Book Review | The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor

I was so excited when I received this book from Penguin Random House South Africa. I had seen it all over and it seemed like the kind of thriller I needed in my life. My only regret is that it took me this long to get to reading it! But boy, am I glad that I did. What an exceptional read.

Published: January 2021
Pages: 384
Pace: Medium
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological thriller, Horror fiction

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Yes, I am a serial star awarder but these books are so good!! From the moment I picked up this book, I could not put it down. I was thrilled, curious, biting my nails, wishing life would give me gaps to read so I could just find out what happens. It was so good.

The setting lends to the totally creepy vibes that are present throughout the story as Reverend Jack Brooks and her daughter move to this tiny town where Rev. Jack is the new temporary vicar. But as they both soon learn, there are dark secrets and sneaky characters all throughout this town. That’s not even to mention the parish’s history.

As Rev. Jack and Flo try to settle into their new town and home, weird things happen around them. They see these little wooden figurines on the graves outside every now and then and Flo has vivid visions of burning girls with missing appendages. Rev. Jack makes it her mission to try and settle in as quietly and as smoothly as possible, especially for Flo’s sake but that is not to happen so easily. As Rev. Jack starts to get to know the townspeople, she starts to hear stories and get warnings. Should she heed the warnings or soldier on in her quest to find out what went on before?

Meanwhile, Flo has met a seemingly nice boy who makes this terrible town more bearable. This makes Rev. Jack uncomfortable but she is not sure why. Flo also meets two other teens in the village who take an immediate disliking to Flo and make her life more difficult.

I absolutely devoured this book. It was so spooky and thrillery and atmospheric and addictive, I could not put it down. The way the whole story ended is still a shock to me! It was unbelievable. It’s safe to say that this is the kind of thriller that gets my juices flowing. The writing creates an image that is vivid and the characters are so well written that I’m sure I’ll still be able to reference them for years to come each time I think of this book. So brilliant. I highly recommend it!!

Until next time! 😊
Chevonn

Book Review | Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This is a proper “Bookstagram made me do it” read. I saw it over and over and eventually, I had no more willpower left, I just had to find out what all the fuss was about. So I relented and bought myself a copy of this super popular read and I was not disappointed. In fact, I am so glad I own a physical copy of this book.

Published: August 2018
Pages: 368
Pace: Slow
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Literary Fiction

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Truthfully, Where The Crawdads Sing is a slow book. We spend a lot of time getting to know Kya, her family’s history and her surroundings. It’s a heartbreaking story of a young girl who is abandoned by her family and is forced to fend for herself in a tiny ramshackle house surrounded by marsh.

We journey with her as she learns to live on what she has, make some money for herself and even fall in love. But all is not that simple, especially for someone who has grown up so isolated from the world. So we watch as she navigates two very different relationships with two very different men.

We read this story with two points of view – one where Kya is growing up and then the current day where there is an investigation and a trial for a murder that’s been committed close to where Kya lives. Everyone suspects her and so she gets accused and is taken to trial.

As slow as the book was to read, and to some it may seem repetitive, I really enjoyed it. I loved the setting because it was so different from anything I’ve read before. I definitely grew fond of Kya and I was rooting for her all the way. We also meet some other amazing characters in the book that I grew to love as well.

I found this book a real treat and I was wholly absorbed in this different world that Delia Owens created for us. I highly recommend this book! It’s beautiful!

To add it to your Goodreads TBR, click here.

Until next time! 😊
Chevonn

Book Review | You’ll Be The Death Of Me by Karen M. McManus

Published: November 2021
Pages: 336
Pace: Medium
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I was totally drawn into the hype surrounding You’ll Be The Death Of Me and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of the book. I had read most of the author’s other books and was excited to get into this story as well. It was awesome during the holidays because I had the time to read a few books I was highly anticipating reading.

I really enjoyed the story and thought the pace was good. I had fun reading this book. I felt like we got a good idea of who the characters were with all their flaws and idiosyncrasies and their history – what led them to where they were. The friendship between Ivy, Mateo and Cal was so great. It had its issues and as we read the book, we learn a lot about their friendship.

But the crux of the book is that someone was murdered. So Ivy wants to be the leader of the student council but loses her vote to the clown of the school, Boney Mahoney, who only ran for leader as a joke. Being who she is, Ivy is very upset by this and can’t imagine having to endure his victory speech. Because of this, she decides to bunk school, along with Mateo and Cal they decide to endeavour to have a “best day ever” 2.0 – a remake of an amazing day they had together when they were all younger.

As they head into town, however, Ivy sees Mahoney in town when he should be giving his speech and she can’t believe it so she goes after him. This is when she stumbles upon the grim discovery of a dead body. And this is where the fun begins. The 3 friends now have to get away from the crime scene and try and make sure they aren’t dragged into something very serious. Their day turns into a day of scheming and hiding and solving and madness to say the least.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. It kept me hooked. I couldn’t put it down. It’s a typical and addictive young adult read and I am a fan of McManus’s writing style and how she adds excitement to the end of each story. It was a perfect read for the holidays!

To add this book to your TBR, click here.

For those in South Africa, to buy yourself a copy, click here.

Until next time! 😊
Chevonn