Review: The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

Synopsis from Goodreads:

                                           What happened to the girl you left behind?

In 1916 French artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his wife Sophie to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, his portrait of Sophie stirs the heart of the local Kommandant and causes her to risk everything - her family, reputation and life - in the hope of seeing her true love one last time.

Nearly a century later and Sophie's portrait is given to Liv by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. Its beauty speaks of their short life together, but when the painting's dark and passion-torn history is revealed, Liv discovers that the first spark of love she has felt since she lost him is threatened...

In The Girl You Left Behind two young women, separated by a century, are united in their determination to fight for the thing they love most - whatever the cost.

Review:

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes is an incredible book. I became immersed in the story immediately. Spanning a century, the story is narrated by two women- Sophie and Liv- who are connected through a portrait that they both treasure. The portrait which is entitled The Girl You Left Behind, was drawn by Sophie's husband, the artist Edouard LeFevre. While Edouard is at war, Sophie runs the family hotel Le Coq Rouge with her sister Helene as best she can.

The lack of food and business makes it near impossible to survive in the small, isolated and occupied village of St Peronne. When a new Kommandmant arrives, Sophie sees in her enemy someone who appreciates art. This realisation causes her to hope that she may be reunited with her beloved Edouard once again. But how much is she willing to risk for her hope to turn into reality?

The first part of the book is narrated by Sophie in first person. I loved Sophie's narrative. I felt emotionally close to her and could visualise the emotional and physical hardships she and the community of St Peronne went through. It's not long after the learned Kommandmant takes an interest in her and her painting, that Sophie starts hearing her neighbours and friends turn on her, branding her a collaborator.

Nearly a hundred years later, Liv Hastings mourns the death of her husband David. Living in The Glass House which he built, Liv cherishes The Girl You Left Behind, the portrait gifted to her by David and which is of incredible sentimental value to her. The portrait of Sophie fascinates and comforts her through her most difficult times. But when Liv feels the first stirrings of a new love, it is The Girl You Left Behind which tears them apart.

Liv is shocked to find out that The Girl You Left Behind is the subject of a restitution case. More to the point, her beloved painting will be taken away from her as it was stolen a hundred years earlier. Is the painting rightfully hers? Or does the painting rightfully belong to the LeFevre family? The legal case that follows sets out to determine the answers to these questions. Liv knows that she will do anything to keep the painting and to do that, she will have to find out what became of Sophie.     

I loved the way Sophie and Liv's story intertwined as the novel progressed. I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what would happen next to both women. There were so many twists and turns. In The Girl You Left Behind, nothing is ever as it seems. There was a great cast of characters who enriched the story and remain vivid in my mind after finishing the book; brave Sophie, the inscrutable Kommandant, ever-observant Edith, anxious Helene, angry Aurelien, passionate Edouard, loving, loyal Liv and so many more.

The restitution case was very interesting to read about and I was anxious to learn what the outcome would be. Moreover, I wanted to know what happened to Sophie. Together with Liv, we have a chance to find out. I cannot wait to read more from Jojo Moyes. Her books always include memorable characters, deep storylines and a wealth of emotion. The Girl You Left Behind is a stunning, passionate and moving novel from the author of the brilliant novel, Me Before You. 


Book Rating: 5/5

Author: Jojo Moyes

Honeymoon in Paris is a marvellous introduction to the characters in The Girl You Left Behind. Although I read this after The Girl You Left Behind, I was very interested in learning more about the couples in the story; Sophie and Edouard and Liv and David.

Sophie loves Edouard and he loves her. But Sophie wonders how long his love will last. For Liv, her honeymoon with David is not going the way she imagined. Is it a sign of what their life together will be like? The storylines were great and surprising in a way.

Honeymoon in Paris is a great contrast to The Girl You Left Behind as it is set years before the events in that book. Also, it allows the reader to learn a few interesting details about the couples which were not mentioned in The Girl You Left Behind and observe how the characters have changed. Honeymoon in Paris is a thoroughly enjoyable novella and precursor to the stunning The Girl You Left Behind which will make you want to pick up and read it if you haven't already devoured it. 

Book Rating: 5/5

Review: Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Your heart misleads you.
That's what my friends and family say.

But I love Noah.
And he loves me.

We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms.

It should be

ROSE & NOAH

forever, easy.

But it won't be.

Because he's Amish.
And I'm not.

Review:

TEMPTATION by Karen Ann Hopkins is a thrilling forbidden romance. Sixteen-year old Rose and her family move to Meadowview where the local community is Amish. When she locks gazes with Noah, a young man who happens to be Amish, they both feel a magnetic attraction to each other. However, it’s not that simple.

They have to keep their blossoming relationship a secret as the situation would become dire if they were ever found out. Being together should be simple, but when you’re 'English' and your love interest is Amish, you can bet everyone has something to say about it. How many obstacles will Rose and Noah have to overcome to be together?

I loved Temptation. I read this over two nights and couldn’t stop thinking about it in the interval. What attracted me to Temptation was how different it is to other stories out there; it’s the first story I’ve ever read about the Amish. Not only that, but who doesn’t love a forbidden romance?

I was interested in learning more about the Amish after watching a BBC documentary a year ago called Leaving Amish Paradise (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zmdg8) where an Amish family left their community for the modern world. It was very enlightening. It was great to learn a bit more about the Amish community. Hopkins was fantastic at interweaving information about the Amish without boring the reader.

I really liked Rose and Noah. I was mentally cheering them on, hoping they wouldn’t get caught and felt emotionally connected to them. It was great that they loved and cared for each other so much. I do wish their relationship had developed a tad slower at the beginning because I really wanted them to get to know each other. Also, truthfully, they are from different worlds and I wondered how much they had in common apart from liking each other relatively quickly. However, their relationship still felt realistic to me.

Their relationship was sweet but I did worry about their lack of communication with each other; not understanding what the other wanted or even telling them. Noah is Rose’s first boyfriend, first kiss and first love. At points, she seemed so young and naive that I wanted to shake her. But at other points, she was very intuitive and mature. Sometimes, Rose didn’t even know what she wanted. Though this was realistic for someone in her situation, I began to doubt how seriously she considered her options.

Noah was very cute and protective of her. There were some instances where he was controlling and domineering and I wanted Rose to stand up to him instead of kissing him and acquiescing, for example, when he doesn’t want her to go to a party. I get that he wants to protect her, but she should do what she wants to do. There was a moment where I really hated Noah. It was when he insults Rose because of the fact that she likes to dance. I felt like smacking him myself.

Hopkins is a wonderful writer. I loved the dual narration. It was always intense, informative and emotional. There wasn’t a dull moment. The descriptions were vivid and I easily imagined everything that happened. The end was action-packed, gripping and full of suspense.

I was very surprised when I got to the end and realised that Temptation is the first in a series. However, it did make sense. Throughout the story, I was wondering when we would get to meet the some of the characters that I thought were essential in greater detail. I see now that that could happen in future books.

I assumed Temptation would be a standalone because it is a contemporary young adult novel and those are mostly standalones. However, I look forward to learning more about the Amish because I feel like Hopkins gave us a glance of it in Temptation.

I can’t wait to see what will happen next with Rose and Noah and what choices they make. The first chapter of the second book was so terrific; I can’t wait to read the next book. If you’re interested in learning about the Amish or simply want to read about a sweet and forbidden romance, Temptation is the book for you.

My thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin!

Rating: 4/5
Author: Karen Ann Hopkins

Review: Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Synopsis from Goodreads:

 No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Review:

PUSHING THE LIMITS by Katie McGarry blew my mind. This is one of my favourite books of the year. It is the story of a damaged girl called Echo Emerson and a boy called Noah Hutchins who is in The System. It is the story of how they must overcome obstacles so that they can move on and improve their lives through helping, supporting and understanding one another.

I couldn’t wait to read Pushing The Limits. I sensed that Echo and Noah would have to go through so much; independently and together. Echo and Noah were brilliant characters. I felt for them immediately and could not stop reading until I knew everything that happened to them.

Echo has gone through a traumatic experience which has left her with countless scars. The thing is- she can’t remember the event that caused these scars... but she does know it had something to do with her ill mother. No one will tell her what happened. Not even her father. All Echo wants is ‘normal’; but how far will she have to dig into the recesses of her mind to get it?

Noah, the badboy stoner, has his own problems. He’s sick of being in foster care. His parents are dead and all he wants is to look after his two kid brothers... but after his past violence, that may never happen. These two’s paths should never cross, but they do. Noah needs Echo’s help to improve his life, not knowing that in the process they will help each other more than they could ever believe.

Pushing The Limits was an intense, thrilling and gripping read. After I finished, I couldn’t stop thinking about Echo and Noah. They have so many problems. They seemed so different and yet at the same time they felt perfect for each other. I could relate to Echo. She was a clever, sensitive and beautiful person. There was no brattiness or whining from her. She was so mature, such a refreshing heroine. I loved Noah just as much as Echo. He was so charming, funny and protective. He endeared himself to both Echo and me quickly. There was of course a sense of danger about him, but nothing to be scared about.

McGarry is an extraordinary writer. I loved the dual narration and both Echo and Noah’s voices. All her characters felt real. There were characters I loved and those I hated; for example, Ashley, Echo’s stepmother. There were some very emotional scenes which left me with a lump in my throat and tears trailing down my cheeks; a mark of great, unforgettable storytelling.

I won’t stop thinking about Pushing The Limits anytime soon. It’s a must read. I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in a story about characters overcoming their pasts, thinking about the future and lots of romance. Fans of Simone Elkeles will definitely love this. I can’t wait to read more from Katie McGarry. There is a fantastic playlist for Pushing The Limits; I particularly liked and cannot stop listening to Down by Jay Sean because it personifies Echo and Noah’s rollercoaster relationship. My hands are itching to pick up Dare You To (Beth’s story).

Rating: 5/5
Author: Katie McGarry

Review: Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Review:
 

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes will stay with me forever. When Will Traynor becomes a paraplegic after an accident, he thinks his life is over. All his dreams; his career, his love-life and most importantly, his independence are taken away from him in an instant. By the time he meets Lou Clarke, his new carer; Will is jaded. However, Lou surprises him. It soon becomes Lou’s mission to make Will love life. 

I devoured Me Before You in a day. It was a beautiful, heart-breaking story. There were many instances where I was crying (which is totally unlike me) or had a lump in my throat. It was a highly-charged emotional story. I was expecting a light, fluffy romance from the cover but what I got was a gritty and honest story about serious ethical situations (euthanasia) with a side-helping of romance. 

Me Before You was depressing at times but I'm glad that it was because it was truthful. Moyes didn't sugarcoat anything which I'm thankful for. Me Before You, whilst fictitious, rings true. I loved Will and Lou. They were real people to me, with real lives and real problems. They helped each other to overcome so many barriers. I loved how Will’s paraplegia was dealt with in such a sensitive, emotional and realistic way. No patronising or preaching.

The story was mainly told from Lou’s point of view. However, a few chapters were narrated from other characters viewpoints, such as Will’s parents. I did wish that some of the story was narrated from Will’s point of view; however, Moyes is such an eloquent and accomplished writer that I bore the full emotional brunt of Will’s situation even when told from other people’s points of view. Actually, Me Before You may have had a greater impact on me because we are held a short distance away from Will's innermost complex thoughts.

As Moyes wanted, I felt as conflicted about the issues in the story as it was possible to be. After becoming so emotionally close to the characters, it made it everything very personal and real. Overall, Me Before You by JoJo Moyes was an amazing, unforgettable story which everyone needs to read. I cannot wait to read more from the brilliant JoJo Moyes. 

Rating: 5/5
Author: JoJo Moyes

Review: The Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When Naomi Jensen is kidnapped, it takes her parents two days to realize she's missing. Escape isn't high on her list of priorities when all she has to return to is an abusive boyfriend and parents who never paid much attention to her. For the first time in her life she's part of a family-even if it is a family of criminals. But she's still a captive. In a desperate attempt to regain some control in her life, Naomi embarks on a dangerous plan to make one of her kidnappers think she's falling in love with him. The plan works too well, and when faced with the chance to escape, Naomi isn't sure she wants to take it.

Review:

As soon as I read the blurb for THE BREAKAWAY, I knew I had to read it. It sounded really intriguing. My gut instinct didn't let me down; The Breakaway was a fantastic story and the ending left me craving for more. Argyle writes wonderfully; I felt like I was in Naomi's head throughout the course of the story and could understand how and why her feelings changed as the story went on. I actually wish the story was longer as I would liked to have read more about her imprisonment and developing relationships (particularly with Jesse) than the few hundred pages allowed.

The story opens when Naomi wakes up in a motel. She has just been kidnapped. She has no idea why she has been kidnapped but her kidnappers inform her that she has seen too much of whatever criminal activities they were doing. Rather than kill her, they grudgingly take her with them and lock her in a room in an innocent-looking suburban house.

Over the course of her captivity, Naomi has to come to terms with the life and people that she has lost; her uncaring parents and her overbearing boyfriend. Slowly, her feelings about her abductors begins to change to something more positive... but will she ever be free?

The characters were complex and puzzling. Though I never did like Naomi's parents, I could understand why they were the way they were. Naomi's four kidnappers were mysterious. I really wanted to figure them out. What reasons could they have for kidnapping?

They were threatening and violent and almost at the same time comforting and sympathetic. Argyle was great at portraying these complex paradoxical behaviours in her characters by making it believable. I wanted to understand Eric, Evelyn and Jesse and while I did come to know them better throughout the story, I believe there was a lot more Argyle left unsaid (unwritten).

Naomi and her love interest's relationship was what gripped me. As Naomi's feelings for him morphed, I didn't know whether it was her real feelings or Stockholm Syndrome in play. I guess I was feeling exactly how Naomi was feeling; confused.

Naomi was a strong and brave character. She was put into a nightmare situation and tries to deal with it in the best way that she can. The Breakaway was suspenseful and gripping. I read it in one night. Though the ending was fulfilling, I still wish I was given a few more answers at the end. I dislike loose endings/open-endings in most cases. Luckily, Argyle is planning to write a sequel for The Breakaway which will be out next year, entitles Pieces. I have subscribed to her newsletter so I can be informed about this.

Overall, The Breakaway was a terrific book, not one I will forget soon. Most of all, I loved the characters and their interactions. I felt that there was so much more under the surface. Survival is every human's most natural and primitive instinct. It is amazing how much a human can endure to ultimately survive. I would like to read more books like this. I would recommend everyone read The Breakaway.

Rating: 5/5
Author: Michelle Davidson Argyle 

Review: On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends.

Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island.

Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

   
Review:

 ON THE ISLAND is one of the best books I have read this year.

I can’t stop thinking about it.

Actually, I think I’ll read it again after I’ve written this review.

On The Island blew me away because of how incredible it was. I love it when you go into a book feeling uncertain whether you’ll like it because the blurb is so unassuming and then stay up all night reading obsessively, devouring page after page.

The story opens when the plane on which TJ (a sixteen year old cancer survivor) and Anna (his thirty year old tutor) crashes into the Indian Ocean after the pilot suffers a heart attack. Through sheer fear and determination, the pair make it to an uninhabited island. Hoping for rescue, Anna and TJ must try their best to survive on the island with their limited resources. As the days turn into months, they try to survive in their unforgiving surroundings, deal with danger and understand their growing and complex relationship.

On The Island was a phenomenal book for a number of reasons. Graves wrote a well-researched and thus believable story about survival. I appreciated all the layers of detail. I sympathised with Anna and TJ from the outset. They were such great, realistic characters. I loved them. Their reactions to the different situations throughout the story rang true. I had to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I never felt annoyed by any decisions made by the characters in the story. They were well-rounded, loveable characters who thought through their choices before making them. I loved their maturity.

Most of all, I loved the relationship between Anna and TJ. Graves wrote it in such a sensitive, sophisticated and realistic way that it took my breath away. I won’t go into it for fear of spoiling it, but seriously, wow. I also loved the suspense. I felt like I was there with Anna and TJ on the island going through their many trials and tribulations with them. I asked the same questions that were going through their heads. What will they eat? What happens if one of them is seriously injured? Will they make it?

The fact that the story is embedded into reality just made it all the more perfect. On The Island is a sensational book, one that I will be reading time and again. I can’t believe I haven’t heard about this book long before now, but I am so glad that I have read it now. On The Island is a definite must-read! Go and read it now!

Rating: 5/5
Author: Tracey Garvis Graves

Review: Plan B by Charnan Simon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Is this happily ever after? Lucy has her life planned out: she'll graduate and then join her boyfriend, Luke, at college in Austin. She'll become a Spanish teacher and of course they'll get married. So there's no reason to wait, right? They try to be careful. But then Lucy gets pregnant. Now, none of Lucy's options are part of her picture-perfect plan. Together, she and Luke will have to make the most difficult decision of their lives.

Review:

Plan B was an interesting book. I read it because I wanted to learn more about teen pregnancies and the consequences. However, at only a hundred pages, it didn't have much room to delve into the issues at a great length.

The story was quite typical and there weren't any great shocks or surprises. Pretty much all the characters reacted how I thought they would. I didn't like how quickly some of the characters got over their feelings or changed their mind. Realistically, it would've taken them longer to be accepting. Plan B needed more depth.

I did like all the characters because they were interesting and I sympathised with them, especially Lucy. They would be memorable characters if they had been more complex. Perhaps the author intended it this way so that all readers would be able to relate to the characters and find similarities, but it didn't work for me.

This would be a great book to read in a Health class because Plan B is a template to work from. The ending was open and left many questions. Discussing the possible answers would be helpful in a class environment. The reader never finds out what Lucy will do past the first doctor's meeting. This uncertainty was a theme of the book and I wasn't surprised that it ended in this way, however, I prefer closed endings and thus would like to have known what happened next.

Overall, Plan B was an enjoyable book to read as it highlighted some questions on the issue of teen pregnancies. The story takes place before the start of Lucy's pregnancy and ends around the two month mark.While it did discuss many of the issues, like if Lucy would get to go to college, it wasn't with any great depth. I really did want to know what happened next. Plan B is worth a read.

Rating: 3/5

Concept: 3/5

Cover: 3/5

Author: Charnan Simon

-With thanks to Netgalley!