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mandylovestoread's review
4.0
Kat is a traveller, working around the country at fairs and carnivals. She is married to Jimmy who has turned into a controlling and abusive man. Her parents were killed in a fire and Jimmy is all she has.
After 16 years she finally escapes with her sister in law Ellie. All she has with her is a photo of her family with a strange note on the back. She has also recently discovered that she is pregnant.
Getting away from the life that they knew isn't easy for either of the women. They are always looking behind them and scared that the travellers will catch up with them.
Kat decides to look into the note on the back of the photo and begins to learn things about her past that she never knew.... and maybe she didn't want to know.
This is a dark story of physical and mental abuse and how it changes a person. It is a story of family and love. Kat was a wonderful, strong character that really tugged at the heart strings. A great book that I highly recommend.
After 16 years she finally escapes with her sister in law Ellie. All she has with her is a photo of her family with a strange note on the back. She has also recently discovered that she is pregnant.
Getting away from the life that they knew isn't easy for either of the women. They are always looking behind them and scared that the travellers will catch up with them.
Kat decides to look into the note on the back of the photo and begins to learn things about her past that she never knew.... and maybe she didn't want to know.
This is a dark story of physical and mental abuse and how it changes a person. It is a story of family and love. Kat was a wonderful, strong character that really tugged at the heart strings. A great book that I highly recommend.
lydiagrace1999's review
2.0
I thought I'd enjoy this read after looking over the reviews on here. However, I was left a little disappointed.
Don't get me wrong, the premise of the novel is good. A woman suffering at the hands of her husband, escaping that abusive life to live freely and away from harm- a better life for her and her daughter.
However, the writing style was lacking. It honestly felt like I was reading the same clichés over and over again. Kane had full opportunity to explore how Katelyn would handle pregnancy having only just escaped from her toxic household, but to completely skip ahead a year into the future between two chapters? Either Kane didn't feel this key part of the timeline was important, or she didn't know how to write about pregnancy whatsoever.
It was also surprising that Kane set the majority of the novel in Glasgow, seeming to be extremely close from the traveller site that Katelyn so desperately wanted to be as far away as possible from. If she was so scared of running into her husband and his gang, wouldn't it have been common sense to have moved further away?
I also found the speech in this novel to be really inconsistent. The only real Scottish/Glaswegian dialogue you found spoken was from those of lower classes (cleaners, manual workers). I had real issue with how Katelyn and other big characters like Helen and Elsa spoke to each other. They seemed at every given opportunity to launch themselves into paragraph-long soliloquies, which is definitely not how real people talk to each other in reality.
Overall, this book had so much potential, but so many factors meant that for me, it fell short of being a great novel.
Don't get me wrong, the premise of the novel is good. A woman suffering at the hands of her husband, escaping that abusive life to live freely and away from harm- a better life for her and her daughter.
However, the writing style was lacking. It honestly felt like I was reading the same clichés over and over again. Kane had full opportunity to explore how Katelyn would handle pregnancy having only just escaped from her toxic household, but to completely skip ahead a year into the future between two chapters? Either Kane didn't feel this key part of the timeline was important, or she didn't know how to write about pregnancy whatsoever.
It was also surprising that Kane set the majority of the novel in Glasgow, seeming to be extremely close from the traveller site that Katelyn so desperately wanted to be as far away as possible from. If she was so scared of running into her husband and his gang, wouldn't it have been common sense to have moved further away?
I also found the speech in this novel to be really inconsistent. The only real Scottish/Glaswegian dialogue you found spoken was from those of lower classes (cleaners, manual workers). I had real issue with how Katelyn and other big characters like Helen and Elsa spoke to each other. They seemed at every given opportunity to launch themselves into paragraph-long soliloquies, which is definitely not how real people talk to each other in reality.
Overall, this book had so much potential, but so many factors meant that for me, it fell short of being a great novel.
sarahs_bookish_life's review
5.0
Chasing The Traveller is very much a domestic noir story with a touch of suspense.
It’s weird to say you really enjoy a book especially due to the nature of the story being quite a dark one. I did though. I loved that the story line was to do with travellers as it gave me a bit of an insight into what life is like in that community, though I am sure it is very different to Kat and Jimmy’s.
Jimmy right from the off I disliked. He is a bully. A big manipulative one at that. No wonder Kat is in constant fear of him and was desperate to get away.
Kat is someone the reader really routes for. I wanted her to be able to move on with her life and to have the happiness she so much deserves. To start with Kat is like a frightened rabbit, she is very much struggling to get on with her life as she is constantly looking over her shoulder. I really enjoyed reading the thread to do with her family as not only was Kat discovering things about them but so are we. It certainly makes for some interesting reading.
Chasing The Traveller is a gripping read where the tension builds up the further into the book you get making it impossible to put down. Whilst the nature of the story is an uncomfortable one the author makes sure that Kat’s story keeps you turning the pages. Loved it and highly recommended.
It’s weird to say you really enjoy a book especially due to the nature of the story being quite a dark one. I did though. I loved that the story line was to do with travellers as it gave me a bit of an insight into what life is like in that community, though I am sure it is very different to Kat and Jimmy’s.
Jimmy right from the off I disliked. He is a bully. A big manipulative one at that. No wonder Kat is in constant fear of him and was desperate to get away.
Kat is someone the reader really routes for. I wanted her to be able to move on with her life and to have the happiness she so much deserves. To start with Kat is like a frightened rabbit, she is very much struggling to get on with her life as she is constantly looking over her shoulder. I really enjoyed reading the thread to do with her family as not only was Kat discovering things about them but so are we. It certainly makes for some interesting reading.
Chasing The Traveller is a gripping read where the tension builds up the further into the book you get making it impossible to put down. Whilst the nature of the story is an uncomfortable one the author makes sure that Kat’s story keeps you turning the pages. Loved it and highly recommended.
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