A review by xabbeylongx
Maybe tomorrow by Michael Wood

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

SPOILERS AHEAD
Book Review: 
First of all, this book made me tear up multiple times. It had such a heartfelt, emotional way of making the reader bond with the characters, especially those with disabilities. I just want to curl up and take them in my hand. We only got a few chapters with Alice, and yet, I was heartbroken when she was killed. When Anthony was arrested, or every time he was beaten in prison, I hated it. The plot twist was not something I saw coming until last minute, either. I’m not too mad about it, but I I would have thought we’d have had more of a clue as to who it was the entire time. I mean, I knew I had a bad feeling about Malcom, but I thought it would have been a main character, someone who we’ve seen a lot and bonded with, so it’s all the more heartbreaking. Obviously, we now have this gut-wrenching feeling because Anthony’s lawyer was actually dating Malcolm, and he’s been fighting against her the whole time, and now she’s pregnant? Awful. 
The blatant sexism in this book is something that made me feel violently sick. I almost couldn’t finish it, to be honest; it was disgusting. I can’t work out whether he’s written the characters that well, or whether he is actually sexist himself. Considering the theme in some of his other books, I’d assume it’s the latter. The way they spoke about ‘the women of the night’ - which is nicer than what Wood called them - is truly despicable. And the way they paint out that they’re only good for one thing? Truly awful. 
I also, unfortunately, thought the book was very long winded. I know I’m court cases they are never straight forward, and in real life they take a long time, but I thought some of the writing felt like just a filler. Some of the stuff I didn’t need to read about, and contributed nothing to the story. 
Finishing it off with a good thing, I loved that Anthony was so good with his lawyer’s babies. I thought it was such a sweet touch, and such an endearing quality to have. I’ll just say, the characters definitely make the book. 
 
Book Summary: 
We follow Alice as she’s going through college. She is being bullied, for her weight and because she’s a little bit different. She has Down syndrome, so people often make fun of her appearance, and tease her. She hates going into college. She won’t tell her parents about it either, because there’s not much more they can do. She’s trying not to eat too much, so people can’t pick on her for eating. 
She loves to go to the library. She goes every Monday, and every worker in the library knows of her, and dotes on her. Anthony, a big boy with learning difficulties, likes her quite a lot, and often tries to tell her jokes to make her laugh. She talks to him quite a lot. 
One day, there is a massive storm. And when Alice doesn’t return, they are, naturally, terrified that the storm ahead got her. She never does anything like this, and her mum told her to get back as soon as she could. 
They find her body in the woods near her house. There is a tree on her, and it’s placed to look like she had been killed by a fallen branch. However, the marks on her neck and the bruises to her genitalia shows that it was not just a mere accident, but murder. 
They find out about Anthony, about his mental disabilities and his large frame. And when they go and ask ‘the women of the night’ about a man who’s possibly a bit too frisky, they describe Anthony’s appearance. They say he’s a watcher, that he touches himself while they have sex. The police officer in charge has a lot of street on him, from the press and from his boss, to get results, due to the fact they fucked up at the beginning of the case. He pays the women money so that they can lie on trial. 
They put it on Anthony. With the witness statement of the women, even though it was all lies, he was arrested. When interrogating him, they promised him a cup of tea, and a fresh cooked meal, and a chance to speak to his mum. So, not understanding the consequences due to his disability, he admits to the murder. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get all that he is promised. And he’s beaten until he confesses. And so he is arrested for the rape and murder of Alice, but he was coerced. Because he was a big, ‘scary-looking’ boy, people were quick to pin it on him. In prison, he was beaten up, and had to be put in solitary confinement for his own safety. He turned blind in one of his eyes during a nasty fight, but he wouldn’t stick up for himself. 
His mum, his lawyer and a few police officers on the down low were rooting for him, trying to support him. He was in prison for years whilst they were trying to get him free. And when they finally get the women to say they were coerced to write a statement, he is set free. The police officer who coerced them finally got kicked out the squad, after years of being a sexist bully. And the hunt is still on to find the real killer. 
When they develop a new technology years later (this book is set way in the past) they send Alice’s underwear to get tested. It just so happens that that is they day they also get a match. Someone was pulled over for drunk driving. 
Anthony’s lawyer’s husband, who is cold, and also ran for the office - and got denied first time. 
*this bit gets really graphic so TW* 
He is arrested, and admits to it. He says he got horny, but because of the storm, the ‘women of the night’ weren’t around, so he was playing with himself and she saw him. He then decided to use her for his own pleasure, and then he saw what he had done, and killed her. 
Anthony’s lawyer obviously refused to see her husband and broke up with him, and had her twins by herself. Anthony and his family often visit her, especially as she has a charity devoted to him and saving innocent people from prison. She has twins, and Anthony is naturally besotted with them, and treats them as his own. 
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