Five reviews for you here, in no particular order including three that had my heart racing, and two that had me clutching my throat aching with tenderness.
King Tide by Luke Johnson
Fun fact: I grew up on a farm by the beach, so king tides are something that both fascinated and thrilled me, as well as scared the b’jesus out of me. So when I read the premise for my fellow #debutcrew member Luke Johnston’s book, my ears pricked and I sat up straight. It well and truly delivered!
Here’s the blurb, tweaked:
A storm unleashes a king tide across the wintry beach. As the water recedes, it reveals a long-buried secret: a body, framed and exposed in the sand. The entire beach town community is under suspicion. The mystery deepens with every unearthed clue.
My take: gah, this was so good! Thrilling, creepy, relatable thanks to my aforementioned growing up in a coastal community, although the king tide hasn’t revealed anything, yet… Anyhoo, I digress. The characters are tightly drawn, the voices pitch perfect and the pacing bang on. I loved the dual timeline and the setting was so atmospheric.
Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni
I really loved this YA adventure/romance novel as an adult, and I know FOR A FACT that teen Holly would have adored it!
Here’s the blurb:
Zander Rune was the darling of Hollywood until he fell from glory and was labelled a problematic bad boy. His public image needs fixing—fast—or he’ll lose the role of a lifetime, and all his dreams with it.
Charlie Hart is a regular teenage girl who despises everything Zander represents. But thanks to her scheming best friend and an ill-timed social media competition, Charlie finds herself pretending to be Zander’s biggest fan on a four-day reality TV adventure led by renowned survivalist Rykon Hawke.
When their trip goes horribly wrong, Charlie and Zander are left stranded in the wilderness. No Rykon, no film crew, no rescue. The only way they’ll survive is if they trust each other. But in order to do so, both will have to let go of the ghosts of their pasts, and just maybe find themselves—and one another—in the process.
Here’s my take: I loved the fast pace, the action, the way the heavier themes of grief and loyalty and friendship are handled. The adventure sequences were so, so good, I found my heart racing and the green flag male character also had my pulse thumping away at one point. It’s a great premise, executed beautifully, and I wanted to strangle some of the adults with my bare hands, which means the writing got me good. In short: freaking loved it!
In the Long Run by Emma Mugglestone
Oh my heart! This novel made me snort-laugh and clutch my chest at its poignancy at the same time.
Here’s the blurb:
Genevieve Halliday is spiralling. She’s been roped into a marathon she has no idea how she’ll finish, her ex won’t stop mansplaining why they should get back together, and she’s just panic-asked a handsome stranger to pretend they’re on a date.
Knox Watson is always on the move. He’s spent years trying to escape his family’s past, but when his godfather’s pâtisserie is in danger of closing, for once he’s going to need to stick around long enough to find a way to save it.
Enter the Croissants and Kilometres run club. Sparks fly, but the club is only so popular because everyone ships Gen and Knox’s chemistry. Can they keep up the ruse to meet their goals? And will they admit that their fake romance is turning real?
Here’s my take: oh, man, while I’ve run a marathon and have the chafe scars to prove it, you don’t need to be a runner to be swept up in this story. Emma’s writing is sublimely good, the pacing is as perfect as was my pacing in the marathon (lies, mine was diabolical thanks to an illtimed toilet break, but it’s not all about me), and the laughs came thick and fast. The chemistry and banter between Gen and Knox is so, so good, and the sexy times were so, well, sexy that I can’t possibly let my mum read it or I’ll never be able to make eye contact with her again. Oh yes, the spicy spiced! I also loved the storyline about how us gals can’t just go for a run, but have to consider every variable to stay safe. The side characters were gorgeous and all in all, this is a fabulous read.
Code Name Funnel Web by Camille Booker
This incredibly compelling historical fiction had my heart racing from the opening chapter, and the twists and turns didn’t let up until the final page which had tears running down my cheeks.
Here’s the blurb:
1940, Sydney.
World War II is raging across the globe. But so far, Frances Davies has managed to avoid the firsthand tolls of combat. That all changes when her brother, Thomas, is reported MIA in Singapore.
Frankie meets Leo, a boat-loving immigrant from Italy, and they fall in love. Local attitudes and something more sinister tear them apart. When he is detained as a prisoner-of-war, she can no longer stand by.
Under the direction of a shadowy British intelligence officer, Frankie agrees to become a covert agent for the Resistance, code-named Funnel Web—like the infamous arachnids of her homeland. Behind enemy lines, Frankie must survive Nazi-occupied Paris, gulag-infested Eastern Europe, and treachery-laden Asia with instructions to ensnare her targets by any means necessary.
Here’s my take: the characters, especially Frances, are so beautifully drawn within a plot that’s exciting and complex, traversing from 1940’s Australia as it entered the Second World War through to Japanese prisoner of war camps. There’s betrayal, love, grief, strength and knife’s edge survival. I loved it.
Maisy Hayes is Not For Sale by Allayne L Webster
Hear that? That’s the sound of me choking down an ugly sob because this novel is just so damn poignant aka gutwrenching, yet like the very best YA literature it left me feeling optimistic and uplifted.
Here’s the blurb:
Maisy Hayes is doing it tough. There’s never enough money, even for the simple things like having a decent breakfast. Her friends have given up inviting her out. And then there’s her sister’s serious illness, her overwhelmed mum, and her latch-key kid brother. It’s a lot. Maisy never hears from her dad—not now that he’s got a fancy life in a different city with his new wife and kids. Why would he care?
Maisy’s angry. She feels ripped off. And she’s a first-class expert at hiding it—at making excuses, at covering her shame, pretending it doesn’t exist. But pretending will only get you so far…
When Maisy’s dad insists she go and stay with him and then lavishes her with spending money and extravagant gifts, it’s everything she always wanted. So why doesn’t it feel right?
Here’s my take: what a cracking cast of beautifully holistic characters weaving their way through heavy themes. The plot is approached with deft sensitivity, yet doesn’t flinch. Seeing poverty, illness, divorce, rejection through the lens of a teenager with their naturally funny reactions lightens the darkness of what Maisy’s family is grappling with. This was so, so good!
So that’s five books (some of which my copies seem to have grown legs!) that I inhaled. I hope you find a read here that you might like, and let me know what you think!