Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney
My Five Word TL:DR Review : OMG – how I love this
Good Bad Girl is a perfectly puzzling story of domestic drama written with an almost ethereal quality that adds a distinct sort of charm that was quite unexpected. A mother/daughter story with an unexpected twist.
Deliciously convoluted the story begins with a child abduction after which we are introduced to an eclectic bunch of characters, which bring an extra level of fun as you try and work out how they’ll all come together. I would start by saying, pay attention to everything here, take nothing for granted and don’t be too disappointed when you fail to figure things out.
The story has four main characters. A teenager called Patience who works at an expensive care home. Edith, one of the residents who has designs of escaping, Frankie, a prison librarian who seems to be on a strange mission, and Clio, the estranged daughter of Edith who now works as a therapist.
I think as far as the plot goes I’m going to avoid writing anything, there are plenty of other reviews out there and on top of that I really don’t want to give anything away, but, I would mention that there is a murder which becomes the catalyst for a strange series of events.
The setting is London, the story is contemporary and we move between the care home, the Thames waterways, the prison, a beautiful pink house and a tiny attic above a gallery. You see what I mean about this ‘unreal’ quality. It’s almost fairytale(ish) – but at the same time it isn’t anything like a fairytale. Although, there are good people being bad at being good and bad people being good at being bad.
In terms of characters. Well, Edith and her perky little dog stole the show a little. I mean, okay, she’s not perfect, especially in the eyes of her children, but maybe old age has given her a level of sass and speak-your-mind that make her a very amusing character to listen to. I must also give a little shout out for the detective investigating the murder. But, yes, Edith seems to be truly the only character who seems to have the first notion of what’s actually going on, all the other characters were fumbling around in the dark much the same as I was.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The writing is perfect, the pacing is quick. There are thankfully a few moments where you can catch your breath – or your thoughts – and there’s a wonderful conclusion.
In terms of criticisms. Nothing at all comes to me at the moment. This was a slippery sucker and vastly entertaining, in fact I finished reading and had that satisfying glow that made me smile – and made me actually want to go back to the beginning to read it again. Oh, for some extra time in the day.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars.
Best of the Best
1 January 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Alice Feeney, Best of the Best, Emily St John Mandel, Heather Fawcett, John Gwynne, Mark Lawrence, Quenby Olson, Richard swan, Sarah Pinborough, ST Gibson, T Kingfisher
Every year, around this time, I pull together a top ten list of books that I’ve read. This is usually a difficult choice because over the course of 12 months I usually manage to fit in a good number of books and given that I don’t force myself to read those that I’m not enjoying these are mostly all good reads. This year is no exception although for once (in perhaps 15 years) I haven’t read 100 books. This is a new all time low for me which I put down to a mid year hiatus where I read and blogged very little. My reading is back to normal now, I’m pleased to say, and I have plenty of great books to look forward to so far this year. So, this is part 1 of my ‘Best of’ list. I’ll be doing a further post to highlight some of my other great reads but this is about choosing my absolute favourites. Without further ado:
January
The Girl and the Moon by Mark Lawrence
In a nutshell. This book has so many winning elements. A thrilling adventure. A twisted ending. Characters that you can love (and hate), a jaw dropping conclusion and also one that is packed with emotion and a series that manages to be fantasy and science fiction combined.
The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan
This story compelled me to keep turning the pages into the early hours. I loved the choice of narrator, the world is developed with (more than likely) deceptive ease, the murder mystery is intriguing and more complex than first meets the eye and, well, put simply, it just won me over so easily and quickly. I can’t wait to read the second instalment which is now waiting on my shelves.
Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough
I would say that not only did I like Insomnia but I liked it even more than Behind Her Eyes. It’s a perfect jumble of crazy mixed up, spiralling out of control, sleepless insanity. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was going on it turned out I was wrong and I just love the way that the ending is totally out there – let’s just say #wtfthatending
The Hunger of the Gods by John Gwynne
Gwynne is an author who excels at action scenes and all them are breathtakingly described. I had my heart in my throat every time shields locked wondering whether any favourites would fall under the axe. There’s also wonderful moments of camaraderie and banter, or cunning snippets of other scenes playing out and weaving the story together. The pacing is just so well planned and I loved the way that as the story progresses you have these shorter chapters that really pack a punch and I have to acknowledge it drove my reading on into the early hours with the age old ‘just one more chapter’.
Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher
Fairytale style stories are absolutely one of my favourite reads and I’m always on the lookout for more. This is an author that I hadn’t read before but have wanted to do so for quite some time and now, with the benefit of Nettle and Bone under my belt, I can genuinely say that I will be visiting all her previous books. I loved this book so much. It’s full of everything that I enjoy, it’s got elements of old fairy tales but as the same time feels unique. It takes us on a wild ride to a far away kingdom. There are princesses in distress, people who can talk to the dead, a dog that came back to life, amazing characters and the beginnings of a sweet romance.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandell
I am in complete awe of this author and can’t even begin to outline how impressive this book is. On the face of it this is a standalone story that fundamentally connects the lives of four people who share an experience through a strange anomaly, a glitch in the system if you will, that in the future will be scrutinised and investigated by a time travel agency. Dig a little deeper and this novel actually brings together elements from the author’s previous works (definitely The Glass Hotel and also I think Station Eleven) in the most eye popping feat. If that wasn’t enough, one of the characters is an author herself, of a post apocalyptic book that has become a bestseller. There are so many little twists and turns in this book all finished off with a mouth dropping conclusion that is simply brilliant. Read it – please.
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
I picked this one up and was immediately intrigued with the storytelling voice. There’s an almost ethereal feel to the way the narrative is delivered and this is strengthened by the unusual setting and the dysfunctional family that we are introduced to. Feeney starts out with a captivating hook, she then lets us run on the line enjoying the freedom to explore the remote setting and the histrionics of the Darker family before reeling us in to a climatic and dramatic grand finale. Brilliant.
A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson
I will say from the outset that I loved this. I was gripped from beginning to end and couldn’t put it down. This is my catnip. Retelling famous stories from the point of view of side characters, victims or misunderstood characters is popular without a doubt at the moment and I for one am enjoying this trend. Dowry of Blood is no exception. Take the classic vampire story, Dracula, and take a look at him and his life through the eyes of three of his ‘children’. Dracula’s chosen ones. A story with a message.
Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson
Miss Percy is an absolutely delightful, regency period, fantasy of manners style story that won me over with ease. The writing is wonderful, the plot is well thought out and totally absorbing, the characters are Austen-eque but with a slightly more uptodate sensibility and for those readers out there who usually shy away from fantasy elements, but who are in good need of a period drama, I implore you to give it a try, because, whilst I cannot deny that the inclusion of a dragon definitely falls most firmly into the realm of make-believe, the way this story is told, it feels almost less sensational than forgetting to wear a bonnet. Please give it a try, I’d love to discuss your thoughts about this one.
Emily Wilde Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
I don’t have a link to a review for this book yet as it’s a recent read that I’ll be posting about shortly. I did love this book though and highly recommend it. Simply superb.
Countdown to 2023 – Day 29 ‘Christmas Cactus’ (2 days remaining)
29 December 2022
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Alice Feeney, Christmas Cactus, Countdown to 2023, Daisy Darker
Today is day 29 of my countdown to 2023. Today’s prompt is ‘Christmas Cactus ’. The prompts can be found here if you want to join in. I’m hoping to use mostly books read this year. Let’s begin:
CHRISTMAS CACTUS (A seasonal read)
So, by a ‘seasonal read’ I’ve chosen a book that is great to read at this time of year. A book with a murder mystery set on an isolated island with stormy weather making the chances of escape none existent. This was an addictive read with a twisted ending that I really didn’t expect. I heartily recommend this book. Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
Tomorrow: Family and Friends – A book with great characters
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Seriously, a top ten contender
I loved Daisy Darker. In the past few weeks I’ve not really read a lot. I think I mentioned in another post that this isn’t a slump so much as a lack of time and then feeling too exhausted to settle down to blog or even pick up a book. Daisy Darker definitely stopped that tiredness mid-track. I picked this one up and was immediately intrigued with the storytelling voice. There’s an almost ethereal feel to the way the narrative is delivered and this is strengthened by the unusual setting and the dysfunctional family that we are introduced to. Feeney starts out with a captivating hook, she then lets us run on the line enjoying the freedom to explore the remote setting and the histrionics of the Darker family before reeling us in to a climatic and dramatic grand finale.
Daisy’s nana is the head of the Darker family. Her 80th birthday fast approaches and with it the strange prediction she was told many years ago that she wouldn’t live beyond that age. What a prediction! The entire family seem to have completely become immersed in this belief and this definitely adds to the drama. Nana lives on a remote island connected to the mainland by a causeway that is flooded for the majority of the time and only accessible twice a day at low tide so once the family arrive for the birthday celebrations they’ll be basically stuck together for a good few hours. Now, throw in the expectation of a Will being read and someone finding out that they are to become the main benefactor. What could possibly go wrong??
Let’s take a look at the family. Daisy is the main character. She was born with a heart problem that at the time was not so easy to treat, in fact her heart stopped beating and was revived on a number of occasions during the course of the story. The family took the news of Daisy’s condition badly. Her mother Nancy, a beautiful but rather vapid failed wannabe actress, feels overwhelming guilt which combined with the affrontry that she also seems to feel at such an occurrence leads her to both mollycoddle and push Daisy away at the same time. Daisy’s father is mainly noteable by his absence as he travels the world with his orchestra. Daisy’s two sisters, also named for flowers are Rose, the eldest sister, incredibly intelligent and motivated, and Lily, the middle sibling, a bit lazy and usually trying to cause trouble. That leaves Connor, now a young man who met the family when a boy and spent so much time with them that he’s like a brother – although, not to everyone! Finally the youngest member is Lily’s daughter Trixie who comes across almost as vulnerable and inexperienced as Daisy. Nana (or Beatrice) is a successful author, terribly eccentric but at the same time managing to come across as more grounded than all the rest of the family put together. I loved her character.
Anyway, I’m not going to discuss the plot at all because that would lead to spoilers but instead just talk about what worked so well for me.
Well, this, in Agatha Christie fashion, is a locked room style mystery. It’s told in an almost whimsical fashion and I can’t deny that in my mind’s eye I was painting one of those beautiful but hazy pictures of an idyllic existence, long lazy spells on the beach and a childhood spent rambling around inside an unusual and gothic home. On top of this the writing is just beautiful. I could very easily see myself picking that book up and starting it over as I enjoyed the style so much.
There’s also a magical realism that is blended into the story so well that, again, I feel like I should read this again just to see what I missed along the way.
Added to this is the wonderful setting, the captivating tales from the family’s past and the fact that the story takes place, not only in such a perfect setting but also on the night of Halloween – and, during a storm no less. Okay, it’s just deliciously over the top but I loved it. The characters act irresponsibly, they wander off alone and you’re always reading with your heart hammering in your chest when they do so because you’re never sure if you’ll see them again. We have little poems about each character which really does highlight their flaws in the most dramatic fashion and to be honest – read these properly rather than skirt over them as they are important.
I don’t know what else I can say to entice you to read this book. Please?? Pretty please?? For me this was absolutely captivating. I loved every minute of it and although I may have had the odd quibble here and there the overpowering feeling of enjoyment was so intense when I finished that I don’t think they warrant an inclusion here.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 stars
Friday Face Off : So pretty
17 June 2022
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Alice Feeney, Books by Proxy, Daisy Darker, Friday Face off, So Pretty
Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book (this doesn’t have to be a book that you’ve read), compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future’s themes are listed below – if you have a cover in mind that you’re really wanting to share then feel free to leave a comment about a future suggested theme. I’ve also listed events that take place during the year, that I’m aware of, so you can link up your covers – if you’re aware of any events that you think I should include then give me a shout.
I’ve added themes in below. For information, I’m trying out some new ideas so along with coming up with particular items for book covers I thought we could also look for certain elements contained within the book or that play a large part in the story – this really broadens things out because I have plenty of more ideas with this – I’ve gone for a few of the Tough Travel Themes (so a book with that theme – just choose any book – the theme isn’t necessarily on the cover, then compare covers), also, I’ve thrown in some genres and some colours. Hopefully this will open things out a little and give us some more freedom to come up with new books.
This week’s theme:
So pretty – exactly what it says
Another, hopefully easy week for everyone and I’m really looking forward to seeing some very pretty, easy on the eye covers. This week I’ve gone for a book that I haven’t read yet, in fact it isn’t released yet, but I have a copy that I will be tucking into soon (it releases in August) and it’s so unusual to have different covers for such a new book I simply had to go for it. Plus, these two covers are dramatically different. Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney.
Here are the covers:
My favourite? Well, I really like the covers with the daisies, they’re such simple but pretty flowers but, I think the other cover fits the description so well and looks intriguing with that lonely house and foreboding surroundings.
Which one is your favourite?
If you’re taking part in this week’s theme feel free to leave your link in the comments below.
If you know of an event that’s coming up let me know and I’ll try and include covers that work for the event itself so that you can link up to the Friday Face Off and, as always, if you wish to submit an idea then leave me a comment – or if you’d like to host a week then simply let me know. Also, I would just mention that it’s very possible that some of these might be repeats from previous FFOs although I have tried to invent more ‘open ended’ prompt that can be interpreted differently and also prompts that relate to emotions. Finally, don’t struggle with any of these, this is meant to be a fun way of highlighting books. If you can’t come up with a book you think fits for a particular week use a freebie – perhaps a recent read for example:
Next Week’s Theme : Daddy Dearest – a book with a strong father role
2022
Books and travelling with Lynn 