Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
emotional
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Shelley wakes up in a hospital bed, she believes that her husband has pushed her down the stairs. He has a history of being violent towards her and Shelley is scared. The medical staff are really supportive but seem reluctant to tell Shelley anything, only her friend Dee and the kind volunteer, Matt, reassure her. Then Shelley discovers that it's not 2017 as she thought, but 2024, what has happened in the seven years she is missing?
Pearson's books are very gentle and easy to read and here she deals with a sensitive topic in a sympathetic way. By placing Shelley's experiences in a memory situation, the violence is not graphic but is hard-hitting and the writing does not downplay anything. In the end the book is supportive and I can forgive the very 'fairytale' ending.
Pearson's books are very gentle and easy to read and here she deals with a sensitive topic in a sympathetic way. By placing Shelley's experiences in a memory situation, the violence is not graphic but is hard-hitting and the writing does not downplay anything. In the end the book is supportive and I can forgive the very 'fairytale' ending.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Laura Pearson has done it again. What a cracker of a book.
Shelley wakes up in hospital after a coma and just knows that it's her husband David who caused her to be there but the police won't come for a statement and the hospital staff behave strangely towards her questions. Shelley is determined to regain her memory and piece together what really happened, with the support of her best friend Dee and that nice volunteer Matt who can't seem to stay away.
There is a plot twist so brilliantly clever that it puts the whole story on its head and allows us to see much more of Shelley's journey than we would have thought, and to give the story the perfect happy ending for everyone involved.
There is a lot about domestic abuse in the book, and Shelley is not the only victim. It all starts with her mother, when Shelley is young, and it defined her life. We get the whole story in alternating Then and Now chapters. This book shows that you can break the cycle, that it's never your fault and that good men also exist.
Highly recommended Kindle Unlimited title/author. Laura Pearson is clearly going from strength to strength.
Shelley wakes up in hospital after a coma and just knows that it's her husband David who caused her to be there but the police won't come for a statement and the hospital staff behave strangely towards her questions. Shelley is determined to regain her memory and piece together what really happened, with the support of her best friend Dee and that nice volunteer Matt who can't seem to stay away.
There is a plot twist so brilliantly clever that it puts the whole story on its head and allows us to see much more of Shelley's journey than we would have thought, and to give the story the perfect happy ending for everyone involved.
There is a lot about domestic abuse in the book, and Shelley is not the only victim. It all starts with her mother, when Shelley is young, and it defined her life. We get the whole story in alternating Then and Now chapters. This book shows that you can break the cycle, that it's never your fault and that good men also exist.
Highly recommended Kindle Unlimited title/author. Laura Pearson is clearly going from strength to strength.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Pregnancy
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Shelley Woodhouse wakes up from a coma with injuries she claims to have sustained after a violent confrontation with her husband. With only Dee, her friend and coworker from the pub Shelley runs, and a kind hospital volunteer named Matt as her only outside visitors, she doesn’t have much input into what is going on outside her hospital room. She is surprised that the police haven't approached her for a statement and the hospital staff and Dee aren't giving straight answers to her probing questions. Despite her conviction about the events that led to her hospitalization, she senses that something is off, compounded by flashes of memories that seem unreal to her. As the narrative progresses, we follow Shelley as she tries to reclaim her memories and fill in the blank spaces, embarking on a journey of hope and healing in order to move forward.
The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up by Laura Pearson is a well-written novel that delves into the issue of domestic violence and how the same impacts not only victims but also their friends and family members. The story emphasizes the importance of a support system for those who carry the emotional scars of abuse long after their physical wounds might have healed. The author paints a heartbreaking picture of the social and emotional factors that prevent victims from breaking the cycle of domestic violence. This is a sensitive issue and the author addresses it with maturity and compassion. The narrative is presented from past and present timelines – “Then” and “Now”- in alternating chapters. The past timeline allows us to get to know more about Shelley’s backstory, her childhood and the events leading up to her hospitalization while the present timeline follows Shelley as she interacts with those around her. The author deftly weaves the two timelines into a well-paced fluid narrative. Shelley is an endearing protagonist who you would not hesitate to cheer on, though you might question a few of her choices. It was heartbreaking reading about Shelley’s pain and confusion, but you have to admire her resolve and her kindness toward others. The supporting characters are well-fleshed-out (even those you would be inclined to dislike). There was one particular aspect revealed toward the end of the novel that I found terribly unrealistic and virtually impossible in the real world, but I’ll refrain from going on about that here (despite my eye-rolling and vigorous head-shaking reaction to the same). I wasn’t completely surprised by a few of the revelations (there were enough hints strewn throughout the narrative) but I did enjoy following Shelley’s journey and was happy that the author chose to end the story on a positive note.
"Whether you’re aware of it or not, you all know women whose lives have been affected by domestic violence."
This is my second time reading Laura Pearson after The Last List of Mabel Beaumont, which I loved, and I’m eager to read more from her in the future. Many thanks to the publisher for the digital copy of the short story A Chance Encounter which as the name suggests revolves around a chance meeting between Shelley and a character we met in Mabel’s story.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on April 6, 2024.
The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up by Laura Pearson is a well-written novel that delves into the issue of domestic violence and how the same impacts not only victims but also their friends and family members. The story emphasizes the importance of a support system for those who carry the emotional scars of abuse long after their physical wounds might have healed. The author paints a heartbreaking picture of the social and emotional factors that prevent victims from breaking the cycle of domestic violence. This is a sensitive issue and the author addresses it with maturity and compassion. The narrative is presented from past and present timelines – “Then” and “Now”- in alternating chapters. The past timeline allows us to get to know more about Shelley’s backstory, her childhood and the events leading up to her hospitalization while the present timeline follows Shelley as she interacts with those around her. The author deftly weaves the two timelines into a well-paced fluid narrative. Shelley is an endearing protagonist who you would not hesitate to cheer on, though you might question a few of her choices. It was heartbreaking reading about Shelley’s pain and confusion, but you have to admire her resolve and her kindness toward others. The supporting characters are well-fleshed-out (even those you would be inclined to dislike). There was one particular aspect revealed toward the end of the novel that I found terribly unrealistic and virtually impossible in the real world, but I’ll refrain from going on about that here (despite my eye-rolling and vigorous head-shaking reaction to the same). I wasn’t completely surprised by a few of the revelations (there were enough hints strewn throughout the narrative) but I did enjoy following Shelley’s journey and was happy that the author chose to end the story on a positive note.
"Whether you’re aware of it or not, you all know women whose lives have been affected by domestic violence."
This is my second time reading Laura Pearson after The Last List of Mabel Beaumont, which I loved, and I’m eager to read more from her in the future. Many thanks to the publisher for the digital copy of the short story A Chance Encounter which as the name suggests revolves around a chance meeting between Shelley and a character we met in Mabel’s story.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on April 6, 2024.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated