Keep You Safe by Melissa Hill. Review and Giveaway.

As the HPV vaccination debate heats up in Ireland, there is a very timely new release from Irish author, Melissa Hill. Every parent has their own views on vaccines and no matter which side of the debate you are on, this is a novel that will drag you in to its story and may even introduce doubts that you never had. The MMR vaccine has saved million of lives and introduced the concept of herd immunity. But what happens when your child is not vaccinated and then contracts measles? Hill explores this idea in Keep You Safe, and it is a page-turning experience.

 I have five copies of this book, in a hat trick of giveaways: Two copies here on the blog (just leave a comment below); Two copies on twitter @margaretbmadden (see pinned tweet) and a copy over on the facebook page of Bleach House Library, (see pinned post). The giveaways end on 1st October and are open INT. Good Luck!

Photo from @MelissaHillBks

My Review

(originally posted in The Sunday Independent, 11 Sep 2017)

Kate's five-year-old daughter Rosie could not be vaccinated because of an intolerance to the gelatine used in live vaccines. Her classmate Clara was not vaccinated either - her mother Madeleine chose not to, fearful of its side-effects. Neither women anticipated the outcome of their decision, and Melissa Hill's new novel examines how both their worlds are turned upside down when their children are hit by the measles virus.

It is not against the law to refuse the childhood vaccination programme in Ireland, and Madeleine and her husband Tom genuinely believe they are protecting their daughter by refusing it: "They'd been hugely uncomfortable about the vaccine's link to autism, and while the original research paper suggesting the connection had long been discredited, it was very difficult to ignore the multitude of real-life anecdotal experiences that were so prevalent". On the other hand, nurse Kate, who thoroughly researched her decision, would gladly have vaccinated Rosie were it not for her allergy. While she is now widowed, her husband had approved her decision: "We had no choice but to opt Rosie out of the standard childhood vaccination programme and hope against hope that herd immunity would prevail".

Kate finds herself in a terrifying situation when Rosie is hospitalised. Meanwhile, Clara recovers from her illness but parenting blogger Madeleine is feeling the pressure in another way: "The public loved to express an opinion - never more so than on the internet - and right now, the full force of those primarily negative opinions was heading directly her way". The two women find themselves embroiled in a legal battle which seeks to assign blame. The media are having a field day with sympathy leaning toward Kate and Rosie while Madeleine and Tom are not being afforded the same respect: "It wasn't just her and Tom's decision on vaccination that was on trial here - it was their parenting".

Kate is homely, medically trained and dealing with the long-term effects of her daughter's illness; Madeleine - wealthy and media-savvy, is judged more for her personality than for her decision. Told from both mothers' perspectives, Keep You Safe is both astute and divisive and Hill (pictured left) has addressed the vaccine debate in a fictional tale of fear, judgement and choice. A topical, timely read.


Keep You Safe is published by HQ and is available in HB, TPB and ebook format. You can order your copy, with Free Worldwide Postage, HERE. The ebook can be ordered via amazon link below:

Blog Tour: 'Sometimes I Lie' by Alice Feeney. Review and Giveaway.

I was lucky enough to read a very early copy of Sometimes I Lie and read it in one, frenzied sitting. It is with great pleasure that I am now able to share my thoughts on this chilling thriller and offer three paperback copies for giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning one, just enter via rafflecopter link at the bottom of this post. UK and Ireland only, I'm afraid. Good Luck!

MY REVIEW

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me.

1. I am in a coma.

2. My husband doesn't love me anymore.

3. Sometimes I lie.

This is the no-nonsense opening page of the debut novel from former BBC reporter, Alice Feeney. We are introduced to Alice as she lies, confused and with gaping holes in her memory, in a hospital bed. She has been in a road traffic accident and is in a coma. She can hear everything and yet has no way to express herself; her fears, her uncertainty and her own self-doubt are all pent-up. Before long we are brought back to the week before the accident and catch glimpses of what led up to the present day. With her husband and her sister taking turns at her bedside, Alice struggles to recall the details; big and small. Her comatose body lets her down and her frustration is palpable;

"Despite my internal cries, on the outside I am voiceless and perfectly still. [...] The Vice tightens around my skull once more, as though a thousand fingers are pushing at my temples. I can't remember what happened to me, but I know, with unwavering certainty, that this man, my husband, had something to do with it."

The novel flicks back and forth with delicious teasers and tightly woven tensions. A thrilling read that is like a kite flying on a uncertain wind. It launches with great gusto, dipping and diving through partial memories, all the while tethered to the reader with a thread of thrilling anxiety.  The story soars and crashes, rises and turns, with gruesome twists and  unforeseen turns galore.  I have no doubt that this novel will crash land onto bestseller lists worldwide and linger there for a long, long time. Whether you are reading on your commute or huddled up in your bed, just do not expect to communicate with anyone as you eagerly turn the pages. It will suck you in, refusing to let you go without a fight.  An intense reading experience that you will not forget in a hurry. Ideal for fans of BA Paris and Elizabeth Haynes. Highly recommended.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alice Feeney is a writer and journalist. She spent 16 years at the BBC, where she worked as a Reporter, News Editor, Arts and Entertainment Producer and One O’clock News Producer.

Alice is a Faber Academy graduate from the class of 2016. She has lived in London and Sydney and has now settled in the Surrey countryside, where she lives with her husband and dog.
Sometimes I Lie is her debut thriller.

Sometimes I Lie is published by HQ Stories and is available in PB and ebook format. It is available in all good bookshops or you can order your copy via the amazon link below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway