Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver

Demon Copperhead is a once-in-a-generation novel that breaks and mends your heart in the way only the best fiction can.

Demon's story begins with his traumatic birth to a single mother in a single-wide trailer, looking 'like a little blue prizefighter.' For the life ahead of him he would need all of that fighting spirit, along with buckets of charm, a quick wit, and some unexpected talents, legal and otherwise.

In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, poverty isn't an idea, it's as natural as the grass grows. For a generation growing up in this world, at the heart of the modern opioid crisis, addiction isn't an abstraction, it's neighbours, parents, and friends. 'Family' could mean love, or reluctant foster care. For Demon, born on the wrong side of luck, the affection and safety he craves is as remote as the ocean he dreams of seeing one day. The wonder is in how far he's willing to travel to try and get there.

Suffused with truth, anger and compassion, Demon Copperhead is an epic tale of love, loss and everything in between.

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, what a stunning book.  It's a weighty book at 560 pages long but it fully immerses the reader in the deep south of America where poverty is rife and people struggle day to day to simply survive.  The survivors are the lucky ones.

I thought it would take a while to get into the book with it being so chunky but I was hooked from the very first page.  The writing is raw and visceral which gives Demon his unique and memorable voice from the moment he is born.  I could have read much more than 560 pages of this sublime writing that's for sure and I already have my eye on Barbara Kingsolver's back catalogue.

Although I own a vintage copy, I have never read David Copperfield and I will definitely read Demon Copperhead again after reading David Copperfield to fully appreciate Barbara Kingsolver's brilliance in this modern day retelling.  Dickens gets a mention too which is a really nice touch.

I am struggling to put my feelings into words about this book as it totally consumed me and I don't think Demon will ever leave me.  It's heart-wrenching at times, especially the things that Demon has to go through at such a young age, and it's sobering to think that Demon's story is mirrored by countless youngsters in real life.

Harrowing, gritty and completely extraordinary, Demon Copperhead is a stunning novel that unreservedly deserves a place on my shelf of favourite novels.  Very highly recommended.

I chose to read a gifted copy for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Home - Penny Parkes

 

A gripping and heartfelt story about overcoming the past and finding where you belong.

 

Anna Wilson travels the world as a professional housesitter – stepping into other people’s lives - caring for their homes, pets and sometimes even neighbours. Living vicariously.

 

But all Anna has ever really wanted is a home of her own – a proper one, filled with family and love and happy memories. If only she knew where to start.

 

Growing up in foster care, she always envied her friends their secure and carefree lives, their certainty and confidence. And, while those same friends may have become her family of choice, Anna is still stuck in that nomadic cycle, looking for answers, trying to find the courage to put down roots and find a place to call home.

Compelling, rich and evocative, Home is Anna’s journey to discovering that it isn’t where you settle down that matters, but the people you have around you when you do. 

What did I think?

I can't believe that Home is the first book by Penny Parkes that I have read but oh my word I loved it.  I love how the cover of the book perfectly encapsulates the variety of homes in this wonderful novel about Anna Wilson's search for a home to call her own.

Housesitting for the rich and famous sounds like a wonderful job...at first.  Wouldn't we all love to see how the other half live?  Of course the downside of that is moving from house to house and living out of a suitcase but Anna is used to this as her life in foster care saw her constantly on the move.  Anna's backstory has resulted in her stuck in a cycle of moving from house to house, afraid to push the pause button and settle down in her own home in case happiness is cruelly ripped away from her.

I absolutely adored the wonderful character of Anna, from her unwavering professionalism in the face of adversity to her undying love for her friend Kate.  Page by page her story curled around my heart like creeping vines until they bloomed in a torrent of tears at Anna's graduation.  I was so proud of Anna, she felt like my best friend and I didn't even realise I was crying until tears dripped onto the page.  

There are multiple layers to this fabulous story that kept me completely engrossed and totally immersed in the book, as evidenced by my tears.  Home really does feel like it contains the full spectrum of emotions as it evoked so many emotions in me.  Above all I felt incredible gratitude for my own home life and it made me consider how our childhood has the power to influence our adulthood.  

Warm and uplifting, Home is a compelling and surprisingly emotional novel.  It was an absolute delight to read and I'm definitely going to check out Penny Parkes' earlier novels.

I received a beautiful hardback ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Someone Who Isn't Me - Danuta Kot

 

When the body of a twenty-four-year-old man is found on Sunk Island, a quiet stretch of land in Yorkshire, two facts immediately stand out. First: the killer wanted the body to be found. Second, the dead man was a police officer, and he had been working undercover.

Meanwhile, aimless 20-something Becca has multiple jobs to keep her head above water. At night, in the local pub, she serves punters and tries to work out what she wants to do with her life. One thing that keeps her going is Andy, a regular she always has a laugh with – and maybe something more.

And then Andy vanishes. Becca is convinced that the shady manager of her pub has something to do with his disappearance. But in order to discover the truth, she'll have to put herself in danger. All for someone she doesn't truly know...

The gripping new novel from Dagger-Award-winning author Danuta Kot, perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Tana French and Denise Mina - a story about the people we are... and the people we aren't.

What did I think?

I loved Danuta Kot's Life Ruins set in the Northern dilapidated seaside town of Bridlington so I was very eager to visit Bridlington again in Someone Who Isn't Me.  As it has some of the same characters in it, Someone Who Isn't Me can be described as a sequel but it's so good in its own right that it can definitely be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

Danuta Kot's writing is stunning; she not only brings characters to life but the landscape itself almost seems to take on a life of its own.  It's not just Bridlington but Sunk Island, a little village almost 40 miles down the coast, that sets the scene for this wonderful novel filled with tension and danger.  Sunk Island sounds so dark and desolate that it gave me chills just reading about it.  It is actually a real place in Yorkshire so no offence to the residents, but it really does give me the creeps.  

Becca and her foster mum Kay are the two characters that follow through from Life Ruins.  It was great to catch up with them again and see that Becca is as independent as ever.  Working two jobs to make ends meet, the highlight of Becca's week is meeting up with her boyfriend Andy again.  As she watches the clock and Andy still doesn't appear, it soon becomes clear that Andy isn't who she thinks he is and Becca herself might be in danger.

I absolutely raced through this outstanding novel; the plot is fast-paced, gripping and incredibly believable and the writing is sublime with a raw and gritty edge.  I almost couldn't keep hold of the book in my sweaty palms during a particular scene on Sunk Island when I was on the edge of my seat - such brilliant writing.  I also picked up a really useful self-defense tip using just a newspaper - I'll never forget that one.

Tense and suspenseful, Someone Who Isn't Me is a fast-paced, dark and gritty novel filled to the brim with danger.  I loved Life Ruins but I think Danuta Kot has really raised the bar with Someone Who Isn't Me.  A stunning novel and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

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Amazon

About the author:

Danuta Kot grew up with stories. Her Irish mother and her Polish father kept their own cultures alive with traditional tales they shared with their children. For many years, she worked with young people in Yorkshire who were growing up in the aftermath of sudden industrial decline. She uses this background in her books to explore some of the issues that confront modern, urban society: poverty, alienation and social breakdown, using the contexts of the modern crime novel. She now works as a senior education consultant, work that involves travel to establish education and training in other parts of the world. She is a regular academic speaker at conferences and literary festivals, and has appeared on radio and television.

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BLOG TOUR: A Ruined Girl - Kate Simants

 

TWO BOYS LOVED HER.

BUT WHICH ONE KILLED HER?

On a dark night two years ago, teenagers Rob and Paige broke into a house. They beat and traumatised the occupants, then left, taking only a bracelet. No one knows why, not even Luke, Rob's younger brother and Paige's confidant. Paige disappeared after that night. And having spent her life in children's homes and the foster system, no one cared enough to look for her.

Now Rob is out of prison, and probation officer Wren Reynolds has been tasked with his rehabilitation. But Wren has her own reasons for taking on Rob as a client. Convinced that Rob knows what happened to Paige, and hiding a lifetime of secrets from her heavily pregnant wife, Wren's obsession with finding a missing girl may tear her family apart...

What did I think?

Part way through I thought I had A Ruined Girl all worked out; a few minutes from the end, I was just doing a celebratory dance around the ring when Kate Simants landed a right hook and a knockout blow that wiped the smug look off my face.  A Ruined Girl is an absolute cracker of a novel; it's fast-paced and gripping with a dark and gritty storyline that grabbed me from the start and didn't let go until I had turned the final page.

The story opens with a girl being buried in the woods by a boy and a man.  The boy is so tender with the body that it is clear that he has deep feelings for the girl.  Of course you then wonder why he killed her, or helped to kill her.  Why else would he be burying her in the woods?

Rob is a prisoner eligible for the Community Atonement Programme, whereby he meets and apologises to those affected by the crime that saw him sent to prison.  Rob and Paige, a young girl from a care home who later disappeared, were seen on CCTV after breaking into a house and stealing a valuable bracelet.  Rob went to prison and Paige has never been found.  Wren Reynolds is Rob's probation officer and she has the unenviable job of taking Rob to meet his victims.  With what happened to Paige being the big question on everyone's lips, Wren can't help digging into the past even when it puts a strain on her family life.

Switching between 'Before' and 'Now' we get glimpses into the past where Rob's brother, Luke, is in the same care home as Paige.  Luke is obsessed with Paige, watching her movements and buying her gifts, and it's much more than a harmless teenage crush.  It tells you in the blurb that two boys loved her and one of them killed her, but I couldn't decide between Rob and Luke.  A burglary gone wrong or hormones gone crazy?

Both the before and now storylines had me absolutely gripped.  I wanted to find out about events leading up to Paige's disappearance but I also wanted to put together the pieces of the puzzle with Wren.  I loved Wren's character; she makes so many mistakes that I felt like slapping my forehead every time she did something stupid, I even hissed through my teeth and said 'noooooo' on one occasion.  Her emotions are running high with taking on such a high profile case while her partner is about to give birth.  She does seem to have bitten off more than she can chew and if she's not careful she might end up losing her job as well as her family.

Perfectly plotted, A Ruined Girl is dark, disturbing and completely compelling.  Kate Simants is definitely one to watch and I can't wait to read more of her books.  

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Life Ruins - Danuta Kot

In a small northern town, girls are disappearing.

You won’t see it in the papers and the police aren’t taking any notice, but the clues are there if you know where to look.

Becca sees that something is wrong, but she’s been labelled ‘difficult’ thanks to her troubled past. So when a girl is so savagely beaten she can’t be identified, and Becca claims she knows who she is, no one will believe her.

With the police refusing to listen, Becca digs for evidence that will prove what she is saying. But her search for justice will put herself and those closest to her in danger – and once she finds the truth, will anyone even listen?

What did I think?

I love the cover of this book; it's so bleak and menacing and perfectly portrays the theme of Life Ruins.  I was completely mesmerised by Danuta Kot's poetic writing from the very first page where she brought the dramatic and dangerous East Yorkshire coastline to life and from that point on, I simply couldn't put this book down.

There are three very intriguing main characters in Life Ruins, that all have interesting back stories.  Kay is a recently widowed foster carer adjusting to life on her own, Becca is her tempestuous foster daughter taking her first few steps into independence and Jared is a troubled young man recovering from an accident.  How their stories intertwine is simply sublime and I read in open eyed awe as the story unfolded, with my heart pounding and my palms sweating as I approached the breathtaking conclusion at breakneck speed.

The story is set in Bridlington, a seaside town on the East Yorkshire coast.  Gone are the days when families would flock to the seaside towns of the UK for their summer holidays and a lot of towns have become run-down because of this.  With no money coming in from tourists, shops close down and the vulnerable people move in.  There is a line in Life Ruins about this that took my breath away and made all the hairs stand up on the back of my neck:  "If you populate an area with prey, the predators will not be far behind."

I found Danuta Kot's writing to be very visual in quite a unique way; not only did she perfectly set out the scene's appearance but she also manages to portray the feelings of the characters.  Not only the characters' emotions, but I sometimes felt as if the landscape itself had hidden emotions that only Danuta Kot could reveal through her vivid imagery.

I think it is a little misleading to say that Life Ruins is a debut novel as Danuta Kot has written books under the names of Danuta Reah and Carla Banks.  I'm pleased it mentioned this in the 'About the author' note below as I'll definitely be adding some of her previous books to my reading queue based on the outstanding quality of Life Ruins.

Tense and gripping, Life Ruins is a powerful, thought-provoking read that perfectly encapsulates the despair and desolation of a run-down town as the predators move in for their prey.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Danuta Kot grew up with stories. Her Irish mother and her Polish father kept their own cultures alive with traditional tales they shared with their children. For many years, she worked with young people in Yorkshire who were growing up in the aftermath of sudden industrial decline. She uses this background in her books to explore some of the issues that confront modern, urban society: poverty, alienation and social breakdown, using the contexts of the modern crime novel. She has previously written under the names, Danuta Reah and Carla Banks. Danuta was also a former chair of the Crime Writers’ Association. She now works as a senior education consultant, work that involves travel to establish education and training in other parts of the world. She is a regular academic speaker at conferences and literary festivals, and has appeared on radio and television. 

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All the Good Things - Clare Fisher

What if you did a very bad thing... but that wasn't the end of the story?

Twenty-one year old Beth is in prison. The thing she did is so bad she doesn't deserve ever to feel good again.

But her counsellor, Erika, won't give up on her. She asks Beth to make a list of all the good things in her life. So Beth starts to write down her story, from sharing silences with Foster Dad No. 1, to flirting in the Odeon on Orange Wednesdays, to the very first time she sniffed her baby's head.

But at the end of her story, Beth must confront the bad thing.

What is the truth hiding behind her crime? And does anyone - even a 100% bad person - deserve a chance to be good?

What did I think?

I've had All the Good Things on my TBR for far too long and I only picked it up by chance when I was looking for a book thin enough to fit in my bag for a long train journey.  I expected to read a handful of chapters then gaze out of the train window at the scenery whizzing by, but as soon as I picked up this book I was lost.  It's just as well the train terminated at my destination or I would have ended up somewhere completely unexpected as I turned the final page of this book.

The whole premise is breathtakingly simple as Beth, an inmate in a prison, lists all of the good things that have happened to her in her life.  Now, this might seem like an easy task to you or me, but to someone like Beth with her tragic life she has to dig a bit deeper to list her good things.  Always hovering in the background, as we read Beth's story, is the bad thing she has done.  It's not difficult to guess what it is, but as I got to know Beth, I hoped with all my heart that I was wrong.

Clare Fisher is a magnificent storyteller, creating a terribly flawed but completely believable character in Beth who I very easily began to care about.  I felt so emotionally involved in the ups and downs of Beth's story that I dreaded getting to the part that landed her in prison.  As if she could read my mind, Clare Fisher sprinkled a glimmer of hope and forgiveness into the story to help me cope with this awful but inevitable revelation.

I am completely flabbergasted that this is a debut novel; the writing is so polished and accomplished and Clare Fisher manages to make you feel everything that the main character of Beth is feeling.  It surprised me how emotional I found this book, although I didn't cry I felt as if I was experiencing all of Beth's emotions with her.  The characterisation is so multidimensional that Beth jumps from the page and she stayed with me long after I turned the final page.  All the Good Things is a completely stunning and entirely flawless debut.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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The Foster Child - Jenny Blackhurst

When child psychologist Imogen Reid takes on the case of 11-year-old Ellie Atkinson, she refuses to listen to warnings that the girl is dangerous.

Ellie was the only survivor of a fire that killed her family. Imogen is convinced she's just a sad and angry child struggling to cope with her loss.

But Ellie's foster parents and teachers are starting to fear her. When she gets upset, bad things seem to happen. And as Imogen gets closer to Ellie, she may be putting herself in danger...

What did I think?

Having read everything she has published, I already love Jenny Blackhurst's books so I knew what I was letting myself in for when I picked up The Foster Child.  Jenny writes books that draw you in immediately and you simply can't put them down and The Foster Child is no different.  I positively whizzed through this with a few late nights of reading and I'm surprised I managed to sleep without nightmares as this creepy book well and truly got under my skin.

I love the two main characters of Imogen and Ellie, who are both damaged by less than perfect childhoods.  They have so much in common that it's no wonder that child psychologist, Imogen, is drawn to foster child, Ellie, when she is allocated her case.  It often felt like the whole town (creepily named Gaunt) was against 11 year old, Ellie; with children, mothers and teachers whispering in corners and branding her a witch.  Strange things do seem to happen when Ellie gets upset and, as much as I looked for a logical explanation, I did have the awful feeling that something supernatural was going on in Gaunt.

My mind was twisting itself into knots as I tried to explain how the bad things were happening.  Everything points towards Ellie having some kind of psychokinesis power but that's something that would only appear in an X-Men movie...isn't it?

This dark, disturbing and intensely creepy thriller will have you up all night, one way or another; you will either be unable to put it down or you will have nightmares!  The Foster Child is another cracking psychological thriller from the super-talented Jenny Blackhurst; you really don't want to miss this one or Ellie will really be mad...

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Only in Whispers - Jacqueline Grima

A forgotten past

An uncertain future

A family hiding from the truth

When their mother is hospitalised with depression, Annie and her brother Matthew are fostered by their beloved Aunt Helen. Their family eventually reunited, the siblings begin a new life in Derbyshire with their mother and new stepfather.

Now in her thirties and separated from her husband, Annie is struggling to escape the past and move forward with her son. Haunted by memories of her childhood, she begins to realise that there may have been more to her time in foster care than her mother claims. Why did social services take her and Matthew away? Who can she trust to tell her what really happened?

As Annie finds out more, things take a sinister turn…has the life she’s lived so far been a lie?

What did I think?

Now this is what I call a family drama.  Not only does Annie have to contend with the separation from her husband but she is haunted by a past that she can't explain and her family seem loathe to discuss it.  Annie is such a likeable character that I felt immediately intrigued and keen to find out more.

I don't envy Annie's situation one bit.  She is separated from her husband, David, yet lives in a house that he owns; the fact that it is an old police house was not lost on me as it definitely felt that Annie was being imprisoned by David - he even has a key and comes and goes as he pleases.  It felt quite claustrophobic when the police house was described so eloquently by Jacqueline Grima and I felt more than a little creeped out at the thought of David pouring himself into the foundations.  He is obviously a very controlling man and Annie needs to cut those bonds that tie her to him.

I love how Annie is so close to her younger brother, Matthew.  The pair had a difficult childhood when social services took them away from their mother and they went to live with their Aunt Helen.  Annie remembers visiting her mother in hospital just after Matthew was born and her mother being there but not there, clearly suffering from post natal depression.  What Annie doesn't know is how and why social services got involved and why she feel so disturbed at remembering the old concrete stairs outside their family flat.  With Matthew and his wife expecting their first baby, some of Annie's memories come back - but will her mother ever tell her the truth?

Only in Whispers is so intriguing that I raced through the pages.  I loved the fact that Annie had to deal with her controlling husband, David, whilst struggling to grasp at wispy memories of the past.  The way that the memories came back to her were described so vividly that they could have almost been my own memories; I was so emotionally invested in Annie's story that I read the final few pages with a lump in my throat.  Only in Whispers is an outstanding debut, full of dark family secrets and surprising heartfelt emotion.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Jacqueline Grima has recently completed an MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her creative work has appeared in a variety of publications and, in 2014, she was shortlisted for the Luke Bitmead Bursary Award. Only in Whispers is her first novel. 

Follow Jacqueline on Twitter @GrimaJgrima and read her blog at www.jacquelinegrima.wordpress.com

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BLOG BLITZ: Finding Eva - J. A. Baker

Eva is desperate to find her birth parents after spending her childhood in foster care. She leaves London and heads to Whitby in search of her mother and father, after breaking up with her boyfriend, Gareth.

Gareth is furious with Eva. He loved her deeply and the disclosure she made when she ended the relationship is eating away at him.

Celia, Eva’s friend, is concerned about Eva. She has stopped answering her calls and when Celia goes to London to find her, she realises Eva has moved without telling anyone. Celia makes the decision to follow Eva to Whitby, concerned that Eva is unravelling. Both women have been damaged by their childhoods.

When Gareth also decides to go to Whitby, it is the start of a lethal situation. 

Who exactly is Eva and why is Celia so concerned?

Some relationships are toxic. Others are deadly.


What did I think?

Finding Eva is J.A. Baker's fourth novel and I found myself horrified that I seem to have missed one, something I shall need to rectify immediately.  It is only 18 months or so since J.A. Baker released her debut, Undercurrent, so it is amazing that she is currently working on her fifth novel.  What a writing machine!  So I couldn't wait to see what Finding Eva is all about.

Eva has left London and headed North to find her birth parents.  Eva has left under a cloud after breaking up with her boyfriend, Gareth, and not telling her best friend, Celia, that she was leaving.  So Gareth and Celia follow Eva to Whitby, both of them desperate to find Eva for very different reasons.  Gareth could kill Eva for what she did to him, and he just might if he gets his hands on her, but what did she do?  I certainly couldn't read fast enough to find out!  Celia, meanwhile, is quite another matter and she really creeped me out.  She sees herself as Eva's soul sister as they were both brought up in care, but with similarities in appearance, it is clear that Celia doesn't just want to be like Eva, she wants to be her.  Creepy!

With Gareth and Celia chasing down Eva, the story is told from these 3 different perspectives.  Each character has their own motivations which taints their point of view so it's up to the reader to decide which one is nearest to the truth.  I really felt for Eva as she just wants to meet her birth parents and find out why they gave her away but, after reading the first chapter, I also worried whether she had some ulterior motive for visiting Whitby.

There's always a keen sense of place in J.A. Baker's novels and Finding Eva is no exception, set on the cold and wet cobbled streets of Whitby, a little fishing village in North Yorkshire.  The setting seems to add to the suspense as Eva finds nowhere to hide, despite there being plenty of narrow alleyways and lots of people visiting during the famous goth weekend.  

I found this book a little darker and more menacing than J.A. Baker's previous novels but there is so much suspense that it's virtually impossible to put down.  Finding Eva is chilling, suspenseful, dark and menacing; it's another superb book by J.A. Baker.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

J. A. Baker is a writer and reader of psychological thrillers. She was born in the North East of England too long ago to mention and has four children and a grandchild.

Her first book, Undercurrent, was published by Bloodhound Books in December 2017. Two more books followed – Her Dark Retreat and The Other Mother, all of which made it into the Amazon Kindle Top 100.

She still resides in the North East with her husband Richard and dog, Theo. She lives in a village in County Durham. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening and meeting up with friends and family.

She is working on her fifth book which will be published in December this year.

Links:

Website -www.jabakerauthor.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com.thewriterjude/

Twitter - www.twitter.com/thewriterjude

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The Abattoir of Dreams - Mark Tilbury

The past is never far away.

Michael Tate has not had an easy life. With his father in prison, and his mother dead, Michael was sent to Woodside Children’s Home.

Now an adult, Michael wakes up in hospital from a coma suffering from amnesia and paralysis. Confused and terrified, he is charged with the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, Becky. He also learns he attempted to end his own life.

Detective Inspector John Carver is determined that Michael is sent to prison.

With no way of defending himself, Michael is left in his hospital bed awaiting transfer to remand.

But then strange things begin to happen and his childhood comes back to haunt him.

Can Michael ever escape the past?

Will he ever discover the truth about Becky’s murder?

And why is DI Carver so eager to make him suffer?

The Abattoir of Dreams is a bitter sweet story of murder, innocence and abuse.

What did I think?

A lot of readers were excited when Abattoir of Dreams came out and having read it, I can see why.  I chose this as my kindle loan book for the month but I wouldn't have hesitated to buy a copy just to get my hands on it to find out what everyone was raving about.

Michael Tate is in hospital with amnesia, accused of killing his girlfriend, Becky.  Although he has no memory of events, he must have done it as everyone tells him so.  In order to escape capture after killing Becky, he apparently jumped off the roof of his building and is left paralysed from the waist down.  Lying in his hospital bed, he thinks he must have overdone the painkillers when he sees an emergency door appear in his room.  A door that only he can see.  Where did it come from and where does it go to?

As an invisible force lifts him from his bed, puts him gently in the wheelchair and pushes the emergency door open, Michael is wheeled back to his past.  Think Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, except Michael doesn't know who has come back to visit him - who desperately wants him to remember what happened in the past?

WOW!  What an AMAZING book.  I knew it would be good, as all the book bloggers said it was, but I didn't expect it to be THIS good.  It went in directions I never expected, breaking my heart in two at times and had tears rolling down my face in laughter at others.  I can't look at a catflap without bursting into fits of laughter, imagining Michael and his friend, Liam, crawling through.

Michael had such a hard life and the friendship he forged with Liam saved his life on more than one occasion.  It just shows that no matter how bad your circumstances, something good can come out of adversity.  Not that I am condoning what happened to Michael and Liam, but the friendship that the boys had was second to none.  They helped each other more than they can ever imagine and my heart swelled with feeling for both of them.

I loved the tangible flashbacks in The Abattoir of Dreams.  It felt like two books in one, both equally as good as the other, so a bumper prize for anyone who reads it.  Who is the ghost of Michael's past?  I couldn't have told you straight away as I had to read the end twice with crying so much!  Michael's story really got under my skin and I admit to finding it difficult reading at times.  The world is indeed cruel.

Awesome, heartbreaking and amazing The Abattoir of Dreams is a spectacular book that should not be missed.  Completely unique and unusual; I was completely enthralled from start to finish.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: My Name is Leon - Kit de Waal

I am delighted to re-release my 5🌟 review on my stop of the My Name is Leon blog tour.  This is one of those books that stay with you long after you have turned the final page; several months after I read it, I still have a little home in my heart for Leon.  If you're looking to read something uplifting, poignant and funny, make sure you don't miss My Name is Leon.

A brother chosen. A brother left behind. And a family where you'd least expect to find one.

Leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called Jake. They have gone to live with Maureen, who has fuzzy red hair like a halo, and a belly like Father Christmas. But the adults are speaking in low voices, and wearing Pretend faces. They are threatening to give Jake to strangers. Since Jake is white and Leon is not.

As Leon struggles to cope with his anger, certain things can still make him smile - like Curly Wurlys, riding his bike fast downhill, burying his hands deep in the soil, hanging out with Tufty (who reminds him of his dad), and stealing enough coins so that one day he can rescue Jake and his mum.

Evoking a Britain of the early eighties, My Name is Leon is a heart-breaking story of love, identity and learning to overcome unbearable loss. Of the fierce bond between siblings. And how - just when we least expect it - we manage to find our way home.

What did I think?

This book should come with a packet of tissues; I felt so emotionally invested in this book and completely engrossed in Leon's story that I kept thinking about it long after I had turned the final page.

Leon is almost 9 years old and already he is acting as a carer for his baby brother, Jake, and his mother, Carol. As it becomes clear that his mother cannot look after Leon and Jake, or even herself, Leon and Jake are taken into care. So they pack their meagre belongings and go to live with Maureen, their foster carer.  Maureen has fostered lots of children and she welcomes each and every one of them into her home and loves them as if they were her own children.  With Maureen opening her heart to Leon and Jake so unconditionally, I immediately knew that they were in good and safe hands.

I thought my heart would break when Leon kept wondering when his mother would come back for them but as Carol shows no signs of getting back on her feet, it is not long before Jake is adopted and Leon is left feeling understandably bereft. When Maureen is suddenly taken ill it is her sister, Sylvia, who steps in to look after Leon. As Leon struggles to fit in to his ever-changing environment he rides his bike to the local allotments and makes some unlikely friends - a strange bunch of people who are all struggling to fit in and find that, in the end, they just might all fit together perfectly like the missing pieces of a jigsaw.

My Name is Leon is a wonderful advert for foster caring; it's a beautiful story that reminds us that 'family' can come in all guises, not just those we are related to by blood. We hear so many horror stories on the news that it is so refreshing to read a heartwarming, lovely story like this.  I cried at the beginning, middle and end as Leon's plight is an all too common occurrence.  Kit de Waal, in her astonishing debut, has done an amazing job of giving each of her characters a strong and completely unique voice; from Leon's hilarious innocence to Maureen's inexhaustible love.  Such varied and unique characters who inevitably managed to set up house and make a little home in my heart.

Written with such breathtaking tenderness, My Name is Leon is an emotional, poignant, heartwarming story filled with innocent humour and, above all, hope.

I received this book from the publisher, Penguin, in exchange for an honest review.

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