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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
justice for sally, you do not deserve anyone being mean to you, ever
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS -
I can’t believe I didn’t know about this book sooner and am so glad I found it in a charity shop and read the blurb and was HOOKED! Sally’s character at first reminded me a bit of Eleanor Oliphant which is another one of my favourite books, but of course with way more dark undertones. I don’t even know where to start with this book! I was fully wrapped up in the world and couldn’t ever wait to pick it up and struggled to put it down. I was never bored and always looked forward to reading it and it was a real page turner. It’s probably the most dark book I’ve ever read, with Peter’s younger dialogue being the most disturbing to me, especially when he was talking about kicking his pregnant mother. Crazy and sad how messed up a child can be due to the circumstances. I like the dual aspect of the novel being told through Sally and Peter, and how they were unveiling information at the same time it made the book extremely tense. At one point I thought Mark was Peter, but that wasn’t the plot twist. I’m not sure about the ending. I think the podcast email was a bit naff and a bit random and unexpected, but I also don’t know how I wanted the book to end up either. I get something needed to come out to show the world that Peter is guilty, but a crime podcast in such a serious book idk? I felt like it should have been a tip off from someone at work or his daughter herself somehow I just don’t know. Maybe it was a comment on true crime lovers being a bit intense or perhaps a comment on how journalism can help a case I don’t know? I liked that the book made me feel for different characters at different times. I started to show Peter sympathy when he started finding out the truth about his dad, and hoped he would do the right thing and really thought that was where it was going, but of course he didn’t know any better and that is not where it was going and is clearly a statement on how without psychological help the bad nurture of a child stays. So when he didn’t go to the police and that fear he was going to prison was instilled in him (even though I’m not sure he would have if he went straight away) I was annoyed and I was annoyed he didn’t get what was coming for him. I was annoyed that he made Sally’s progress go back, so in the book review question of did the characters progress, yes they did but by the end of the book she was pretending to be deaf again which was such a sad ending, I have optimism that after some space alone after covid she would have reflected and come back stronger. I liked watching Sally’s character develop and thought she was such a well written character, it also reminded me a bit of poor things of a child’s brain in an adult world. It was also saddening to hear that Tom Diamond (Sally’s adoptive dad) was abusive to her adoptive mum. So yeah, overall plot for if I forget - a very disturbing book about a man who kidnapped an 11 year old, impregnated her with Peter, took Peter away from her and raised him to believe he had a disease that if people touched him he would die (obviously sounds ridiculous to us but it shows his child like state for believing it and again shows the psychology that if you never see other humans you will believe anything), then she was pregnant but with a girl so the dad wasn’t interested. A robber broke in (wish there was more detail on this actually) and heard Denise Norton saying who she was, the robber told people in prisons and word got round and reported to the police. In this time Conor and Peter escaped to New Zealand. He then also kidnapped a girl there and raped her and said it was a friend for peter. Peter then crashed a car and the dad died but he kept the girl and she ended up falling in love with him and having a baby but he got rid of the baby because he knew he wouldn’t be able to look after it. Then he saw all the news of Sally Diamond and came to find her in Ireland.
4.5 Stars
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"Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died..."
This is a really good book. People seem to be lowering their ratings because - so I do see why it can be a disappointment, it made me reflect and the story holds an even greater impact.
The main character, Sally, is just fantastic. I'd advise checking Trigger Warnings on this one as it tackles some heavy stuff, but along with some dark humour and excellent writing, I think it's done really well.
Few too many characters for me to keep up with, but it's not to bad if you just 'float along' with the story, since the important characters do reappear lol. Found myself relating to some situations in the book particularly around social awkwardness and understanding the right thing to say!
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"Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died..."
This is a really good book. People seem to be lowering their ratings because
Spoiler
the ending isn't a happy one. The problem is, situations like this often aren't. I think although disappointing for Sally as we come to know and love her as a character, it was a good idea to choose ending the book on a relapse / low note. It more closely mirrors life.The main character, Sally, is just fantastic. I'd advise checking Trigger Warnings on this one as it tackles some heavy stuff, but along with some dark humour and excellent writing, I think it's done really well.
Few too many characters for me to keep up with, but it's not to bad if you just 'float along' with the story, since the important characters do reappear lol. Found myself relating to some situations in the book particularly around social awkwardness and understanding the right thing to say!
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dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book and how the past and present plot lines were interwoven. The ending left me feeling hollow especially since Lindy never got proper justice. Stockholm Syndrome fully took hold of her and it made me so sad that she lost the will to escape even when she finally could. I understand the trauma Peter went through but I was hoping he would come to a revelation about his darkness and how he’s not actually quite so different from his dad. The last chapter of his discussing his thoughts about kidnapping again was chilling. so -1/2 star although given the darkness of situations like these in real life, it’s fair that’s there’s not truly a “happy ending”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Kidnapping
Moderate: Racism, Car accident, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic