nicole_bookmarked's reviews
1020 reviews

Confessions is an impressive debut! Catherine Airey tells the story of two sisters navigating life between Ireland and NYC, weaving in themes of personal choice and redemption. I loved the beginning and the end, though I struggled a bit with the middle—the connections between characters were hard to follow at times but came together nicely in the end. Some heavy topics like 9/11, abortion, and addiction could have been explored more deeply, and I’m not sure the video game element added much to the story. That said, the underlying message about the power of our choices really resonated with me. Four stars, and I’m excited to see what Airey writes next! 

I adored Pet, so I was eager to dive into The Book of Guilt. This novel is vastly different—dark, disturbing, and haunting. It’s a cautionary tale that reimagines the end of WWII and its aftermath in the UK with chilling plausibility. Reading it around the US presidential election made the narrative feel even more unsettling, a grim reminder of how fragile history can be. Yet, this book is undeniably brilliant, masterfully written, and deeply thought-provoking. Let’s hope this vision never comes true. Five stars!