JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

A runaway, a baby and a whole lot of questions…

Lissa is home on her own after school one afternoon when a stranger turns up on the doorstep carrying a baby. Reed is on the run – surely people are looking for him? He’s trying to find out who he really is and thinks Lissa’s mum might have some answers. But how could he be connected to Lissa’s family – and why has he been left in charge of a baby? A baby who is sick, and getting sicker …

Reed’s appearance stirs up untold histories in Lissa’s family, and suddenly she is having to make sense of her past in a way she would never have imagined. Meanwhile, her brother is dealing with a devastating secret of his own.

A beautiful and timely coming-of-age story about finding out who you are in the face of crisis and change.

When Rain Turns to Snow is an emotional coming-of-age children’s novel by Australian author Jane Godwin. It’s Winter in Ballarat and a young teenager named Reed turns up on Lissa’s doorstep with a hungry baby and a quest to find his biological mother.

13-year-old Lissa is headstrong and resourceful — she’s confident and she’s determined to uncover the truth. She doesn’t pander to the mean girls at school. She doesn’t believe what they’re saying about her brother. And her maturity means that she goes above and beyond to help Reed and this little baby, even though she has no obligation to.

“I open the door. He’s shivering, there are half-circle shadows under his eyes. Almost blue. The heavy bedraggled blanket over his shoulders. He steps into the back room, holding Mercy partly hidden in the blanket like a small nocturnal animal, the backpack half falling down his arm. His runners are wet, like sodden, they leave little puddles on the wooden floor.”

Friendship is a strong theme in the book. Lissa is trying to adapt to life without her best friend Hanna, who has just moved to Western Australia and seems to be growing distant. Additionally, she’s fallen into a new friendship group at school and Lissa isn’t sure if they actually have her best interests at heart. Toxic friendship is a universal issue that most teenage girls will be able to relate to, not just in Australia but anywhere in the world.

Readers will love the mystery that underpins the novel. Who is Reed and who are his real parents? What’s going to happen to baby Mercy? Lissa’s brother is closed off and hiding things from her, and she doesn’t know why they’re not as close anymore. And Lissa doesn’t seem to have any real friends at the moment…

“I don’t really understand that, and it actually made me feel sick, seeing people write that stuff about my brother. I mean, Harry can be a pain, but he’s not all the things that people who don’t even know him are saying.”

There were a few gripes I had with the story. The language didn’t always resemble a teenager. Sometimes, the dialogue felt forced — it felt like the characters were saying what they should say instead of what they’d actually say in the moment. Lissa seemed wise beyond her years, Reed’s passion for climate change and the environment seemed over-the-top preachy, and not at all reflective of his age.

Additionally, Lissa’s relationship with her brother grows problematic at certain points of the novel. Her brother is accused of starting an online social media account and posting pictures of vulnerable young girls. Lissa believes he’s innocent and feels sorry for him, and on a couple of occasions Lissa communicates that she intends to support him and stick by him even if he did do the horrible things he’s accused of. I found Lissa to be quite unlikeable during these scenes.

Lastly, one of the characters seems to be grappling with their sexuality and seems to be hiding the fact they’re gay. But this storyline is never fully explored in the book so it felt very strange that the author hinted at it? Why weave it in if you’re not going to address it?

“We sit there in silence. We both know that sooner or later we’re going to get around to the topic of Reed going home. I feel tired now, too. Exhausted. I look towards Harry’s room.“

Recommended for children aged 12+

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Rain Turns to Snow
Jane Godwin
July 2020
Hachette Book Publishers

The Half Sister by Sandie Jones

Her arrival will ruin everything.

Kate and Lauren. Sisters who are always there for each other. But as they gather for their weekly Sunday lunch, a knock on the door changes everything.

The new arrival, Jess, claims to be their half-sister, but that would mean the unthinkable . . . That she’s the secret daughter of their beloved, recently deceased father Harry. Their mother Rose is devastated and Kate and Lauren refuse to believe Jess’s lies.

But as the fall-out starts it’s clear that each is hiding secrets and that perhaps this family isn’t as perfect as they appear.

Where there was truth, now there are lies and only one thing is certain, their half-sister’s arrival has ruined everything . . .

Set in London, Sandie Jones’ The Half Sister is a psychological family drama that kicks off when an illegitimate sibling turns up to a Sunday lunch family gathering.

Until the tail end of the book, this reads like a family saga more than the thriller we’re promised. Kate and Lauren buried their father one year earlier, and are shocked when “Jess” turns up and claims to be their half sister. Kate refuses to believe their father was unfaithful to their mother Rose. Lauren welcomes Jess with open arms, desperate to believe her.

The premise is intriguing and will capture a reader, and there are elements to the story that readers will enjoy. The ‘psychological thriller’ doesn’t weave its way into the novel until at least halfway, but the tension between family members is engaging enough to maintain interest.

“When Simon was working, the pressure eased off a little, as Lauren didn’t need to worry so much about where the next penny was coming from. But on the occasions he was laid off, which as a labourer on a building site were often, both their purse strings and Simon’s moods, Lauren noticed, were more difficult to manage.”

Kate is envious of her sister’s life, because Lauren is married with three children and Kate is desperately trying to conceive a baby with her husband. Lauren is envious of Kate because Lauren’s husband is controlling and abusive, and Kate’s life seems incredibly glamorous and not weighed down by children. Each sister doesn’t realise just how much the other is struggling.

Kate and Lauren can both be pretty unlikeable. Lauren is trapped in a loveless marriage and clings to a complete stranger for friendship. Kate is incredibly dismissive to the possibility she has a half sister — her relationship with Lauren has no resemblance of chemistry or familial bond. I found both characters — and Simon — to be like cardboard cut-outs.

“Whilst Lauren worked twelve-hour shifts on nigh-on minimum wage, Kate had gleefully regaled her with regular jet-setting jaunts to meet the stars. If she wasn’t in LA interviewing A-listers, she was on tour with pop stars. Lauren has lost count of how many times Kate had attended the red carpet at the Oscars.”

Whilst the novel as a whole is interesting and you will keep reading to find out whether Jess really is who she says she is, there were some flaws that were hard to ignore. The ‘villain’ of the book was obvious from quite early on, so when the murder mystery does present itself the reader will already feel like they know who is responsible.

Not only did Simon feel stereotypical, but the climax and resolution of his character was brief and unsatisfying. There’s a lot of build up for his character to really explode, and then he disappears rather quickly — the ‘danger’ no longer present.

There was a distinct lack of believability to Jess and Lauren’s friendship. I believed Kate’s reaction more than Lauren’s, because Lauren’s decision-making felt farfetched and unrealistic.

Lastly, it’s awfully convenient that Lauren has a childhood memory of her Dad and a woman with a pram. That one memory pushed the story forward quite a few times and it seemed a little too good to be true.

“Lauren is on cloud nine when she wakes up and realises that the plethora of dreams she’d had were just a realistic extension of the evening she’d had. She smiles, desperate to stay in her happy cocoon for just a little bit longer.”

Recommended for fans of family sagas and family dramas.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Half Sister
Sandie Jones
June 2020
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan

In the oldest part of Stockholm, Bell Everhurst is working as a nanny for an affluent family. Hanna and Max Von Greyerz are parents to 7 year-old Linus, and 5-year old twins Ellinor and Tilde, and Bell has been with the family for over two years.

One early Spring morning, as she’s rushing out to take the children to school, she answers the phone – and everything changes. A woman from a clinic she’s never heard of asks her to pass on the message that Hanna’s husband is awake.

Bell is confused. She clearly just saw Max walking out of the house a few minutes earlier, but the woman mentioned Hanna by name…

When she gets hold of her employer, the truth is revealed: Hanna’s first husband fell into a coma seven years earlier, following a terrible accident. He has been in a Persistent Minimally Conscious State since and there was very little hope of further improvement. But now he’s awake. And life is going to change for them all.

Karen Swan’s latest release, The Hidden Beach, is a sweeping story about heartbreak, family, and starting fresh.

Young nanny Bell Everhurst finds herself spending the summer along the gorgeous Swedish coast, working with a family who are going through a dysfunctional time. Linus’ real father has woken up from a seven-year coma, and its disrupting the entire family. Soon, Bell is caught in the middle of the nasty battle between Linus and his bitter, angry father.

“Bell felt the silence expand as they each recovered. Away from the distraction of the confusion and chaos in that room, in the calm of this corridor, it was filled with something heavy — something that had been said and couldn’t be unsaid. She felt a rush of anger that Hanna had allowed this to happen.”

Setting is always one of the strongest parts of Karen’s novels, and in The Hidden Beach, the story is set amongst the beautiful archipelagos of the Swedish coast. The novel breathes ‘summer holiday’, and Karen takes us on a journey through coastal cliffs, secluded beaches, waterfront parties, yachts and mansions overlooking the ocean. Readers will get swept up in this tale of romance and mystery.

Stylistically, Karen’s novels always contain a lot of prose and description. Some readers will like this, some won’t. I don’t mind all the explanation because it helps establish setting and situation, but at times it does feel like it’s bogging you down a little.

“But the room remained empty and still. Vacated. Long ago abandoned. To reach for otherwise was a futile exercise in hope over experience, because if Life had taught him anything, it was that anything could happen. That fate was capricious and cruel. And no one could be trusted.”

Perfect to read by the beach or on an airplane, The Hidden Beach is an engrossing tale that will sweep you up and transport you on a journey.

There are moments of warmth throughout the story, and heart. Bell truly cares for the family she works for, and tries her best to help Linus through this difficult time in his life.

Bell also finds romance of her own in the story, and whilst it may not be the perfect beginnings of a relationship, Bell handles the situation with maturity and consideration. She’s a strong protagonist, and one that many readers will like.

“The stood for a moment taking in the scene, looking for friends’ faces and deciding where to stand. A fiddlers’ group was playing, smorgasbords were set out on tables around the edges, young and old were talking and laughing…Bell scanned the crowd looking Hanna and Max.”

Admittedly, a couple of things struck me as unrealistic. The main one is that Linus — who is supposed to be 10 years old — often reads too wise for his age. He’s quite observant for his age, and understands what is happening between his mother and his two fathers. Every time Linus said something that didn’t quite fit his age, it was incredibly jolting and takes the reader away from the story.

Another element that I found a little hard to accept was how quick the story wrapped up. The pacing of the novel is measured and quite slow, but the climax of the story and the resulting final couple of chapters felt really rushed and therefore underdeveloped..

Recommended for fans of romance and family sages.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Hidden Beach
Karen Swan
May 2020
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova

An epic tale of love and revenge set in a world inspired by Inquisition-era Spain pits the magical Moria against a terrifying royal authority bent on their destruction. Majestic world-building on a grand scale in a knockout YA fantasy.

An epic tale of love and revenge set in a world inspired by Inquisition-era Spain pits the magical Moria against a terrifying royal authority bent on their destruction.

When the royal family of Selvina sets out to destroy magic through a grand and terrible inquisition, magic warrior-thief Renata – trained in the art of stealing memories – seeks to kill the prince, leader of the King’s Justice, only to learn through powerful memories that he may be the greatest illusion of them all … and that the fate of all magic now lies in her hands.

Loosely based on 15th century Spain, Zoraida Cordova’s Incendiary is the first novel in a new YA fantasy duology that explores the power of memory and revenge.

Renata Convida holds the power to absorb — and remove — people’s memories. As a child, she was kidnapped by the King and forced to use her powers to obtain knowledge from prisoners. After two years in the King’s clutches, Renata is rescued by a group of rebels named the Whispers.

The book is set eight years later, Renata now 17.

“When I open my eyes, it is dark once more. I register a tent. A low-burning lamp on the floor beside me. My lashes brush against soft fabric, not the dusty blanked I’ve been carrying for a week. The skin at the base of my neck is tender, the stitches like cords strung too tight. I let out a pained wail as the last thing I remember crashes over me.”

Admittedly, the book sets off to a slow start. We’re thrust deep into a storyline with characters we don’t know and the author expects us to sympathise for their plight. In reality, I was confused by the opening and found myself feeling distanced from the action. It takes some time before we understand characters enough to really sympathise for them, and I don’t think that’s reflected in Incendiary.

Renata and Dez’s romance doesn’t feel overly established in the beginnings of the novel, and so the reader doesn’t immediately care for their relationship. Fairly early on, Renata loses someone close to her but I felt we hadn’t really formed a connection with that character so the loss didn’t really hit hard. It felt like a missed opportunity to engage the reader.

Despite this, the novel picks up and the pace increases. Renata returns to the palace where she was held captive in order to save those close to her, and exact revenge on those who wronged her.

“We’ve ridden for hours, pushing our stolen horses onward without rest as the landscape changed from the Forest of Lynxes to the lush greens that border the Rio Aguadulce, but Andalucia is an oasis in a dry valley. I rub the flank of my horse. The capital is filthy, so we won’t stand out in our travel-worn clothes.”

The strengths lie within the world-building and the unique premise. Renata’s magical ability feels like a fresh addition to this genre — I felt genuinely impressed by what she could do and seduced by her character’s journey through the novel.

At times, the story feels a bit like a yo-yo. She’s kidnapped as a girl, then rescued, then willingly goes back to the Palace, and then works to escape again. I couldn’t help but wonder if the plot could’ve been simplified? Was Zoraida trying to accomplish too much in this book?

Truthfully, I never really felt like Renata was in any danger. When she returns to the Palace, she’s met with open arms because the King is in desperate need of her abilities. And whilst there are some people who are suspicious of her, the immediate threat — Justice Mendez — is not nearly as terrifying or threatening as he could’ve been.

“Silence falls in the darkness of the wagon as it jostles from our excess weight, a ship in a storm. I keep my eyes down and try to become aware of the capital’s deep night sounds. Hooves on cobblestone. Cheering from a tavern. Guards laughing from the wagon’s seat. From somewhere, a cry for help that won’t be answered.”

Readers will be propelled into an absorbing tale of magic and intrigue, and the ending will entice them to read the next in the series. There are plenty of twists and turns, unexpected deception and sketchy characters to intrigue even the most reluctant of readers.

Whilst the plot felt at times muddled and overly complex even for seasoned young readers, there are enough redeeming qualities in the characters, story and plot to maintain a readership.

Recommended for young readers, 14+

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Incendiary
Zoraida Cordova
May 2020
Hachette Book Publishers

Pretending by Holly Bourne

He said he was looking for a ‘partner in crime’ which everyone knows is shorthand for ‘a woman who isn’t real’.

April is kind, pretty, and relatively normal – yet she can’t seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she’s found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry.

If only April could be more like Gretel.

Gretel is exactly what men want – she’s a Regular Everyday Manic Pixie Dream Girl Next Door With No Problems. The problem is, Gretel isn’t real. And April is now claiming to be her.

As soon as April starts ‘being’ Gretel, dating becomes much more fun – especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua.

Finally, April is the one in control, but can she control her own feelings? And as she and Joshua grow closer, how long will she be able to keep pretending?

Holly Bourne’s Pretending is contemporary fiction about online dating and the risks you take when you pursue a new relationship with someone — the book explores themes of identity, self-worth, but also trauma and grief.

April struggles with who she has to ‘be’ in order for a guy to like her and want to progress past date number five. Being herself certainly isn’t working, so she takes on this fake ‘Gretel’ persona to see if new guy Joshua will last longer than the guys before him.

Pretending explores online dating for women, and illustrates the truth can be twisted when you meet someone digitally. There are certainly some heavy moments throughout the book, but Holly also weaves in a lot of humour and heart — Pretending is an emotional rollercoaster worth reading.

“Joshua wants me there at seven. So Gretel should turn up at around seven fifteen. I wonder if he wants us to have sex before, or after, dinner. I’d rather before, if I’m being honest with you. I still don’t understand how anyone can be in the mood with a full, swollen stomach digesting a hunk of beef or whatever it is he’s going to cook to impress me.”

Pretending explores sexual violence within relationships, and how boundaries can be blurred in the midst of a loving relationship. Boyfriends can cross a line when it comes to sex, leaving their girlfriend hurt and confused and unsure of what has happened.

Rape and the unprocessed trauma of sexual assault is a major thread in the book; I’m surprised how the blurb of the book completely hides this. April previously dated a guy who raped her twice, and she is still finding it difficult to process it. She didn’t realise it was sexual assault until some time after the incidents, and now she works at a charity organisation where she comes into contact with women all the time who have gone through the same thing she has and are incredibly confused about what they’ve experienced.

April feels like her role at the charity helps women who have experienced what she experienced, but at the same time, it means she is constantly reminded about what happened to her and she feels anxious and uneasy most of the time.

When April is with men, memories from those nights will come back to her and she finds it difficult to confide in other people about how she’s feeling. Under the surface, she has a lot of anger and rage about men that threatens to come to the surface at any moment.

This book may encourage female readers to acknowledge if they’ve ever had an experience like April’s that perhaps they haven’t really processed yet. It’s a really confronting experience, but moulded within a contemporary romance novel.

“What if revenge is good? Do we ever allow ourselves to ask that question? What if turning the other cheek is not the answer? Because I’ll tell you what. I’ve lived my whole life as a girl and I’ve turned so many goddamned cheeks I’m surprised I have any skin left on my face. And yet it’s never once made me feel better. Not like how I feel when I think about Gretel.”

April and her roommate Meghan have pretty solid characterisation — I feel like we’ve all known someone with their personalities in our lives. Their ‘voices’ are also incredibly different, and Holly is able to craft such vivid characters but also portray them to be completely seperate from one another.

April and Meghan are both vulnerable in different ways, and female readers will sympathise. Joshua doesn’t always feel believable or ‘real’ as a man on the dating scene, but he’s a welcome addition to the core cast of characters.

“We launch into mutually drunken conversation, becoming one of those pissed couples you see, standing outside a pub on a summer’s evening, leaning in a bit too much to hear what the other is saying. He asks me about my plans for the summer, and I say I’m saving up for Africa.”

Admittedly, the premise of the book is a little absurd and predictable. How is she going to weave her way out of this relationship when she’s been telling the guy a fake name? How will he explain it to his friends? How awkward is this entire situation!

Readers will find similarities in April — some more than others — but she can also be quite insufferable. She can be a bit tiresome and she doesn’t really think ahead. For example, she spends the majority of the book dating a guy who thinks she’s called Gretel. She invites him to be her +1 at a wedding, and naturally, it left me wondering how she could possibly go the entire evening without something calling her April and giving away her secret? Spoiler alert: many people call her April and her secret is ruined.

Additionally, I did find the book to be a bit ‘preachy’ at times. The messages in the book are already very clear, and I think readers will take a lot away from the story. But there were times where it felt like April was ‘teaching’ the reader and it wasn’t necessary. It made me feel like I was ‘supposed’ to feel a certain way, and I wanted to come to my own conclusions about the situation. I don’t think this is a book for reluctant readers.

Recommended for contemporary romance readers. At over 400 pages, it’s an unexpectedly emotional and heavy novel, but at its core it holds some really valuable messages for readers.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pretending
Holly Bourne
April 2020
Hachette Book Publishers