Little Face - Sophie Hannah 2006* * *

I'm finding it hard to decide what I think of this book. I devoured in just over a day and when I got to the end I realised I was desperately disappointed. The writer is very good at telling the story but contrary to many reviews I actually found the constant junp from one character's story to the next (as well as the jump from 1st to 3rd person) most annoying. I thought the idea of the story was brilliant as I am always interested in slightly eerie and unnatural ideas that 'could just happen' but the ending was really unfair on the readers as it suddenly blurted out an idea that had been hidden pretty much through the whole novel and so we would have had no way of understanding that perspective. All I can say on the good side was that actually I wasn't expecting the ending and it did surprise me which is what a good novel should do. I also couldn't put it down so that was another positive as I love being gripped by a book, but the story could have been woven in a slightly more sympathetic way to the readers.

Started 27th January
Finished 28th January

Deliver Me From Evil - Alloma Gilbert 2008* * * * *

Sorry to say this, and I don't mean it as an insult to this poor girl but I really couldn't put this book down. I gave misery memoirs a rest for a while at the end of last year because there are only so many of those books you can actually deal with without slumping into total depression yourself. As it was a new year I opted for this book, knowing that the crimes commited by this child's 'foster mother' were especially dreadful (how sick does that make me sound, but you can't deny that a really disturbing story is totally gripping to read!). As I raced on devouring page after page I was disgusted by Eunice Spry's behaviour and many times found myself screaming at the book in total rage as she acted this way to these children and actually got away with it (the people who had suspicions such as Alloma's teachers never actually bothered to make their feelings known to the social services). This women then went on to deny all charges as she appeared in court and blame her fostered children as the culprits of her 'firm' behaviour.
She has now been sentenced to 8 years in jail, but whether that goes anywhere near repairing the mental and physical damage she has done to these children is another thing. My feelings are probably not.
Although a totally awful subject, I couldn't put the book down.

Started 22nd January
Finished 23rd January

The Mist in the Mirror - Susan Hill 1992* * * *

Susan Hill has the amazing knack of totally terrifying and paralysing her reader. Some of the scenes she created in this book are still on my mind now as they were so detailed in description that it makes you feel you have watched the scenes on t.v. Parts of this book will not allow you to go to sleep if you are reading at night and I have had to limit myself to reading it during the day so as not to scare myself rigid.
I have never read 'The Woman in Black' but hear that it is even scarier than this book and so it gives me a good enough reason to want to get it.
The reason it hasn't been given full marks is because of the ending. So much happens in such a short space of time and then all of a sudden it's over. We barely know why and it feels like Hill just decided to wrap it up there and then instead of tying up any loose areas of the plot. I was disappointed by that as I had become so immersed in the story that it was quite a shame to have it all just pulled away.
Still the majority of the book was great and guaranteed to give anyone who reads it a scared few nights.

Started 16th January
Finished 26th January

Possession - A.S. Byatt 1990* * * *

This book was fantastic to read and really held me gripped throughout. The story was original and I loved the tangled stories within the story. The one downside I will say for this book is that some of the letters to and from Christabel and Randolph just dragged on far too long. At one time we have a good ten pages of detailed letters including conversations about insects and various types or rock. My mind started to wander at these times as well as with the poetry, but the actual modern day story really held my attention. I will definately read more of Byatt's work, for she has a beautiful lyrical style to her words that I have rarely seen these days.

Started 10th January
Finished 13th January