I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, albeit on a Thursday instead this week! In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts (the most recent of which was ), I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about Our Holiday by Louise Candlish. Thank you to HQ for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Charlotte and Perry have owned their clifftop holiday home in Pine Ridge for years. They’ve worked hard for it – why shouldn’t they enjoy it? Even if the locals can’t afford to live in the village these days…
Now city friends Amy and Linus have bought a second home nearby and when the two families descend, they plan lazy days at the beach and evenings sipping rosé and watching the sun set from Charlotte’s summerhouse veranda.
But this summer is different. A group of locals – headed by the charismatic Robbie – will stop at nothing to make the second home owners pay for their holiday. By the end of their break, marriages will be torn apart, friendships shattered and crimes exposed.
And one of them will have lost their life.
Publication Date: 4th July
TW: murder, death, violence, classism, racism, homophobia, infidelity
My Thoughts:
Our Holiday is a sun-drenched scorcher of a thriller that brilliantly spins out from its central concept to deliver a ticking time bomb of fraught familial relationships.
Opening with a dramatic tragedy, you are utterly ensnared in Candlish’s clutches as you move forwards and backwards in time – trying to work out the who, what and why of it all. By having so many different narrative strands and two timelines to keep track of, it makes for an impressive feat and a tightly plotted narrative that Candlish pulls off with aplomb. You get such a good sense of these characters immediately – there’s the sort of snobby cliquiness and endless invisible competitions amongst the second home owners. Within that group, there are all sorts of secrets and lies to uncover. What I particularly loved about this book is just how messed up and fractured these characters are. They do bad things, sometimes even unknowingly and it creates a tangled web around them all.
Then you add the extra layer of privilege, which glosses over the entire narrative. The main tension in this book is between the holidayers, the wealthy second home owners and the local townspeople, many of whom are from a vastly different economic background. It adds an interesting element, kickstarting a conversation about truly belonging somewhere and the gentrification of certain areas. There is a real issue of people being priced out of an area their family has lived in for generations and this sense that the identity of the place is shifting into something unrecognisable for them. Books like this illustrate that way that the British class system rules everything, intersecting it with a conversation about immigration and race that becomes more prominent in the latter half of the book.
I also have to comment on how well woven the mystery is. You are led down so many rabbit holes, becoming familiar with these complex characters and uncovering their secrets. In the further timeline, you start to unpick what may have happened from clues seeded into the narrative but you are only seeing glimpses of the wider picture. Once it all clicks together, it is magnificently done.
Candlish explores the simmering tension between locals and rich holiday makers in this perfect summer mystery. You know from the start that it will have explosive consequences, but Candlish keeps you perfectly on edge throughout.
Next up, I’d like to talk about The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. Thank you to The Borough Press for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Some said it was tragic, what happened to the Van Laars.
Some said the Van Laars deserved it. That they never even thanked the searchers who stayed out for five nights in the freezing forest trying to help find their missing son.
Some said there was a reason it took the family so long to call for help. That they knew what happened to the boy.
Now, fifteen years later, the daughter the family had in their grief has gone missing in the same wilderness as her brother. Some say the two disappearances aren’t connected.
Some say they are.
Publication Date: 4th July
TW: death, murder, grief, depression, institutionalisation, classism
My Thoughts:
The God of the Woods draws you in and refuses to let you leave. It is a character focused mystery that tackles privilege, fractured families and secrets buried long ago.
I was drawn to this book by its tantalising hook – it seems that tragedy has a habit of marking the Van Laar family and in one of the most horrific fashions. A missing child is a waking nightmare that I cannot even fathom. To then lose another is unimaginable. That central set up spins out into these amazingly complex characters as we move between timelines and differing groups. These essentially the mystery of the modern day disappearance and that of all those years ago. It is a study of the ripple effects of trauma and seeing how that shapes everyone around. Moore lets those effects reverberate through the years, made even sharper by the timelines co-existing alongside one another in the chapters. You are inexplicably drawn into this tragedy and feel it play out around you almost in real time.
The use of these differing narratives also allows some interesting overlaps and contrasts between accounts of different aspects of both mysteries. There is an incisive look at privilege and the abuse of power – being able to smooth away any possible wrinkles solely because of who you are and who your family is. Moore also includes a heart-breaking examination of grief and the concept of hysteria in women, including institutionalisation. This is a keenly felt blow within the narratives and adds even more pathos to an already emotionally fraught book.
Moore very much sets the power of privilege in her sights in this quieter, complex and non linear narrative. The God of the Woods is a beguiling book with beautiful prose and a mystery that tugs at your heartstrings.
Finally, I’d like to delve into The Virtue Season by L. M. Nathan. Thank you to Scholastic UK for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Manon Pawlak has just turned eighteen, a debutant at the start of the Virtue Season: a process that will result in a match with a suitable genetic mate. Her best friend, Agatha, has been decommissioned, forbidden to partake in the season and unite with the boy who has had her heart since they were children.
When Manon’s mother wades out into the waters of Penn Vale with stones sewn into the lining of her coat, Manon’s genetic purity is called into question and she’s forced to rely on the fisherman’s son, Wick, to keep her secret.
But as they dance, the truth about their world starts to unravel, and Manon finds herself at the centre of it all. And the Council is watching.
Publication Date: 4th July
TW: ableism, eugenics, discrimination, sexual control, suicide, enslavement
My Thoughts:
The Virtue Season is an arresting debut YA dystopian that refuses to leave my mind.
I saw this at YALC and was massively intrigued – I mean, a dystopian Bridgerton style set up mixed with the mind numbing terror of The Handmaid’s Tale? That sounds fantastic. Luckily, it more than lived up to my expectations. This is such a dark dystopian concept and wonderfully imagined by Nathan. In particular, the exploration of eugenics is bold and unflinching. The ‘genetic purity’ valued within this society is horrifying and sent shivers down my spine. Nathan is upfront about what this means for anyone considered undesirable to the system, contrasting the false and forced courtship of the Virtue Season with Agatha’s genuine and heartfelt relationship. You root for a love that can never be in this society, against all the odds. It is excellent to see such a strong focus on disability representation in YA, even if it is through a dystopian lens that reflects historical and continued ableism to an extreme place. There is also discussion around the racial implications of this society – there is unspoken horror on every page and a history that should make you tremble.
We get swept up in a building conspiracy built from small rebellions and Manon’s desire to choose her own path in life & determine her own love. There is also a strong focus on mental health through Manon’s mother, showing how those within the system have also been broken into a mould that does not fit them. The palpable sense of shame and sadness colouring Manon’s life is heart-breaking and yet decidedly recognisable in our own society. I raced through the pages as the pacing and tension was spot on. It always felt like the stakes were rising and there was a clear race against time. All of this moves towards an explosive conclusion and a cliffhanger that had me chomping at the bit for the next instalment.
The Virtue Season is a terrifying realistic dystopian narrative that sunk beneath my skin. It is incredibly told and a breathtaking YA debut.
A Short Book Lover 
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