melc's reviews
1205 reviews

This Immaculate Body by Emma van Straaten

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
I struggled to get into this. There were good observations about people but the protagonist was so unlikeable that I ended up not enjoying being in her head and the prose so overwritten that I just couldn't invest. DNFd at 26%.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
Flint Kill Creek: Stories of Mystery and Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Whilst the writing was impressive I read the first two stories and couldn't work out the point. They ended too abruptly and I was left wondering if I was missing something.
Old Soul by Susan Barker

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a brilliantly written super-creepy literary horror with real depth. Unusually the only consistent character in this novel is the antagonist and she is excellently evil and scary. The way Barker writes this through interconnected short stories allows the supreme talent of her writing to shine with excellent gothic descriptions and well-fleshed out characters. This novel is smart because, although it is really readable and a very enjoyable horror, there are deep underlying themes about humanity, the evil aspects of humanity from which it feels like there can be no escape contrasting with enduring beauty through art and creation. 
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
Let's Be Honest by Jess Phillips

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hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell

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dark emotional informative sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

This was an excellent book about a pregnant woman, Ciara and her desperate attempts to leave her controlling and abusive husband. It examines the difficulty Ciara and her two small daughters have in trying to get emergency housing. This felt so real to me and I felt stressed and tense while reading it as Ciara tries to be mother to her young children whilst living in a hotel room. The novel highlights how under-resourced the provision is for women and children who are no longer safe in their homes and how, insanely, it is often easier to return to their abusive husbands. This novel is written from the heart and will stay with me.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
Animal Farm by George Orwell

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dark funny informative sad fast-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

5.0

Tenth of December by George Saunders

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Confessions by Catherine Airey

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emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is a well-written family saga which was a good page-turner. Sorry uses different narrative techniques effectively to tell the different parts of this story. I felt invested in all of the characters and they were all distinct from each other.

I think what this novel ultimately lacked was in doing anything different. In a way this is an Irish novel we've read many times before.

Still, a robust debut and an author to look out for in the future.

This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.