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paulabrandon's review against another edition
3.0
This was predictable and very silly, but I read it in one go and it kept me interested. More a 2.5 rounded up to 3.
Francesca is at a memorial service for her husband, who was murdered about 18 months earlier. She's approached by a handsome stranger who tells her the death was no mugging-gone-wrong. In fact, he was the victim of an anti-abortion terrorist group, and he's not the only victim. Even worse, the rumour is that Francesca's own father is the head of this terrorist group! Oh no!
The silliness begins when Francesca simply doesn't go to the police with this information, and instead blabs her suspicions to everybody in her family, despite being unsure if one of them is behind it. Then when she does tell the police, the silliness continues when they refuse to believe her. Four doctors who performed abortions are dead and the police won't consider any connection? Seemed unlikely to me.
This actually felt very YA (young adult) to me as Francesca and Harry intrepidly investigate the terrorist group, all while Francesca goes on and on and on about how much she fancies Harry, but can she trust him? Blah, blah, blah. So it wasn't surprising to learn that Sophie McKenzie used to write YA, and this is actually her last adult book (published in 2017), and she has since returned to writing YA. It's what she should probably stick with.
But the plot kept me entertained. It lacks many of the tropes common in so much modern thriller fiction these days, so it was a welcome change from the norm. I can put aside predictability and silliness if I'm having a good time.
Francesca is at a memorial service for her husband, who was murdered about 18 months earlier. She's approached by a handsome stranger who tells her the death was no mugging-gone-wrong. In fact, he was the victim of an anti-abortion terrorist group, and he's not the only victim. Even worse, the rumour is that Francesca's own father is the head of this terrorist group! Oh no!
The silliness begins when Francesca simply doesn't go to the police with this information, and instead blabs her suspicions to everybody in her family, despite being unsure if one of them is behind it. Then when she does tell the police, the silliness continues when they refuse to believe her. Four doctors who performed abortions are dead and the police won't consider any connection? Seemed unlikely to me.
This actually felt very YA (young adult) to me as Francesca and Harry intrepidly investigate the terrorist group, all while Francesca goes on and on and on about how much she fancies Harry, but can she trust him? Blah, blah, blah. So it wasn't surprising to learn that Sophie McKenzie used to write YA, and this is actually her last adult book (published in 2017), and she has since returned to writing YA. It's what she should probably stick with.
But the plot kept me entertained. It lacks many of the tropes common in so much modern thriller fiction these days, so it was a welcome change from the norm. I can put aside predictability and silliness if I'm having a good time.
meranisan's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
jimmyscott_31's review
1.0
First of all I want it to be known that this book, to a certain extent, gripped me. Today I read from page 195 to page 486 (291 pages) and I'm a slow reader. This book must have done something right.
I reckon, however, that it was the complete stupidity of the story which engulfed me. This story is ludicrous. It concerns the death of Fran's husband Caspian (which is the name of a local takeaway restaurant where I'm from. this book made me hungry.)
The plot is terrible and halfway through the novel something happens that throws the story off balance and makes it STINK.
The writing is lazy too -
"Ruby's voice is thick and blurry" (how can a voice be blurry?)
"Ruby is smiling too, though her eyes are still wide with fear" (I tried that smiling/fearful eye combination and it doesn't work. I look manic. This is bad writing)
"He turns to Ruby and gives her a huge wink" (a wink is just a wink, I believe. so what is a huge wink? This is a serious situation - I don't think the character is being sarcastic with his gigantic wink. what does this all mean?!)
In other instances, characters would quote exactly what others characters have said to them. People don't speak like that - I'm so confused.
The climax did it for me. I had to stop sometimes and hit myself across the head with this book. The characters are so repetitive and annoying and whiny. (and blurry.)
I've heard great things about Sophie McKenzie, but this outing was dire. There just seemed to be no passion and I don't care for no passion.
sorry Sophie.
I reckon, however, that it was the complete stupidity of the story which engulfed me. This story is ludicrous. It concerns the death of Fran's husband Caspian (which is the name of a local takeaway restaurant where I'm from. this book made me hungry.)
The plot is terrible and halfway through the novel something happens that throws the story off balance and makes it STINK.
The writing is lazy too -
"Ruby's voice is thick and blurry" (how can a voice be blurry?)
"Ruby is smiling too, though her eyes are still wide with fear" (I tried that smiling/fearful eye combination and it doesn't work. I look manic. This is bad writing)
"He turns to Ruby and gives her a huge wink" (a wink is just a wink, I believe. so what is a huge wink? This is a serious situation - I don't think the character is being sarcastic with his gigantic wink. what does this all mean?!)
In other instances, characters would quote exactly what others characters have said to them. People don't speak like that - I'm so confused.
The climax did it for me. I had to stop sometimes and hit myself across the head with this book. The characters are so repetitive and annoying and whiny. (and blurry.)
I've heard great things about Sophie McKenzie, but this outing was dire. There just seemed to be no passion and I don't care for no passion.
sorry Sophie.
the_coycaterpillar_reads's review against another edition
2.0
I really had high hopes for this book but it just fell flat for me unfortunately. Black Sheep is focussed around the events and the fallout after Francesca’s husband, Caspian is murdered in an apparently random attack. It deals with the effects within her close-knit Catholic family. Some reasons why it just didn’t work for me;
Flaky Character building.
We meet Francesca, a widowed mother of two. She is attending her deceased husband’s memorial service (he was murdered 16 months ago). She is approached by a stranger that flips her entire world upside down for the second time. The information that she receives from this man is that he had received threatening messages from someone that was close to them both. From this point forward she’s looking for any link to what he has told her, it also seems like since she got this information that everyone is know acting differently around her. She’s chasing ghosts, shadows in order to hold onto the possibility that her husbands murder wasn’t just random.
Her Sister Lucy, is a very nervous, timid character due to an event that happened in her youth. She still lives at home with their father and step-mother (decidedly odd). I found her behaviour to just be weird for someone of her age group and didn’t feel her character really brought any substance to the story.
Predictability
From the first few chapters I had worked out the endgame of the story. This was despite twists and turns taken within, it just didn’t provide the shock factor that I think the author was looking to portray. The story was often very slow and points and unfortunately, I found myself thinking that I wish I was reading something else. I also think that the author wanted the subject matter to be controversial, maybe even a bit taboo but for me personally it didn’t have that desired effect. But, it could be a trigger novel for many people. I think it just lacked that Punch!
The Writing was disjointed
Although the main character had suffered such incredible loss, I didn’t really feel any real feeling for her. I wasn’t really feeling connected to any of the characters, which is a real pity as the story as a whole had huge potential. The strongest character, from a written perspective was the best friend Ayesha. The other characters just lacked depth. The paragraphs felt repetitive and in places quite contradictory.
Overall, I just think this book promised more than it delivered which is a real shame.
2 Stars
Flaky Character building.
We meet Francesca, a widowed mother of two. She is attending her deceased husband’s memorial service (he was murdered 16 months ago). She is approached by a stranger that flips her entire world upside down for the second time. The information that she receives from this man is that he had received threatening messages from someone that was close to them both. From this point forward she’s looking for any link to what he has told her, it also seems like since she got this information that everyone is know acting differently around her. She’s chasing ghosts, shadows in order to hold onto the possibility that her husbands murder wasn’t just random.
Her Sister Lucy, is a very nervous, timid character due to an event that happened in her youth. She still lives at home with their father and step-mother (decidedly odd). I found her behaviour to just be weird for someone of her age group and didn’t feel her character really brought any substance to the story.
Predictability
From the first few chapters I had worked out the endgame of the story. This was despite twists and turns taken within, it just didn’t provide the shock factor that I think the author was looking to portray. The story was often very slow and points and unfortunately, I found myself thinking that I wish I was reading something else. I also think that the author wanted the subject matter to be controversial, maybe even a bit taboo but for me personally it didn’t have that desired effect. But, it could be a trigger novel for many people. I think it just lacked that Punch!
The Writing was disjointed
Although the main character had suffered such incredible loss, I didn’t really feel any real feeling for her. I wasn’t really feeling connected to any of the characters, which is a real pity as the story as a whole had huge potential. The strongest character, from a written perspective was the best friend Ayesha. The other characters just lacked depth. The paragraphs felt repetitive and in places quite contradictory.
Overall, I just think this book promised more than it delivered which is a real shame.
2 Stars
xmaxime's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book was really interesting as this the first book of this genre that I have read. I found it gripped me from the very beginning which does not happen a lot with the books that i read although I found that the storyline quite far fetched and didn't entice me that much and the only reason I carried on reading till the end was to find out the murder. As well I found the writing to be really simple and a little bit lazy especially with a book like this where you need to pay attention to the small details and link each side storyline with main one and for me that did not happen if you read the book to the end you would been able to connect the dots back to Lucy as she had a motive whereas the part with Dex carrying out the murders does not seem right as he had no motive therefore making his addition to the murders not relevant.
I would read this book again although there are some definite plot holes
I would read this book again although there are some definite plot holes
charlotte97's review
dark
mysterious
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
4.5
Great book with many plot twists.
ellissej's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of plot twists, great character development. Definitely worth a read if you like thrillers!
leahblunden_'s review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
tonybreads_'s review against another edition
4.0
Yet another great thriller from Sophie McKenzie. Read my review on my blog here:
https://tonythereader.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/the-black-sheep.html.
https://tonythereader.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/the-black-sheep.html.