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amyvl93's reviews
898 reviews
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Family sagas are my jam and so The Bee Sting was destined to be enjoyable for me. Set in a small Irish town, we follow the Barnes family. One time minor celebs of the town due to them running the local care dealership and repair shop, the recession is starting to disrupt their lives and sends the family into a tailspin.
We have Cass, a teenage overachiever in thrall to her best friend Elaine even where this may lead her astray; PJ, her younger brother who finds more comfort in online communities than in person; Imelda, their mother desperate for a life unlike the one she had growing up and Dickie, their father whose secrets will soon pitch them all into disaster.
Paul Murray did an excellent job of crafting characters that felt entirely believable, especially his teenage characters who were complicated, and likeable and unlikeable all at once. I found the mirroring of the past throughout the novel to be really interesting - we see our young people coming dangerously close to repeating the mistakes of their parents, and then maybe not. The setting that the novel takes place in also again felt very well drawn - I really got a sense of the place and the community through the (many) pages of this book.
It is a bit of a brick of a novel, and there were definitely times were it felt like the text could have been trimmed without losing any of the nuances of the novel; we spend perhaps too much time in flashbacks when he point of the sequences had already been very well established. However, I was engaged enough with the characters that I didn't want to put the book down. The ending is ambiguous, if that's something that is a dealbreaker, but it did make me say 'oh my God' out loud. Really enjoyed.
We have Cass, a teenage overachiever in thrall to her best friend Elaine even where this may lead her astray; PJ, her younger brother who finds more comfort in online communities than in person; Imelda, their mother desperate for a life unlike the one she had growing up and Dickie, their father whose secrets will soon pitch them all into disaster.
Paul Murray did an excellent job of crafting characters that felt entirely believable, especially his teenage characters who were complicated, and likeable and unlikeable all at once. I found the mirroring of the past throughout the novel to be really interesting - we see our young people coming dangerously close to repeating the mistakes of their parents, and then maybe not. The setting that the novel takes place in also again felt very well drawn - I really got a sense of the place and the community through the (many) pages of this book.
It is a bit of a brick of a novel, and there were definitely times were it felt like the text could have been trimmed without losing any of the nuances of the novel; we spend perhaps too much time in flashbacks when he point of the sequences had already been very well established. However, I was engaged enough with the characters that I didn't want to put the book down. The ending is ambiguous, if that's something that is a dealbreaker, but it did make me say 'oh my God' out loud. Really enjoyed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Rape, and Violence
Minor: Pedophilia
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
adventurous
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After seeing some of the less than glowing reviews of Harlem Shuffle I was a little wary of picking it up, but I found this to be such an enjoyable read. Ray Carney is a furniture salesman and occasional middleman for crooks but ultimately just wants to provide a good life for his wife and family, and prove himself to his snooty in-laws, who see him as the wrong kind of man for their daughter. When his cousin Freddie gets involved in a break-in and shares his name with the mobster who ran the job, Ray is thrown closer into the underbelly of Harlem.
I just really sank into this - Whitehead's writing is just first class and I found Ray to be a protagonist I liked spending time with. All of the characters in these pages felt well developed, and largely avoided being stereotypes of their employment or character. There were times when the novel felt a little long-winded, but I generally let myself go on the journey. It is not a fast-paced thriller that you may expect seeing the word 'heist' but there are certainly action scenes within the pages of this novel; many of which were almost cinematic in their writing.
Harlem in the 1960s is also not a place or a time that I know a lot about, so I loved Whitehead's love letter to the area, romanticising it in some ways but always undercutting it with realism about what it meant to live in this area of the city and this time. There are references to real world events, but these never feel heavy handed or pointed within the text.
I really liked this one and will be picking up the rest of the trilogy.
I just really sank into this - Whitehead's writing is just first class and I found Ray to be a protagonist I liked spending time with. All of the characters in these pages felt well developed, and largely avoided being stereotypes of their employment or character. There were times when the novel felt a little long-winded, but I generally let myself go on the journey. It is not a fast-paced thriller that you may expect seeing the word 'heist' but there are certainly action scenes within the pages of this novel; many of which were almost cinematic in their writing.
Harlem in the 1960s is also not a place or a time that I know a lot about, so I loved Whitehead's love letter to the area, romanticising it in some ways but always undercutting it with realism about what it meant to live in this area of the city and this time. There are references to real world events, but these never feel heavy handed or pointed within the text.
I really liked this one and will be picking up the rest of the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Police brutality and Antisemitism
Home Stretch by Graham Norton
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wasn't sure what to expect from my first Graham Norton novel and I found Home Stretch to be a really pleasant surprise. The novel follows Connor, who in the 1980s is one of the three young people who walked away from a car crash which killed three others, on the eve of their wedding day. As the driver of the car, he flees his small Irish small town wrecked with grief to find a new life - first
to England and then to New York in search of a new life. But the past soon catches up with him.
I really felt that Norton's sense of place was great - both in the small Irish town but also as Connor moves to various cities as he ages. Everywhere felt well drawn, as did the majority of the support characters. Connor as a main character felt a bit disconnected; but that may well be the point, given he is haunted by his own past. We also spend time with his sister, who remains behind and marries one of the survivors of the crash, discovering the challenges of traditional married life. She is a more complicated character who I did find interesting to spend time with, even when she made some questionable decisions.
Home Stretch also deals with the experience of being gay in the 1980s and 1990s - and particularly when it is something that contributes to shame. In addition to his action in the car crash, Connor spends many years anxious about his identity - until he finds his found family in London and New York and is able to live a life free of guilt. It is one that felt particularly personal coming from Norton, and was a perspective that I valued hearing.
Things do end a little too neatly for my liking, but this was a really great surprise and I'd definitely pick up a future Norton book if I was after a quick read in the future.
to England and then to New York in search of a new life. But the past soon catches up with him.
I really felt that Norton's sense of place was great - both in the small Irish town but also as Connor moves to various cities as he ages. Everywhere felt well drawn, as did the majority of the support characters. Connor as a main character felt a bit disconnected; but that may well be the point, given he is haunted by his own past. We also spend time with his sister, who remains behind and marries one of the survivors of the crash, discovering the challenges of traditional married life. She is a more complicated character who I did find interesting to spend time with, even when she made some questionable decisions.
Home Stretch also deals with the experience of being gay in the 1980s and 1990s - and particularly when it is something that contributes to shame. In addition to his action in the car crash, Connor spends many years anxious about his identity - until he finds his found family in London and New York and is able to live a life free of guilt. It is one that felt particularly personal coming from Norton, and was a perspective that I valued hearing.
Things do end a little too neatly for my liking, but this was a really great surprise and I'd definitely pick up a future Norton book if I was after a quick read in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Grief
The Switch by Beth O'Leary
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wasn't as much of a fan as I wanted to be of <i>The Wake-Up Call</i> so I was a little nervous going into The Switch which has been sat on my shelf for a long time. However, it did win me over more than my first.
This novel follows Leena, a young woman reeling from the death of her sister who is forced to take two months off from her high-flying consulting career and Eileen, her grandmother who despite throwing herself into every community activity going still feels lonely after her husband left her. The two women decide to swap houses, and lives, for a period - Leena returning to the small village where her sister died and her mother still lives, and Eileen to the fashionable East London flat Leena shares with her housemates.
What really made The Switch shine for me was the cast of characters that O'Leary populated the novel with. The inhabitants of the Yorkshire village that Eileen lives in all leap from the page, in turn comedic and also people you come to love; likewise Leena's housemates and building mates that Eileen encounters all feel really well realised.
This novel is however tropey as all get out featuring; grumpy Londoners and talk of how grim the city is, rubbish corporate boyfriend, hot local villager, career woman questioning her career etc etc. This meant I wasn't that engaged in Leena's story as it was the one that fell the most victim to this. Also despite the reader being told repeatedly that she is very smart - she makes some very daft judgements in this novel including towards her grieving mother that I think the plot would have us excuse. I must preferred spending time with Eileen, whose narrative was sparser on the tropes.
All in all, this was a cute light read but it hasn't moved O'Leary to my must read pile yet.
This novel follows Leena, a young woman reeling from the death of her sister who is forced to take two months off from her high-flying consulting career and Eileen, her grandmother who despite throwing herself into every community activity going still feels lonely after her husband left her. The two women decide to swap houses, and lives, for a period - Leena returning to the small village where her sister died and her mother still lives, and Eileen to the fashionable East London flat Leena shares with her housemates.
What really made The Switch shine for me was the cast of characters that O'Leary populated the novel with. The inhabitants of the Yorkshire village that Eileen lives in all leap from the page, in turn comedic and also people you come to love; likewise Leena's housemates and building mates that Eileen encounters all feel really well realised.
This novel is however tropey as all get out featuring; grumpy Londoners and talk of how grim the city is, rubbish corporate boyfriend, hot local villager, career woman questioning her career etc etc. This meant I wasn't that engaged in Leena's story as it was the one that fell the most victim to this. Also despite the reader being told repeatedly that she is very smart - she makes some very daft judgements in this novel including towards her grieving mother that I think the plot would have us excuse. I must preferred spending time with Eileen, whose narrative was sparser on the tropes.
All in all, this was a cute light read but it hasn't moved O'Leary to my must read pile yet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Grief
Girls Out Late by Jacqueline Wilson
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2024 Reread: So, I have been quite enjoying revisiting these novels ahead of the release of Think Again, and this is the first one I have not enjoyed rereading. In this installment, Ellie gets herself an actual real life boyfriend after they lock eyes over their sketchbooks. Meanwhile, Nadine has run-ins with her toxic ex-boyfriend earlier in the series, and Magda has a crush on their teacher. There are some...bizarre plot turns in this book, and Ellie's usual charm is a bit absent as she becomes truly obsessed with her boyfriend. Nadine probably has the most interesting storyline in reckoning with her previous experience but this is largely sidelined. A bit of a miss unfortunately!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia and Sexual harassment
This Lovely City by Louise Hare
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This Lovely City takes place in London in the 1950s, in the years after the Second World War and the arrival of the Windrush. Our protagonists are Lawrie, a young man from Jamaica who is convinced to come to the UK by his late brother's friend, a postman-turned-jazz musician and Evie, the (literal) girl next door, who is mixed race and being raised by her single white mother.
When Lawrie discovers the body of a mixed-race baby apparently drowned on his way home from work, the police and wider community suspicion lands on the growing Black community in South London.
The immediate post-war years don't always get covered in fiction, the bleakness does not lend itself to fiction, and I found that Hare vividly bought to life the sense of just...grey that seemed to haunt the London of this story, especially through Lawrie's eyes. This makes the scenes of snatched joy - warm summer flashbacks, successful jazz concerts - bounce off the page much more.
Hare's focus on the experience of the Windrush arrivals was also interesting, I had next to no awareness of the process they went through on arrival, of having to sleep in shelters and, despite the request for labour, struggle they had finding work due to the blatant racism of war-torn England.
Another strength of Hare's, for the most part, was her portrayal of the 'chosen family' of fellow musicians that Lawrie has within his community - I really liked their interactions and different responses to the increasing police pressure on them and their peers. Similarly, I liked Evie's relationship with her friend Delia.
There were times, however, when it felt like This Lovely City couldn't quite decide what it wanted to be - a historical portrait of the Windrush experience with a side of romance or a crime thriller. I found the latter to be increasingly uninteresting, and the reveal that we get felt a bit unbelievable, even for all that character's flaws. This meant that at times I wasn't compelled to pick it up, just because I wasn't sure what narrative I was really reading.
All in all, this is a good read - it ends neatly and I think shines a light on a generation that did an awful lot for this country with very little thanks.
When Lawrie discovers the body of a mixed-race baby apparently drowned on his way home from work, the police and wider community suspicion lands on the growing Black community in South London.
The immediate post-war years don't always get covered in fiction, the bleakness does not lend itself to fiction, and I found that Hare vividly bought to life the sense of just...grey that seemed to haunt the London of this story, especially through Lawrie's eyes. This makes the scenes of snatched joy - warm summer flashbacks, successful jazz concerts - bounce off the page much more.
Hare's focus on the experience of the Windrush arrivals was also interesting, I had next to no awareness of the process they went through on arrival, of having to sleep in shelters and, despite the request for labour, struggle they had finding work due to the blatant racism of war-torn England.
Another strength of Hare's, for the most part, was her portrayal of the 'chosen family' of fellow musicians that Lawrie has within his community - I really liked their interactions and different responses to the increasing police pressure on them and their peers. Similarly, I liked Evie's relationship with her friend Delia.
There were times, however, when it felt like This Lovely City couldn't quite decide what it wanted to be - a historical portrait of the Windrush experience with a side of romance or a crime thriller. I found the latter to be increasingly uninteresting, and the reveal that we get felt a bit unbelievable, even for all that character's flaws. This meant that at times I wasn't compelled to pick it up, just because I wasn't sure what narrative I was really reading.
All in all, this is a good read - it ends neatly and I think shines a light on a generation that did an awful lot for this country with very little thanks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Police brutality
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Murder
Girls Under Pressure by Jacqueline Wilson
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2024 reread: Girls Under Pressure is the second in the Girls series, and this one delves even more so than the first into Ellie's struggles with her body and weight. Whilst her friend Nadine dabbles in a potential modelling career and Magda is attracting boys, Ellie becomes convinced that she needs to dramatically lose weight. Whilst it will definitely be a difficult read if you've ever struggled with your relationship with food this will be a tricky read, but it also felt very truthful to that mindset. The ending is a little too neat - and I felt like the novel didn't unpack Magda's experience in particular in as much detail - but still enjoying revisting this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I wanted to love this so much but An Orchestra of Minorities really didn't work for me. The novel follows Nonso, a poultry farmer who one night saves a woman from jumping off a bridge. He and the woman, Ndali, fall in love but her wealthy and educated family do not see him as a suitable husband. The novel than follows his attempts to win their favour.
It is narrated by Nonso's chi, who is defending some terrible action of his to the Gods and this chi was, initially, an interesting narrative device. They were moments of humour and warmth, and insight into human behaviour where the chi draws on his history of accompanying humans over the centuries. However, this narration also occasionally slowed the narrative right down until basically a stop. This meant the pacing just felt off at times - where they'd be moments of intense action and we would then get four pages of description, taking you away from the characters and their story.
What really didn't work for me was the denouement of the novel, where we learn what it was that Nonso did that has put him at the mercy of the gods. I couldn't work out if Obioma wanted us to buy the chi's case that he was somehow justified as a result of his various misfortunes and that did not sit well with me. Relatedly, I found that although Ndali is a fundamental character to the plot we never learn that much about her - men that Nonso spends brief periods with are typically better drawn, including the men in Ndali's family, which I found frustrating.
I think Obioma is undeniably a strong writer but this didn't work for me.
It is narrated by Nonso's chi, who is defending some terrible action of his to the Gods and this chi was, initially, an interesting narrative device. They were moments of humour and warmth, and insight into human behaviour where the chi draws on his history of accompanying humans over the centuries. However, this narration also occasionally slowed the narrative right down until basically a stop. This meant the pacing just felt off at times - where they'd be moments of intense action and we would then get four pages of description, taking you away from the characters and their story.
What really didn't work for me was the denouement of the novel, where we learn what it was that Nonso did that has put him at the mercy of the gods. I couldn't work out if Obioma wanted us to buy the chi's case that he was somehow justified as a result of his various misfortunes and that did not sit well with me. Relatedly, I found that although Ndali is a fundamental character to the plot we never learn that much about her - men that Nonso spends brief periods with are typically better drawn, including the men in Ndali's family, which I found frustrating.
I think Obioma is undeniably a strong writer but this didn't work for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Xenophobia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide attempt
They Can't Kill Us All: The Story of Black Lives Matter by Wesley Lowery
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
It was strange to finish this book in the days after the killing of Sonya Massey by a police officer who she called for help, as it flagged how we know so much more about police brutality, but also how little has changed within these forces. They Can't Kill Us All came out in the immediate aftermath of the original rise of BLM in 2016, following police shootings across the US and the accompanying protests and calls for reform.
Whilst I did follow these cases at the time, this was a reminder of key details that I'd forgotten, and Lowery shines a light on the key individuals who mobilised local and national protest movements. Whilst there were times when we spent slightly more time exploring Lowery's writing process which was interesting but sometimes pulled away from individuals I would rather spend time with.
Given the way the movement has grown over the past few years, I'd be interested to read more writing by Lowery on the movement and the backlash its, inappropriately, received. This is a good read if you need a reminder or introduction to the movement.
Whilst I did follow these cases at the time, this was a reminder of key details that I'd forgotten, and Lowery shines a light on the key individuals who mobilised local and national protest movements. Whilst there were times when we spent slightly more time exploring Lowery's writing process which was interesting but sometimes pulled away from individuals I would rather spend time with.
Given the way the movement has grown over the past few years, I'd be interested to read more writing by Lowery on the movement and the backlash its, inappropriately, received. This is a good read if you need a reminder or introduction to the movement.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Police brutality
Girls in Love by Jacqueline Wilson
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
In advance of Jacqueline Wilson publishing her first adult novel as a continuation of this series, I thought I would revisit them. No rating, as I'm most definitely not the target audience for this series!
This first novel introduces us to Ellie, Magda and Nadine who are entering Year 9 (I'd slightly forgotten how young they are). Ellie desperately wants a boyfriend and for fear of being left out invents a perfect of paper guy whilst also contending with body image issues, and her stepmum and Dad's arguments and her Mum's death. Meanwhile Magda wants any boy to pay attention to her, and Nadine is dating a cool older boy - what could go wrong.
I sped through this and was reminded of just how well Wilson captures teenage girlhood in all its messiness, and even when there's quite neat storyline resolutions they never feel outside the realm of reality. I particularly liked her take on Nadine's relationship and the challenges there, and Ellie's relationship with her stepmum. Some have criticised this for Ellie's obsession about her body but this rang, unfortunately, true to me - especially given this is set in the 1990s.
I'll be making my way through the others very soon!
This first novel introduces us to Ellie, Magda and Nadine who are entering Year 9 (I'd slightly forgotten how young they are). Ellie desperately wants a boyfriend and for fear of being left out invents a perfect of paper guy whilst also contending with body image issues, and her stepmum and Dad's arguments and her Mum's death. Meanwhile Magda wants any boy to pay attention to her, and Nadine is dating a cool older boy - what could go wrong.
I sped through this and was reminded of just how well Wilson captures teenage girlhood in all its messiness, and even when there's quite neat storyline resolutions they never feel outside the realm of reality. I particularly liked her take on Nadine's relationship and the challenges there, and Ellie's relationship with her stepmum. Some have criticised this for Ellie's obsession about her body but this rang, unfortunately, true to me - especially given this is set in the 1990s.
I'll be making my way through the others very soon!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape and Sexual harassment