He’s Gone
By Rebecca Collomosse
Publisher: Joffe Books (July 5,
2024)
Paperback: 278 pages
ISBN-10: 1835267009
ISBN-13: 978-1835267004
Publisher’s Blurb:
On the day we choose our wedding rings, my
fiancé vanishes into thin air.
My fiancé brought me tea and scrambled eggs in bed that morning, and we
snuggled together, talking about buying our rings, and about our perfect
wedding next year.
Then we headed into town. He held my hand and gazed at the ring I liked best, a
smile spreading slowly over his face. Then a glass of bubbly to celebrate. I
felt flushed, excited and ready for the rest of my life with the man I loved.
We race to get on the train home. It screams to a halt and I run towards its
open doors. Made it.
I think he’s right behind me — but when I turn
around, he’s gone.
AN EXHILARATING BLEND OF BREATHTAKING SUSPENSE AND
NAIL-BITING TENSION WITH A SHOCKING FINAL TWIST.
My Thoughts:
This book was just meh for me. It bills itself as a
psychological thriller, but I didn’t feel that much thrill. And that “shocking
final twist”? Again…meh. Not that shocking. And frankly, pretty frustrating,
too. There is no resolution.
The premise was interesting: Eve’s fiancé, who was right
behind her as they got on the Tube from wedding ring shopping, vanishes. We see
Eve’s progression as she discovers secrets he’d been keeping and works through
the various stages of grief. Each time she starts to accept that he’s really
gone, something happens—his watch goes missing, a picture of them disappears—and
she begins to hope again.
There is a second narrative voice, that of whoever is messing
with Eve, and it is a threatening one. Breadcrumbs are dropped for us to figure
out who it is, but it doesn’t seem to answer the question: Where did he go?
Eve has to deal with a lot of guilt as she picks up the
pieces and moves on with her life. She’s not always a very good friend. She has
problems at her job. She feels guilty when she buys a house with the money they
had saved together.
The way the narrative is set—as if she is actually talking to
John, telling him all that is happening. It’s an interesting device, always
talking to “you”, but I’m not sure I liked it.
Possible Objectionable Material:
Drinking, sex (not described in detail), mind-games, swearing
(including the F-word), recovery from trauma.
Who Might Like This Book:
Those who like trying to solve a mystery, especially a
missing-person story.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an
advanced reader copy in exchange for my opinion.
Catch the Sun
By Jennifer Hartman
Publisher: Bloom Books (July 16,
2024)
Paperback: 448 pages
ISBN-10: 1464218684
ISBN-13: 978-1464218682
Reading age: 16 - 18 years
Grade level: 10 - 12
Publisher’s Blurb:
A brand new YA
standalone survivor romance from Jennifer Hartmann, the fan-favorite author
of Still Beating, Lotus, and June First, packed
with the same light-in-the-dark hope for healing in the face of tragedy.
Perfect for fans of If He Had Been With Me, A Thousand Boy
Kisses, and Binding 13.
"Kissing you feels
like catching the sun…"
At seven years old, Ella
Sunbury and Max Manning were inseparable―until life scattered them in different
directions, forcing Ella to abruptly leave town. A decade later, she returns
for their senior year of high school, moving in across the street from her
childhood best friend.
But she's not the same
girl Max once knew.
She now lives in the
shadow of her brother: a notorious felon on death row, convicted of a crime
that shook the nation. Reeling from the fallout and shunned by her peers, all
Ella wants is to fade into the background.
Max has little room for
distractions, juggling responsibilities for a disabled father and a distant
twin brother. But Ella's return reignites something within him. He wants to be
close to her again, to understand her…and to turn their friendship into more.
But as their
relationship blossoms, new tragedy strikes, and darkness threatens to tip their
delicate balance. In order to find the light, they'll have to navigate the
shadows.
And to catch the
sun…they must first endure the flames.
My Thoughts:
This book brings
together two teenagers who have really terrible lives. Ella’s brother was very
publicly found guilty in a brutal murder, and her mother spent all her money on
his defense. Max’s father is a disabled drunk, leaving Max to keep a roof over
their heads and keep the family running.
But there’s a backstory:
Max and Ella had been friends once, way back in second grade. When Ella returns
to town after her brother’s trial, she is mocked and bullied for having
tearfully defended him when she was younger. Max seems to fit in with the cool
kids in their small town, but he at least acknowledges her existence. Slowly,
they start to hang out together, revealing more and more of themselves and
growing closer.
But tragedy strikes
again, and, for both of their sakes, they have to go their separate ways.
There is a
satisfying resolution to the story, and we can close the book knowing what
ultimately happens to the characters.
As a teacher, I was
frustrated with how much bullying the school tolerated—including from one of
the teachers. What the actual heck?!?
The only real moments of
brightness come between our two main characters. The rest of the story is just
dreary and depressing.
Possible Objectionable
Material:
Murder. Lots of
descriptive sex—I won’t be recommending this one to students! Swearing,
drinking, and the usual teenage hijinks.
Who Might Like This
Book:
Those who like stories
of teens overcoming adversity and finding something good in their lives.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an
advanced reader copy in exchange for my opinion.
Are You My Halley Hart?
By Claire McCauley
Publisher: Joffe Books Ltd (July 9,
2024)
Paperback: 316 pages
ISBN-10: 1835265782
ISBN-13: 978-1835265789
Publisher’s Blurb:
They had the perfect
meet-cute . . . but can they meet again?
When American tourist Halley Hart accidentally drenches shy academic Henry
Inglis in an Oxford coffee shop, he feels like he's been struck by lightning.
But after a series of chance encounters--and a fleeting kiss--Halley disappears
in a taxi, forgetting to leave Henry her phone number or any way to contact
her.
Although they spent just
one day together, Henry can't get this stunning astronomy student out of his
mind. He knows he has to find her again, but all he has to go on is her name
and the pair of sunglasses she dropped.
There's only one thing
for it. Henry must email every Halley Hart in the world until he finds his Halley.
They say you see
Halley's Comet just once in your lifetime. Will Henry get a second chance?
My Thoughts:
After the previous two
books in this review, this was a delightful palate cleanser!
First of all, our two
main characters are intelligent, well-adjusted, mature people. Yay!
Henry’s search for
Halley doesn’t actually take up a lot of the story. Once they connect via
email, we get to see their emails and text messages, as well as narrative from
both of their points of view. As their correspondence brings them closer
together, they make plans to meet. Those plans are constantly foiled, and we
are frustrated right along with them at all the near-misses.
When they finally do get
together, it’s the stuff romcom legends are made of. But, of course, the happiness
can’t last forever, and their happiness is interrupted. Both are miserable
without each other. Given the type of book this is, I don’t think it’s too much
of a spoiler to say that we do get a happy ever after, though not without a
little bit of family meddling and some refreshingly mature soul searching.
The varied modes of
storytelling keep the story fresh and progressing nicely. The constant
interruptions of plans to meet kept me engaged in the story. All in all, a fun
read.
Possible Objectionable
Material:
Drinking. Reference to
sex. Sex, though not descriptive. Swearing (I don’t remember any F-words).
Who Might Like This
Book:
Those who like rom-coms,
especially ones where the protagonists have lots of obstacles to getting
together. Those who like astronomy and history.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an
advanced reader copy in exchange for my opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment