...(book review) the doors of riverdell by marianne rosen

Isabelle Threlfall has always called Riverdell House, in the historic rural town of Ludlow, her home. But home has its complications. There's her aunt Elsa angling for commitment, cousin Hester to avoid, and the failure of her long-term relationship to face. Working away seems the best solution, but when Elsa's eldest son dies, her estranged grandchildren, Moth and Nat, arrive at Riverdell and Isabelle is called home to help.

Kit de Lavelle is hard on her heels. He's waited fifteen years for Isabelle to ditch her childhood sweetheart and adore him instead, but he's about to discover that closing the doors to his own past is harder than expected.

As Moth and Isabelle form a close bond trading family secrets and avoiding their own, Elsa finds the courage in her memories to face the truth she has hidden from them all. But as the future is decided will Moth and Isabelle still be able to call Riverdell their home?

@mariannerosen.writer

www.mariannerosen.com

THE DOORS OF RIVERDELL by Marianne Rosen [Book One of the Riverdell Saga]

Published: Nov 2020

Genre: Adult Fiction, Family Saga

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I cannot express how extremely grateful I am to have been invited to be part of the launch team for this impressive debut novel, The Doors of Riverdell by Marianne Rosen. 

I received a copy of Marianne's book in October, allowing me to admire its beautiful lilac cover for a few weeks before its official publication date on November 25th - that's right people, this book is now available to buy, and more importantly, to read! 

In addition to the book, as part of the launch team, I received some bookish treats, including the Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen inspired candle by Wordsmith Candles, and a tote bag from Addyman Books. Both have been thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated!

Now hold onto your hats, because this book is one of the most intense family sagas I've ever read. It pushes the boundaries of family relations to the very brink and sometimes tips them over the edge.

I repeatedly come back to comparing this novel to Austen! Not only owing to the grand setting of Riverdell House, but also to the gripping and articulate writing style. The flowing descriptions of the setting and the characters swept me away in a river of words.

This book was really interestingly constructed, jumping between the past, the present and the near future and being narrated from the perspectives of four characters, Elsa speaks of the past, Isabelle and Kit from the present, and Moth from the not too distant future. It took me a few chapters to adjust and to recognise who's narrative I was reading, but once I began to recognise the voices and storylines of the characters it was smooth sailing from then onwards.

More than anything I enjoyed Elsa's sections of the book where the writing jumped back to the past, beginning in 1956 with four friends in boarding school. I'm captivated by the four girls, Elsa, Kate, Rose and Beth. There are so many things left unsaid about their story, and they more than anything are urging me to return for the second instalment of this book and read on! April 2021 can't come soon enough! Bring on Book Two: The Halls of Riverdell.

The characters are so well developed. They're very real and human in that they're imperfect and uncertain, and don't always approach or handle a situation in the ideal way. My opinions of each character changed a great deal as the story progressed, more than I was expecting. For example, Isabelle was a character I was finding very relatable and felt a great deal of sympathy for at the beginning of the book, but towards the end, she felt completely different to me. Less rooted and more drifting as she struggles to find her place amongst the family after working away for so long.

Bearing in mind that these characters have to arc and develop across four books, I'm curious to see where they will all end up.

Interestingly, everyone on the launch team liked and related to different characters, showing their diversity and appeal to a wide audience of readers.

Kate remains my favourite character at this point- you'll understand why if you choose to read for yourself! She's incredibly strong and opinionated. I was also drawn in by some of the feminist opinions she bears and shares about abortion. Opinions that I personally agreed with, but are contradicted by other family members and is a cause of tension. I have an inkling that there's more to come about this topic and I'm interested to see how Kate's opinions have formed and what's led her there. 

"It all comes back to vessels, and what we're meant to carry. What we're meant to do."

There are some steamy scenes that slot seamlessly into the story. Some may argue that they're unnecessary, but I understand they've been written to contribute more to the character's intentions and desires, and in a way to lay them bare. Especially Kit who I believe is involved in every sexual scene in the book.

"You ever feel like you're not meant to be here?" Moth asked.

More than once, the relationships between the family members tiptoe towards the taboo. 

Once particular relationship springs to mind between Isabelle and Moth. Moth is very young, and a line is being danced around with them, but I feel Moth and Isabelle have a case of mistaken attraction. They're mistaking a mutual feeling of not belonging, for feelings for each other. In a family so large, and so set in their ways and routines, clinging to the only person who makes you feel as though you fit in made a lot of sense to me from the perspective of a reader.

This book has such strong themes of home family, and identity. I honestly enjoyed it so much, perhaps more so for reading it as part of the launch team and being able to discuss it with other book lovers in such depth.

As with all the books I review, I cannot recommend it enough to you all.

Apologies if you've already read the abbreviated version of this review on my Instagram page, but I really wanted to share a little bit more with you all. Thank you for reading. Let me know your thoughts if you read The Doors of Riverdell.

Again, The Doors of Riverdell is now available to buy and read, so make sure you check out @mariannerosen.writer on Facebook and Instagram for more information and updates on her next book!

Zuzu 🖊

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...(book review) the magpie society: one for sorrow by zoe sugg and amy mccullock

The screaming was coming from the sea. A figure was standing by the water. The sun had disappeared from the horizon, but there was enough ambient light to see by.

A body lay on the sand, waves lapping at the soles of her feet. She was on her front, but her head was tilted to one side, her lips tinged an unnatural blue.

Pale skin, blue lips, tangled strands of hair, twisted limbs.

And on her back,, and elaborate tattoo of a magpie...

THE MAGPIE SOCIETY: ONE FOR SORROW by Zoe Sugg & Amy McCullock

Published: Oct 2020

Genre: YA Thriller, Mystery

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"...there's an almost sombre feeling in the air, a quiet reverence."

I've not read many co-writes, but this book really was exceptionally pieced together in terms of story, content and consistency with characters. Told from the perspectives of two teenage girls, Audrey and Ivy, it's clear that the two YA authors that conceived them had a clear concept of both the characters to be able to write them so well.

Honestly, I loved this book! I flew through reading it, and was itching to write a review. The Magpie Society is a modern and edgy take on child detective stories like Nancy Drew, and boarding school sagas like Malory Towers.

The boarding school setting is genius, allowing for all the brilliant feels of an old-school murder mystery set in a large, historic house full of nooks, crannies and secret passageways disguised as priest holes. The expectation and traditions of Illumen Hall casts a prestigious and sombre tone that provokes ominous shivers from chapter one, when Audrey arrives at its doors to the accompaniment of howling wind and rain.

The scene was thoroughly set.

Audrey is a southern-belle, new to England and struggling to adjust to boarding school life - especially since the school still seems to be recovering from the recent death of a student at the end of last term. A student who's old room she finds herself assigned to.

"Don't get too comfortable. This room is cursed."

Her roommate, Ivy, is less than welcoming.

Ivy is a scholarship student who lives and breathes for the school that has been her home for six years. The girl who died, Lola, was a mentor and a friend and it's clear she's grieving. The last thing she wants is a new roommate, an American no less, who doesn't understand the collective grief the school is going through.

But when a mysterious and anonymous podcast is released online, casting doubt as to the accidental circumstance of Lola's death, Ivy and Audrey find themselves thrown together by circumstance as they begin an investigation of their own, following clues to discover the details of the surreptitious and reputed Magpie Society that seems to have some connection to Lola.

The pace of this book was gripping. And again, I reiterate how fluidly it reads. There is nothing to suggest that it was written by two talented authors, rather than one. It's seamless and effortless in it's delivery.

This book has all the traditional components of a murder mystery: an austere setting, dubious characters, rumours of secret societies and suspicion shifting on every page.

I don't feel that the YA genre detracted from this either. If anything the distraction of lighter teenage dramas creeping in contrasted well with the underlying darkness and very real threat in the book.

I'm now desperate for the next instalment Two For Joy that is set to be released in 2021. This book has left me hanging with so many unanswered questions and I'm desperate to know more about the mysterious connection of magpies to the school.

Who are the Magpie Society, and what are their intentions?

This may now be my most sought after book going into 2021. I encourage all lovers of YA fiction, mysteries, thrillers and boarding school sagas to read this brilliant book by Zoe Sugg and Amy McCulloch.

Zuzu 🖊

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...books to feel festive with

When the weather outside is frightful and the fire is so delightful, and since we've no place (you know, we're in lockdown)...let there be books!

There is nothing I like better than curling up under the comfort of a good book once the weather turns cold. Even better if it's a seasonal read.

We're halfway through November, and I am unapologetically one of those people that has already transitioned into Christmas, if only in spirit. The decorations are not yet up, but they are standing by, as is my TO READ pile for December.

I love Winter. The scents, the food, the music, the hustle and bustle; the general feeling of warmth and joy and love that's spread as we creep closer to December and to Christmas-time. I know some people dread this time of year, and I understand why. It puts stress and strain on people, both mentally and financially, but it shouldn't have to. For me, it's genuinely enough to sit back and enjoy the perks of the season: to snatch a rare moment to hunker down and read a book under a chunky-knit blanket with a hot chocolate, or to sit down with my family and work our way through the abundance of Christmas films we've collected over the years, 

Like Santa, December is normally my busiest time of year for work, and I don't have as much down time to devote to reading. Normally this means I re-read some seasonal favourites, rather than trying committing to new books and authors. So, I thought I'd share some pre-emptive festive/winter favourites here with you all:

THE SNOW CHILD by Eowyn Ivey (2011)

This was such an incredible book, inspired by a Russian fairy tale, and transplanted into the bleak and icy landscape of 1920 Alaska. A mysterious child appears on Mabel and Jack's land, and disappears into the snow. There's a sense of hope and foreboding that keeps this book chilling in every respect.

THE WAY PAST WINTER by Kiran Millwood Hardgrave (2018)

I love any Kiran Millwood Hardgrave book, and this one was like my gateway drug. I loved the concept of a whole land shrouded in Winter and Spring being this unattainable place where all the men have been taken. 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens (1843)

A classic. The epitome of Christmas. "God bless us, every one!"

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET by Valerie Davies (1947)

I have such a beautiful little copy of this book and I love re-visiting it. It's a novella based on the story the author wrote for the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street, which is equally classic and oh so festive.

LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott (1868)

Another classic novel with such feel good festive spirit. I love watching adaptations of this book this time of year too. They make me feel so warm and cosy.

THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING by E.T.A Hoffmann (1816)

I love the original version of The Nutcracker. It's such a Christmassy story and a short easy fairy-tale read.

NORTHERN LIGHTS by Phillip Pullman (1995)

This is the 1st book in one of my favourite book series and the ice and snow of the north that makes up the setting for much of the first book makes me feel wintery.

I'm thinking of re-reading these books actually to keep up with the BBC adaptation that's currently in its second season.

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE by Katherine Arden (2017)

This is a book I've yet to read and might just sneak its way onto my December TBR pile. It's been so highly recommended to me and I've been saving it!

THE GIRL WITH GLASS FEET by Ali Shaw (2011)

This is a book filled with ice and magic that makes it perfect for winter. After visiting an enchanted island, Ida MacLaird begins literally turning to glass. Whilst searching for the man she believes will cure her, she finds herself falling in love. This was such an unusual book concept.

I hope this list gives you some reading ideas for November and December. Let me know what your favourites are!

Zuzu 🖊

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...(book review) cinderella is dead by kalynn bayron

It's 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl's display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood friend, then parade in front of suiters. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella's mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendent of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all - and in the process, they learn that there's more to Cinderella's story than they ever knew...

CINDERELLA IS DEAD by Kalynn Bayron

Published: 2020

Genre: YA Fiction, Fairy Tale Retelling

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book is the ultimate female empowerment fairy tale retelling. Cinderella Is Dead begins in Cinderella's kingdom 200 years after her passing. The kingdom is under the reign of a masochistic king, who's behaviour and laws have encouraged men to treat women as possessions of lesser worth.

A ball is held each year, and attendance is mandatory from all the kingdom's young ladies. At the ball, they are chosen and claimed by the men in attendance, and taken away to uncertain lives as their wives. Those who aren't chosen are never seen again, their fates unknown.

Sophia despises this tradition, not only because because of the injustices and the lack of freedom, but because a husband is not what she desires. She's in love with Erin, and wishes to run away with her to freedom and the possibility of a life where they can be together. 

But it is not to be. 

Sophia is such a strong representative for women!

We need more strong, black, openly-gay characters like her to be written across all genres. She's a very real, very relatable character that stands up to injustice under impossible circumstance.

A character of equal strength and intrigue was Constance, the last remaining descendent of one of the "ugly" step sisters, Gabrielle. Constance's goal is to prove that the king's version of Cinderella's fairy tale that is preached throughout the kingdom is a fraud. She knows the real story as it's been passed down through generations of her outcast family since Cinderella's reign - and all is not as the king says.

All the true and original components of a fairy tale appear within this book, there's love, hope, magic, despair and the promise of a happy ending, even if it doesn't play out the way you expect.

I love the way the author has emphasised and expanded upon the darker elements of the original story,  and taken the characters that we all know and recognise and displayed them in a different light.

The double twist on the fairy godmother's character is one to look forward to. Her motivations kept me guessing until the very end of the book. 

This is going to be a shorter review, but I honestly enjoyed this book so much. I've mentioned before that fairy tale re-tellings are a favourite genre of mine, and this one did not disappoint. It had a very fresh, very modern feel which blended really seamlessly into the setting of the book. I would thoroughly recommend giving this one a read. It's an excellent concept and debut novel by Kalynn Bayron.

Zuzu

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...(book review) the foundling by stacey halls

Two women, bound by a child and a secret that will change everything...

London 1754. Six years after leaving her illegitimate daughter Clara at London's Foundling Hospital, Bess Bright returns to reclaim the child she has never known. Dreading the worst, that Clara has died in care, Bess is astonished when she is told that she has already claimed her. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl - and why.

Less than a mile from Bess's lodgings in the city, in a quiet, gloomy townhouse on the edge of London, a young widow has not left the house for a decade. When her close friend - an ambitious young doctor at the Foundling Hospital - persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her and tear her carefully constructed world apart.

THE FOUNDLING by Stacey Halls

Published: Feb 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction / Gothic Fiction

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

After recently reading Stacey Halls 2019 debut novel The Familiars, I was excited to start reading The Foundling right away.

The book draws you in from the first page when we meet Bess Bright waiting in line at London's Foundling Hospital to see if they will accept her new-born daughter into their care; a baby she does not want to give up, but hasn't the circumstances to keep. Her life and her living situation are sadly typical of the working class in the 1700's: hard, bleak and thoroughly unsuitable for raising a child, particularly an illegitimate child that Bess alone does not have the money to feed or clothe.

My heart bled for her, exerting so much physical and mental strength less than 24 hours after child birth, sitting in a room with strangers and reluctantly handing over her baby girl to give her a better life. She leaves her with a token so that she might be identified if Bess can ever return for her.

What broke my heart most about this is that everything in this book that references the Foundling Hospital is factual. I felt that the author's own research and understanding of this process was well evidenced in her writing and enhanced the reality of Bess's situation in the story, despite the character being fictional. My curiosity was piqued, and when finishing the book, I did some of my own research about foundlings. There is actually a Foundling Museum in Brunswick, London, where many tokens from children who were never claimed are displayed. Due to the way records were kept, many of them cannot be matched to the child they belonged to - which is equally heart breaking.

The longer a child remained in the care of the Foundling Hospital, the more unlikely it was that they would be claimed. A child's mother would, upon her return, be asked to pay what she could towards the care her child had received from the hospital. This was not meant to be a cruel system, but in the 1700's, many women were unable to save enough to reclaim their child, or be able to offer them a better life even if they could.

In The Foundling, this is the exact dilemma faced by Bess. After saving for six years in order to reclaim her daughter, she has just two pounds. As well as fearing it's not enough, she worries that she will be taking her child away from an environment where she's been fed, clothed and educated in preparation to be sent to work at a better job than Bess can set her up with.

But is comfort a substitute for love?

In the end, it's all irrelevant, for when Bess arrives at the hospital, her daughter's records reveal that her child has already been claimed. By her. Or rather, another woman claiming to be her, six years ago.

One of the many things I enjoyed about this book, is that it's told from two perspectives, the first being Bess's, and the second Alexandra's - the woman who we discover has managed to claim Bess's daughter as her own.

Bess and Alexandra live two very contrasting lives. Alexandra: a wealthy widow, living as a recluse in a townhouse complete with two servants. Bess: a shrimp hawker's daughter living in small, damp lodgings with her father and brother. 

When it comes to material possessions, Alexandra has everything to offer the child. But when it comes to love and understanding, she is lacking and cold in her manner.

Where she fails in her motherly affection, Bess excels.

As always, I tiptoe around spoilers when writing book reviews, but in case you hadn't noticed, motherhood is a running theme in this book. I loved the way Stacey Hall depicts family realistically as being imperfect. No amount of wealth or love can create a perfect family, or make a perfect mother. You cannot buy your child's love. It has to be earnt through time and bonding, and trust.

Through Alexandra and Bess, the author succeeds excellently in highlighting the class differentiations that were very dramatic in the 1700's, and she does this by showing us the great gap between these two women's lives. And yet, they are still linked and able to find common ground through the child they share.

Please let me know if you've read this brilliant book, and if so, what were your thoughts?

I've been making my way through a great many books recently, so expect book reviews of some new releases very soon!
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Zuzu 🖋