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A review by beckys_book_blog
Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was such a captivating, dark powerful and harrowing story (in places!) I absolutely loved it! A definite 5 🌟 read.
The story is narrated by 40 plus Sally who describes herself as 'socially deficient' and sometimes pretends to be deaf so she doesn't have to talk to anyone. Sally is a social recluse and finds it hard to conform to social conventions. On the day her dad dies she decides to burn him on the incinerator beside her house. This leads her to become the centre of media attention and Sally is forced to interact with the world outside for the first time. Slowly Sally starts to uncover that there were secrets to her past and horrors from her childhood that she can no longer ignore.
This book gripped me from the first page. I loved Sally and felt so sorry with her as she attempts to be 'normal' and conform with the people around her. I loved seeing her try to build a life for herself and make new friends. Some of the parts of the story from Sally's past are horrific but the story turns into a gripping psychological thriller and I couldn't stop reading (despite some disturbing chapters.) The writing is brilliant and each of the characters are fascinating. Prepare yourself for a dark, harrowing read and an emotional rollercoaster!
This is such an original and brilliant story. I loved Sally and she will stay with me for a long time. I have ordered all of Liz Nugent's previous books as I definitely think she's going to become one of my favourite new authors. This will definitely be one of my top books of the year.
The story is narrated by 40 plus Sally who describes herself as 'socially deficient' and sometimes pretends to be deaf so she doesn't have to talk to anyone. Sally is a social recluse and finds it hard to conform to social conventions. On the day her dad dies she decides to burn him on the incinerator beside her house. This leads her to become the centre of media attention and Sally is forced to interact with the world outside for the first time. Slowly Sally starts to uncover that there were secrets to her past and horrors from her childhood that she can no longer ignore.
This book gripped me from the first page. I loved Sally and felt so sorry with her as she attempts to be 'normal' and conform with the people around her. I loved seeing her try to build a life for herself and make new friends. Some of the parts of the story from Sally's past are horrific but the story turns into a gripping psychological thriller and I couldn't stop reading (despite some disturbing chapters.) The writing is brilliant and each of the characters are fascinating. Prepare yourself for a dark, harrowing read and an emotional rollercoaster!
This is such an original and brilliant story. I loved Sally and she will stay with me for a long time. I have ordered all of Liz Nugent's previous books as I definitely think she's going to become one of my favourite new authors. This will definitely be one of my top books of the year.