Book Review: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers, Hodder & Stoughton and Sceptre, for the advanced reading copy. It was published on 5 March 2020 and you can get your copy here.

The Blurb

Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants: an education.
As the only daughter of a broke father, she is a valuable commodity. Removed from school and sold as a third wife to an old man, Adunni's life amounts to this: four goats, two bags of rice, some chickens and a new TV. When unspeakable tragedy swiftly strikes in her new home, she is secretly sold as a domestic servant to a household in the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, where no one will talk about the strange disappearance of her predecessor, Rebecca. No one but Adunni...

As a yielding daughter, a subservient wife, and a powerless servant, fourteen-year-old Adunni is repeatedly told that she is nothing. But Adunni won't be silenced. She is determined to find her voice - in a whisper, in song, in broken English - until she can speak for herself, for the girls like Rebecca who came before, and for all the girls who will follow.

My Review

We may be only just into January (at the time of writing my review!), but The Girl with the Louding Voice could well be my favourite book of 2020 - if not ever!

From the very start, the voice of Adunni sings in her wonderful broken English, making me smile with her way of phrasing her observations and thoughts. Despite the sometimes heartbreaking and brutal way of life, Adunni's joyous spirit is never broken - it just builds her determination. She has a sharp humour, and her intelligence, empathy and compassion shine through the pages.

The other characters are as equally brought to life by the writer, from the old man she is forced to marry, to Big Madam, who, despite her treatment of Adunni, still elicits some semblance of sympathy.

I absolutely loved this book, and will be telling everyone I meet to read it! It is simply wonderful.

About the Author

Abi Daré grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and has lived in the UK for 18 years. She studied law at the University of Wolverhampton and has an M.Sc. in International Project Management from Glasgow Caledonian University. Keen to improve her writing, Abi completed an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck University of London, achieving a Distinction. 

Her first novel, The Girl with the Louding Voice, won The Bath Novel Award in 2018 and was selected as a finalist in The Literary Consultancy Pen Factor competition in 2018. Abi lives in Essex with her husband and two children.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abidare_author

Book Review: The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon

The Blurb

England,1976.

Mrs Creasy is missing and The Avenue is alive with whispers. As the summer shimmers endlessly on, ten-year-olds Grace and Tilly decide to take matters into their own hands.

And as the cul-de-sac starts giving up its secrets, the amateur detectives will find much more than they imagined…

My Review

My thanks go to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

If you haven't read The Trouble with Goats and Sheep yet, then go get your copy right now and put at the top of your To Be Read pile!

I'm a little late to the game as this was published last year. It was a title I kept seeing everywhere, and I finally decided to discover what this curiously monikered story was about.

And it is such a delightful read. Set in the hot summer of 1976, being a child of the 70s myself, I found it to be full of nostalgia. From reminders of the old Nationwide programme to Kays Catalogues, it's a beautiful portrait of suburban life in the 1970s. 

There are many fascinating characters depicted, but my favourite are the main characters, 10 year old Grace and her friend Tilly. Grace narrates much of the book, but some chapters are told in the third person POV by some of the adults in the story, to reveal more of the secrets a 10 year old girl would be unable to comprehend. It's a brilliant study of attitudes back then too; the general mistrust of anyone who appears a little different; and the uncomfortable embarrassment when an Indian family move into the street.

I loved the way Grace idolised the older girl Lisa, and tried to emulate her style. I think we all had that one person we looked up to and tried to be.

Grace decides she and Tilly are going to solve the mystery of the disappearance of one of their neighbours, Mrs Creasey. But first they have to find God, and they are having trouble locating him. 

There's not much more I can say apart from go and read it!

You can buy The Trouble with Goats and Sheep from Amazon, Waterstones and other retailers.

Book Review: Life in a Fishbowl by Len Vlahos

The Blurb

Jackie's life wasn't perfect, but at least it was normal. That is, until her dad received a terminal cancer diagnosis. Then he went and did what anyone faced with mountains of medical bills and a family to support would do: he sold his life to the highest bidder. Which turned out to be a TV station.

Suddenly everyone from psychotic millionaires to cyber-savvy nuns wants a piece of Jackie's family as they become a reality TV sensation. Jackie's life spirals out of control just as her dad's starts to run out, and meanwhile the whole world is tuning in to watch her family fall apart.

Acidly funny and heartbreakingly sad, Life in a Fishbowl is an exploration of the value of life and what memories mean to us. Perfect for fans of Patrick Ness.

My Review

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I don't usually read YA books, but this one grabbed me as these days many people spend their lives watching other people live theirs.

Jared Stone has an inoperable brain tumour, and in an attempt to safeguard his family's financial future, he turns their world upside down with more then just his diagnosis and the prospect of them losing a father and a husband - he sells their lives to a TV station.

The book starts with Jared firstly essentially putting their lives on ebay. Then we meet various people willing to pay, people who are all rather suspect. Desperate, greedy people who will stop at nothing to get what they want. The TV show is probably the safest prospect that the Stone family has to face. 

That Jared would even dream of doing such a thing without consulting his family seems to be a little far-fetched; though this could be an effect of the tumour on his behaviour. This tumour is a character of it's own, as it 'eats' Jared's memories and almost takes on a life of its own.

The book tells of the struggles of a family dealing with the prospect of loss, but all in the public eye, and their lives are coldly manipulated and taken over by the producers. But there is help at hand...

It's a great story, if a little fractured being told from so many different points of view. The behaviour of some of the characters leaves a sour taste, and nothing can really redeem them. 

I would suggest that anyone contemplating going on one of these 'reality' shows reads this book first!

Life in a Fishbowl was published on 12th January by Bloomsbury Childrens, and you can get it from Amazon, Waterstones and other places.

Book Review: Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land

The Blurb

'NEW NAME. NEW FAMILY. SHINY. NEW. ME.' 

Annie's mother is a serial killer. The only way she can make it stop is to hand her in to the police. But out of sight is not out of mind. As her mother's trial looms, the secrets of her past won't let Annie sleep, even with a new foster family and name - Milly. A fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be. But Milly's mother is a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water. Good me, bad me. She is, after all, her mother's daughter... 

Translated into over 20 languages, Good Me Bad Me is a tour de force. In its narrator, Milly Barnes, we have a voice to be reckoned with, and in its author, Ali Land, an extraordinary new talent.

My Review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Michael Joseph, for the advanced reading copy.

Oh. My. God. What a book!

I was initially intrigued by the premise of a girl having to deal with having a serial killer for a mother. But as I started reading Good Me Bad Me I started to get scared. I was worried the story was going to dissolve into a voyeuristic, sadistic car crash.

But I needn't have worried - I am so glad I carried on reading. Once I did, I found it hard to leave - hence a couple of late nights where I couldn't stop thinking about the book once I put it down.

The narrator, Milly, is talking to her mother. Telling her how she has made her feel, telling her how she is coping (or not) without her. The descriptions of the crimes committed thankfully don't go into gory detail, leaving your mind to fill in the blanks - which works to great effect here.

Milly is staying with a foster family, the Newmonts. The father, Mike, is a psychologist, helping Milly prepare to testify against her own mother. The mother, Saskia, a mere shadow of a woman, scorned by her own daughter, Phoebe, who rails against having to compete with a broken foster child.

Milly has to battle to survive, against her mother's voice, constantly with her; against her background, desperate to keep her past hidden, against herself, for fear of becoming like her mother. She finds a friend in Morgan, but can she keep her safe?

Phoebe is a poisonous character, hellbent on making Milly's life even more of a living hell than it already is. Ali Land depicts the turmoils of adolescence perfectly, showing how cruel girls can be to each other, vying to be leader of the gang, and how easily led some can become, to afraid to say no. 

This is an absolute smasher of a debut novel. I think Good Me Bad Me is going to be one of the most talked about books for 2017. Absolutely bloody amazing.

Good Me Bad Me is published on 12th January by Michael Joseph. You can buy the book at Amazon, Waterstones and other retailers.

About the Author

After graduating from university with a degree in Mental Health, Ali Land spent a decade working as a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Nurse in hospitals and schools in the UK and Australia. Ali is now a full-time writer and lives in a creative warehouse community in North London. Good Me Bad Me has been translated into over twenty languages.

Follow Ali on Twitter @byAliLand

Blog Tour: The Puppet Master by Abigail Osborne

Today I'm excited to be part of the Blog Tour for this menacing thriller, The Puppet Master by Abigail Osborne. First of all, Abigail answers some questions on her main character, then you can read my review.

The Blurb: 

Manipulated by fear and love…could you cut the strings and take back control?

Billie’s hiding from the world, believing it to be the only way to take control of her life as she lives in fear of the man who nearly destroyed her. But what she doesn’t realise that she’s exactly where he wants her; isolated and afraid. A chance meeting with budding journalist Adam sparks a relationship that could free her from the terror that controls her. But will Adam be able to see the real Billie buried under her terror and pain?

Adam knows exactly who Billie is and is determined to expose her and get justice for the lives she ruined. But first, he needs to convince her to open up to him but as unwanted attraction and feelings blossom between them, Adam is forced to realise that all is not as it seems. Most of their lives have been unknowingly governed by the desires and needs of someone who considers himself their master. He has influenced and shaped them for years, meticulously weaving a web of lies and control around them. Can Billie and Adam survive the betrayals in store and cut the strings that bind them?

One thing is for sure. The master wants his puppets back – and he’ll do anything to keep them

Welcome to my blog, Abigail. Can you tell us five favourite things about your protagonist, Billie?

Hello, thanks for having me today! I really enjoyed answering this and exploring my protagonist with you.

1. Hidden Strength

Although Billie thinks she is weak and afraid, she also has a hidden strength. She could quite easily have given up and headed down a dark path, but instead, she has a job and is trying her best to live. She has been betrayed in the worst possible way, but it hasn’t made her a bad person. Some people when they have been bullied, they become bullies themselves, but she still retains her morals and her spirit, even if it is buried away for safe keeping.

2. Her sensitivity

I love that Billie is so sensitive, she feels things so deeply, and it makes her a really enjoyable character to write. I didn’t have to hide who she is because really, she is an open book once you get to know her. She cares so much about the people that she chooses to love.

3. Her bravery

Billie is a very brave girl. She suffers at the hands of someone so evil, but she still fights and refuses to let him ruin her life. Yes she cuts herself off from the world, but she is still living, still not giving him the satisfaction of destroying her completely.

4. Her taste in pets

Billie is a cat lover just like me (I wonder how that happened). Bobby is her world and best friend in some respects. He fulfils the deep-seated need she has to love someone and take care of them.

4. Her intellect

Billie is vulnerable and fearful but by no means is she stupid. She has a massive knowledge base from all the time she has spent reading. She is a wonderful conversationalist when she gets to know you, especially if you mention books.

Thank you for a 

My Review

What a powerful debut, tackling some serious themes with sensitivity and care. Abigail has managed to get right into the core of her characters. Billie is damaged; through no fault of her own, and Adam, on the surface wants to help her - or does he have an ulterior motive?

The book deals with difficult themes of which no one likes to think about, but Abigail has bravely created a believable story which, although hard to read at times due to the emotions involved, draws you into the characters' minds.

The reactions of Billie's family is heartbreaking, but true to life, but Billie shows herself to have more strength and resilience than she could believe in being able to make a fresh start. Then she meets Adam, and slowly she finds herself falling in love with him.

Against his better judgement, Adam finds himself falling for Billie too, and he has to come to terms with the lies he has been told. 

Both have been manipulated by someone so sinister and twisted; again as in real life, we are shown how duplicitous and controlling one person can be.

Abigail has done a great job of telling a difficult story.  

About the author

Abbie was born in the Lake District and has moved all around the UK since then until she met her husband at University. She lives with him and their two crazy cats in the West Midlands. She is a Needs Assessor for students with disabilities and has her own book reviewing blog called Many Books, Many Lives. Even though she did English Literature at University it wasn't until she started reviewing books that she realised how much she loved to write. The Puppet Master is her first novel but it certainly won't be her last. 

You can follow her on @Abigail_Author or @MBequalsML.

Information about the Book 

Title: The Puppet Master 

Author: Abigail Osborne 

Genre: Adult Romance 

Publisher: Self-Published 

Format: Ebook and Paperback 

Published: 30th August 2016 

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31422186-the-puppet-master

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01JMA4USQ

Blog Tour: Lost in Static by Christina Phillipou

Sometimes growing up is seeing someone else's side of the story.

Four stories. One truth. Whom do you believe?

Callum has a family secret. Yasmine wants to know it. Juliette thinks nobody knows hers. All Ruby wants is to reinvent herself.

They are brought together by circumstance, torn apart by misunderstanding. As new relationships are forged and confidences are broken, each person's version of events is coloured by their background, beliefs and prejudices. And so the ingredients are in place for a year shaped by lust, betrayal, and violence...

Lost in Static is the gripping debut from author Christina Philippou. Whom will you trust?

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC and the opportunity to participate on the Blog Tour.

University life. A chance, to make a fresh start, to make new friends - and new enemies. 

The story is told in first person point of view; with each of the major characters getting to put forward their version of events. It's cleverly done; once I realised that each scene was being described by each character in turn, so there was a little bit of a sense of travelling back in time to the beginning of each scene/incidence. It was interesting to see each person's perspective, making it easy to see how misunderstanding can happen so easily, and proving that we cannot know what is going on in someone else's mind. Never assume you know what someone is thinking!

It's interesting to see how different people react to others when placed in a rarefied situation like university. It was an uncomfortable read at times, with characters not reacting as I presumed, but this is in no way a criticism; it makes for a great read with it's twists and turns.

A great debut novel, and I look forward to reading more by Christina.

Lost in Static is available from, amongst others, Amazon UK, Amazon US, and direct from the publisher, Urbane Publications.

Author Bio

Christina Philippou’s writing career has been a varied one, from populating the short-story notebook that lived under her desk at school to penning reports on corruption and terrorist finance. When not reading or writing, she can be found engaging in sport or undertaking some form of nature appreciation. Christina has three passports to go with her three children, but is not a spy. Lost in Static is her first novel.

Christina is also the founder of the contemporary fiction author initiative, Britfic.

You can connect with Christina on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+.

Book Review - The Wacky Man by Lyn G Farrell

I am taking part in my first ever blog tour for this amazing book! I've got a fabulous Q & A with Lyn G. Farrell, the author of The Wacky Man, to share with you all. 

But here is my review. The Wacky Man was the winner of the 2015 Luke Bitmead Bursary, the UK's biggest prize for unpublished authors. And here's why:

My new shrink asks me, ‘What things do you remember about being very young?’
It’s like looking into a murky river, I say. Memories flash near the surface like fish coming up for flies. The past peeps out, startles me, and then is gone…

Amanda secludes herself in her bedroom, no longer willing to face the outside world. Gradually, she pieces together the story of her life: her brothers have had to abandon her, her mother scarcely talks to her, and the Wacky Man could return any day to burn the house down. Just like he promised.

As her family disintegrates, Amanda hopes for a better future, a way out from the violence and fear that has consumed her childhood. But can she cling to her sanity, before insanity itself is her only means of escape?

Wow. Just wow. This is the compelling, brutal story of a teenager in a family broken by the father's violence. I say brutal, but the descriptions of the violence are not gratuitous at all, but written as matter-of-fact, as Amanda and her family have accepted their lot. Outside intervention has little effect, our heroine is apparently beyond help. The contrast between some of her teachers, who consider her nothing more than a big problem for them, and those who do care - Mr Kramm and 'shrink' Mr Broeder - is vivid, and heart-breaking.

Amanda is an intelligent, articulate young woman, despite her avoidance of education. It is harrowing  that there are children such as Amanda out there. We all know it happens, but this book brings it to the forefront of your mind. Some people are unfortunately unsalvageable, and we see the obstacles in the way of those who try to help them rather than leaving them to rot in society.

Despite, or perhaps in spite of, the harrowing story, I highly recommend this novel. It is not a misery memoir - it is so much more, so well written that I could not put it down. Amanda's voice prevents it from being depressing even though she is close to losing her mind, and her situation is so very heartbreaking.

The author wrote this book not to evoke sympathy and hand-wringing, but to be a voice for children like Amanda who are so often not heard.

It's bloody brilliant.

Thanks to the publisher Legend Press for an advanced reading copy.

Book Review: Armadillos by P K Lynch

Aggie is fifteen, a ‘sub’ from a ‘sub’ family, one of Texas’ downtrodden. Her father and brother enact that ‘sub’-ness on her, week in, week out. She has only the vaguest notion that there is something wrong with the abuse she endures and instead dreams of the outside world.

And then one day, Aggie walks out. But, like the armadillos that flourish in Texas’ barren landscape, she is a survivor.

In her escape, she gravitates to those who are just as maltreated as her. They offer Aggie the sense of family, albeit a thoroughly dysfunctional one, that she’s been searching for. But when she gets embroiled in a crisis involving stolen money, Aggie soon realises there are some problems you can’t run away from.

Thanks to Legend Press for the advanced reading copy.

From the outset, Aggie's story is heartbreaking and shocking, but told in a matter-of-fact manner rather than being melodramatic. Brought up to believe that her family's behaviour is normal, Aggie knows she doesn't like it, and leaves.

Armadillos is a tough story but easy to read, written beautifully, with Aggie's Texan drawl in my head from the beginning. Despite her sheltered upbringing, she proves to be an intelligent kid who knows how to get what she wants. She doesn't like conning people, but it's a means to an end for her.

Then she meets a girl called Freak, and is introduced to a new 'family', all with their own problems. 

It's a brilliant tale of survival, of friendship and self-discovery. The words flow naturally on the page, drawing us in to Aggie's world of hurt and pain, and her relationships with the larger than life yet utterly believable supporting characters.

I really did enjoy reading this book, and highly recommend it.