Book Review: The Break by Marian Keyes.

Forty-four-year-old Amy is gobsmacked when her husband, Hugh, declares that he wants to take a break from their marriage. He plans to travel through South East Asia and sever all contact for six months. Leaving Amy and three children behind, he heads off with a rucksack, a quick-dry towel and a newly discovered sense of freedom. Amy is devastated but, in true Irish style, she picks herself up and carries on, regardless. With some words of (not your average) wisdom from her daughters, sisters and feisty mother, Amy slowly learns what it is like to be a separated mother and struggles to adapt to her new role, albeit in great vintage clothes.

It is twenty two years since Marian Keyes burst onto the fiction scene, with her debut, Watermelon. Twelve worldwide bestselling novels later, she returns with a fresh and zingy new host of characters. Amy is an extremely likable and well-rounded personality; in her prime, yet delightfully immature; attractive, yet insecure; career confident, yet equally happy to be at home. She has raised three very unique children and is a loving aunt to many. Her eldest daughter, Neeve, (who's father is a virtually-absent former footballer) is a make-up vlogger, even managing to rope in her Granny for the odd session. There is her quiet and contemplative niece, Sofie, who has been living with Amy and Hugh since her early childhood and is rarely seen without boyfriend, Jackson. Finally there is Kiara, a dream-child who gives her parents no worries. This houseful of females is awash with ongoing shenanigans and all-round mayhem which builds up momentum for the weekly extended-family meal. Add in Amy's regular commute to London, for her celeb clients requiring media-makeovers, and the story line never dips.

Keyes has come back with a bang. She has deposited some of her own insightful, warm wit into her characters and let them come to life in their own unique way. Fans will recognise many familiar topics dotted throughout the narrative; a love of all things cosmetic-related; a monthly cheese-subscription; a wife who is weary with the arduous task of caring for her husband with dementia; a fear of hairdressers; the joy of seeing a baby car seat being removed from a sibling's car. However, there are more universal moments. The delight of the first sip of crisp, white wine at the end of a crappy day; the 'mean-girl' effect on on adults who need friends, not enemies; the pre-date preparations required to make an older-woman feel confident enough to strip-off. There are also very valid and serious issues addressed. The ongoing Repeal the 8th campaign is tackled head-on with a character needing to travel abroad to end her pregnancy. Women, on this island, have no rights to their own bodies. Under Irish law, it is a criminal offense to procure abortion pills or seek termination in Ireland. In The Break, a female has made her choice, but cannot legally do anything about it. Choice is the key word.  It may not be a story line that everyone will be comfortable with, but it is a reflection of our times.  Unfair treatment of females in the workplace is also alluded to:

 "These days, my friends of child-bearing age, who work any sizable company, tell me that life is like a dystopian novel, one where women have to swallow their pill in a public ceremony every morning in the workplace. ('They watch over you like a hawk. You can't sneak off to puke from a hangover or put on even an ounce. If they suspect you're pregnant, you're immediately sidelined onto the worst project ever, to make you resign.')

But, there are lots of laughs. Bucket-loads of laughs. Amy is the kind of friend that you would want at your party. She's fun, sassy and you know she would have your back. Her ability to laugh and enjoy life, even through the darker moments, are endearing and despite being kicked in the teeth, she does not wallow in self-pity. (Instead, choosing to shop online, despite dwindling finances.) She is a great mother and a fantastic daughter. She gets her chance for her own 'mid-life crisis' and Jaypers, she gets right up on that horse. The sex scenes are real and raunchy, without being gratuitous, and are all the better for it. The body-shaming and 'things you should never wear over the age of forty' lists get the middle finger from Marian Keyes, and rightly so. There are some amazingly astute one-liners, all the way through:

"A soul-mate is like one of those seventy-nine-euro flights  to New York - a lovely idea but they don't exist."

"There are times when your heart is bursting with love for them and there are spells when you tense up at the sound of them entering the room."

Flashbacks give the reader a chance to know more about Amy and Hugh, allowing more depth to their relationship. The pacing is great, the language is a balance of the colloquial and generic and all emotions are examined; grief, anger, joy, surprise, despair, excitement (sexual and retail - YES!) and acceptance. Amy's mother is a breath of fresh air and like The Walsh Family novels, the diverse personalities within the family unit are the making of the story. I cannot fault this book at all. I am delighted to see Ms. Keyes back in flying form and spreading the joy to her readers. We are definitely a better nation for her. An outstanding look at life for the modern Irish woman.  Highly Recommended.

The Break is published by Michael Joseph on 7th September 2017 in HB. You can pre-order your copy via your local bookshop or via amazon link below:

Book Review: The Lying Game by Ruth Ware.

One text message. That is all it takes to dredge up the past. Isa knows something is terribly wrong when she receives a message from an old school friend. Throwing essentials into a bag, she grabs her baby daughter and boards the first train back to Salten, where Kate waits for her three best friends. "I need you" is all the message said, but the girls know she would not summon them without reason. Their boarding school days and The Lying Game come back to haunt them...

Ruth Ware thrilled readers with her previous novels, In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman In Cabin 10, and this one is just as sinister. Isa was late to the foursome, after joining their boarding school in fifth term. They soon find themselves embroiled in The Lying Game and ditching their dorms for the bohemian pull of Kate's home, situated in the isolated Reach area near their school. The house is accessed by trawling through marshy sands and the girls enjoy the freedom that Kate's father allows. They can drink, skinny dip and ignore all the usual restrictions afforded to teenagers. It is not too long before all the freedom catches up with the girls and they find themselves tangled up in a web of lies. 

Now, many years later, Isa travels back to the Reach and the secrets it contains. Kate is cagey and the atmosphere is tense. The house is literally crumbling away and Kate seems broken. When human remains are discovered, the village of Salten is awash with rumour.  Isa struggles between fleeing back to London with her daughter, or staying to help herself and her three friends confront the past. The past refuses to stay buried, despite the girls best attempts:

"The memories are no longer gentle little 'do you remember?' taps on my shoulder, they are slaps, each one an assault. Even away from the crowd they keep coming."

The chapters fly along, dipping from the days of boarding school, back to the present day.  Isa's role as an attentive mother is juxtaposed against Kate's refusal to be responsible for anyone. 

The Lying Game is a dark and multi-layered novel, with an eerie feel. It has the Gothic atmosphere of Bronte's Wuthering Heights, the slow-building and taut suspense of Apple Tree Yard and the tension of Alfred Hitchcock classic movies. A gentler pace than Ware's previous novels, but the thrills are subtle and effective. 

The Lying Game is published by Harvill Secker and is available in HB and ebook format. You can order your copy, with 20% discount and Free Worldwide postage, HERE. The ebook can be ordered via amazon link below:

Book Review: The Forever Court by Dave Rudden.

Review by Mia Madden, aged 13.

This is the enthralling second part in the Knights of the Borrowed Dark trilogy. It takes us back to Seraphim Row (a couple of months after the Clockwork Three incident), where Denizen, Simon, Abigail, Darcie and Vivian remain. Since his run in with the Tenebrous Mercy, daughter of the Endless King, Denizen's mind has been on fire (pun intended) with the new power Mercy gave him. With all seventy-eight Cants in your head, it takes a lot of willpower not to utter a few syllables and accidentally destroy the whole world. An old friend returns with an invitation to meet up with the Endless King's most trusted minions, the Forever Court. Denizen thinks of it as a chance to see Mercy again. But is it a trap?

The book also follows Uriel Croit, a member of a very powerful family that worships a being known as the Redemptress. She is said to have given the Croits her Favour, a fire that burns in their hearts and takes the form of whatever you choose. With this mass fire-power (I can't help it! I love puns!), the army of the Favoured plan on taking down 'the Aversary', an enemy who doomed their Redemptress. But Uriel is having second thoughts about what he is doing as soon as he sees what he is up against. Will he fight for his family, or hide from the horror that is war?

Another outstanding novel from Dave Rudden. It shows two different styles of writing: humorous in Denizen and dark and literary in Uriel. Unfortunately, the week I started reading The Forever Court was the week I got back from a trip with my school. I was exhausted and couldn't read much. Fortunately, I had plenty of free-classes the next week, so I got plenty of reading done. I can't wait for book 3: The Endless King! It's hopefully coming out next year (no pressure).

HIGHLY recommended for ages 10+.

You can read my review of Knights of the Borrowed Dark HERE.

The Forever Court is published by Puffin and is available in paperback and ebook format.  You can get your copy, with Free Worldwide Postage, HERE. Check out the great book trailer below.

      

Book Review - 'The Good Mother' by Sinéad Moriarty.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Ireland for the ARC of this title...

Kate is just beginning to get her life back on track after a difficult few years. Her husband, Nick, has left her and their three children for a younger model and a new baby son. She has lost the family home and her dignity. Now herself and the children are living with her elderly father and are beginning to adjust. All this changes when her twelve-year-old daughter, Jessica, is diagnosed with leukemia. 

There is no worse fear for a parent than the suffering of a child. Kate is knocked for six with the news and she tries to balance her emotions whilst also staying strong for her family. Her eighteen-year-old son, Luke, has given up on his father and her youngest son, Bobby, is not exactly enthralled with his missing parent either. However, Jess is torn between her two parents. She is the peace-maker, the sounding board and is full of  youthful compassion. As her health deteriorates, she must surrender the parenting to her Mum and Dad. Hospital becomes her new world and she finds friendship within the children's ward. Each family member deals with Jessica's illness differently and they try to put their differences aside, not always successfully. Along with a great support network of friends, they try to make Jessica their priority.

Sinéad Moriarty brings the reader into the sadness of Kate's world as she deals with the most difficult situation imaginable. The anger she feels must be set aside, the resentment smothered and the bitter pills swallowed. She does her best to balance her time between all three children, yet her heart is slowly breaking. Nick is in complete denial (and is tormented by non-stop phone calls from an insecure girlfriend) and tensions are wrought.  The story is written with tenderness and with a good touch of humour. There is an on-going diary entry from Bobby, which although not completely necessary, shows how he is dealing with the changes in his life. But it is Luke who adds a nice parallel narrative. His story unfolds alongside his sisters, with his girlfriends family adding much-needed light-relief. (Think of the family in Roddy Doyle's Barrytown Trilogy) There is laughter to balance the tears and childhood innocence to counteract the darkness of cancer treatment. Moriarty has managed to combine the beauty of The Fault in our Stars, the sadness of Me Before You and the emotions of My Sister's Keeper. Jessica is a wonderful character who will linger in your thoughts, long after you turn the final page.  I have tweeted the author, advising her that I shall forward my bill for tissues and therapy.  

The Good Mother is published by Penguin Random House in TBP and ebook format. You can order your copy in all good bookshops or via amazon link below:

Blog Tour - 'My Sister's Bones' by Nuala Ellwood. Review and Giveaway.

I am thrilled to be kicking off the month long Blog Tour for #MySistersBones by Nuala Ellwood.  I also have a signed proof copy of the book to giveaway to one lucky reader.  Just enter via rafflecopter link below.  Good Luck! 

Journalist, Kate Rafter, has seen some horrific things and experienced life in war torn countries.  She returns to England after a particularly harrowing assignment in Syria and stays in her empty family home.  The memories of a difficult childhood come flooding back and she struggles to communicate with her alcoholic sister.  She hears screams at night and voices during the day.  Are they real or just a side-effect of her difficult memories?  The combination of grief, alcohol, medication and stress cause her to query her own sanity.  Why is she constantly hearing a child's voice calling out? Is there really something sinister going on in the house next door?

This book is split into two parts.  The first tells Kate's story, as she learns to doubt herself as much as what is going on around her.  A nasty break-up, a serious of drunken altercations and the memories of a cruel father and deceased baby brother.  All of these moments are forever playing in her mind as she returns to her hometown, reluctantly.  The second part is told from the perspective of her sister, Sally.  An alcoholic most of her life, she drinks to forget the past and avoid the future.  Her husband, Paul, is trying to mend fences between the estranged sisters and despite his wife's fragile state, he continues to support her.  

The tension in this debut novel is instantaneous and remains constant throughout.  The fractured memories from both narrators are vague enough to keep you guessing, yet are a constant feed for the unravelling story.  Alcohol is used to cast doubt on the characters lucidity and the unreliability of their memories add to the atmosphere.  Ellwood draws on the experiences of a seasoned journalist to throw light on the distressing situation in war-torn Syria and the effects it has on it's citizens.  The blending of past and present is extended with memories of both girl's childhoods and the domestic violence that both girls witnessed from different angles.  What one child remembers, another forgets. There are quite a few dream sequences, which I am not a huge fan of, but they add to the unreliablity factir.

This is a psychological thriller that deserves some attention.  Ripe for adaptation, the many threads all lead to a climatic ending that managed to surprise me. The characters are believable and the pages practically turn themselves.  When a book keeps you up long after bedtime, you know it's a success.  Definitely a thriller that will hold your attention and keep you guessing throughout.  Nuala Ellwood has produced a top-notch debut in a popular genre...

Nuala Ellwood is the daughter of an award-winning journalist. She was inspired by his experiences and those of foreign correspondents such as Marie Colvin and Martha Gellhorn to secure Arts Council funding for her research into PTSD for her debut psychological thriller MY SISTER’S BONES.







My Sister's Bones is published in ebook format on 1 Nov 2016 and in HB on 9 Feb 2017.  You can order your copy via amazon link below:

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Book Review & Rant. "Pippa: Simple Tips To Live Beautifully" by Pippa O'Connor.

Let me start off by saying that I presume I am not the target audience for this book.  I am in my early forties, married with 5 kids, a full-time student and have passed the stage in my life where I give a shit what kind of contouring helps me look thinner/younger/more appealing to other women (and we all know that we are not doing this for men, right?).  I buy glossy magazines occasionally, but get more excited about  the articles than the current trend of face creams that have a starting price of ten million euro.  I love the fashion supplements of the weekend broadsheets as they provide many elements of entertainment in the vein of "who is the name of Jaysus has €3,800 for a SKIRT?" and occasional input from the males in the house that go something like this: "For feck's sake! Is she wearing an ACTUAL swan? Where would you be wearing that to? Tesco? €8000? Sure, you can have two." 

 I embrace the odd make-up tip. I'm currently loving the coconut cooking oil that doubles up as hair balm, eye-make up remover and skin moisturiser and smells like holidays - all for €3.99 in Aldi.

(Don't be fooled into buying the more expensive versions.  They are exactly the same thing).  I adore the humorous beauty chat from Marian Keyes and India Knight.  I think they know their stuff (usually expensive) but they are not at all patronizing.  Here is where I have qualms with this 'guide'.

Pippa is obviously beautiful. She smiles out at us from the cover of this coffee table book with amazing teeth, flawless skin and a flawless sofa.  There are hundreds of photos of her looking fantastically relaxed, coiffed and, well, perfect.  The title states she has 'Simple Tips To Live Beautifully'.  I would suggest that the book could have been much shorter.  It could have been a poster that said 'I was born with great DNA, have no money worries and a house that is decorated in varying shades of off-white (ie, we are either not allowed move very much, or we have an amazing lady who comes in to 'help-out').'   For example, Pippa has a section called 'Office', where we are shown a basically all-white room with a top-of-the-range white computer and printer (not a electrical cord to be seen) on a white desk, which is placed against a white wall hung with white pictures in white picture frames.  There are white candles and a white shelf which displays another white picture frame.  But the text says "I am gold obsessed.  If it's brass and shiny, I want it.  I love gold".  There is a teeny, tiny bit of gold on the candle jar (white) and some gold lettering within the picture frames, but it's hardly what I would call "gold obsessed".  Some 'wise' words then appear further down the page; "I believe it's really important to have a space somewhere that's just for you, that you love".  Indeed.  I'm sure there are thousands of young mums who never thought of that...

Fashion and beauty tips are dotted throughout the book, with drawing of body shapes (reminding me of 1980s Jackie Magazine), advice on "How To Look Slimmer" (The right bra and slimming shoes seem to trump the concept of avoiding fatty foods) and four pages about buying jeans.  There is then some life-changing advice on buying investment pieces. "when spending a month's rent on an 'investment' piece, it's important to make sure you're purchasing wisely".  Ground-breaking stuff. *sighs*

One of the most entertaining sections, in this household, was How To Take A Selfie.  We had a family dinner where we decided we should use Pippa's tips.  So, "go to a window.  A frosted window in a bathroom works really well" (I made do with kitchen as I wanted to actually spend time with my family).  "Hold your arm higher than your face" (My kids were shouting "higher, higher!" as I got cramp in my shoulder). "tilt your head to the side, chin slightly angled down" (Like you are looking for dandruff, maybe?).  "Eyes wide open but don't lift your eyebrows or you'll just look shocked" (I over-played this for entertainment purposes).  All in all, an afternoon photo session which had us in hysterics.  The pictures were awful, but who cares?

I was surprised at this book and its content.  While it is produced with lavish care and attention, high quality glossy paper and beautiful photographs, it is beyond basic.  I think I may have read home economic books with more advice.  Certainly a cursory glance at any regular magazine since 1980 would give you the same information, albeit without selfie tips.  I felt huge unease with the overall concept and the tone was dumbed down to a playschool level.  Ireland is full of strong, independent young women who need to be told that image is NOT everything.  You can live beautifully without red lipstick and 75 make-up brushes.  If you look shit in your selfie, so what? Laugh about it and take another.  If you can afford to spend a months wages on one item, fair play to you.  Go for it. 

  But, for most of us, those days will not last forever (says the voice of experience).  Sometimes a bargain in Pennys can produce an equally thrilling experience, albeit with brown paper bags rather than gold, rope-handled ones.

In the spirit of fairness, I asked a seventeen year old to look at this book.  She follows Pippa on social media and thinks she is great.  However, she rolled her (beautifully made-up) eyes and was dismayed.  Like me, she thought it was insultingly simple and felt let down.

Pippa is a beautiful woman, who seems to have a wonderful family and great genes (and jeans).  I just wish she had given some depth to accompany the fantastic photos.  Instagram is one thing, a book is another....

Pippa: Simple Tips To Live Beautifully is published by Penguin Random House Ireland and is published in HB on 8 October 2016.

Book Review - "Dear Amy" by Helen Callaghan.

I received a copy of this title, from the publishers, in return for an honest review...

School teacher, Margot, freelances as a newspaper agony aunt and receives some disturbing mail:

Dear Amy,

Please please PLEASE help me!  I have been kidnapped by a stange man and he's holding me prisoner in this cellar.  He says I can never go home. I don't know where I am or what to do and nobody knows I'm here.

I don't even know how long I've been gone,but it seems like forever.  I'm afraid that people will stop looking for me.  I'm afraid he'll kill me.

Please help me soon,

Bethan Avery.

Hand written, in childish scrawl, Margot fears that the letter may be genuine.  Another school girl is missing and she fears for her safety.  She passes on the letter to the police and discovers there was indeed a missing girl called Bethan Avery, but back in the 1990s.  How is the recent disappearance of a schoolgirl related to this old case?  Why is Margot receiving letters?  How can she find a girl who has been missing for almost twenty years?  With the help of Martin Forrester, a criminologist with Cambridge University, she delves farther in the past in an attempt to understand the present.

This is one of the most twisty, turny novels I have read in a long time.  From the first chapter, the author take the reader into veritable carnival-like attraction of distorted mirrors, hidden corridors and cloak draped stages.  The letters received are heart-breaking yet confusing.  How is the missing girl able to post them, yet not know where she is? Why has she chosen an agony aunt as her saviour?  Does she read newspapers?  Will a TV appeal help?  Margot is already feeling pressure from her broken marriage and her vulnerability is now exposed even more.  Turning each page brings more questions and before you know it, you are hurtling towards the final chapter.

Helen Callaghan is an example of how returning to education can inspire a person to follow a dream.  Studying as a mature student can shed a different light on a persons interests and talents; sometimes resulting in a new career; a new outlook on life and, in this case, a sharp, cunning debut novel.  Callaghan's writing is pacy, vibrant and fresh.  The narrative is strong and the page-turning factor is high.  There are many, many crime writers out there who should look over their shoulders at this new novelist.  Part thriller, part psychological drama, this cries out for a TV three-part drama.  There are tastes of the writings of Ruth Rendell and Erin Kelly in here, as well as some similarities to  recent televised dramas like Sky One's The Five and BBC4's Thirteen.   This is a debut of note.  Just don't expect to get much done once you start.  It's one you won't  put down easily.     

Dear Amy is published by Penguin Michael Joseph on 16th June in HB and ebook format.

Book Review - "My Name Is Leon" by Kit de Waal.

I received a copy of this title from the publishers, in return for an honest review...

Nine-year-old Leon has been placed in care, along with his baby brother, Jake.  His Mum is not able to take care of them and social services need to find them new homes as soon as possible.  Jake is adopted fairly quickly, as not only is he a baby, but he is white.  This is the early 1980s and mixed-race kids, like Leon, are not as easy to pass off as your own.  It's hard enough being a foster child, with the uncertainty it brings, let alone having your family ripped apart.  Leon dreams of finding his brother and taking charge of their lives.  But where does he start?

There has been no shortage of fiction about adoption, the children usually grown-up and searching for their heritage.  When it comes to fostering, there has been no shortage of 'non-fiction' titles (usually with a close up picture of a child's tears on the cover), lording about how the most amazing foster mother in the world has 'rescued' children, like never before, all whilst hugging them to her ample bosom and feeding them fish-fingers and chocolate digestives.  There are many harrowing stories in the media about foster children who have slipped through the cracks, been placed in abusive households or suffered at the negligence of the social services.  But what about the average child in care?  What about the foster parents (myself included) who just want to give a child a chance in a safe and loving family environment.  Fostering does NOT always mean drama.  Usually the biggest drama is the endless bureaucracy and form-filling.  This is why I approach fiction featuring foster children with caution.  When this book landed here, early this year, I picked it up with the intention of just reading the first few pages and  then adding to my ever-growing pile of To-Be-Read titles.  What I hadn't figured on was that I would be sucked into Leon's world. Completely hooked on his story. 

The circumstances of Leon's placement are nothing new.  A mother, overwhelmed and lacking the mental strength to look after two young children.  Leon has been the main care-giver thus far but baby Jake is getting bigger and their neighbours begin to fear for their safety. The author brings the reader into the mind of Leon.  He can't understand why he has been separated from his brother.  He wonders if he will ever be wanted himself.  When his foster mother becomes ill and sends him to stay with her friend, Sylvia,  he feels lost and alone.  As he cycles through the area, he discovers an allotment and a it becomes his own world of escapism.  He can hide, pretend he is someone else and even find new friends.  But these friends are adults, with their own issues.  In the middle of England's race-riots, Leon struggles to find an identity, all while planning his reunion with his brother. 

"But no one cares about me.  No one cares about my brother [...] But no one cares about that.  I can't see him.  I keep asking and asking but you only care about yourself.  Everyone steals things from me." 

This may be Kit de Waal's debut novel, but she has touched on an age-old issue.  Fostering can still be a taboo subject, even in our so-called liberal age, and one thing has not changed; the children are blameless.  They are victims of circumstance and should not be categorized as anything but children.  They deserve the same opportunities in life as any other child. They are usually highly-astute, with an uncanny ability to see/hear/feel things that we may have not noticed ourselves.  This book cleverly shows how they intuitively know when they are being discussed and how they can become invisible in the blink of an eye.  The 1980s setting gives the book an added dimension, with Charles and Diana's wedding, street parties and racial stigma making appearances.  The characters are varied, of different classes and backgrounds, multi-cultural and yet all thrown together in a troubled England.   This is not 'misery-lit'. It's not fantastical fiction. It is the very real voice of a child in care.  The frustration, the anger, the insecurity and the endless uncertainty.  But it is also a story of friendship, love and family.  Sometimes blood is not enough.  Sometimes water is a lot thicker than it looks.

A truly memorable novel, to be read by anyone with a heart...

Ideal for fans of Elizabeth is Missing and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

My Name Is Leon is published by Viking and is available in HB and ebook editions.

You can order your copy, with Free Worldwide Postage, here .  Also available via amazon link below:

Book Review - "When I Was Invisible" by Dorothy Koomson.

I received a review copy of this title via http://www.lovereading.co.uk/...

Best friends since the moment they met, Nika and Rony are two young girls with dreams of becoming prima ballerinas and remaining close for the rest of their lives.  But circumstances change and the girls end up estranged and living completely opposite lives.  Can their past links be re-connected or has the division become to wide?  How did one girl become homeless while the other found God? Their invisible lives are the result of their past but can either of them hope to return to  normality in their future?

Dorothy Koomson begins this novel in the late 1980s, bringing the music and fashion of the time to life, as she introduces Veronika and Veronica.  Like many young girls, they find friendship through their mutual love of ballet, where they dream of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and standing ovations.  While their feet suffer from the strenuous training and the competition to find a principle ballerina begins, their classes begin to lose their appeal and the girls struggle to end their relationship with ballet.  Secrets begin to unravel and their closeness becomes toxic.  They head down different paths and lose contact.  The novel has different time frames, slotted in no particular order, and the reader is taken on a disjointed journey with the two protagonists.  The reason for the girls fractured friendship becomes apparent towards the end of the book, and the overall story becomes clearer.  London  and Brighton are the two main locations used and are described with great clarity.  The musical references are plenty and add another dimension to some of the chapters.  

Dorothy Koomson is the author of eleven novels and has gained a massive following since her debut, The Cupid Effect.  I have every one of her titles on my own bookshelves and always look forward to her latest releases.  When I Was Invisible is another fine novel, but I struggled with a few small issues.  Firstly the girls names (Veronika and Veronica are shortened to Nika and Roni). I kept confusing them when the chapters split into separate narratives and had to keep reading back to see which girl I was reading about.  I also felt the book was a little too long.  The first two thirds were slow-going and while I understand the need to explain how the characters ended up in their current situations, I think Nika's story justified the extended background while Roni's just dragged on too much. The disjointed time frames also caused some confusion.  In saying that, I enjoyed the book.  As always, the author's writing is fluid and gentle, while her talent for writing about friendship is still going strong.  There are some serious issues addressed in this novel; homelessness and addiction being the most obvious, but the strength in Dorothy Koomson's writing is her ability to delve into the complexities between female friends.  Her fans will not be disappointed.

When I Was Invisible is published by Century and  is available in HB and ebook format.