rhii_reading's reviews
145 reviews

Initially I really liked the tense tone of Fern and Jessica’s relationship and thought it was going to be a really good grounded novel. However, as it went on, it began to feel unrealistic - Fern acts like Jessica’s declaration that men

I feel like the big twist at the end completely lacked nuance.

The revelation that Fern has completely misremembered, or never even understood in the first place, Jessica’s constantly stealing away her and her friends’ love interests to make doesn’t feel like the bombshell it’s supposed to. Jessica admits that she had been flirting with Ben, which contradicts the idea that Fern was only being jealous and insecure (although she definitely is). While I really liked the split between the present day and flashbacks, I feel like the moments of retrospective hindsight were very uneven and also made Jessica’s reveal confusing.

Honestly, there are so many issues I take with the climax of the book that it feels too complicated to even try and write them all out. However, I did enjoy the way the pacing ramped up towards the end, with the constant zipping between the two time periods.

Overall, whilst I think the premise had a lot of potential, it feels like a juvenile and confused attempt at exploring both female friendships and the expectations set on young girls.

Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon

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dark emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I think one of the biggest issues that prevented me from really enjoying this book was that the person who recommended this said it was for fans of Pat Barker. Other than the setting I struggled to see the similarity, so I feel like from the first couple of pages I was going into it disappointed - but maybe I’m just missing something when it comes to this comparison!

I’m aware Lampo is supposed to be a complex character that is not necessarily a good person, or even likeable. However, I felt that a lot of the time he fell onto the more unbearable end of the spectrum.

That being said, as the book went on I did find myself becoming more invested in the story and found the ending equal parts satisfying and heartbreaking.

A mostly fun read that maybe I would’ve enjoyed more had I gone into it without any expectations.

Wandering Souls by Cécile Pin

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emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? No

3.75

A really interesting story of generational trauma but also the importance of family. Cecile Pin manages to really convey the emotional toil that comes with needing to start fresh in an unfamiliar (and often hostile) place, whilst managing to retain a sense of hope throughout.

I thought the way that Pin spliced her story with other elements such as the more factual sections, a third person narrator, and

the ‘wandering soul’ of her dead brother Dao

was really a interesting choice but structurally it made the book feel a little disjointed and artificial.

One of the parts that stuck with me most was towards the end, where Anh finally returning to Vietnam with her family:

The locals could detect that she and her brothers were not from there, hints of English having filtered into their Vietnamese over the years … She hadn’t thought of it this way. In her head, she had been the victim, her family the wrong ones, the ones abandoned by their country, by the whole world. … If anything they were even more persistent with her, using her Vietnamese as a weapon

This acknowledgment that not only was one of the most heartbreaking moments, and really encapsulated how struggles that Anh and her brothers have faced follow them back to Vietnam. Even if you could argue that they’ve ‘made it’, living comfortable lives in England, they will always carry the grief of having left their home.

Overall, an wonderfully written and emotional look at the experiences of the Vietnamese diaspora in the UK.

Medea by Rosie Hewlett

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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

It’s hard to articulate what I love about this book other than how I feel about it is how I imagine others feel about Bridget Jones’ Diary.

I absolutely adored the acerbic tone Reilly writes with; it feels aware without ever being forced or cynical. The interactions between the Vladisavljevic family are also wonderfully bizzare and endearing, even if they don’t really seem grounded in reality.

A chaotic and emotional whirlwind that isn’t afraid to delve into a variety of topics or keep you on your toes when it comes to the multitude of characters.

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rhii_reading's reviews 145 reviews

rhii_reading's reviews
145 reviews