What Goes Around by Julie Corbin
"What Goes Around is the story of two women - Ellen and Leila. Ellen is the ex-wife and Leila is the new woman, living in Ellen's house, sleeping with Ellen's husband. Each woman has her own secrets to keep. Leila's brother is back in her life and is determined to rake up their past while Ellen is out for revenge. She wants her home back and she wants Leila to pay for breaking up her marriage. Her plan will make her do things she never thought herself capable of - but it will also put her in danger. Because Ellen has no idea what sort of a woman Leila is and when she finally finds out, it could already be too late...
One of the women will end up dead. But which one? "
Read my full review here.
3/5
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinsborough
"Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.
When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.
And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend, but she also just happens to be married to David. David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife, but then why is David so controlling, and why is Adele so scared of him?
As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong, but Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets."
I'd heard so many good things about this book that I couldn't wait to read what I expected to be a suspenseful thriller. The first half was ok- readable, plenty of intrigue but as it went on it got more and more unbelievable. Honestly I kind of wished I'd dnf'd it as the ending was just crazy. The book was written as a thriller set in the real world yet went off on an extreme fanatical tangent at the end where somehow [SPOILER] certain people where able to leave their bodies and take other other peoples bodies whilst lucid dreaming [SPOILER] I felt like chucking the book out of the window in disgust and bemusement. All the characters were infuriating, especially Louise who seemed to be completely lacking in any common sense. As a side note I also didn't appreciate how the author dealt with mental health in this book, relying on the tired crazed mentally ill person cliches.
2/5
Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard
"Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realises, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own."
I'm not the biggest fan of YA but I bought this after seeing the beautiful cover. I enjoy books that have a coming of age theme or look at female friendship. This one covered both and I really enjoyed the writing style. The characters all had their faults and I liked that this was set in the UK (I rarely see UK YA!) I also felt that the subject of mental illness was handled really well here. As an aside the main character had a sister who was bipolar and it did not define her character in any way. She wasn't crazy, dangerous or erratic. Hooray! I defintely plan on reading Barnard's latest book.
3.5/5
Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine
"Killing and Dying is a stunning showcase of the possibilities of the graphic novel medium and a wry exploration of loss, creative ambition, identity, and family dynamics. With this work, Adrian Tomine (Shortcomings, Scenes from an Impending Marriage) reaffirms his place not only as one of the most significant creators of contemporary comics but as one of the great voices of modern American literature. His gift for capturing emotion and intellect resonates here: the weight of love and its absence, the pride and disappointment of family, the anxiety and hopefulness of being alive in the twenty-first century."
This was kind of a sombre read for me. I really enjoyed it and found certain stories oddly relateable but also quite sad. The book was brilliantly written and very real. I also enjoyed the change in art style for different stories. I will definitely look into more of Tomine's work.
4/5
Saga Vol.7 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
"From the worldwide bestselling team of Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan, “The War for Phang” is an epic, self-contained Saga event! Finally reunited with her ever-expanding family, Hazel travels to a war-torn comet that Wreath and Landfall have been battling over for ages. New friendships are forged and others are lost forever in this action-packed volume about families, combat and the refugee experience. "
This series is flawless. There aren't many comics or books in general that can have me crying and laughing. This story is so epic in scale and so fast paced and has never lost it's brilliance even after seven volumes.
5/5
We Can Never Go Home by Matthew Rosenberg & Patrick Kindlon
"The story of two teenagers, a mixtape, a stolen car, a fully loaded .45, strange abilities, dead drug dealers, and their money. A dark and modern story about getting lost and finding yourself on the backroads of America."
This was ok but didn't keep me interested enough to make me want to continue with it. It's a story been told many times before and nothing new was really added. I did however enjoy the design and liked the mixtapes and nod to super hero comics and I also enjoyed the surprise ending.
3/5
Green Lanterns issue 15 by Sam Humphreys and Tyler Kirkham
I don't usually mention single issues of comics in my reading round ups but I loved this so much I had to include it. I picked up a copy after hearing about it on Nerdburgers YouTube channel and am so glad I did. This issue is a day in the life of Green Lantern Jessica Cruz who has anxiety. It gave a realistic and genuine look at the day to day struggles of having anxiety and It's the first time I have encountered a mainstream superhero comic depict a mental illness. Humphreys also writes one of my favourite comics- Jonesy and after reading this issue I definitely want to pick up the trades. 5/5
The Beauty Vol. 1 by Jeremy Haun & Jason A. Hurley
"Modern society is obsessed with outward beauty. What if there was a way to guarantee you could become more and more beautiful every day? What if it was a sexually transmitted disease?
In the world of The Beauty, physical perfection is only one sexual encounter away. The vast majority of the population has taken advantage of it, but Detectives Vaughn and Foster will soon discover it comes at a terrible cost. Now, they'll have to find their way past corrupt poiticians, vengeful federal agents, and a terrifying mercenary out to collect the price on their heads. "
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinsborough
"Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.
When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.
And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend, but she also just happens to be married to David. David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife, but then why is David so controlling, and why is Adele so scared of him?
As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong, but Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets."
I'd heard so many good things about this book that I couldn't wait to read what I expected to be a suspenseful thriller. The first half was ok- readable, plenty of intrigue but as it went on it got more and more unbelievable. Honestly I kind of wished I'd dnf'd it as the ending was just crazy. The book was written as a thriller set in the real world yet went off on an extreme fanatical tangent at the end where somehow [SPOILER] certain people where able to leave their bodies and take other other peoples bodies whilst lucid dreaming [SPOILER] I felt like chucking the book out of the window in disgust and bemusement. All the characters were infuriating, especially Louise who seemed to be completely lacking in any common sense. As a side note I also didn't appreciate how the author dealt with mental health in this book, relying on the tired crazed mentally ill person cliches.
2/5
Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard
"Best friends Caddy and Rosie are inseparable. Their differences have brought them closer, but as she turns sixteen Caddy begins to wish she could be a bit more like Rosie – confident, funny and interesting. Then Suzanne comes into their lives: beautiful, damaged, exciting and mysterious, and things get a whole lot more complicated. As Suzanne’s past is revealed and her present begins to unravel, Caddy begins to see how much fun a little trouble can be. But the course of both friendship and recovery is rougher than either girl realises, and Caddy is about to learn that downward spirals have a momentum of their own."
I'm not the biggest fan of YA but I bought this after seeing the beautiful cover. I enjoy books that have a coming of age theme or look at female friendship. This one covered both and I really enjoyed the writing style. The characters all had their faults and I liked that this was set in the UK (I rarely see UK YA!) I also felt that the subject of mental illness was handled really well here. As an aside the main character had a sister who was bipolar and it did not define her character in any way. She wasn't crazy, dangerous or erratic. Hooray! I defintely plan on reading Barnard's latest book.
3.5/5
"Killing and Dying is a stunning showcase of the possibilities of the graphic novel medium and a wry exploration of loss, creative ambition, identity, and family dynamics. With this work, Adrian Tomine (Shortcomings, Scenes from an Impending Marriage) reaffirms his place not only as one of the most significant creators of contemporary comics but as one of the great voices of modern American literature. His gift for capturing emotion and intellect resonates here: the weight of love and its absence, the pride and disappointment of family, the anxiety and hopefulness of being alive in the twenty-first century."
This was kind of a sombre read for me. I really enjoyed it and found certain stories oddly relateable but also quite sad. The book was brilliantly written and very real. I also enjoyed the change in art style for different stories. I will definitely look into more of Tomine's work.
4/5
Saga Vol.7 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
"From the worldwide bestselling team of Fiona Staples and Brian K. Vaughan, “The War for Phang” is an epic, self-contained Saga event! Finally reunited with her ever-expanding family, Hazel travels to a war-torn comet that Wreath and Landfall have been battling over for ages. New friendships are forged and others are lost forever in this action-packed volume about families, combat and the refugee experience. "
This series is flawless. There aren't many comics or books in general that can have me crying and laughing. This story is so epic in scale and so fast paced and has never lost it's brilliance even after seven volumes.
5/5
We Can Never Go Home by Matthew Rosenberg & Patrick Kindlon
"The story of two teenagers, a mixtape, a stolen car, a fully loaded .45, strange abilities, dead drug dealers, and their money. A dark and modern story about getting lost and finding yourself on the backroads of America."
This was ok but didn't keep me interested enough to make me want to continue with it. It's a story been told many times before and nothing new was really added. I did however enjoy the design and liked the mixtapes and nod to super hero comics and I also enjoyed the surprise ending.
3/5
Green Lanterns issue 15 by Sam Humphreys and Tyler Kirkham
I don't usually mention single issues of comics in my reading round ups but I loved this so much I had to include it. I picked up a copy after hearing about it on Nerdburgers YouTube channel and am so glad I did. This issue is a day in the life of Green Lantern Jessica Cruz who has anxiety. It gave a realistic and genuine look at the day to day struggles of having anxiety and It's the first time I have encountered a mainstream superhero comic depict a mental illness. Humphreys also writes one of my favourite comics- Jonesy and after reading this issue I definitely want to pick up the trades. 5/5
The Beauty Vol. 1 by Jeremy Haun & Jason A. Hurley
"Modern society is obsessed with outward beauty. What if there was a way to guarantee you could become more and more beautiful every day? What if it was a sexually transmitted disease?
In the world of The Beauty, physical perfection is only one sexual encounter away. The vast majority of the population has taken advantage of it, but Detectives Vaughn and Foster will soon discover it comes at a terrible cost. Now, they'll have to find their way past corrupt poiticians, vengeful federal agents, and a terrifying mercenary out to collect the price on their heads. "
This was an interesting concept and I do enjoy dystopian stories but it moved a little slow for my liking. I probably will read the second volume at some point but I'm not in a rush to. 3/5
Salad Anniversary by Machi Tawara"Machi Tawara's first book of poems, The Anniversary of the Salad combines the classical 'tanka' form with the subject of a modern love affair. It became a sensation, selling over 2 million copies - and the 'salad phenomenon' in Japanese culture was comparable to the 'bananamania' that followed publication of the first novel by Tawara's contemporary Banana Yoshimoto."
This is a translation of a collection of poetry written in a classic Japanese style. Tawara writes beautifully about her relationship and her words invoked Spring, new beginnings and the excitement of something new. The subject was very modern and I enjoyed the many mentions of food there was also a bittersweet edge to this book. I really want to get back into poetry again and am so glad I picked a copy of this book up (which incidentally is beautifully presented too). 4/5
This is a translation of a collection of poetry written in a classic Japanese style. Tawara writes beautifully about her relationship and her words invoked Spring, new beginnings and the excitement of something new. The subject was very modern and I enjoyed the many mentions of food there was also a bittersweet edge to this book. I really want to get back into poetry again and am so glad I picked a copy of this book up (which incidentally is beautifully presented too). 4/5
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