The Dark Inside - Rupert Wallis

★★★★

Read : February 2014

"I'm not a bad person. But I'm not the person I used to be, either.."
"When thirteen-year-old James discovers a homeless man in an abandoned house, the course of his life changes dramatically. Hoping to find a 'cure' for a dark curse inflicted on the man, the pair embark on a journey together not knowing that what they discover will impact them both in ways they never imagined..."

The Dark Inside follows 13-year-old James' story. Distraught by the death of his Mother a year previously and hurt by his violent Step-Father who he has been left to live with, he takes solace in a run-down, abandoned house on the top of a hill. It is here that he first meets Webster, an injured homeless man with problems of his own. As James and Webster become close, they share their secrets and Webster gradually reveals a little more about himself and his past; he suffers from a dark curse and they both embark on a journey to find a cure for his condition.

Webster, and especially James, come across as quite sweet, despite their personal demons, and Rupert Wallis has written them in a way that they are very easy to connect and empathise with. They are relateable, despite their unusual circumstances, and their stories are fascinating; I found myself wanting to know more and more about them with each new piece of information presented.

James comes across as a very sweet, almost naive, teenager. He is quite trusting but full of sadness after his Mother's sudden death. Webster is portrayed as a rather guarded, wary and mysterious man who is full of secrets. He is ex-military and seems quite distant, like he doesn't want to form close relationships. However, him and James seem to develop a very close relationship quite quickly. They both seem lonely and fill a void within each other and their relationship quite rapidly resembles that of a father and son.

When Webster's 'secret,' or dark curse, is revealed my first thought was that it was all a little cliche, but I revised that opinion as I read on. I don't remember his curse ever being referred to directly by it's 'official name' but there were some major hints throughout the story about his dark condition. The book explores his curse through both his and James' characters, which I found really interesting; there were a lot of questions around whether Webster is really cursed or whether he just believes that he is enough for it to become real for him and those around him...think along the lines of the placebo effect. I liked that Wallis didn't make it clear in his novel whether this was the case or not as it left a lot of thoughts swirling in my head long after I'd finished reading. There was also some exploration of the ideas of good and evil within The Dark Inside which made for good reading.

There were a lot of twists and turns throughout the novel and I found myself blind-sided by a few of them. Some of the events in The Dark Inside were totally unexpected and I enjoyed the ending a lot..I had no idea what would happen and I think Rupert Wallis finished the story well. The loose ends were all tied up whilst, at the same time, leaving some rather important questions hanging for me, as the reader, to think about.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Dark Inside and would recommend it. It was quite dark and unsettling at times and jumped around between reality and fantasy. The exploration of Webster's curse was written really well and kept me hooked throughout.

Disclaimer: A proof copy of this book was kindly sent to me via Goodreads First Reads to read and review. All thoughts and opinions on the book are my own.

What's On My February To Read List?

So far this month I've read Lemonade Revealed by Will Chluho; an interesting tale that made me think but didn't fully capture me; and The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom; a fascinating, modernised story of 'Father Time' and a brilliant read. I'm currently reading The Dark Inside (goodreads) by Rupert Wallis which was kindly sent to me via Goodreads First Reads. So far, it's shaping up to be another interesting novel.

  

But what's on my to read list?

  

Rage Against The Dying by Becky Masterman is next up on my list. It was also kindly sent to me via Goodreads First Reads but also happens to be my online bookclub's February novel for discussion.
Also, for reading this month, are Bound To You by Nichi Hodgson and The Carrier by Sophie Hannah, a book that's been sitting in my bookcase for quite some time.

January Round-Up

In 2013 I read 36 out of the 50 books I'd intended to read. There were some really brilliant stand out novels, such as Life of Pi by Yann Martel, Touching the Void by Joe Simpson, Honour by Elif Shafak, We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. To be truthful though, I was a little disappointed at not reaching my 50 book target...which is why this year I've set myself the same goal of 50 books but with the intention of not just reaching it but blowing it out of the water.

I'll be joining in with #50Books2014 (hop on over to Sarah's blog, the host of this year's challenge) and have joined a smallish online book club where we read and discuss one book a month. I've also just discovered that my local Library run a monthly bookclub which I'm considering attending too.

So what did I read in January?

 

 

My first book of the year was The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty, my online book club's first read. I wasn't blown away by it and found it quite hard to get into. It felt a little light-hearted for the subject matter and like it just missed the opportunity to become a much darker, more intense read.

Next up was Melting Ms Frost by Kat Black which was kindly sent to me via Goodreads First Reads. It was a fantastic, sexy romance with a very naughty side; I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for an erotic novel with a proper storyline behind it.

A Zoo In My Luggage by Gerald Durrell came next which, although it was fascinating learning about all of the different animals Durrell and his team collected, didn't quite grip me and fell a little flat.

My final read in January was The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison which featured two rather unlikeable characters that put me off the story a little. It was, however, a good, easy read and a novel I found myself enjoying, despite it not quite living up to the 'psychological thriller' claims it made.


Check out what's on my February To Read List and see which novels I have lined up and what I've read so far.

The Time Keeper - Mitch Albom

★★★★★

Read : February 2014

"Banished for centuries, as punishment for trying to measure time, the inventor of the world's first clock is finally granted his freedom, along with a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two people the true meaning of time.
He returns to our world and embarks on a journey with two unlikely partners: a teenage girl who is about to give up on life and a wealthy, ageing businessman who wants to live forever. To save himself, he must save them both."


The Time Keeper follows the stories of Sarah, a love-struck angsty teenager; Victor, a dying businessman who's not ready for his time to end; and Dor, the inventor of time itself. It is based on the myth of 'Father Time,' which Albom has modernised very well and made relevant and relateable.

He creates characters within 'The Time Keeper' that you can connect with and care for. Sarah, initially, comes across as a bit of a whiny teenager who thinks she has found the love of her life...but weren't we all like that at some point? That first love? The more of her story that I read, the more I understood how devastated she was feeling and what she was experiencing and the closer I felt to her.

Victor was a rather different kettle of fish. He comes across as a very held together, rather cold businessman who always has a plan, and a back-up plan, for anything and everything. As I read more about him and his childhood it started to become clear why he is the person he is and Victor becomes quite endearing, in his own way.

Dor was the character that fascinated me the most. Set before time began, I joined Dor as he begins to chart the moons and count his footsteps. He is obsessed with counting things and his inventions for measuring time, almost to a fault. As you read on you learn of his life trapped in a cave in solitude and as he becomes 'Father Time,' listening to all of the World's pleas for time in all shapes and forms until his journey into our world begins.

The story jumps quite frequently between characters and occasionally time frames and although it sounds like it should be rather confusing, it's very much the opposite. Albom uses bolded sentences to show a clear switch between characters and the beginning of a new moment. It's not something I've seen used very much but it is definitely effective and Albom uses it well throughout the novel. The book is also broken down into quite short chapters which makes it a really easy read and at times I found myself fighting to put the book down.

I have read a couple of Mitch Albom books in the past and I hadn't been overly impressed, so when my Mum passed me a copy of 'The Time Keeper' I wasn't very keen to start reading and was unsure what I would find within the binding. I was brilliantly surprised, Albom wrote fantastically and I really enjoyed the novel.

I became so involved and connected with Sarah, Victor and Dor that the ending, as a result, was a rather emotional one. There have been only a handful of books, if that, that have brought me to tears, and 'The Time Keeper' has just become one of them. I came away with a definite 'moral to the tale;' be grateful for the time that you have and live each moment as you would like without being too concerned by hours and minutes and seconds.

The Time Keeper was a truly brilliant read and has been added to my rather elusive 'favourite reads of all time' shelf. A definite recommendation to anyone and everyone.

Lemonade Revealed - Will Chluho

★★

Read : February 2014

"FICTION: A boy in search of his true father regained consciousness on an unknown island to the curious stares of 'three old men': a warrior, a trader, and a priest. The lost boy would later discover through a mysterious man - a skinhead with an eye tattoo on his neck - that one among the trio could be the father he had been looking for...
NON-FICTION: This 'little yellow book' is a place to rediscover such good old-fashioned gems as 'faith' and 'hope' under the demythologized light of human reason. It is a timely examination on the possibility and probability of a divine existent vis-a-vis a real world of human frailties and frictions."

Lemonade Revealed follows the tales of 5 rather different characters on the Island of Ahio; Father Rene, spiritual, calm and knowledgeable but who needs to take regular breaks from his community for his own sanity; Barnett, a rather crooked trader overtaken by his own greed and exuberance; Ahiga, a fine warrior who lacks trust; Pahi'Umi'Umi, a hermit and outcast viewed as a threat by the rest of the Island and the boy, Iota, who washes up on the shore after a shipwreck with no memory of who he is or where he has come from.

I really wanted to love Chluho's 'little yellow book.' I'm not normally overly bothered by the outward appearance of a book (never judge a book by it's cover and all that..) but Lemonade Revealed left me expectant of something rather grand. It's 'bible like' binding and presentation definitely delivered a few wise words that will stick with me, but I don't think it quite lived up to it's appearance and the claims it made in the non-fiction part of it's blurb. For me, it just fell a little flat.

I think the main issue I had whilst reading Lemonade Revealed was that I just couldn't quite get into the story. Although Iota's amnesia and discovery of himself was interesting there was far too much skiting around characters and timelines for me to be able to properly connect with anyone. I found it very confusing and, at times, really didn't know if I was reading about present day or past events and I think it would really benefit the book if Chluho had been able to make these differences in time much clearer (italics for past events perhaps?)

The novel picked up a bit during the 2nd half of the book when Iota started his quest of discovery and knowledge about himself and his past life and I liked that the ending was left rather open, leaving me able to draw my own ideas of what may have happened to all of the characters and the Island of Ahio.

The storyline is broken up by rather a few philosophical and meaningful speeches by the characters (mainly Father Rene and Pahi). These are done cleverly and fit into the story well but hold enough weight for me, as the reader, to be able to take them out of the context of the book and apply them to myself and my own story. There were quite a few wise words said that still resonate now, even after finishing the book and having started another novel.

I'm a bit sad to give this book just two stars, because there was a good storyline within the pages...it just wasn't brought to life as well as it could have been, for me at least. Unfortunately, it just didn't capture me like it should have.

Disclaimer: A copy of this book was kindly sent to me via Goodreads First Reads to read and review. All thoughts and opinions on the book are my own.

My Fictional World

I'm a little late to the party, but I'm joining in with The Reading Residence's lovely little bookworm Q&A meme 'My Fictional World.'

What were your favourite read's from your childhood?
I think my favourite was probably my copy of James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. I remember reading it over and over again; it was a rather magical tale that I just couldn't stop delving into.

There are always those books that defined your teen reads and stayed with you - what were they?
Most definitely Roots by Alex Haley. I read it when I was around 16 or 17 and it's a book that's really stayed with me and is one of my favourite reads of all time. It's a stunning tale, based on true events, that follows a family through the generations, from life in their small African village, into slavery and beyond.
I found a love for crime thriller's during my teen years through Harlen Coben's wonderful novels too. There are far too many to name and I haven't read a single one yet that I haven't loved. He's definitely the main reason I love the genre as an adult.

Who are your favourite Authors currently?
Oh, that's a tricky one. I read a lot of books by an awful lot of Authors across a whole range of genres so it's really hard to choose. If I had to pick a couple I think I'd settle on J.K.Rowling and Harlen Coben, because I haven't read a single book by them that I haven't loved.

Which 3 genres do you gravitate towards most often?
Historical, thriller and fantasy/sci-fi.

Can you choose your top titles from each of those genres?
Historical - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Thriller - Touching The Void by Joe Simpson
Fantasy/Sci-Fi - I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

And your least favourite genres?
Horror. I'm such a scaredy-cat that I just can't read it! I'm not a fan of auto-biographies and the likes either, I don't think I've ever made it through more than a couple of chapters of one.

Of the many, many fictional and fantastical worlds, where would you most like to visit?
Without wanting to sound too cliche, it has to be Hogwart's doesn't it?! Failing that, anywhere that Alan Dean Foster has created in his writing; his fantasy world's sound stunning.

Everyone loves a villain right?! Who would make your favourites list?
Another tricky one. Hm. I think, for pure guts and for invoking rage in all around him, it could be Big Jim Rennie from Under the Dome by Stephen King. I'm not sure though...I don't read a lot of books with through-and-through villains in...maybe I should seek some out?

Share the books that have had you sobbing?
I'm not much of a crier but Thunder God by Paul Watkins is a recent read that's had me almost mourning for a character after his death in the pages.

And let's end on a high! Which books leave a smile on your face, and maybe elicit a few laughs?!
Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce is a definite; such a lovely, magical tale that left a smile on my face long after I'd finished reading it.

The Silent Wife - A.S.A. Harrison

★★★★

Read : January 2014

"A chilling psychological thriller portraying the disintegration of a relationship down to the deadliest point when murdering your husband makes perfect sense.
Jodi and Todd are at a bad place in their marriage. Much is at stake as she, the killer, and he, the victim, rush haplessly toward the main event. He is a committed cheater. She lives and breathes denial. He exists in dual worlds. She likes to settle scores. He decides to play for keeps. She has nothing left to lose."

Told in alternating voices, The Silent Wife delves into a world of secrets and revenge within the marriage of Todd an Jodi. He is an unchanging cheat and she has come to accept this so as not to 'rock the boat'...that is, until something huge happens that ripples through both of their worlds to the very core.

I enjoyed The Silent Wife but I doubt I would have described it as a 'psychological thriller' as Harrison has. To me, it was more of an intimate insight into the dying years and breakdown of a marriage..although there were some tense moments. I wasn't too keen on the writing style; it kept me hooked for the majority of the novel but I found Harrison's writing lacking a descriptive edge that it needed for me to really picture the characters and their lives.

Todd and Jodi were rather unlikeable which made it somewhat tricky to read and I'll admit they both made me want to rant and rage about them at times. Todd came across as a cocky, advantage-taking cheat whilst Jodi became a too-forgiving, too-lenient doormat. The storyline was cleverly put together though and I often found myself siding with Jodi a lot of the time, especially towards the end of the book.

I found The Silent Wife lost me a little in the middle but it soon picked up again and I was dragged into the book at the end and at key events. I enjoyed the ending where Jodi wrestles with her thoughts and her conscience and it's at this point that the story begins to get a little dark. It's just a shame that the rest of the book didn't quite captivate me as much as it should have. Saying that, I did enjoy it and would recommend it. It's not going to be the psychological thriller that you're promised but it is a good, interesting and reasonably easy read.