The Accident by C. L. Taylor

'The Accident' by C. L. Taylor

Sue Jackson has the perfect family but when her teenage daughter Charlotte deliberately steps in front of a bus and ends up in a coma she is forced to face a very dark reality.

Retracing her daughter’s steps she finds a horrifying entry in Charlotte’s diary and is forced to head deep into Charlotte’s private world. In her hunt for evidence, Sue begins to mistrust everyone close to her daughter and she’s forced to look further, into the depths of her own past.

Sue will do anything to protect her daughter. But what if she is the reason that Charlotte is in danger?

REVIEW

The story finds us looking in the past at Sue's live when she was in an abusive relationship. She believes that this past may help her find the answer surrounding her daughter suicide attempt. I wasn't keen on Sue's husband who didn't believe her when she felt her world was coming down around her with the return of the past. The characters didn't jump out to me, not very likeable.

Just an ok read - read if there is nothing else on the bookshelf

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Steps to Heaven by Wendy Cartmell

'Steps to Heaven' by Wendy Cartmell

Meet Sergeant Major Crane.
A Special Investigations Branch Detective in the British Army, he is the soldier who polices other soldiers.
He thinks he has seen every crime known to both war and peace.
But nothing has prepared him for the case of Solomon.
An Afghanistan veteran he has murdered his wife and six year old son and then committed suicide.
Soon there are similar horrific murders around the country.
Crane knows there must be a connection.
But what?
Crane starts to investigate the local Church Solomon was attending.
But with the body count rising, events start to take a darker turn ... could the Church be the connection?
Is the Church offering salvation?
Or is it forcing people to take the first,untimely Steps to Heaven?

REVIEW

I enjoyed this debut book from Wendy Cartmell. I liked the fact it was set in the military setting and that the main characters investigate crimes within the military, they work for a special investigation branch. You have to like the main characters Sergeant Major Tom Crane and Billy one of his staff members. We get a look into their own lives as well as the investigation of a soldier who murders his wife and young son not long after returning from Afghanistan. Crane learns of several similar murders of soldiers and their families and believe they are linked by a local church.

Once I started reading I couldn't put this book down as I needed to know the truth! Will look up the next one in the series.

A good read, would recommend

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My Secret Sister by Helen Edwards & Jenny Lee Smith

'My Secret Sister' by Helen Edwards & Jenny Lee Smith

Helen grew up in a pit village in Tyneside in the post-war years, with her gran, aunties and uncles living nearby. She felt safe with them, but they could not protect her from her neglectful mother and violent father. Behind closed doors, she suffered years of abuse. Sometimes she talked to an imaginary sister, the only one who understood her pain. Jenny was adopted at six weeks and grew up in Newcastle. An only child, she knew she was loved, and with the support of her parents she went on to become a golfing champion, but still she felt that something was missing. . .

Neither woman knew of the other's existence until, in her fifties, Jenny went looking for her birth family and found her sister Helen. Together they searched for the truth about Jenny's birth - and uncovered a legacy of secrets that overturned everything Helen thought she knew about her family. Happily, they also discovered that they were not just sisters, they were twins. Inspirational and moving, this is the story of two women brave enough to confront their past, and strong enough to let love not bitterness define them.

REVIEW

This is a true story told simply with many twists and turns, you can't help but to feel sorry for the sisters. When you read the lies they were told, the truths which was never spoken, we learn about Helen with an upbringing of unhappiness and violence and Jenny who luckily had a nice family upbringing.

I am so glad they have a happy ending in the end but this could of happened years earlier if only family members had been honest. There are so many questions that are still unanswered, I don't think they will ever know 100% the truth. I feel the whole family have a lot to answer for!

I hope both the sister have found a level of peace and happiness now and enjoy what time they have left being sisters.

Would recommend for a nice true story

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A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

'A Breath of Snow and Ashes' by Diana Gabaldon

The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution, the long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. Men lie dead in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest.

With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and Crown. But from his wife Jamie knows that three years hence the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the result will be independence — with those loyal to the King either dead or in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny clipping from The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports Jamie’s death, along with his kin. For once, he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future.

REVIEW

First of all, I have to say - I Loved it!!

Jamie and Claire are living in North Carolina on Frazer Ridge with Roger, Brianna and wee Jem - I love his character. There are so many characters; Ian, Lizzie, the twins, Jocasta, Fergus, Marsail, Germain, Joseph, Malva, Alan, Tom, Lord John, Duncan, Stephen Bonnet.......it's all of them that make this story, they all have a part to play in the lives of Jamie and Claire. Some are not so good parts as others! The time is near the American Revolution (1772) and chaos is brewing. The governor calls on Jamie Fraser to bring the men of Frazer Ridge together and fight for king and crown. Jamie also lives with the knowledge of a newspaper clipping dated 1776 a few years a head, which reports the death of him and his family. He still hopes Claire has got it all wrong.

This book made me laugh out loud and cry - lots! It has everything, love, rape (cried lots here ((can't say who/when etc. as don't want to ruin it)) felt like I was screaming at the book 'NO'!), murder, stealing, death, births, lying, illness, fire, other travellers and revenge (yes I can just picture it now, Jamie and the sound of drums....). There is so much, it's so hard to not write things without spoiling bits from the story.

I loved it - I love that once again I was taken into the lives of Jamie and Claire, their ups and their downs and how their love for each other will overcome all.

Another fantastic read. Looking forward to starting the next one in the series.

Would highly recommend




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Son by Lois Lowry

'Son' by Lois Lowry

They called her Water Claire. When she washed up on their shore, no one knew that she came from a society where emotions and colors didn’t exist. That she had become a Vessel at age thirteen. That she had carried a Product at age fourteen. That it had been stolen from her body. Claire had a son. But what became of him she never knew. What was his name? Was he even alive? She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. Now Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice.

Son thrusts readers once again into the chilling world of the Newbery Medal winning book, The Giver,　as well as Gathering Blue and Messenger where a new hero emerges. In this thrilling series finale, the startling and long-awaited conclusion to Lois Lowry’s epic tale culminates in a final clash between good and evil.

REVIEW

This is the final book in 'The Giver' series and it wraps up the other three books. This book is a lot longer than the other three and is divided into three sections.

In this book we meet Claire who lived in the same community as Jonas from the first book. She was given the assignment as a birth mother but things go wrong and after the birth of her first child she is reassigned. She however cannot stop thinking about the child that she gave birth to and will stop at nothing to find him, this decision shaping the future of her life. We re-meet the trade master who is the devil - this is a story on overcoming evil; a story on re-uniting a mother and son; a story on love and relationship between mother and son.

A few things disappointed me - I thought Jonas and Gabe would of had a better relationship as Jonas had left everything, his family and community to save Gabe, I thought they would of stayed together in the new community but they didn't. I felt the last section in the book was very rushed. The ending came around so fast that's I thought I had missed something. I wanted to find out what had happened when Jonas left his community. Did they go back and help others in their old communities?

Once again just an ok read. I would only say read them if there are no other books on your shelf!!

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Messenger by Lois Lowry

'Messenger' by Lois Lowry

Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man known for his special sight. Village once welcomed newcomers, but something sinister has seeped into Village and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. Matty has been invaluable as a messenger. Now he must risk everything to make one last journey through the treacherous forest with his only weapon, a power he unexpectedly discovers within himself.

REVIEW

This book follows on from the story 'Gathering Blue'. We met Matty again who is now a teenager and living in yet another community.

This book brings together the first two books. It's is nicely written and it was nice to find out what happened to characters from the previous books. The story here takes place in the village of the Broken - people who were outcasts from the previous books. It's called Messenger because we follow Matty who is sent as a messenger to surrounding places to tell them that their village will be closing its gates soon so no one will be able to get in. There is a hidden evil in this book which is the reason behind all the problems that the village is facing. I think at the end of the book, the story falls a little as once again we are left with unanswered questions, a 'what!' feeling. This I felt was the best out of the three books so far. I am going to read the last book in the series just so it know what happens!!

It's just an ok read, I wouldn't read it again!

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Dear John by Nicolas Sparks

'Dear John' by Nicholas Sparks

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart.

But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else.

Dear John, the letter read... and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life.

REVIEW

I was slight disappointed by Dear John. As I had enjoyed The Notebook and given it 5stars on good reads, I was looking forward to reading another one of Nicolas Sparks books but I felt it didn't deliver compared to The Notebook. I had expected to fall in love with this story but I found after the first half which I did actually enjoy, I then found myself becoming irritated by Savannah. I enjoyed their love at first sight but was disappointed that she gave up on this love - maybe this was because I'm from a military marriage and yes it's a hard love with the separation but if you truly loved someone you would not give up on it. The story just lost that pulling me in power wanting to read it.

The ending was disappointing. I wanted more! I would still recommend this if you want an easy read with a love story which did give me a little lump in my throat with the story of his dad but not enough to give it 5stars! If I had to give it stars I would probably give it a 2 1/2.

http://whatrebeccasread.blogspot.co.uk

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