Tilly navigates grief over her grandmother’s death, family lies, and unreciprocated love on her sixteenth birthday. “Never, Not Ever” explores teenage identity and emotional growth through challenges and family dynamics.
Category Archives: Blog-exclusive book review
Never, Not Ever: A quintessential teenage romance with a psychological layer
Tilly navigates grief over her grandmother’s death, family lies, and unreciprocated love on her sixteenth birthday. “Never, Not Ever” explores teenage identity and emotional growth through challenges and family dynamics.
Tell Me Lies leans on tired tropes around psychology
Psychologist Margot Scott has a picture-perfect life: a nice house in the suburbs, a husband, two children and a successful career. On a warm spring morning Margot approaches one of her clients on a busy train platform. He is looking down at his phone, with his duffel bag in hand as the train approaches. That’sContinue reading “Tell Me Lies leans on tired tropes around psychology”
Two Sisters, Two Takes on the ‘Crazy Ex Girlfriend’ Trope
I am a fan of both Liane Moriarty and Nicola Moriarty; they both write the sort of books that I tend to devour, and I love both of their writings. I had never compared their work (as a woman with a sister, I know the particular pain of such comparison), until I finished reading Nicola’sContinue reading “Two Sisters, Two Takes on the ‘Crazy Ex Girlfriend’ Trope”
Review: ‘No One Will Know’ presents no shortage of twists and turns
Eve Sylvester is young and broke and needs a job fast. After years of foster homes, backpacking and a sailing trip across the Pacific Ocean, she has lost contact with friends and family. She is alone, desperate—and pregnant. Then she meets Julia and Christopher Hygate, a charming and glamorous couple, who seem to have theContinue reading “Review: ‘No One Will Know’ presents no shortage of twists and turns”
Review: The ‘White Noise’ Of Grief And Change
Fifteen-year-old Emma is woken up by her dad’s nightmares. Again. On Friday evenings they go running at East Point Reserve to escape. Escape the ripples of grief that still chase them three years after her mum’s death; escape Emma’s autism diagnosis; escape her dad’s work as an emergency room doctor. At school, Emma has wonContinue reading “Review: The ‘White Noise’ Of Grief And Change”
Review: This Is Not a Sad Book (But It’s OK to Feel Sad)
This Is Not A Sad Book is truly not a sad book! It’s actually a practical, compassionate guide full of strategies and ideas to support yourself or someone else through grief, loss and hard times. In some parts you might even find yourself smiling. Most importantly of all – the stories, tips and advice in theseContinue reading “Review: This Is Not a Sad Book (But It’s OK to Feel Sad)”
Review: ‘The Hitwoman’s Guide to Reducing Household Debt’ is a highly entertaining debut
I met my husband on the same day I committed my very last murder. There’s a joke in there somewhere, about ending two men’s lives. Olivia Hodges used to do horrible things – back when she worked for a Spanish crime syndicate – but she fled that life and moved home to Australia, building aContinue reading “Review: ‘The Hitwoman’s Guide to Reducing Household Debt’ is a highly entertaining debut”
Review: The quiet emotional force of The Burrow
Amy, Jin and Lucie are leading isolated lives in their partially renovated, inner city home. They are not happy, but they are also terrified of change. When they buy a pet rabbit for Lucie, and then Amy’s mother, Pauline, comes to stay, the family is forced to confront long-buried secrets. Will opening their hearts toContinue reading “Review: The quiet emotional force of The Burrow”
Review: The uplifting layers of The End and Everything Before It
Emma watched her mother’s kayak disappear among icebergs in the Arctic Sea. Six years later, her brother, who had not spoken since their mother was lost, warns Emma of the curse of death that she brought to anyone who looked on her face—before tragedy befalls him too. Emma consigns herself to a solitary life atContinue reading “Review: The uplifting layers of The End and Everything Before It”