THE WOLF TREE by Laura McCluskey

 4* An engrossing read with an unempathetic and unlikeable female lead. 


Let's get this out here - I disliked Georgina/George, her headstrong ways, her selfishness, her lies, her attacks on Rich, her chip on her shoulder and her attitude, despite sort of knowing about the trauma in her past via flashbacks. But the author kept those flashbacks incomplete and made Georgina seem all of the above, so tbh, I didn't care about her. Rich was the gentler, kinder, fatherly contrasting cop, and I actually liked Georgina having to take it when he chastised her and expressed his disappointment and doubts in her, because of - well, take your pick of the above. Did she deserve it? Yes. Did the author let us 'see' George? Nope. Did that spoil the tale? No. It was a good read, but ugh, slow, dull and confusing in parts due to lies, obfuscation and the inhabitants' beliefs. And because of the godforsaken weather on the island. How come the weather wasn't a portent that what the inhabitants were doing was wrong, because after all, their lives depended on it, and they believed in signs from beyond/bigger/other?


I sussed out pretty quickly who was at the core of stuff that happened on the self-policing island, but finding out another's part in it, right at the very end, was a shocker I hadn't seen coming. I don't think these people knew the meaning of doing the right thing, having a guilty conscience, of not lying, of going against their church that was meant to be at the centre of island life. They were all in on it, and they looked each other in the eye, lied silently to each other's faces, never acknowledged anything openly, lived with lies, obfuscation and subterfuge. How could everyone, including the seemingly OK Lewis, be so complicit, so devoid of a moral compass? 


It was worth the read, but I'm not sure George has anything redeeming about her that'd make me get invested in her, root for her or want to see her as the lead of another book. She needs medical help, counselling, a good dose of honesty and to be benched for a while.


Hopefully the tale will undergo more editing, because the Ethan reveal was clumsy and hard to understand due to the wording. I had to read it about 3 times, think back to his previous appearances, his attitude and aggression, before I clocked. And as that's a huge catalyst for events in the tale, it needs to be clearer. 


ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction, Hemlock Press, for my reading pleasure. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ALWAYS YOU AND ME by Dani Atkins

5* Even though I don't believe in HEAs anymore, this book had me crying because of THAT ending. I'm going to try and review without spoilering, but ugh, I started the book almost in tears and ended it in actual tears, and with hope that sometimes love does last.  This book is so much more than a second chance at love. It's about loving, and being loved by, flawed characters whose lives with each other had their time, and when that time was gone, the love continued. Like Finn and Matt by Charlie Winters, this is a book I loved but won't ever read again. A part of me can't believe the author went there with the ending, but another part of me, the romantic-but-hurt part, wants to believe in the power of everlasting love.  ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my reading pleasure. 
Read more

HER BEAUTIFUL LIFE by Brianna Labuskes

4* What a read. Started off with something mundane, turned into something totally shocking. I wasn't sure I'd like this tale of a former roomie/bestie going to interview a trad wife, some 10/11 years after their lives diverged, following a fallout, for a celebrity piece. I was a bit surprised at the lack of awkwardness and tension between the former friends, and didn't expect the tension from the actual eventual source. I absolutely didn't expect the plot, which was really, really well done, if you can cope with the plotting, the (occasionally) flawed rationale, the not-really-likable journalist/writer, Holland, and the iceberg-type trad wife, Cat/Catriona. Add in various very, very good red herrings (staff, scared kids, a creepy teen, a domineering husband, a mysterious death - still not clarified at the end, cops that don't have big-city cop instincts or mistrust, mental health, a possible psychopath), and you have a very, very well-done, well- dovetailed tale tha...
Read more

THE FIX by Mia Sheridan

4* Wasn't prepared for that opener, but a good tale, especially as an intro to this author. The opener to this tale is brutal but leads to an ultimately happier event 11 years down the line. I wasn't expecting what I read, so it was a bit of a shocker, although it was great to see both Cami's mental strength and her physicality saving her. I think the author did well to skip the years in between, not dwelling on the pain, trauma and loss.  The tale does need a bit of a dose of suspension of disbelief that in only 2 days, Cami and Rex saved the day, but then again his past, expertise and contacts made things believable.  The ending is a big of a POW! The kind of thing that can only happen in America with their ridiculous gun laws. But, the victim deserved it. And, if only there were more hot mics IRL in 2025 USA, and if only people were prepared to find their big girl and big boy pants and speak up. Sorry, I digress, but there's just so much that's wrong with that co...
Read more