THIS VIOLENT HEART by Heather Levy

4* An addictive read, but had it not been told in flashback, I think it'd give bi-rep a bad name, sadly. 

This is my first read by this author, and whilst it drew me in, the blurb is misleading. I didn't get what I expected, but it was a decent if painful and slightly 'suspend disbelief' read..

The surviving leads in this book are 31, and the tale flashes between 2025 and 2012. Devon's realisation of her bisexuality is well done in how she's made to feel because of her upbringing, the church, the locals, the small-mindedness of people, and her mother's stance and shame. This 2025 small-town America sounds a lot like modern-day India/similarly traditional countries in how fingers are pointed, which is shocking and sad, and which I grew up with. It's hard being different.

I don't want to spoiler it, but I can't help feel that 17yo Devon got away with having her cake and eating it - pretty much literally and metaphorically - because of all of the above and her age. Had this happened at 31, sadly, I think bi-rep likely would've gotten a bad rap. Or even rep. 

What I didn't believe in were the supposed romantic feelings Devon had for the twins and vice versa. There was also an ick factor to this that she was with them both at the same time, hidden from each other. That when she confessed to Keaton, the guy just went with flow, didn't seem realistic. 

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Montlake for my reading pleasure. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE SECOND GRAVE by Jeffrey B Burton

 4* Good intro to this series, and it didn't matter that I'm late to the party. This is an engrossing and engaging tale, partly because of the dynamics of the brother-sister duo, partly because of the brother's telling of the tale, partly because of the storyline but mostly because there are dogs in it, dogs that save the day, literally, and that don't get hurt. It's easy to start and there's enough told that I didn't find myself wondering about the previous book. It's quite fast paced and Cory is unaffected and literal and his 'voice' is youthful and believable and carries the tale well. The storyline is sad at the start, but that's just a facilitator for the plot, which is a good one. A sad one for some of the people involved, and boy is it good that justice of a sort, the type I find satisfying when someone's gotten away with something for too long, got done. 'Al' definitely deserved what they got. But those involved in the dec...
Read more

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 loved but 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

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY by Mike Gayle

3* A pleasant enough 15-minute deckchair read. This isn't a deep novel with a big plot, but pretty much what the blurb offers. I didn't feel much for either character but the tale ended well for both - not going to spoiler, but it wasn't what I expected and it didn't quite ring true. 
Read more