push her mother to remember a past she dreads. As horrible as the past was, Elle continues to listen to his stories to discover the secrets that lie deep within her family, within her.
The Forgotten Ones is one of the most compelling novels I have read so far this year. It is one of those novels that will break your heart and suck you into the story and refuses to let go. I was interested in the story from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down, not even to go to work. I wanted to know more find answers the same way Elle wanted answers. The emotions this book evoked within me hasn't happened in a long time. This was my first novel by Steena Holmes, and my first "women's fiction" novel and I have to wonder why I haven't read Holmes before.
The book goes between David and Elle's perspectives, and at the beginning of each chapter it tells you who is thinking/speaking so you know how's mind we are in each time. This gives the reader the ability to get insight on both characters and their emotions and feelings. While the past David talks about is haunting and chilling, it is beautifully written in a way that brings tears to your eyes. He peels back the layers of family drama, but he reveals to Charlie it is only 1 aspect of the family's past he is revealing. So I have to wonder...is there more? What else could have happened in this family with Gertie's mental health and Anna Marie?
I don't know if you would say the story was fast paced, nor was it slow. It progressed at a sensible rate, I just read it fast. I devoured it as the suspense at finding out the deep family secret was killing me. I was getting frustrated that no one was giving Elle the answers she so desperately needed. I thought I had one detail of the book figured out, but it appears I may have been wrong, I am not sure, I will have to go back to read the ending again to be sure.
I fell in love with this book, I find it difficult to put into words how wonderful this book was. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys women's literature, family secrets, and a good suspenseful tale. I loved it.
As a young woman, Laurel witnesses a shocking crime, even more shocking is that it is her mother who commits it. She keeps what she seen to herself and escapes her home and becomes a well-known actress. During a birthday party for her mother, Laurel begins investigating her mother's past and soon discovers a dark secret her mother kept all these years. The story shifts to Dorothy's life as she lives through World War II as she meets Vivian and James by chance. Their stories become one, and intertwine with Laurel's until the secret is revealed, one that would change how Laurel views her mother.
I had read another novel by Kate Morton The Forgotten Garden and i fell in love with it, but this one I had a hard time getting into. It took me a little longer to read this one because i kept putting it down every so often after getting bored. The concept I found to be interesting, but for some reason I couldn't get into it. Morton has a beautiful way of writing and masterfully crafts her words into an exquisite story, this is way I fell in love with The Forgotten Garden. This book had a different quality of mystery to it. It was another story about heritage and learning who one is, but I think Morton might have taken too long to reveal the truth behind who Dorothy's past.
The order that everything happens is interesting as is that the story keeps switching from Dorothy to Laurel. It gives us more insight into Laurel as she discovers more about her mother or rather tries to figure out her mother's past. It is hard for the reader to be able to pinpoint how this story will end, and that might be one of the things that redeemed this book for me. I know there are people who have enjoyed Morton's work and love this book, but i admit that it did not engage me as much as other books have done nor as much as Forgotten Garden did.
Will I recommend this novel to others? Yes, because I know there are people who would enjoy reading it. As for a rating, I give it a 3.5 out of 5. Pick it up and see what you think about it.
As a young girl, Nell was abandoned on a ship destined for Australia and was taken to the dock master once the ship docked. whom takes her in and raises her as his own. Nell arrived with nothing but a suitcase and a book of fairy tales. When she turned 21 the dock master and his wife revealed the truth to Nell. She then travels to England to find out the truth about her past, and who she really is. Nell's journey leads her to Blackhurst Manor. After she passes away Nell's granddaughter Cassandra picks up the quest and begins to unlock the secrets of the forgotten garden and the book of fairy tales.
I instantly fell in love with this novel. This is one of the reasons why I do not limit myself to a genre, if I had I would have miss out on a gem of a book. I read this as a part of a book club, and as I said, I fell in love with Kate Morton. Her writing is beautifully elegant. The story she weaves has mystery, romance, and intrigue, everything I love in a good book. It was difficult to put it down, and I lent it to my best friend to read. It is a lengthy read, but you wouldn't know it is a couple hundred pages long until you have finished the book.
Her characters a finely drawn and reveal elements of sophistication and grace. The male characters ad whimsy and don't overshadow the female characters as you might find in many novels. Readers watch as the story intermingles love, life, anger, and betrayal into the women's lives. The book does which perspective between the years, but the focus is on the years 1913, 1975, 2005. That can get difficult, but after a while you get used to it. I think that the changes in perspective gives the story and in depth quality. It adds to the understanding of how characters get to the points in their lives that they are. We learn of where Nell has been and how she grew up to be the woman Cassandra loves and bonds with and why the quest becomes so important.
Forgotten Garden is a wonderful book and got me to purchase another on of Kate Morton's books Secret Keeper which is sitting on my to read list. I would give this novel a 3.5 out of 5 because the changes in perspective does make it a little difficult to get wrapped up into the story.
Title: Girls in The Garden
