Heartbreaking because we've all taught this kid. Uplifting because he's the most resilient character I've come across. Just stunning.Heartbreaking because we've all taught this kid. Uplifting because he's the most resilient character I've come across. Just stunning....more
I thought this was brilliant and was expecting great things having read and loved Clare's previous books. I really did not want to put it down as it gI thought this was brilliant and was expecting great things having read and loved Clare's previous books. I really did not want to put it down as it gripped me from the beginning. Terrifying in a lot of ways because it wouldn't take much for our country to go the same way considering the political climate we live in. Very much for fans of Meg Rosoff's How I Live Now. ...more
I loved every single page of this - appealed to the part of me that loves boyband books. Move over Johnny Jefferson there's a new rock star in townI loved every single page of this - appealed to the part of me that loves boyband books. Move over Johnny Jefferson there's a new rock star in town...more
This book is stunning. I can't do it justice. Just get a copy in your handsThis book is stunning. I can't do it justice. Just get a copy in your hands...more
I loved this - exactly my sort of book and loved the way it was told. I really couldn't read it quickly enoughI loved this - exactly my sort of book and loved the way it was told. I really couldn't read it quickly enough...more
This book is incredibly powerful in its message. I loved that it featured a librarian who hid banned books inside other books then passed them onto kiThis book is incredibly powerful in its message. I loved that it featured a librarian who hid banned books inside other books then passed them onto kids who needed them. Seeing the treatment of young gay teens in the education system in the 90s was an eye opener and made me really think....more
I actually loved this. I didn't think I would but something about it was super addictive and I couldn't put it downI actually loved this. I didn't think I would but something about it was super addictive and I couldn't put it down...more
One of my favourite books of 2022. Set in the Victorian period with lady detectives. It could have been written just for me. Really fun with a gorgeouOne of my favourite books of 2022. Set in the Victorian period with lady detectives. It could have been written just for me. Really fun with a gorgeous romance...more
I loved this book entirely. It’s almost certainly going to be my book of the year.
I have been a huge fan of Sarra’s work since her J17 days and alwayI loved this book entirely. It’s almost certainly going to be my book of the year.
I have been a huge fan of Sarra’s work since her J17 days and always wait for her next book with great anticipation and I have to say this probably my favourite book of hers now.
I loved Margot and Will. I loved seeing their relationship develop over the course of the book and I loved getting to know them as characters. They felt so real and I was rooting for them both.
I loved Blossom. This book really highlights the importance of rescuing animals and the impact doing that can have on the life of that animal. I loved seeing Blossom grow in confidence especially the chapter with the zoomies which made my heart ache in an utterly joyful way.
I loved the story, all of the secondary characters and the end was so very touching that I laid awake thinking about it a good while after finishing it.
Sarra Manning at her best. Is it too early for a reread?...more
When I first heard about The Love Child I was excited. It is exactly the sort of story I cannot get enough of. I love historical fiction, I love storiWhen I first heard about The Love Child I was excited. It is exactly the sort of story I cannot get enough of. I love historical fiction, I love stories where a mystery unfolds and I love one with a dual narrative that flits back and forth between several time periods. Added to that the fact that I am particularly geeky about anything set in the interwar years and have a real soft spot for anything involve tidbits of medical history. Quite simply this book could have been written for me.
I thoroughly enjoyed the snapshot this book gave you into the lives of people living in those interwar years. The shame that forced Alice to give her child up, the way in which she was treated at university, whilst training to be a doctor and whilst serving at a doctor really showed how appallingly women were treated and the double standards they faced on a daily basis.
I enjoyed Irene's story as she came to terms with that fact that she didn't quite fit with her family and why that be. Her need to know more about where she came from drove her story and I was rooting for her from the outset as she tried time and time again to to find out more about her history.
I also enjoyed this snippets of the World War One history when delving into Alice's past and seeing her role during the war and how it gave her the confidence to want more in a world that actively didn't encourage women to pursue a role outside of the home and for me that was really telling with regards to the social impact that World War One had if not immediately but eventually as it started to show women how capable they were about how they could achieve more if they wanted to.
The story itself was fascinating. I enjoyed seeing how the two narrative wove together and enjoyed following them across the book. Definitely one of those books I didn't want to put down as I found myself needing to know more....more