The Split – Sharon J Bolton

Link to book – The Split by Sharon J Bolton.

Rating – 5 out of 5 stars.

I genuinely think I have suffered whiplash from reading this book, it was a thriller with twists and turns of EPIC proportions.

From start to end The Split did not let up in it’s efforts to absolutely knock your socks off, and it did not disappoint. Every single word, paragraph, page and chapter brought an entirely new aspect to the story…

The plot itself was an absolute corker! I honestly think this is the best story I’ve had the pleasure of reading so far this year, it had everything I could have wanted from a thriller. I really don’t want to give too much away, but, truly this plot was just *chefs kiss*.

Also, the entire book was so atmospheric, it was tense and at points a little bit creepy. It got right under my skin, in the best way, and left me feeling a little bit on edge long after I’d finished reading it.

I particularly enjoyed the settings that the author used, the juxtaposition of one of the furthest most points of the world, covered in glaciers and surrounded by choppy waters to a little town in Cambridge, where the grass is green and flowers are growing. It felt like the perfect backgrounds for a story that is sure to give you papercuts from turning the pages so fast because you’re trying to find out what’s going on.

I will say, The Split is one you have to stick with. It feels in the middle like it could get a little confusing and you really need to concentrate at that point, but once you get deeper into it everything just slots into place…

You’ll finish the book like this because it is WILD from start to finish.

But, if you’re looking for a thriller to give you whiplash and leave you feeling both claustrophobic AND vulnerable in large open spaces then The Split is for you.

Until next time, Em xxx

The Craftsman – Sharon Bolton

Link to book – The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton.

Rating – 5 out of 5 stars.

I was completely OBSESSED with this book, it was amazing.

From the get go we are introduced to Florence, who narrates the story in first person, through two different time periods. And in both periods she was a BADASS I loved her, she was incredibly well written and just downright awesome as a person.

Okay, now I’ve got my obsession with Florence out of the way…

The entire book from start to finish was impeccable, the writing was nothing short of perfection. The author crafted (pardon the pun) the book in the most amazing way, words woven together to form a blanket around you that gets tighter and tighter until you become so immersed into it that you can’t believe you’ve never read this book before.

Which only helped with the atmosphere which was a 10/10, I felt terrified by this book at certain points.

The plot as well was like nothing I had read before. I loved how the author formed this story that also featured witchcraft and craftsmen in the most incredible way. Everything was perfectly linked together, along with the story of the missing children, to create a plot that was so breathtaking and unputdownable.

I liked the way the book was laid out as well, I feel like it helped it come full circle and I like how the story ended, everything was wrapped up but it still left that little air of mystery that was needed to keep the magic alive.

And whilst entertaining and enjoyable aren’t the words I would use to describe this book it was definitely one I will keep recommending to people.

Until next time, Em xxx

Mini Reviews!

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Hey everyone! Here are a selection of mini reviews for short stories I read during June. I’ll put their title, author and length, along with a short description prior to the review of them.

The Text by Claire Douglas. 40 pages long on Kindle. Published August 2017.

My review – I feel let down by this book, if I’m being completely honest. The blurb really grabbed me and when I actually read the book I was disappointed and felt as though we were led on. I felt like we went round in circles and just lacked the spark to make this book good and the ending was just too easy.

Alive by Sharon Bolton. 58 pages long on Kindle. Published March 2018.

My review – I really enjoyed this story, it might have helped that I read it at night in the dark but it really gave me creepy feels! Bolton creates an atmosphere that’s intense and builds up really well. I love a mystery but I was disappointed that we didn’t find anything else out about the Craftsman, just a little bit to tie the story together would have been perfect.

Tell Him He’s Dead by Tony Parsons. Published January 2018.

My review – I am shook, I thought this story was excellent. For a short story there was so much packed in, but it didn’t feel rushed at any point. I couldn’t have predicted anything about this story and I was so shocked when everything unravelled. I had literal goosebumps reading this story, it was really good!

I think short stories can be quite hard to get right, you don’t want to pack too much in so it feels rushed but at the same time you need to give the reader something to get stuck into.

Let me know if you’ve read any of these stories and what you thought about them!

Em xxx