KAI by Michelle Abbott

3.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: It was submitted to Rosie Amber's Review Team, of which I am a member. Kai is a 'new adult' romance... not exactly my genre, but the blurb appealed to me.   

This story is nicely written, flows well and is very readable; I like the author's writing style.  The book starts with Lily, who works in a supermarket, discovering that her wages have not been paid into her bank.  The calamity is well written, drawing the reader into Lily's world straight away, though I had an issue with this part: although it would leave her with no food for four days, she rejects the offer of a loan from her manager and chooses to spend her last seventy pounds on paying her electricity bill.  Who can go four whole days with no food?

We then meet Kai, dope dealer with a heart of gold, who is very appealing; I can see that he's a great hero for a book aimed at a young adult age group.  Lily then meets her neighbour, Jackie, who is smoking a joint; it's medicinal, for her MS.  I had another slight issue with this, too.  Lily automatically assumes that Jackie is a 'drug addict', because she's smoking weed.  I would have thought that, as she has been an art student, she'd have a slightly more worldly attitude towards such things, unless art students have become a lot more clean living since my day!

I thought some of the issues raised were well done, such as Jackie's son refusing to go to school, and I liked Kai's bond with his mother and how he wanted to do whatever it took to make a better life for them.  The private, inner conflicts faced by Kai and Lily were nicely written, though I did wish the two characters' 'voices' had been more clearly defined; they both used the same speech patterns and language, had the same tempo and mood.  The book was not as edgy as I expected from the blurb, but I expect that is because it is written within the confines of that which is suitable for the target market, and who, I imagine, will like it very much.

DOWN SOLO by Earl Javorsky

4 out of 5 stars

Crime Thriller/Supernatural

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber's Review Team

Another gritty, unusual and often darkly amusing thriller from Earl Javorsky, this time with a clever hint of the supernatural.  Charlie Miner is a fast talking, various substance snorting PI involved with many shady characters; the fact that he's actually dead adds another dimension to his dealings. 

He has a drink-crazed ex-wife and a daughter, Mindy, who he loves dearly and who has to deal with the scattered lives of her parents.  Among the cast are drug dealers, gang members, a priest, shady investment entrepreneurs, and a particularly perceptive taxi driver, Daniel.

The dialogue in this book is excellent, sharp and realistic, and zips along, with prison visits, road trips, kidnappings, arson, gunfights, from Santa Monica to Mexico.  It's not predictable at all, which I loved, and there's never a dull moment; aside from this, Earl Javorsky is just a very stylish writer, and Charlie is a great narrator. 

I didn't like it quite as much as his other book, Trust Me, because I would have preferred it if it was just a straight thriller without the supernatural element, and I felt it could do with a little tidying up in places, but the first reason is only personal taste, and I'd certainly say, yes, read this.  It's good!

TRUST ME by Earl Javorsky reviewed HERE

 

TRUST ME by Earl Javorsky

4.5 out of 5 stars

Murder/thriller set in LA

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber's Review Team

Trust Me is a well written and cleverly plotted crime/murder thriller set in and around Los Angeles.  The main character is Jeff Fenner, a heavy drinker and jaded coke/LSD dealer whose life is imploding as his addictions wear him out, and one piece of bad luck follows another.  Running alongside is the story of deeply troubled Holly, who gets involved with SOL, the 'Save Our Life' organisation that purports to solve problems of addiction and psychological blocks by way of finding one's 'inner child'.  At an SOL meeting she meets the mysterious Art Bradley. 

Ron, a journalist, befriends Jeff; he is helping his cop mate Joe to solve a series of suicides-that-might-be-murders.  Soon, the links to all storylines become clear—and there's a great twist at the beginning of Chapter 27, at 44%; didn't expect that at all, even though I had my suspicions... 

I loved the character of Jeff, and Ron was another favourite; Art Bradley was scarily sinister from the off.  Aside from the highly readable story, I liked the way that this book was amusingly scathing about New Age self-help psychobabble, and the comments about the unreliability of the field of mental health, and how doctors and psychiatrists dish out one medication to counteract the side effects of another, and then another, and another.   

I haven't got anything negative to say about this novel; it held my interest throughout, ends well, and isn't predictable.  For me, it just missed the spark that sends a book into the '5*, I loved it' zone, but that's only personal taste; it's jolly good, I'd recommend it, and I'd definitely read more by this author.

 

ANOTHER REBECCA by Tracey Scott-Townsend

4.5 out of 5 stars

Complex family drama

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE 
On Goodreads HERE 

This was a surprise hidden gem!  It's been on my to-read list for a long time and I decided it was time to open it up ~ and I'm glad I did.

Another Rebecca is a very unusual story, told from the points of view of Rebecca, a young woman with understandable psychological problems, her alcoholic mother, Bex, and her care-worn father, Jack.  The first chapter is an insight into the mind of Rebecca when she is at her most confused, and I wondered if it was going to be the sort of book I liked (I am not one for weird dream sequences and is-it-fantasy-or-isn't-it stuff, generally), but it was sufficiently well written for me to carry on. The second chapter was a different kettle of fish altogether, from the point of view of drink ravaged Bex, raw, gritty, and much more my cup of tea, and I realised I was going to enjoy the book alot when I got to chapter 3, and Jack.  Then, it all started to make sense, I got stuck in and read most of it in one day ~ I couldn't leave it alone.

The novel goes back and forth from the present to various times in the past, and it's well structured, never confusing, with the years clearly shown, so it was easy to build up the complex history of the family.  The author has a real talent for the written word, with the characters coming to life.  Although the story is all about emotion, this aspect isn't laboured and there is plenty going on.  I liked the way the nooks and crannies of the family's history unfolded, with just enough mystery to keep me doing that 'just one more chapter' thing.  I would have liked to have seen more about what happened when the actual split between Rebecca's parents took place, and a bit more about the relationship between Jack and his new wife, but that's the only area I felt was slightly lacking.

Looking at this book on Amazon I can see that it's hidden away in a dark side shelf, and with its unassuming cover it might be easy to overlook, but I can assure you it's worth picking up.  A couple of the reviews say that it's hard to understand what's going on, but I think that says more about the reviewer - it's not confusing, it's complex and clever.  Oh, and there's a lovely little episode of Tudor ghostliness, too!  Nice work, Ms S-T :).

LUKE'S #1 RULE by Cynthia Harrison

4 out of 5 stars

Romance, addiction

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

This was an interesting story, with much more about it than just your average romance. Indeed, it's not so much about love as family dilemma, based around single mum Chloe's desire to move three thousand miles to start a great new job and provide a better life for her and her children. I felt sorry for Chloe, who gets emotional blackmail from all angles! By putting her children first she is accused of being selfish - a hard one, with no easy answer. I liked the small town feel very much.

What really takes this book to another level is the storyline surrounding Chloe's ex, an alcoholic who's also addicted to drugs both prescribed and illegal. I thought the author dealt with this subject spectacularly well. Spence's childish self-indulgence coupled with self-hatred are beautifully observed, and it's obvious that Ms Harrison really knows her subject, whether from experience or detailed and clever research. The reader sees the problems of addiction within familes from the points of view of the addict, the partner who left, and the partner who is currently dealing with the situation; Bettina, the current partner, goes through several stages of optimism, denial, depression, etc. Very cleverly done, and I thought Ms Harrison's 'no frills' writing style really came into its own during these parts. Bravo!

I think this book would be enjoyed by anyone who likes a contemporary family drama, slightly edgy, with a bit of romantic, sexy stuff thrown in, in the form of Luke, the man with the rule he's so determined not to break...

THIN WIRE by Christine Lewry

3.5 out of 5 stars

Non Fiction, Family, Addiction

Originally posted on Amazon HERE on 27 February 2013

It's hard to review a book such as this; the purpose of a review is not to discuss the subject matter, but the way it is written - in other words, it is not for the reviewer to weigh up the rights and wrongs of the situation or to lay blame, but to look at the structure of the story itself.

I did enjoy reading the book, getting out my Kindle on bus journeys, doing that "can I just finish this chapter?" thing when Him Indoors wanted to watch a film - an indication that it's pretty well written; if it wasn't, I would have stopped reading it. It certainly kept my interest; that's partly because I find tales of descent into drug and alcohol use quite absorbing, I don't know why. I liked the 'warts and all' way that the addicts' homes and lives were depicted - there was certainly no glamourising of the drug lifestyle! If this book has done anything it will have shown any youngsters who know nothing of these things what it is really like - and for that I applaud it.

I've said that it would be wrong for a reviewer to give an opinion on the situation, though in a story of this type it is hard not to; I will say that my sympathies changed over the course of the book, not necessarily just between the two main characters. One of the reasons I've given it 3 stars rather than 4 is that I felt there were some omissions, and I wondered if these were to save us from the whole story; for instance, when Amber was packed off to the Canaries for a week, in one paragraph she was getting into the bath on her first night, and in the next she was home again, with no gap in between ... maybe nothing happened, I don't know! Also, I would have liked to have known about what happened to people like Dave, and Jason. I was waiting to find out how Dave fared once he was back 'on the street' - and I never did.

Although it was the viewpoints of two people, it seemed to be written all by the same person; the 'voice' was the same, it just said different things. I know it's actually by the mother, so to give two different voices must have been difficult; it's not like writing fiction. The other thing I was not keen on was the way Amber kept referring to being 'clean', even though she was still using other substances.

Aside from those aspects of it, I'd say that if you're interested in this sort of story then yes, I'd definitely recommend reading it. I expect the lists of suggestions at the end of the book from both mother and daughter are very helpful to any person in this situation, too.