nzlisam's reviews
1097 reviews

Holy Smokes!

1997 – Seventeen-year-old Maggie McCormick, and her 16-year-old sister Lizzie lose their mother to a rare, genetic, incurable blood disease. Her final wish, that her daughters promise to watch over their father because there are many women in their small town of Heartstone, New York, who will take advantage of his grieving state. But one gold-digger is persistent!

2023 – Maggie is flying high. She is now the mayor of Heartstone, married to a brilliant surgeon named Alex Dunn, and together they share fifteen-year-old twins – Kevin and Kate. But Maggie’s world comes crashing down when her latest test results reveal she has the same blood disease her mother had. She remembers how the women flocked around her father back then. She doesn’t want to leave her husband and kids vulnerable to that. Maggie has a plan.

A thrilling premise, a title that grabbed my attention, and eye-catching cover art. I was pretty much sold when I swiped to the first page, and once I’d read the foreboding prologue I was hooked. Don’t Tell Me How to Die was a psychologically disturbing story of deceit, deception, and misdirection. I was immediately drawn to the characters, and quickly grew to like and care about them, even as I reminded myself that I probably shouldn’t trust or grow attached to anyone in a thriller. I think because the 1990’s timeline read more like literary fiction/family drama, saga/YA it lulled me into a false sense of security. Although there were some parts even in the first half where I was like, “I smell a rat!” But nothing could have prepared me for the whirlwind number of twists in the last half. How it all came together in the end was executed to perfection. Did I guess correctly regarding any of it? Nope!

Another highlight was the dialogue, every line felt natural, real, and on-point. And even though there were dialogue tags they weren’t needed as every character had a distinctive voice and tone. The humorous dialogue really stood out as well, and lightened the mood. And I’d be amiss if I didn’t mention the setting of Heartstone and its charming sense of community and neighbourhood, and how the author brought it to life with his intricate descriptions of the layout – I could clearly picture all of it in my head.

I’m unable to think of a single negative. And my fellow reviewers are in complete agreement as I’ve read so many glowing 5-star reviews praising this one. I’m sure there’ll be many more to come once Don’t Tell Me How to Die is released next month. My top favourite of the novels I’ve read so far published in 2025.

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Marshall Karp for the e-ARC.

Publication Date: 4th March 2025

In the rural Colorado ski town of Lodgepole two families are torn apart by tragedy!

The first happened on the 28 February 1991 when 17-year-old Angie DeLuca and her 18-year-old boyfriend Julian Dumont were skiing with Angie’s younger sister Diana (7), when Diana lost control, hit a tree, and was killed.

The second occurred over twenty years later on the 13th October 2016. Angie and her husband David Sheehan were awoken in the middle of the night by gunshots. They find their 13-year-old daughter Nora standing in the doorway of her 14-year-old brother Nico’s bedroom, covered in blood, holding a gun. She shot her brother – not one, not two, but three times – all at close range.

Penitence was impacting, emotive, eye-opening, thought-provoking, realistic contemporary literary fiction, crime, and family saga, with a focus on relationship dynamics, and interpersonal conflict. I wouldn’t categorise it as a courtroom drama, but there was a fair bit of time spent navigating legal issues and creating a defence strategy. The characters were complex, sympathetic, and morally grey – damaged and broken by tragedy and pain, secrets and lies, and grief, loss, and blame. Penitence dealt with serious social issues not limited to gun violence, racism, sentencing disparities and treatment of young offenders in the justice and prison systems, alcoholism, depression, mental health, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Alzheimer’s disease, and juvenile Huntington’s disease.

The writing was eloquent and moving, with vivid and creative description. The prologue immediately immersed me in the plot as it jumped from character to character explaining what each was doing at the exact moment teenage Nora sat shivering in a jail cell. From there chapters alternated between four POV’s: Angie, Nora, Julian, and Martine Dumont (Julian’s mother/Nora’s lawyer). And the chapters were on the lengthy side. Which led to some pacing issues the further the book progressed, particularly with the 1990’s – to early 2000’s timeline, which tended to drag in places. There was one other reason that prevented this from being a five-star read for me, which was more my issue rather than a failure on the books part, but because it’s too much of a spoiler only peek if you’ve read the book or have no intention of picking it up.

Penitence was Kristin Koval’s debut and she’s definitely an author I’ll be keeping my eye on. The comparisons to Jodi Piccoult, Celeste Ng, and Angie Kim are accurate and deserving.

SPOILER: I knew going in that this wasn’t going to be a thriller, but I was still expecting more twists relating to Diana‘s accident and Nico‘s murder, and admit, I felt a little disappointed by the end.

You’ll fall in love with this picturesque setting! So many glorious animals!

Shearwater Island holds many a secret – Located between the Tasmanian coast of Australia and Antarctica. Home to many rare species of animals. But life on the island is threatened due to climate change and rising sea levels.

Nine years ago, following the death of their mother, Dominic Salt brought his three children to live in Shearwater’s lighthouse. They are caretakers for the island’s Research Facility which houses scientists several months of the year – who are tasked with studying the wildlife, weather, and tides.

During the worst storm the Salt family has ever endured an injured woman named Rowan washes up on the shore. Where did she come from? Shearwater is so remote that she had to have been on her way there. But why? What does she want? She will I pact all their lives.

Wild Dark Shore was bleak, dark, tender, eerie, and mysterious yet there was still happiness and hope for the future to be found even in the direst of times. The main characters were brave, strong, courageous, and heroic and they loved and respected the land and sea as much as they did each other. I am almost certain this was set in the present day but could just as easily taken place slightly in the future.

My main take away after finishing this novel was the enduring strength of the unconditional love, powerful unshakeable bond, and protective instinct that exists between parents and their children. And that everything in nature is not only connected – weather, trees, plants, crops, insects, animals, humans – but dependant on each other to survive and thrive. Mother nature is as glorious and pure as it is unrelenting and destructive. Also, that nowhere on the planet is untouched by the devastating effects of climate change and man-made destruction.

The writing was hauntingly beautiful, captivating, insightful, and hit every emotional beat expertly. It was also deliberately vague, dreamlike, and flowery, which may be too frustrating for some readers. Definitely a mood-based read requiring patience and concentration, but the payoff was 100% worth it. A slow burn – particularly the first half, but the last handful of chapters were tense and fast-paced. There were some exceptional twists sprinkled throughout that left me reeling. And keep those tissues handy, and prepare yourself, because it was a tear-jerker! If you need a good cry, this is the book for you. The narration shifted between Rowan, and the three members of the Salt family, with the youngest child’s (nine-year-old Orly) chapters reciting the evolution of various plants and their importance.

Charlotte McConaghy is a new-to-me Australian author whose backlist I’ll definitely be delving into.

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Penguin Random House Australia, and Charlotte McConaghy for the e-ARC.

Publication Date: 4th March 2025.

The Elements series by John Boyne is a collection of four novellas – Water, Earth, Fire, and Air (Release Date: 1st May 2025) – each representing the four elements found in nature. Fire is #3.

Dr Freya Petrus is a thirty-six-year-old gifted, renowned surgeon specialising in burn victims. She saves lives on a daily basis. But Freya is plagued by the traumatic abuse she suffered the summer she was twelve years old. This is Freya’s story.

I mentioned Earth being dark, but Fire was even more depraved and distressing. Right from the first deeply disturbing line though I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what happened next and how it ended. This was my favourite instalment of the series as it was the only one I would label a psychological thriller. The twists were mind-blowing. Also, the way it connected to Water and Earth … I’m still reeling!

Just as Evan was introduced in Water, Freya had a small role in Earth. This book doesn’t specify how much time has passed between the previous book and this one, but I estimate three to five years. The only thing that did surprise me is that this character had no connection to the island like Willow and Evan did. Just like the first two books, there was the current timeline, and the past one, in this case, to that fateful summer. In this instalment all the elements were inserted into the writing in subtle, skilful ways. 

Be advised that the content warnings listed in spoiler tags below contain major spoilers for this novella, and the series overall. I only include them because the crimes perpetrated in this book will be very triggering for some readers.

The Elements series by John Boyne is a collection of four novellas – Water, Earth, Fire, and Air (Release Date: 1st May 2025) – each representing the four elements found in nature. Earth is #2.

It’s the first day of a sensational trial. Famous footballer Evan Keogh stands accused of filming his fellow teammate and friend, Robbie Wolverton, having sex with a teenage girl. They claim it was consensual, she says it wasn’t. This is Evan’s story.

#1 Water contained some dark themes – Earth is progressively darker and bleaker. The prose was John Boyne’s usual high standard – immersive, poetic and lyrical, and I loved the way he utilised earth and water in his writing. The directions the plot took were twists I did not see coming. Evan’s character played a peripheral role in Water. He had grown up on the never-named island Willow (the main character in Water) fled to, located somewhere off the Galway coast of Ireland, and Earth answered some burning questions I had regarding his appearance in the first instalment. Five years have passed since the events of that one, and in the current timeline Evan is twenty-two, with flashbacks to the intervening years, aged 17-22. 

Be advised that the content warnings listed below contain major spoilers for this novella, and the series overall. I only include them because the crimes perpetrated in this book will be very triggering for some readers.

Mesmerising and Eloquent!

The year is 1958, and it’s Memorial Day in Jewel, Black Earth County when the body of wealthy landowner and farmer, Jimmy Quinn, is found floating in the Alabaster River. His death is the catalyst for a chain of events that the people of Jewel will never forget.

The River We Remember was a character-driven, atmospheric, slow-burn contemporary drama. There were so many powerful, sentimental moments that resonated and evoked an emotional response within me. These compassionate, flawed, wounded characters occupied space in my head and refused to budge. The POV’s featured in this novel were good people who were torn apart inside by adversity, abuse, judgment, and racism all the while hiding crippling emotional pain, traumatic backstories, devastating secrets, and stories of injustice. Each narrator – the sheriff, the retired sheriff and current part-time deputy, the town newsman, a female lawyer, a single mother who runs the local diner, and her fourteen-year-old son – offered varied and distinctive perspectives. The six POV characters were all scarred and impacted by war – some were veteran soldiers and others had lost loved ones.

The mystery sub-plot was very satisfying, and the last 20% was exciting and tense. It also served the purpose of laying bare this town’s extreme inequality and permeating darkness. The man killed was widely loathed in Jewel, but because he was white a lot of the townsfolk still considered him superior to a Dakota Sioux Native American, even though the latter was a peaceful, helpful, contributing, kind-hearted member of the community.

William Kent Krueger is a gifted writer and as always delivered beautiful, tender, and moving prose. I was completely able to visualise Jewel and Black Earth County, and the Alabaster River was a character in itself and enhanced the mood and tone of the novel. The author included very serious subject matter but handled it with grace and sensitivity and used graphic description sparingly. The River We Remember is a haunting yet hopeful story that I have no hesitation in recommending.

DNF@21% No rating!

Is not included in my reading stats since I didn’t finish.

This one’s very dated (which I normally wouldn’t judge it on) but to the point that some of the dialogue and writing makes no sense. On top of that, it’s very slow. And, there’s already been animal cruelty/death, which again I’d overlook if I was enjoying the story, but I’m not. I still remain a Stephen King fan but based on what I’ve read, this one isn’t his best. Onwards and upwards!

Nowhere near as good as I was expecting!

A man wakes from a coma. He has no memory of who he is. He soon realises he’s the sole survivor of a space mission, on board a ship called Hail Mary, positioned in another solar system. As his memories return in fragments, he understands that saving earth rests squarely on his shoulders.

I enjoyed the first 10% but from that point on most of the book dragged. I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters, there was a good twist at the 83% mark, and the ending was brilliant and emotional. Also, Andy Weircreated a unique and imaginative alien race.

But when does a novel become more non-fiction than fiction? The answer to this question is Project Hail Mary. In-depth math and science were prioritised over the actual story. Pages of textbook-like explanations when a paragraph would have sufficed made for very slow, less exciting, boring reading. It’s a shame because otherwise the writing was excellent – dialogue, thoughts, behaviour, actions – were all spot on.

I have no complaints regarding the audiobook – Ray Porter’sperformance was incredible. He nailed every accent and emotion, his computer voice was awesome, the humour he injected into his reading was delightful, and the sound effects were a clever addition.

I just wish it had of been the five-star read for me that it has been for most everyone else.

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Random House UK Cornerstone, and Andy Weir for the e-ARC.

Five Stars! Six Stars! Ten Stars! Twenty Stars!

It was the tiniest of infractions, the equivalent of a school yard kick, but in this small Florida town in 1950 it was enough to get twelve-year-old Robert Stephens arrested and brought before a racist judge, in a corrupt system. Charged with assaulting the son of a wealthy white planter, Robert is harshly sentenced to spend six months at the Gracetown Boys Reformatory, a ‘school’ rumoured to be so terrible that some boys don’t survive.

The Reformatory was a literary fiction epic masterpiece combining a mix of genres – historical, horror, gothic horror, thriller, paranormal, spiritual – to create a phenomenal, unforgettable, terrifying, hard-hitting, heartbreaking, powerful, fast-paced, race-against-the-clock, magical, compelling, read. The scope of this story, depth of research, and attention to detail was astounding. Tananarive Due expertly crafted immersive setting descriptions, imagery, and sensory detail to fit what the POV character was experiencing at the time. The first 31% of the book took place over a 24-hour period which included ‘the incident’, Robert’s arrest, and his first day at the Reformatory so we got to experience every horrific moment, and injustice alongside him.

The two main narrators were Robert of course, and his seventeen-old-sister Gloria, desperately fighting to free her brother, while unwittingly drawing unwanted attention, and placing her own life in danger. Gloria’s chapters were a reprieve from the horrors within the walls of the Reformatory, even though they were still bleak and harsh. Both characters were resilient, brave, strong, and empathetic. Robert cared about, and wanted to help all the boys, living or dead. I was on the edge of my seat hoping against hope that Robert and Gloria would be reunited by the end and there would be retribution and punishment for the evil characters.

Then there were the Haints, (a Southern expression for ghosts or restless spirits) dead children whose lives were cut short so violently, brutally, and suddenly that their traumatised souls remained trapped in the Reformatory, bound to haunt its rooms and grounds forever, unable to move on. Robert and Gloria were both born with the gift of premonitions and visions, although Gloria tried to suppress/ignore hers. Robert’s unique ability allowed him to communicate with the Haints, making me ache for their situation. Through Robert, the spirits were able to share their memories of who they had been in life, what they had endured, and how they had died, so that someone would remember them.

Even though the Gracetown Boys Reformatory, and the town of Gracetown were fictional, the torture, cruelty, and abuse that was inflicted upon children in real life institutions by soulless evil psychopaths throughout history unfortunately was not. The same applies to the racism, ignorance, simplemindedness, and police brutality that existed in Gracetown.

Listing the many trigger warnings and while completely agreeing that the content of this novel will be too triggering for some readers, at the same time I’m determined not to put people off, as the story of these unforgettable characters is 100% worth your time. The Reformatory is my top read of 2025 so far, will definitely make my top list for this year, and I’ve just added it to my Goodreads profile as one of my favourite reads of all time.

4.5.

Josiah and Yasmen Wade were so much in love they thought nothing could ever break their bond. They were wrong!

Because when two separate heartbreaking tragedies struck their family, instead of being able to lean on each other, they were unable to find their way back to one another. It has been a year since their divorce when the novel opens, and both Josiah and Yasmen have made peace with the demise of their relationship, a necessity since they are parents to two children, Deja (13) and Kassim (10) and a dog, Otis, and co-owners of a restaurant, Grits.

But there are still moments between them – sparks of hope. Can Josiah and Yasmen rediscover and rekindle the love they once shared?

Beautifully and poetically written with gorgeous prose, Before I Let Go contained deep themes centred around loss and grief, therapy, forgiveness and healing. Keep those tissues handy because you’re going to need them. A unique second-chance romance involving a divorced couple overcoming pain and relationship mistakes and reconnecting. It was a slow-burn, eventual open-door relationship, and Josiah and Yasmen’s physical attraction was hot and steamy in and out of the bedroom. And their emotional connection was off the charts as well. Other romantic tropes were, destined to be together and forced proximity/sharing a hotel room.

I adored Yasmen’s friends – Hendrix and Soledad – and the sisterly friendship they shared. The author excelled at writing moody teenagers as well. Kids too, I loved Kassim’s sweet, sensitive maturity. And there was also a gorgeous dog. I enjoyed the setting of Skyland – an affluent, trendy, quaint neighbourhood in Atlanta, Georgia. Every character in this book stood out to me. I loved the community spirit, events, small town traditions, and holiday celebrations – Screen on the Green at the park, Food trucks in the square, Thanksgiving dinner at the Grants, and the annual New Years Eve party at Grits. And there were so many descriptions of delicious food – there is even some recipes at the back of the book – yum!

Before I Let Go was the start of a series, and since this book was released in 2022, the second instalment, This Could Be Us, is already out. Yippee! I’ve set my tbr for this month (and so far I’ve been sticking to it) but will definitely add it for February. I’ve perused the book blurb, and it sounds amazing. If you haven’t already, add this contemporary romance series to your bookshelf. You won’t regret it!