p4chen's reviews
104 reviews

Heartwood by Amity Gaige

3.5

I would press my hand against your chest so that I could feel the center of you — your heartwood, your innermost substance, like the core of a tree that keeps standing…

The Fisherman's Gift by Julia R Kelly

3.75

The Fisherman's Gift is a dual timeline novel, moving between what is to what was... 

There is a pervading sadness, heartache and loneliness that plagues this seaside village. 

Misunderstandings, gossip and isolation are central to the storyline, which was at times frustrating, but serves to highlight the damage that can be wrought in people, relationships, and communities. 

Ultimately, this is a heart-wrenching story about finding your way through hurt, loss and grief to gratitude and compassion. 

An enjoyable historical fiction debut, with its sprinkling of old superstitions, faerie folk tales and magical realism. 

It reminds us how liberating the truth can be and how it is far better to communicate and to confront issues and feelings rather than to leave things left unsaid. 

Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan

4.5

A exceptionally written novel - with well drawn characters and an absorbing sense of time and place. The joy of first love and the anguish of a community torn apart by famine.

This emotive, gripping narrative - written in verse - is a beautiful tribute to those who died or emigrated to find a better life for their family. 

I read this novel as an immersive read - the audio is an excellent accompaniment to the novel. 

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

dark sad tense

5.0

unsettling 
anxious
suffocating 
bleak
heart-wrenching 
desperation
overwhelming 
frustrating 
harrowing 
tense
despairing 
urgent 

NOW!

Stunningly written, gripping, captivating - all consuming, this narrative just won’t let go. 

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

dark tense

4.25

The Mercies is a story of strength and resilience. 

Of resourceful women, their complexities, their cloistered voices and of the betrayals by men who forced them into submissiveness. 

It is about evil and ambition, which turns deadly, due to the frightening power of hysteria within a community. 

The power of the lies told, with no conscience, using religious beliefs to justify heinous acts of violence was horrific. 

It is sadly reminiscent of modern times and the mindset of those that follow demagogues. 

Because this is based on historic events, it was all the more harrowing to read about the brutality inflicted upon the women by these self-righteous religious leaders. 

A well written debut (adult) novel - the tone is bleak and tense, building as the story progresses and the danger intensifies. 

The Paris Express: A Novel by Emma Donoghue

adventurous tense fast-paced

5.0

An exquisitely researched, expertly crafted work of historical fiction. 

The tension is built through multiple points of view and the diverse group of passengers journeying together on this ominous day. Even the train itself has its own persona!

A fascinating, propulsive, face-paced and thoroughly entertaining journey!

The Author’s note provides additional depth and interest to accompany this real-life journey and event within history. 

I especially enjoyed the historic referenced quotes as subtext to each chapter! 

Universality by Natasha Brown

challenging slow-paced

3.5

A narrative that challenges social norms - analysing the interplay between media and public consciousness.

Within the modern political landscape, it covers class, race, left and right wing politics, wealth, capitalism, and of course, truth. 

In the current political and social climate we live in, the novel questions - how can we ever really know truth? One person's truth becomes another person’s lie. 

It is a challenging and complex read. A raw and thought-provoking discussion, but with a tone that is confrontational.

The article at the start of the novel was very engaging. 

The rest of the chapters read more like an interconnected short-story collection of perspectives rather than a cohesively, plotted novel. 

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

dark tense fast-paced

5.0

Exceptional! 
Layered, nuanced, gripping. 

S.A Cosby is a master of his craft! 
His novels are literary excellence within the thriller genre. 
 

Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff

4.5

A well written, beautifully descriptive novel with a fresh perspective on this period in history. Highlighting the circumstances people faced that they could have never anticipated - how they found the strength they didn’t know they possessed to carry on and to survive. 

The interweaving of the timelines was so well crafted and the pacing was consistent throughout the novel. 

Clearly informed by thorough research - the mysterious link to the necklace as a foundation for the narrative, the real-life connection to the furniture store Levitan and to Edith Piaf made this story even more compelling and captivating. A fascinating and engaging read. 

A story of desperation, betrayal, loss and sorrow, but also of resilience and of hope.

A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike

5.0

Longlisted - Women’s Prize for Fiction - 2025

What a complete romp of a novel! Fresh and unique. 
Irreverent, compelling and relevant. 
A stunning debut! 

Inspired by a real-life woman known as the Holy Maid of Leominster who, like the main protagonist herself, engaged in fraud and ‘trickeries’

I simply adored Tibb Ingelby and her first person POV narration. 

The author makes use of the commonality of our human experience - we all ultimately want the same basic things as Tibb - a roof over our heads, food in our stomach, to love and to be loved in return. Through the characters of Ivo and Ambrose timely themes of tolerance and acceptance are further explored. 

I read this as an immersive read. The audio narration is exceptional adding to the theatrics of the medieval England setting.