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sarah_lo's review
5.0
A very clever insight into the life of Helen growing up.
The more I learn about her, the more I love her and just want to give her a cuddle. I’m fairly certain she’s kick my ass though.
The more I learn about her, the more I love her and just want to give her a cuddle. I’m fairly certain she’s kick my ass though.
jadetxx's review
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kumara's review
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
court_sport's review
5.0
Fast-paced and pretty dark, even for Arlidge. Definitely a valuable little addition to the series.
shannonreadss's review
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I probably should've seen that ending coming but because of the names it just didn't add up for me. For a novella this was definitely a good twist and it's nice to have some more backstory.
herreadingroom's review
4.0
Another belter from MJ Arlidge who can do no literary wrong in my opinion. This is a super quick read but it’s as gripping as all his other books are, and gives ardent Helen Grace fans brilliant insight into her backstory.
ana21's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Rape, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Vomit
kalkie's review
3.0
I'm a huge fan of MJ Arlidge and have read and reviewed all his books released up until now. With the exception of one, I have loved them! I'm also eagerly awaiting the 6th book in the series - Hide and Seek - which is due to be released next month. So when I spotted on Twitter that there was a new short story out, I bought it straight away.
This is a prequel to the Helen Grace series, and as such really needs to be read after the main series of books in order to give the necessary background and context. Without wanting to give away too much about the stories in the series, it covers Helen's time in a children's home immediately following the death of her parents.
It's a very short book - 40 or so pages, which I read in about 20 minutes. But priced at 99p it's not the biggest financial outlay and it was an entertaining story. I could have done with it being longer - but that's only because I love Arlidge's writing so much and wanted to get more into the characters. But even at such a short length, it still packs a punch.
This review was originally posted on Babs' Bookshelf
This is a prequel to the Helen Grace series, and as such really needs to be read after the main series of books in order to give the necessary background and context. Without wanting to give away too much about the stories in the series, it covers Helen's time in a children's home immediately following the death of her parents.
It's a very short book - 40 or so pages, which I read in about 20 minutes. But priced at 99p it's not the biggest financial outlay and it was an entertaining story. I could have done with it being longer - but that's only because I love Arlidge's writing so much and wanted to get more into the characters. But even at such a short length, it still packs a punch.
This review was originally posted on Babs' Bookshelf