Review: A Cure for Sorrow

A Cure for Sorrow by Jen Wheeler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky
Presented by Brilliance Audio

Really enjoyed the first 20% or so, but it was all downhill from there.

Firstly, this book sold itself to me with the promise of supernatural happenings, and I was sadly disappointed on that front. Also 'haunted secrets' - where were the secrets?? I was bored, bored bored.

My favourite part of this entire novel was the building of the relationship between Nora and Euan, and how it spoke about the loss after. This evoked some really strong feelings in me and I was sucked in completely.

However, once Nora starts to move forward it all just became a tangled mess of love affairs and damaged people and relationships and also FARMWORK which was so incredibly dull. Nora went from a character I adored to a character I loathed, and nothing interesting justified how long this story dragged on for. When the 'supernatural' finally turned up, I rolled my eyes and that was me emotionally done. From then on it was listening just to be done.

On the plus side, the narration was well done. She did a great job of defining characters with different voices, and added a lot of feeling to the story. I'd happily listen to this narrator again.

If this hadn't been an audiobook I think I would have straight up quit halfway. As it was, it really became a chore to listen to, and I was happy when it finally ended.

Perhaps fans of historical fiction will enjoy this more than I did, but there wasn't much beyond the narrator that could redeem it for me.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Withered Hill

Withered Hill by David Barnett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was SO GOOD. Very eerie!

The plot follows Sophie, who finds herself naked and scratched up, with no memory of who she is, nor how she came to be in the unusual town she finds herself in.

From the get-go, I had no clue what was going on and loved every second of it. The people of Withered Hill are completely nuts, but at the same time there's a sad logic to the way they behave and the choices they make. Even their bizarre rituals make their own kind of sense.

The grey morality of this book was my favourite aspect - questionable things are done that have a clear logic, making the reader question who is really in the wrong. At the same time, there is a real menace over the town, creating an atmosphere that will make your skin crawl.

The book alternates between 'Inside' and 'Outside', so we witness the days leading up to Sophie's entry to Withered Hill, which are equally menacing. I really enjoyed the contrast, and followed events in each section with rapt attention.

I did enjoy the ending, but it felt a little heavy-handed on the exposition. Honestly, the way it wrapped up was mostly perfect but I still want MORE.

This was easy to devour, and is the perfect book to snag for Halloween season. It's an extraordinary blend of horror, thriller and mystery, with a fast pace and some clever considerations.

Highly recommend for horror fans!

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

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Review: The Wonder of Lost Causes

The Wonder of Lost Causes by Nick Trout
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A sweet, heartwarming story but a little too cheesy for me by the end. Still solid, though.

The story revolves around Jasper, a young boy with Cystic Fibrosis, and his mother, Kate. Kate's a vet and as a consequence Jasper meets Whistler - a beat up senior mutt that he forms an instant connection with.

Personally?
Dogs -> yes
Kids -> no

I particularly dislike when a story (or part of) is narrated by a child, who misunderstands things and generally talks like a child. I get it, I get why people like it, but it's really not for me.

That said, Jasper was sweet enough. He's a bit of a unicorn, here- he's the kid who has a rotten life but is always beaming sunshine and rainbows. Nothing can get this kid down, and he's the one that's going to teach us (and his severely over-protective mother) how to appreciate the little things in life etc etc.

I'm not against the message, and I think it was told well through this specific trio of characters, but I feel it was a little long as by the end I was quite tired of hearing this child drop all these big quotes about life. He's twelve, for crying out loud. It really grated on me by the end. For most of the book, though, it's very wholesome. Jasper and Whistler are very sweet together and I think dog-lovers will really fall for the pair.

Kate has no character development until all of a sudden she does and that's equally unbearable. I needed subtle progression instead of 0-1oo. Harried mothers may see themselves in her a little and grant her a little more patience, but for me she was too much.

It was a great story, but a little too long to stay believable for me. I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't pull me in quite as much as I hoped for.

Still, a great read for the dog lovers.

With thanks to A&U for an ARC

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