Book Review: The Wife and The Widow by Christian White @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress @CWhiteAuthor #TheWifeandTheWidow #TheWifeandTheWidowBook #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Minotaur Books

PUBLICATION DATE: January 21st, 2020

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book via NetGalley and also for sending me a physical copy of this book!

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Set against the backdrop of an eerie island town in the dead of winter, The Wife and The Widow is an unsettling thriller told from two perspectives: Kate, a widow whose grief is compounded by what she learns about her dead husband’s secret life; and Abby, an island local whose world is turned upside when she’s forced to confront the evidence of her husband’s guilt. But nothing on this island is quite as it seems, and only when these women come together can they discover the whole story about the men in their lives. Brilliant and beguiling, The Wife and The Widow takes you to a cliff edge and asks the question: how well do we really know the people we love? 

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MY REVIEW:

I loved White’s first novel, The Nowhere Child, so of course I was thrilled to read his second novel!

A thrilling, entertaining story that will have you hooked from the very beginning.

First meet Kate. She is married to a man named John. Imagine being married to your husband and when you arrive with your daughter at the airport to pick him back up from a work trip he doesn’t show? When you call his work, they tell you that he hasn’t worked there for over 3 months. What would you do? What would you think?

Next meet Abby, she is married to a man named Ray. Together they have a teenage son.

This story is told from alternating pov’s… parts are told from Abby’s pov in the past and others are told from Kate’s pov in the present. I love books that have alternating timelines and alternating pov’s so this book was right up my alley! I loved the main characters and reading about their lives and hearing their story. How do their stories relate to one another?

A book that I devoured and highly recommend to everyone! You will be addicted once you begin reading so make yourself comfy when you sit down to begin this book, as you will not want to put it down until you’ve turned the last page!

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Book Review: The Convent by Marie Hargreaves @TheMirrorBooks #TheConventBook #TheConventNovel #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Mirror Books

PUBLICATION DATE: May 14th, 2020

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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******* TRIGGER WARNING: *******

 

This book talks about physical, sexual

and mental abuse.

 

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Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this amazing title via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

When a fancy car pulls up outside six-year-old Marie’s home in 1959, her dad tells her she is going on holiday.

But little does she know she will not see her home again for four long years. Her family cannot afford to keep her at home.

Marie tells the story of how she was taken away from a poor, but happy and loving home life, to live in a convent – away from everyone and everything she holds dear. Her hair is bluntly chopped, her clothes are taken away, and her name is changed. Then a horrific ritual of physical, sexual and mental abuse begins.

Even after the convent closes, Marie is unable to share details of her suffering with anyone. But when a police investigation is launched, Marie realises that the time has come to tell the truth…

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MY REVIEW:

A gripping, bone-chilling, harrowing, heart-breaking true story of the cruel and sad abuse and treatment of a young girl named Marie. The story follows Marie as she is brought to a convent by her family, as they can no longer afford to keep her at home, and tells about the way she is treated while in the convent. Many shocking and heart-breaking revelations and stories are told in this book, and you will find yourself mad, sad, and will most likely cry as you read along.

I loved reading this story and reading about Marie’s experiences and what she had to endure over the years. I literally could not put this book down once I began reading, and was on the edge of my seat the entire way through as I flipped through the pages to see what happened next. I cannot imagine what poor Marie went through and I felt so sad for her and the children in the convent. It pulled at my heart strings to read the horrific, unthinkable things that little Marie and many more children in this convent went through and how they were treated.

My words cannot do justice for how amazing this book truly is. All the stars in the world for this amazing novel!!

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

Book Review: Hold Your Breath by B.P. Walter @BarnabyWalter @avonbooks #HoldYourBreath #HoldYourBreathBook #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Avon

PUBLICATION DATE: April 16th, 2020

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this title via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Kitty Marchland has always known that her family aren’t like others. But when her father uproots them to a remote cottage in the woods, she realises that her parents are keeping secrets from her – secrets that could unravel everything.
 
Years later, Kitty starts to question what really happened out in the forest. When the police revisit a suspicious death, she must examine her most painful memories – and this time, there’s nowhere to hide…

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MY REVIEW:

Addictive, chilling, thrilling! I loved this book from beginning to end. Imagine moving with your family as a young child and moving deep into the woods. Strange things happen while you are there, things you don’t understand and things the adults are keeping from you, and trying their best to hide you from it. Weird, right?

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. There was never a dull moment in the book and it was full of shocking twists and revelations, and keeps you interested the entire time. Young Kitty knows something strange is going on but the adults in her life keep her in the dark.

With shock after shock, and a big twist at the end, you will devour this book!

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MY RATING:4 /5 stars

Book Review: The Half Sister by Sandie Jones @realsandiejones @StMartinsPress @MinotaurBooks #TheHalfSister #TheHalfSisterBook #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookbogger #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Minotaur Books

PUBLICATION DATE: June 16th, 2020

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

THE TRUTH

Sisters Kate and Lauren meet for Sunday lunch every week without fail, especially after the loss of their father.

THE LIE

But a knock at the door is about to change everything. A young woman by the name of Jess holds a note with the results of a DNA test, claiming to be their half sister.

THE UNTHINKABLE

As the fallout starts, it’s clear that they are all hiding secrets, and perhaps this family isn’t as perfect as it appears.

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MY REVIEW:

After reading (and LOVING!) Sandie Jones’ previous novel, The Other Woman, I was thrilled to find out about her latest upcoming novel, The Half Sister. So, of course, I couldn’t wait to read my own eARC copy of this title and was thrilled when it was available to request.

Addictive, entertaining, thrilling, nail-biting! This book will leave you wanting more as you flip through the pages and uncover all the secrets, lies, betrayals, and deceit in this deliciously thrilling novel! Once you begin you will not be able to put this book down.

I loved reading about the seemingly perfect family. That is until the young Jess walks into the family’s life saying she has proof, DNA proof, that she belongs in this family, and their world as they know it is turned upside down and inside out. There is so much going on in this novel you will be hooked as you uncover all the juicy drama as you flip through the pages.

I cannot recommend this novel enough, so be sure to add it to your TBR if you haven’t already! I am thrilled to see what book Sandie Jones comes out with next.

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

Book Review: Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger @parkrowbooks @netgalley @edelweiss_squad #Confessionsonthe7:45 #Confessionsonthe7:45Book #bookreview #bookreview #bookblogger #bookblog #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Park Row

PUBLICATION DATE: October 6th, 2020

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this title via Edelweiss and NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Be careful to whom you tell your darkest secrets…

Selena Murphy is commuting home from her job in the city when the train stalls out on the tracks. She strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat, and their connection is fast and easy. The woman introduces herself as Martha and confesses that she’s been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena’s station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again.

But days later, Selena’s nanny disappears.

Soon Selena finds her once-perfect life upended. As she is pulled into the mystery of the missing nanny, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, Selena begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover.

Expertly plotted and reminiscent of the timeless classic Strangers on a Train, Confessions on the 7:45 is a gripping thriller about the delicate facades we create around our lives.

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MY REVIEW:

Wow! This book has so many revelations, surprises, secrets, deception, betrayal and lies, lies, lies. I loved this book! Definitely a must read for the year!

I loved the various characters in this novel and reading about their lives, both past and present. I enjoyed reading about what they have been through in life and how that has made them into the people they are today, and how the characters are all connected. Lots of shocks and surprises that I did not see coming and I love that in a book as it keeps me guessing only to shock me when I least expect it. It adds to the excitement of the book and this book does exactly that!

There are several characters in this book, but it is easy to follow along and keep track of them all. Some characters are despicable and easy to hate, others are sweet and easy to adore.

A great novel that I definitely recommend.

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Book Review: Little Creeping Things by Chelsea Ichaso @chelseaichaso @SourcebooksFire #LittleCreepingThings #LittleCreepingThingsBook #sourcebooksfire #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire

PUBLICATION DATE: June 2nd, 2020

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this title via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

When she was a child, Cassidy Pratt accidentally started a fire that killed her neighbor. At least, that’s what she’s been told. She can’t remember anything from that day, and her town’s bullies, particularly the cruel and beautiful Melody Davenport, have never let her live it down.

But then Melody goes missing, and Cassidy thinks she may have information. She knows she should go to the cops, but she recently joked about how much she’d like to get rid of Melody. She even planned out the perfect way to do it. And then she gets a chilling text from an unknown number: I’m so glad we’re in this together.

Now it’s up to Cassidy to figure out what really happened before the truth behind Melody’s disappearance sets the whole town ablaze.

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MY REVIEW:

Can we just take a moment to admire the cover of this novel! I mean how amazingly creepy is the cover? It fits perfectly with the story and I love it!

I absolutely loved this book! It kept me entertained and hooked from the very start! We are introduced to the main character, Cassidy Pratt. Bit by bit we get pieces of the puzzle about what happened all those year ago that claimed the life of one of her good friends, who is related to Melody Davenport. Melody (and others) have never let Cassidy forget about the fact that she is responsible for starting the fire that killed her good friend many years ago, and Cassidy is often ostracized and ridiculed for it.

One night while out drinking with friends, Cassidy jokes to someone about the perfect way to get away with ridding their lives of Melody forever. Then once Melody goes missing, all fingers point towards Cassidy and she is terrified that someone has found out about her drunken night joke.

A thrilling, addictive story that you will devour in one sitting, it is that good! I loved the various characters in this novel and loved the main character Cassidy. She was an interesting character to get to know and I liked reading about her friendship with her best friend and confidante., which is put to the test due to the events then finds themselves in.

There are many shocking twists and turns that you will not see coming, with one revelation at the end that will shock you! I loved the ending! I will be on the lookout for other titles by this author!

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

Book Review: His & Hers by Alice Feeney (audiobook) @alicewriterland @Flatironbooks #His&Hers #His&HersNovel #His&HersBook #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Flatiron Books

PUBLICATION DATE: July 28th, 2020

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Thank you to the publisher for the audiobook version of this book via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

There are two sides to every story: yours and mine, ours and theirs, His & Hers. Which means someone is always lying.

Anna Andrews finally has what she wants. Almost. She’s worked hard to become the main TV presenter of the BBC’s lunchtime news, putting work before friends, family, and her now ex-husband. So, when someone threatens to take her dream job away, she’ll do almost anything to keep it.

When asked to cover a murder in Blackdown―the sleepy countryside village where she grew up―Anna is reluctant to go. But when the victim turns out to be one of her childhood friends, she can’t leave. It soon becomes clear that Anna isn’t just covering the story, she’s at the heart of it.

DCI Jack Harper left London for a reason, but never thought he’d end up working in a place like Blackdown. When the body of a young woman is discovered, Jack decides not to tell anyone that he knew the victim, until he begins to realise he is a suspect in his own murder investigation.

One of them knows more than they are letting on. Someone isn’t telling the truth. Alternating between Anna’s and Jack’s points of view, His & Hers is a fast-paced, complex, and dark puzzle that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

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MY REVIEW:

After reading and loving Alice Feeney’s previous novel I was thrilled to learn about her latest novel, His & Hers. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy and was eager to begin reading and I was not disappointed!

As the story goes, there are always two sides to a story. This novel is told from alternating pov’s of the main characters, and told from Jack and Anna’s perspective. I loved the back and forth perspective of them both and hearing their version of how things happened and hear their side of the story. I find it adds to their character development and you get a true sense of their personality as the story is told by them first hand.

Everyone in this story has something to hide, is telling lies, half-truths, and very complex. Who can you believe? With an ending that will shock you and you will not see coming, you are going to love this novel! Be sure to make yourself comfortable when you begin this book, because once you start reading you will not want to stop to put this book down again until you are on the very last page!

Way to go Alice. I am thrilled to see what you come out with next!

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Book Review: Every Step She Takes by K.L. Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @PenguinRandomCA @doubledayca @netgalley #EveryStepSheTakes #EveryStepSheTakesBook #bookblog #bookblogger #bookreview #bookreviewer #booksonthebookshelf #netgalley

PUBLISHER: Doubleday Canada

PUBLICATION DATE: June 30th, 2020

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this title via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Sometimes there’s no use running from your past. . . .

Genevieve has secrets that no one knows. In Rome she can be whoever she wants to be. Her neighbours aren’t nosy; her Italian is passable; the shopkeepers and restaurant owners now see her as a local, and they let her be. It’s exactly what she wants.

One morning, after getting groceries, she returns to her 500-year-old Trastevere apartment. She climbs to the very top of the staircase, the stairs narrowing the higher she goes. When she gets to her door, she puts down her bags and pushes the key into the lock . . .

. . . and the door swings open.

It’s unlocked. Sometimes she doesn’t lock it because break-ins aren’t common in Rome. But Genevieve knows she locked the door behind her this morning. She has no doubt.

She should leave, call the police. What if someone is in her apartment, waiting for her? But she doesn’t.

The apartment is empty, and exactly as she left it, perfectly tidy and not a thing out of place . . . except for the small box on her kitchen table. A box that definitely wasn’t there this morning. A box postmarked from the US. A box that is addressed to “Lucy Callahan.”

A name that she hasn’t used in ten years.

Edge-of-your-seat riveting, K.L. Armstrong’s new book will keep you turning the pages until the very end.

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MY REVIEW:

Another fabulous, must-read novel from K.L. Armstrong that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat as you fly through the pages of her new addictive, pulse-pounding novel that will leave you hooked!

Imagine building a new life for yourself, in another country with a new name, leaving your past behind you and fitting in with a new life. One day you come home to find a box on your table addressed to you – the OLD you – the name you haven’t used for years! That is the predicament Genevieve finds herself in. Who is the person that has sent her the box? How did they get into her apartment, and how do they know her real name?

As you read the story all of these answers are revealed and we learn about her past and what made her start over with a new life and with a new name. I loved reading through the chapters in this novel and it was a fast-paced read that I couldn’t stop once I started. I loved reading about all the twists and turns, and the revelations that come to light. WHat makes Genevieve tick, nd what is she running away from and trying to forget?

An addictive read that you must add to your collection ASAP. You will love this book!

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Book Review: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager @riley_sager @DuttonBooks @PenguinRandomCA @netgalley #HomeBeforeDark #HomeBeforeDarkBook #bookblog #bookblogger #bookreviewer #bookreview #booksonthebookshelf #netgalley

PUBLISHER: Dutton

PUBLICATION DATE: June 30th, 2020

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Thank you to Dutton for the eARC of this book via NetGalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for gifting me a beautiful hardcover copy of this book to read and review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

What was it like? Living in that house.

Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.

Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.

In the latest thriller from New York Times bestseller Riley Sager, a woman returns to the house made famous by her father’s bestselling horror memoir. Is the place really haunted by evil forces, as her father claimed? Or are there more earthbound—and dangerous—secrets hidden within its walls?

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MY REVIEW:

Wow! Another addictive, amazing, MUST READ novel by Riley Sager. I have read and LOVED all of his previous novels and this book did NOT disappoint! I was thrilled when I learned he was coming out with another novel, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy to read! SO of course as soon as I received a copy of this book I began straight away!

Can we just take a few moments to admire the beauty (and creepiness!) of this book cover!! I absolutely LOVE it. P.S. The hardcover copy of the book actually glows in the dark! Super creepy right!? I love it!! How eerie and creepy the cover is only adds to the creepiness of the novel, and fits perfectly with the storyline.

I loved reading about all that went on in Baneberry hall. Not only do we get to read chapters here and there of the book “House of Horrors” that Ewan wrote about the time he and his family lived in Baneberry Hall, but we also get to compare the stories he recounts in his novel to the experience Maggie has now that she moved into the house all these years ago and was skeptical about the stories he wrote. Afterall, she has no memory of any of the events he talks about in his book actually taking place.

Strange and creepy, unexplainable things begin happening and they were so creepy to read about and I absolutely loved reading about them. I cannot imagine living in a house like this and having all of those strange things happening.

Maggie was a very likeable character and I loved reading about her life and her braveness to move into the house and get it ready for resale. She uncovers and discovers a lot of things while staying in the house and begins to learn that maybe not everything her father said and wrote about in his book was made up but actual truth. Many shocking revelations and discoveries are to be had in this house.

All the stars for this addictive and creepy book and I cannot recommend this book enough! You need to grab your own copy of this book today! You’ll love it!

Way to go Riley Sager! I cannot wait to see what book you come out with next! I’ll definitely be waiting for it!

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

Book Review: The Hierarchies by Ros Anderson @DuttonBooks @netgalley #TheHierarchies #TheHierarchiesBook #bookblog #bookblogger #bookreview @bookreviewer #netgalley #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Penguin Group Dutton

PUBLICATION DATE: August 25th, 2020

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Your Husband is the reason for your existence. You are here to serve him. You must not harm your Husband. Nor may you harm any human.

Sylv.ie is a synthetic woman. A fully sentient robot, designed to cater to her Husband’s every whim. She lives alone on the top floor of his luxurious home, her existence barely tolerated by his human wife and concealed from their child. Between her Husband’s visits, deeply curious about the world beyond her room, Sylv.ie watches the family in the garden—hears them laugh, cry, and argue. Longing to experience more of life, she confides her hopes and fears only to her diary. But are such thoughts allowed? And if not, what might the punishment be?

As Sylv.ie learns more about the world and becomes more aware of her place within it, something shifts inside her. Is she malfunctioning, as her Husband thinks, or coming into her own? As their interactions become increasingly fraught, she fears he might send her back to the factory for reprogramming. If that happens, her hidden diary could be her only link to everything that came before. And the only clue that she is in grave danger.

Set in a recognizable near future and laced with dark, sly humor, Ros Anderson’s deeply observant debut novel is less about the fear of new technology than about humans’ age-old talent for exploitation. In a world where there are now two classes of women—“born” and “created”—the growing friction between them may have far-reaching consequences no one could have predicted. 

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MY REVIEW:

Imagine having a human-like droid made just for you. The droid looks exactly like a human being, acts and speaks like a human, and is there for one specific thing – to serve you! That is the world in which this novel takes place. The purpose of the droid is to serve you, and since it is a form of artificial intelligence the droids aren’t made to think independently for themselves. However, the droid in this novel begins to find herself having her own thoughts and feelings, and she isn’t sure why this is happening to her… she has been programmed to act and speak and do certain things, not have a mind of her own.

I found the storyline of this book to be quite interesting and I enjoyed reading along and reading about the droid Sylv.ie and her daily life, thoughts, etc. I liked the fact that she kept a journal to record her thoughts and feelings so that she could do back to them and reflect on what she had written, and to also keep a record of what was happening in case she needed proof in the future.

Overall a good read that I enjoyed and I would recommend.

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars