Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton (2016 review catch ups)

I read this book with very low expectations. I enjoyed Sister by Lupton, which was why I bought this book and Quality of Silence. Both Sister and Quality of Silence don't have conclusive endings, and I was convinced that Lupton would do the same thing again. As a result, I had been putting off reading this. Also, from what I had seen on Goodreads, it seemed most people did not enjoy this at all. Yip, my expectations were really low.

So what is Afterwards about? Grace runs into the burning school to save her daughter Jenny. But that is only the beginning. Things are going to get more dangerous, and how can Grace stop it when she is in a coma in the hospital?

While my synopsis is better than the one on the back of the book, it does not quite do the story justice. Afterwards is written similarly to The Lovely Bones or Black Dog Summer, where the narrator is not quite there - at least not physically. I thought it worked really well in this story. When Grace and Jenny were wandering around the hospital, following loved ones, in their ghostly forms (not a spoiler - that happens around chapter 2), I appreciated how Lupton captures a healthy and realistic relationship between mother and daughter. No, it is not perfect. But what mother daughter relationship is? In fact, while this book does keep one on their toes, it is more a family drama than a psychological/crime thriller. I think this is the point to keep in mind when the ending, again inconclusive, arrives.

“It's not the fledgling birds that are thrown out of the nest by their parents and made to fly; it's the parents who are made to get the hell out of cozy family nest by their teenage offspring. It's we who are made to be independent of them, crash-landing if we don't manage it.”

― Rosamund Lupton, Afterwards

Continuing on with the characters, I also appreciated how Lupton depicted the husband and young son. So often in books, these types of characters are honey-ified to the point that I just get irritated. It is trying to get my sympathy for the poor perfect husband who has got to go through an ordeal; or to make me feel devastated for this poor sweet child.... Meh. No one is perfect, and that type of character just screams 'false' to me. Lupton does NOT do this. YAY! Her characters came across as realistic, with their bumps and stubble. I think their lack of perfection made me like them more. It also made me want them to get a positive conclusion.

Rosamund Lupton does what I which crime writers would do (besides write very well); she creates webs of intrigue. Characters say one thing and yet their actions do not quite match, different stories are told and no one is being completely honest. The story is a bit of a roller coaster ride; there are places even where the plot flips completely over and the reader is no longer sure which way the story is going because it is no longer heading where one thought it was. And then there are the twists and turns. It was a ride, especially as I am a reader who likes to solve the crime before the cops do.

I gave this 4 stars. I really enjoyed it. Lupton is a 5 star author, if only she would give me a damned ending - you know, a proper, solid, no more questions, ending. (Ok, so this one did feel more conclusive in some ways, but there are SO many things I want to know still.)

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Something dreadful happened to Tess when she was a teenager. By dreadful, I mean really, really dreadful. Perhaps the worst thing besides being raped or murdered (or raped and murdered). Decades later she is forced to face the reality that the person who was arrested for the crime might not have been guilty. Of course, she has always wondered this. Someone, after all, has been planting blackeyed susans under her bedroom windows.

I really enjoyed this, but I can completely understand why some people would not. I think it would be less the read than the disappointment thereafter. But, I loved that (Yip, I am being vague. Any more detail and I would completely ruin it for you.). I loved how this book got into my head, made my dreams extra weird (and a bit scary), and had me just as tense and as terrified as Tess was - especially for her daughter who is now a teenager. I also really enjoyed that this was not your average predictable thriller. No. There were surprises along the way, and definitely a few "You've got to be kidding me!" moments.

“Closure doesn’t exist,” she responds smoothly. “Just … awareness. That you can’t ever go back. That you know a truth about life’s randomness that most other people don’t.”

― Julia Heaberlin, Black-Eyed Susans

Another thing I really appreciated was the research that went into this book. Not only was the psychology behind this realistic (for extreme cases - I had stumbled upon this information while researching a book), but the forensic science was up to date and correlated with other things I had read (particularly from Kathy Reichs - and we all know what line of work she is in). Basically, I came out of this feeling that I had learnt something. This book also covered important social themes - themes that are particularly relevant in a day where prejudice and bias is seeming acceptable again. (And here I thought the world was progressing. How disappointing.)

I should probably also mention the format of the book. Instead of having an info dump of the events in the past, I had to piece everything together. One chapter was in the past, one in the present, past, present, and so on. But the past chapters pick up after the 'dreadful thing', so even that is left to the reader to find out slowly. I liked that, as it kept me completely involved in the book and turning pages.

I would recommend this for fans of Kathy Reichs's Tempy Brennan series, or just fans of thrillers. I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads. For a thriller, I found it original and a pretty good example of the genre - and not badly written either.

The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Another one of my 50c finds at the School Feeding Fund's book sale.

Tom Ripley has not had an easy life. He was orphaned as a child and raised by a cold aunt. Now, as an adult, he is dabbling in white collar crime because he still can't get a break. But things change when he gets asked to find the wealthy Dicky Greenleaf in Greece and convince him to come home. (Jaws music should probably be playing at this point.)

I think I have realised why I struggle with books with the bad guy as the protagonist. I am a goody two shoes. I have this ridiculous fear of getting into trouble. So this is my mental process while reading books like this: What are you doing? You are never going to get away with that! ... Oh you idiot! You are going to be in SOOO much trouble! ... Dude! You're insane. WTF! There is no way you are going to pull that off! ... etc., etc.,etc.. I have to force myself to realise that, should this be real, I would want the guy trussed up well and tossed in jail indefinitely. But the thought of all that trouble...

In other words, my reading experience of this was draining and suspenseful; I could use that old cliche: like watching a train wreck in slow motion. But having said that, it was an interesting read. I could also see similarities between Tom and Patrick Bateman from 'American Psycho' by Bret Easton Ellis. 'The Talented Mr Ripley' was far less graphic though, so it was much less repulsive to read.

I probably should also mention that this is one of the few books I have read where I have noticed the correct use of the gerund. Patricia Highsmith managed to take me on one hell of a ride because of the characters she created. Even though I would detest someone like Tom, I could feel sympathy for him, and, (which is odd) want him to succeed - or at least get away with what he did. I felt Tom's hurt, embarrassment and discomfort when things stopped going well for him with Dicky. Although Marge should have been seen as a caring character, I constantly saw her as a potential hindrance. I think this all goes to show that Tom was a brilliant narrator.

This is probably deserved 3.5 stars from me, if not more.

The Beach by Alex Garland

I saw the movie of this so long ago, the only thing I could remember was that 'the shit hit the fan'. I could not remember how or why the shit impacted with the fan, nor what happened when it did. But I knew it was going to happen.

Richard heads off to Bangkok. On his first night there he meets a man ranting about The Beach. The following day, the man gives him a map to The Beach. This perfect utopia. Who would not want to go there?

I was very worried that, as I read this, I would remember the movie. That did not happen. Either the movie was very different to the book, or else I have had my head filled with so many stories it can't separate one from the other. But I was really pleased about that. It meant I could really enjoy the thrilling aspect of wanting, no, NEEDING to know what was going to happen. The pace is also elevated as each chapter is so short (3 or so pages), that one finds oneself saying "Oh, just one more chapter" multiple times before turning in for the night, making lunch, making supper or heading out to do whatever adult thing needs to be done. I don't know why I love books with short chapters so much, but I really seem to breeze through them.

As to the story, I was spellbound. I don't want to head into more detail than that, because, should you have managed to avoid the movie, it would not be nice for me to blast you with spoilers. I will just say that spending time in Richard's head was very interesting. The other thing that is hard to avoid is the ominous undertone.

I would recommend this book to folks who enjoyed Lord of the Flies by William Golding, folks who love to travel (or who would love to travel) and who have travelled through Thailand and places that are similar. I would also suggest that this book should be avoided by those who are offended by bad language.

I gave this 4 stars on both Goodreads and my own records. It was a gripping read and very well constructed.

The Killing Doll by Ruth Rendell

I enjoyed the first Rendell book I read, so I tried this one.

Pup and Dolly Yearman lose their mother at a fairly young age. Pup decides to sell his soul to the devil to have a happy life while Dolly goes from being his sister to his mother. Pup takes up magic, but for Dolly, it is so much more.

I did not enjoy this one. While there were definitely some aspects that were interesting, such as watching a slow decent into madness, as a whole, I found the story fairly pointless. My mind was not trying to figure out what would happen as very little was happening in the story. As a result, I found it very unstimulating. This book became my cure for insomnia. Four pages and I was out.

I can't say that this was written poorly, because it was not. I can't say that the characters were depicted poorly, because they were not either. In fact, they were very clearly shown. I just didn't find myself caring for them,

This book, under 300 pages long, took me 13 days to read! That only happens when I am not enjoying a book. I should have just put it down and found something else, after all, I am not short of books to read.

Who would I recommend this to? Someone I don't like? Someone who needs help dropping off to sleep at night? Maybe someone who is interested in some strange psyche? I gave this two stars on Goodreads. It was OK, and at least, for 13 days, I got some good sleep.

I hope I will enjoy the other Ruth Rendell books I have. Had I picked that one up first, I would not have been as happy.

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

Ahhh... a guilty-pleasure author. Yes, I will confess that I am one of those many folks out there that enjoys Gillian Flynn. She goes down particularly well when I am overloaded with work. As this is only a novella, it was perfect for what I wanted.

She is con-artist, posing as a psychic as her other job, wanking off guys, is putting a strain on her wrist. One day a woman comes to her with a concern - her stepson is changing, becoming darker. Of course our questionably ethical narrator is going to take the job. (Some Jaws music would be good about now.)

I enjoyed this. For starters, it was a pleasant, quick read that didn't take up much time, so I didn't feel guilty sitting down with it this afternoon, taking a break from work.  Then, this is exactly what you would expect from Gillian Flynn - twisted, weird and unexpected.

I really enjoyed the beginning. I died laughing at the explanation about the change in career. I loved the middle as it was particularly creepy, and anything could have happened. The near end was brilliant. It was just the last few pages that I felt were a bit disappointing, a bit lacking in the thrill factor or perhaps just a let down. But it was still an enjoyable read.

It is nearly impossible to say more about a book that is only 79 pages long. I gave it 3 stars. I would recommend it to fans of Flynn, or folks who like weird and twisted. This is not her best work though, so I would not recommend it or people wanting to see if they like her writing.

The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton

I really enjoyed Sister by Rosamund Lupton, so I bought this one (it was on special - and I can't walk past a brilliantly priced book if I might like it) and Afterwards. Basically that means I own every book she has written.

The synopsis of this book had me. A mom, Yasmin, and her deaf daughter, Ruby, head through Alaska looking for her husband, who is presumed dead. However, they are not as alone as they think they are. They are being watched. Insert drum roll here.

This is going to sound like a very mixed review. In so many ways, this was a five star book, but the ending just didn't do it for me. Let me explain.

Lupton is a really good writer. In both this book and Sister, she created characters that felt really real. But, while I really did enjoy both perspectives in this novel, there were some occasions where I felt it was not necessary to have both perspectives on the same event. Yes, some were interesting, I won't deny that. I also enjoyed learning about Alaska from the point of view of the child. Her love and enthusiasm made something, that could have read like a dull textbook, sound fascinating. I also enjoyed Ruby's view on words. In fact, I liked almost everything to do with Ruby. Seeing the world through the eyes of a deaf girl was quite the experience. I particularly loved how Ruby explained words.

Noise: Looks like flashing lights, neon-bright; feels like rubble falling; tastes like other people's breathed out air.

Ruby in Quality of Silence - Rosamund Lupton

The pacing was a bit irregular, though. The first half of the book was a bit slow, and then everything happened. I know that we were learning about the characters at that point, but, although I had no objection, this is something that could put a lot of readers off.

Lupton was a genius at creating the atmosphere. Here, in Africa, on the Sunshine Coast, my feet turned to ice blocks reading about the snow storms. I love it when the book I am reading makes me feel like I am living with the characters. In this case I did. I think this was a magnificent example of writing about snow and weather.

So why did I only give it a 3 star rating (well, 3.5 for my own records)? Because the end was a disappointment. While this strategy worked well for Sister, it just felt like a lazy cop out. Yes, yes, "it is up to the reader to decide what they think happened". Bull shit. Sometimes ending a book on the climax works. In most cases it leaves the reader feeling like they had just wasted a heck of a lot of time to not KNOW. Guessing is not the same as knowing. To go through ALL THOSE DETAILED pages of the relationships of the characters and then leave everything hanging in mid air... The ending did not fit the rest of the book.

I have another book by Lupton here, and I sure as hell hope that she actually finishes that one. Her beautiful prose can be her signature mark, not her 'up in the air, figure it out for yourself' endings.

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

Oh wow! Did I enjoy this one! It kept me up until some time between 4 and 5 a.m. this morning! Thank you, thank you to the anonymous stranger who I briefly met in my favourite bookshop for recommending this one to me!

I have often said that the best spy thrillers were set during the cold war. Those KGB agents were good and it kept everyone else on their toes. Clandestine meetings, assassinations, disguises, bugged offices, forgeries... Yip, there was loads going on, and there were more twists and turns in the plots than in gravity-defying mountain passes. But those were the good old days. I have not come across a modern spy thriller that has kept me going until I stumbled upon I am Pilgrim.

I am not going to give a plot synopsis for this one. It is likely to spoil something. I will say this, however. This book was a combination between an old fashioned spy thriller, a modern spy thriller and a modern CSI-styled crime novel with a touch of Sherlock Holmes. Interested yet?

I am Pilgrim has a lot of detail, but I thought that it added to the story and didn't bog it down with unnecessary information. At no point was I bored or wanting to skim passages. Everything amalgamated to create a very involved, intricate plot. I think that all that back story and detail just added to make the reading experience feel extremely real. And that plot! I must say, it was really well thought out. Freakishly so.

The characters were enjoyable to read about, and I particularly enjoyed reading from Pilgrim's point of view. He had a pleasant sense of humour - not over whelming enough so as to lose the suspense that had been built up, but enough for me to like him just that little bit more. Pilgrim (a.k.a Scott Murdoch, Jude Garrett, Peter Campbell) was a fairly realistic character. As he is narrating the story in hindsight, he points out the errors he makes, which not only added to the suspense, but made him seem a little more real, a bit more vulnerable. Make no mistake though, the reader is completely aware of his brilliance. I must say that I also enjoyed reading about Ben Bradley, the NYPD detective. Yay! At last! A book where we do not have all the different divisions treating each other like morons. Ben is shown to be highly intelligent and a more-than-capable detective. Such a refreshing change!

The different settings were also very well researched. Currently, my brother and sister-in-law are in Saudi Arabia, and Hayes has created exactly the scenario they speak of. From a western point of view, it is never going to come across as a country we will ever understand. The practices are ... I do not have the words. It makes me appreciate the fact that, although I am in Africa and surrounded by all the shit that entails, at least I am not living there. I would be stoned in a day, and I do not mean the weed version of being stoned either. I could identify what my family had told me in the book, and that not only made me wish their contracts would hurry up and end so that they could safely return home, but added to my enjoyment of reading the book. (There is nothing worse than reading something when you know that the author is talking bull.)

I would recommend this to folks with good attention spans and/or lovers of Robert Ludlum's work or Jason Bourne.

A read guaranteed to keep one up into the early (or not so early) hours in the morning. A great start to 2016. I gave this 5 stars on Goodreads.

You by Caroline Kepnes

Don't sit down yet. Lock your doors, close your curtains, change your passwords - for everything. Feeling safe yet? You won't be for long - not after reading this twisted book...

This was a creepy book. If I had a shelf for 'completely messed up', this one would be there. It is one thing reading about someone being stalked and completely another reading about it in first person from the stalkers point of view. I need brain bleach badly!

The writing itself was pretty good. It carried the madness of the narrator when it was necessary and carried his calmness when needed. I did not find him scary, but then, as he was narrating the story, he was the definition of an unreliable narrator, as he clearly thought there was nothing wrong with what he was doing. After a while, though, I did get tired of the darkness. This is not a light, fun book to read. And if you are offended by vulgar language and fairly graphic sexual fantasies, then, well, there a many other books out there that would not be shelved on 'completely messed up'.

I did feel that the story should have moved a bit faster. I was getting a bit bored by the end, because there are only so many times one can read about the similar fantasies and concerns without starting to roll one's eyes. I also felt that in the last third, some things he did were not completely in character - keeping in mind that I am not a sick stalker dude. I was a bit curious as to why Kepnes went there with the story. I also had a couple of questions regarding some later events in the plot, but to go into them would be a spoiler.

This was not a bad read. But, even though it is a cardinal sin when talking books, I felt that in someone like Gillian Flynn's hands, I would have closed my facebook account and been completely freaked out. Not that this wasn't freaky, wacky and completely messed up as it was, but it missed something that Flynn has.

I should also add that I am surprised to see that there is a sequel coming. I don't think I will be reading it. One messed up book is enough for me. I also can't really see what a sequel could do that would add to this story. I think it stood well enough on its own. But, as I haven't read it, I can't give anything more than an unsubstantiated opinion on that point. If you are the type of reader who doesn't want to start a long series, don't let the sequel put you off. You stands alone just fine.

Once again, this is not for everyone. It is dark, twisted and likely to leave a strange after taste. But if this does sound up your aisle, then give it a read. You have been warned though.

It is the 70th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads because I got tired of all the darkness and living in Joe's head. It was not a nice place to be.

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

You know that feeling, when you pick up a book, and it looks great, and flipping through the pages, it seems even better, and people have said amazing things about it, and you are all ready to absolutely love it? And then you don't. That was my experience with this one.

I have mixed feelings on how to rate Night Film. I know that one of the reasons I was disappointed was because I thought I would love it more than I did. There were many elements of this book I enjoyed, but perhaps it was because it was novel and new to me, and not because it was ground breaking. I am talking about all the web pages and files etc. that Scott looked through. It made an interesting platform for giving information, which was definitely far more interesting than a narrative version.

The pacing in general was slow - not that that is a problem for me, but it did make me question if the pain in my wrists from holding this huge thing was completely necessary; or if perhaps a few things could have been trimmed. But having said that, all the detail did add to the suspense and the number of questions I was asking myself throughout the reading process. I really was engrossed in the plot.

As far as the characters went, they were all right, I suppose. There was nothing that particularly made them stand out for me. There were some things that I guessed, and there were other things that I suspected that didn't pan out - which was perhaps a well placed red herring.

I think the reason I am rating this only as three and not a four (ok, let's pretend it is a 3.5) stars on Goodreads, is because I found the ending unsatisfying. I understand why it was done, but I prefer a conclusive ending after plodding through 600 plus pages. I also felt that the chosen ending did not quite match the rest of the book as far as pacing and detail went. Some folks appeared to have loved the ending so don't take my word on this alone. Maybe I will enjoy it more one day when I get to rereading it. For now, I am just going to sulk as I feel like I am hanging in the air and the ground is still no where in sight.

This is the 37th book I've read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

I need to make a shelf called 'twisted' - just for Gillian Flynn.

Libby Day was seven years old when her brother massacred her family. Her testimony helped put him away. Now at the age of 31, she has doubts. Did he really do it? And if not, who did? What happened that day?

“The Days were a clan that mighta lived long
But Ben Day’s head got screwed on wrong
That boy craved dark Satan’s power
So he killed his family in one nasty hour
Little Michelle he strangled in the night
Then chopped up Debby: a bloody sight
Mother Patty he saved for last
Blew off her head with a shotgun blast
Baby Libby somehow survived
But to live through that ain’t much a life
—SCHOOLYARD RHYME, CIRCA 1985”

I inhaled this book. I would recommend beginning this book early in the day so that you can sleep at a semi-reasonable hour, or over a weekend where it does not matter if you don't get much sleep. It is not a book that is put down easily.

I enjoyed the alternating timelines. It really added to the suspense as the reader learnt what happened in little pieces as Libby was learning other stuff in little pieces. I also really appreciate Flynn's descriptions of dark things. My favourite quote from this book (although I will admit that I was so engrossed in the story that I was not really paying attention to quotes by page 2) is right there on page one: “Draw a picture of my soul, and it’d be a scribble with fangs.” I also enjoyed watching Libby's character develop and become more responsible and adult. I did feel that her progress was too fast - too fast perhaps to honestly believe that she was so incapable and unreliable initially.

If you enjoy dark and twisted, then this is a book you could enjoy.

This is the 25th book I have read for the 2015 TBR Pile Reading challenge.
I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads. I think any fan of crime thrillers will enjoy this one. I would suggest that having a strong stomach is a requirement for some scenes.