The Prized Girl

The Prized Girl by Amy K Green

Paperback, 384 pages

Published 20th February 2020 by HQ

(First published 1st January 2008)

Shelves: abuse, adult-fiction, better-than-expected, crime-thriller-mystery, death, lasting-impression, new-adult, rape, read, read-in-2021, realistic-fiction, really-good

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

Days after a young teenager named Jenny is found murdered, her small town grieves the loss alongside her picture-perfect parents. At first glance, Jenny’s tragic death appears clear-cut for investigators. In the murder of a former pageant queen from a safe and loving family, the most obvious suspect is a fan who got too close for comfort. But Jenny’s sarcastic, older half-sister Virginia isn’t so sure of his guilt and takes matters into her own hands to find the killer.

But for Jenny’s case and and Virginia’s investigation, there’s more to the story. Virginia, still living in town and haunted by her own troubled teenage years, suspects that a similar darkness lay beneath the sparkling veneer of Jenny’s life. Alternating between Jenny’s final days and Virginia’s determined search for the truth, the sisters’ dual narratives follow a harrowing trail of suspects, with surprising turns that race toward a shocking finale.

I hadn't heard of The Prized Girl or of Amy K. Green before glancing upon this book in my local bookshop but I am so glad that I happened upon it. The book tells us of the story of Jenny, a young beauty queen who has been found tragically raped and murdered and her older sister's journey in trying to discover what happened to her. 

This book seems to be the perfect bridge between young adult and adult fiction, mainly featuring younger characters and recounting several school experiences, but has a storyline that will appeal to fans of crime stories and psychological thrillers and focusing on some adult themes. The characters were not overly developed but  still well written. Though I didn't feel much of a connection to them, I could've read about them for days. There are two timelines in the book, the story of the past, of Jenny, as we see what led up to the dramatic events which resulted in her untimely death and the story of the present, as told by Virginia as she unravels plenty of secrets and attempts to discover the truth. 

The storyline takes precedence in this book and it's clear that Green is a great storyteller. I was gripped from the start. Although I did manage to predict 'whodunnit' around two thirds of the way through, this never distracted from the enjoyment of the story as there was so much that was explored and revealed in the book. I was always wondering something and curious about how the timeline would fit together in the end. This really was a page turner and I was very reluctant to put it down. Although there was a lot going on in the book and there were many twists, turns and revelations it was easy to follow. I was also very pleased that everything felt succinctly wrapped up at the end, though thankfully not rushed. The author did a fantastic job with a truly engrossing plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book as it really captivated me and I sped through it! It was simply but eloquently written and an extremely compelling story which tackles several extreme subjects. The Prized Girl is definitely a book that I will be recommending and I would love to read more by Amy K. Green.

The Donor

The Donor by Helen Fitzgerald

Paperback, 320 pages

Published July 2011 by Faber Faber

Shelves: adult-fiction, crime-thriller-mystery, disliked, drink-and-drugs, let-down, medical-conditions, new-adult, read, read-in-2020, realistic-fiction

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

The Donor, Helen FitzGerald's fifth novel, is a nail-biting psychological thriller about a single dad's horrorfying dilemma. Will, who has given up everything to raise his twin daughters, has a terrible choice to make when both girls suffer kidney failure age 16.

Should he save one child? If so, which one?

Should he buy a kidney - be an organ tourist?

Should he sacrifice himself?

Or is there a fourth solution - one so terrible it has never even crossed his mind?

Perfect for fans of Julia Crouch, Sophie Hannah and Laura Lippman, The Donor is a gripping thriller about a single dad faced with organ donation as his twin daughters battle to survive. 

You should never judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately, when it comes to actual books, I'm afraid to say that I'm guilty of doing so and this The Donor attracted me on both counts. The title was enough to grab me, but after reading the blurb, I knew I just had to read it straight away. It's been said that this book is perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Sophie Hannah, all authors that I've enjoyed in the past. The premise sounded intriguing, it had so much potential, but sadly, this book didn't live up to my expectations at all.

It usually takes me a while to decide whether I like a book or not - I feel I should give them all a fair chance. It's rare that I take such a quick dislike to a book as much I did with this one. Initially, I wasn't a fan of the mix between first and third person narration but I did adjust to it quite quickly, so it didn't pose too much of an issue after I'd read through a quarter of the book. The main reason I didn't like the majority of this book was the pure 'trashiness' of it - I'm certainly not a prude or afraid of expletives but I felt that half of the things in this book were just thrown in for the sake of it.  The whole book was littered with random sex scenes and encounters which seemed to hold no purpose whatsoever, not even adding to character relationships or development. There wasn't a chapter that didn't hold a multitude of swearing either, none of which had any real impact as it was just too frequent. Even excusing those first two issues, I had to draw the line at the derogatory language that was used for absolutely no real reason - at the point where one character offhandedly called autistic people 'windowlickers' for absolutely no reason, I had to stop myself from throwing the book across the room. It honestly felt like there was a teenager writing this book, just throwing in anything that they could to be rebellious - this may have benefitted Georgie's narration but it wasn't appropriate for third person.

With a book like this, it's especially important to connect to the characters and feel for them. We're introduced to Will, the unsuccessful parent of Kay and Georgie with a penchant for weed, alcohol and S&M with a married woman who lives nearby. He's probably the most likeable character of them all, showing equal parts of desperation and love for the twins. The  twins, both in need of a donor, are polar opposites - Kay is the 'pretty', kind twin and Georgie is the twin that appears to shows only contempt and cruelness. Georgie's character seems to have more development than Kay as she is who narrates alternating chapters. Initially, I strongly disliked her but her character does develop slightly throughout the book. The other characters include Preston, a strange but admittedly intriguing character who is tasked with searching for the mother of the twins, Cynthia, a relentless drug addict with absolutely no redeeming qualities, and her equally dislikable partner, Heath.  

Despite my issues with this book, it was a page-turner - it was very easy to read and it didn't have any long or drawn out sections - it didn't become boring, which is an extremely positive point. I got through The Donor very quickly in only a couple of sittings. The book did keep me entertained during the last half in particular. Whilst some of the occurrences in the book seemed slapstick and ridiculous, as simple entertainment, the action and the twists in the book weren't disappointing and kept me reading on, despite my issues with the writing. I believe that the bare bones of a good story are in this book, but unfortunately it's just not quite developed as it should be. Disappointing, but this was likely mostly due to my preconceptions. 

Blog Tour Stop: Caroline & West/Deeper

This month marks the UK release of the hotly anticipated New Adult book, Deeper, the first in a set of books focusing on Caroline & West. This is a book that has had absolute rave reviews and almost non-stop praise from world-wide fans already, so it's definitely one of, if not the New Adult book to look out for.  

For my part in the blog tour, I'll be sharing my review of Deeper with you.

Here it is - enjoy!

Deeper by Robin York

Paperback, 400 Pages

Expected Publication 6th March 2014 by Piatkus

Shelves: arc-or-review, contemporary, drink-and-drugs, erotica, new-adult, read, read-in-2014, realistic-fiction, series-or-companions

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

When Caroline Piasecki's ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the Internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn't look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear; hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defence and punches her ex to the ground.

West Leavitt is the last person Caroline needs in her life. Everyone knows he's shady. Still, Caroline is drawn to his confidence and swagger - even after promising her dad she'll keep her distance. On late, sleepless nights, Caroline starts wandering into the bakery where West works.

They hang out, they talk, they listen. Though Caroline and West tell each other they're 'just friends,' their feelings intensify until it becomes impossible to pretend. The more complicated her relationship with West gets, the harder Caroline has to struggle to discover what she wants for herself - and the easier it becomes to find the courage she needs to fight back against the people who would judge her.

When all seems lost, sometimes the only place to go is deeper.

Deeper is a book that has had a lot of really rave reviews and as someone wanting to check out the offerings in the recently highly popular New Adult genre, I knew that this would have to be one of those definite to-reads for me. Deeper is a book that deals with and portrays what seems to be a real problem today, an issue known as 'Revenge Porn'. 

Deeper explores the life of Caroline, a college girl who has had sexual pictures of herself posted all over the internet, thanks to her ex-boyfriend, Nate. This behaviour is known as 'Revenge Porn'. I've never read any books on this subject before, but it seems like a very modern issue that we really should be reading about - it's certainly not something that is rare in our technology-obsessed society. I can't say that I've ever thought about the issue of revenge porn, but this book really brings to life how it easily it can happen and how easily things are shared amongst people. Caroline finds all of her life has been negatively affected by the photos, and we see how near-impossible it is to remove one post from the internet. I think that the author, York, has done a fantastic thing by bringing this topic to life and writing it realistically. 

As you'd expect, Caroline isn't having the best time at college, but things start to change after she sees a guy she doesn't know all that well, West Leavitt punching Nate. Despite his shady reputation, Caroline is intrigued by West and begins to spend time with him, their chemistry building each time they meet. We learn more about West, and it's easy to see why Caroline is so attracted. We find out that West is from a poor, unstable background and works his hardest to ensure his young sister is safe and cared for, he is absolutely devoted to her, their relationship feeling more like one between a father and daughter. When West is at college, working on making a better life for his sister, he makes bread during the night and sells home-grown weed with freshly baked muffins. West is absolutely irresistible, both physically and personality-wise throughout this book and it's completely understandable why Caroline is so attracted to him. We get to read from West's POV throughout the book, which I found equally as interesting as Caroline's POV, if not more. 

As for Caroline herself, I neither loved nor disliked her, she was a character that seemed like an average girl of her age - I don't think that she had any extreme personality traits or eccentricities, but I think that this actually benefits the way that the issue of revenge porn - it was easy to connect with her and imagine her situation. I did admire the fact that she was proactive and did something about her situation, and didn't just shy away from reality. I liked her to-the-point contributions.

I have to say, there were a few things that I had to adjust to in this book - I can't deny that I found some of the phrases/sentences quite cringe-inducing at points, but after adjusting to the book and York's writing, it didn't bother me so much. Naturally, being a new adult book, the book is full of sexual tension and well, the rest, and I really don't think anybody will be disappointed in that aspect - York really has excelled herself there! Again, some of the phrases felt a little crude which put me off, but I did adjust to the writing. 

Overall, I can see why Deeper is already globally popular and I for one have certainly been left wanting more West! I admire York for both tackling such a big issue and creating a story that I could really engage with. I will be looking forward to learning more about Caroline and West and sharing their new experiences in the next book!

I hope that you enjoyed my review and that it's made you interested in this book! Below is a list of the previous and upcoming spots in the UK blog tour for Deeper.

Thank you to Piaktus for providing the material for me to participate in this tour!

How To Love

How To Love by Katie Cotugno

Hardback, 400 pages

Published 3rd October by Quercus

Shelves: arc-or-review, books-i-own, title-appeal, realistic-fiction, read-in-2013, new-adult, lasting-impression, cover-appeal, contemporary, better-than-expected

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

This is a love story. But it’s not what you think. This is not a first kiss, or a first date. This is not love at first sight. This is a boy and a girl falling in messy, unpredictable, thrilling love. This is the complicated route to happiness that follows.

This is real. This is life. This is how to love.

BEFORE:
Reena has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember. But he’s never noticed her, until one day… he does. They fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town, leaving a devastated – and pregnant – Reena behind.

AFTER:
Three years later and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter Hannah. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again.

After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer again?

How to Love was a book that I immediately wanted to pick up as soon as it came through my door - I loved the bright cover, the intriguing title and the fact that it was a contemporary new adult book, something that I always want to read more of. I literally couldn't wait to start this and so I opened it up and read - it didn't take me long at all to become hooked!

How To Love was one of those books that I knew that I would enjoy after only a couple of chapters. The writing felt very natural, the story seemed both effortlessly but fantastically written. Though this is a debut novel, it is clear that the author has a true talent. I felt completely at ease when reading and it was so easy to get a real sense of the setting and the characters. Reena, especially, felt more like a real friend rather than a fictional character. Though it was so easy to get absorbed into this book, it was also often interesting to sit back and try and look at the big picture, looking and seeing how different people are affected by different things, and how things may not always be how they are perceived. 

This book revolves around Reena and Sawyer, two people who have a difficult past. Firstly, we're introduced to Reena and her young daughter, Hannah who are living in their hometown with Aaron, her boyfriend, and nearby to Reena's religious father and step-mother. Sawyer hasn't been in the neighbourhood for a long time, but  now he is back and he's seeking out both Reena and Hannah, his daughter. Reena is not how she used to be, and Sawyer is not how he used to be either - it's very easy to see the changes, however subtle, that their separation and independence has made. Cotugno manages to switch between past and present, before and after Sawyer's disappearance, in a very readable way - sometimes it can be difficult and feel 'jumpy' to move between different times, but the changes flowed very well and really made the book what it is - captivating.

This book is so captivating because despite it being very easy to read, it is very complex and also very realistic. The realism of this book is admirable, it is so easy to imagine the characters acting out their movements, reacting to each others behaviour. Cotugno really got into my mind with this story and got me thinking, how would I have reacted in the position of Reena? Would I have done anything differently? The complexity lies within this novel in many ways. There are so many different and very genuine issues that one would have to consider in the position of either Reena or Sawyer. I thought that Reena was an incredible character - she was strong and she always seemed to try her best, she fought to hold her own and do what was best for her daughter under difficult circumstances. I also liked Sawyer - I wasn't all that taken by 'before' Sawyer, but he really did seem to grow during his time away and the apparent changes are both admirable and loveable. Despite all of Sawyer's problems and his (what initially seems like) quite poor action of leaving, we get to learn a lot about him as the book progresses and by the end, I had absolutely fallen for him and I was willing Reena to take a risk and be with him!

Overall, this is a book that is rather difficult to review as to really appreciate it, you need to pick it up and connect with the story and the characters yourself. I think this would be a great book for any young adults or adults wondering whether or not to venture into this new new adult category of books - I can definitely see both age groups being able to appreciate this one. Cotugno is an absolutely incredible writer, destined to be a favourite. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! 

The Secret of Ella and Micha

The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected Publication: 11th April 2013 by Sphere

Shelves: arc-or-review, books-i-own, contemporary, new-adult, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction, suicide

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

The girl he thinks he loves needs to disappear. I don't want tonight to be irreversible, so I pull away, breathing him in one last time.

Ella and Micha have been best friends since childhood, until one tragic night shatters their relationship and Ella decides to leave everything behind to start a new life at college, including Micha.

But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella's skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he's determined to win back the girl he lost, no matter what it takes.

The Secret of Ella and Micha is both the first 'New Adult' book that I have read, and the first book written by Jessica Sorenson that I have read - thankfully, it didn't disappoint! To be honest, like a lot of people, I'm a little confused by the term New Adult, so it's probably easier for me to say that both young adults and adults alike should enjoy this book, personally, I think it is most ideal for older young adults.

The Secret of Ella and Micha is about, you guessed it, two characters called Ella and Micha! At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to Ella. We only really get a vague idea of who Ella is at the start - she left her home months ago  after years of trouble and a particularly difficult night and is now trying to be a different person. However, soon after we meet her, Ella returns to her home neighbourhood and her true identity starts to show - especially when she is around her almost lifelong friend - Micha.

It is undeniable that there is huge chemistry between Ella and Micha, it is so easy to see that they are connected and suited to each other. Sorensen has done an amazing job of portraying their relationship and managed to get the tension between them, sexual and otherwise, just right. Ella and Micha are clearly two different people with two different personalities, but they fit perfectly together. Some people may find the whole 'soulmate' idea a little too saccharine, but I was surprised with how well the idea worked within the book, probably as the romance was quite angst filled and balanced out with other issues alongside it.

As well as love, this book also about loss. Ella and Micha have both had their own troubles and are coming to terms with them. We are not fully aware of their problems at the start of the book which gave it a certain sense of vagueness that I must admit, I struggled with at first. Micha has an absent father who seems to always be in the back of his mind and Ella lost her mother when she committed suicide, leaving her to deal with her alcoholic father. Their problems are unresolved and it's clear that they have certainly had an impact on their relationship. As they both come to terms with their issues, they become even closer and things for both the characters and us as readers seem much clearer.

As you can tell, I enjoyed this book and I thought that Sorensen did a very good job of portraying what she wanted to. There was, at points, sometimes a little too much vagueness in this book for me and sometimes I had a little problem with how it flowed, but overall the book seemed well written and for the most part, enjoyable. I would definitely be willing to read anything else that Sorensen offers in the future and think that this will be a great hit for both young adults and adults alike.