I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was the other week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, 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 Heartbreak Era by Sophie Jo. Thank you to Scholastic for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Harley and Freddie have been a couple forever – they’ve applied to the same university and even picked out their future children’s names. So when Freddie breaks up with her on their four-year anniversary, Harley is blindsided. She’s devoted lunchbreaks, holidays – her entire life! – to Freddie. What is she meant to do now?
Harley discovers her college’s heartbreak club, where she meets cute-if-slightly-chaotic fellow dumpee Seth. But as the past and present start to collide, Harley has a big decision on her hands.
Whose Heartbreak Era is this?
Publication Date: 12th February
My Thoughts:
Heartbreak Era was the exact type of YA contemporary romance that I love with sparky dialogue, interesting characters and a dynamic that you root for despite everything.
Harley is a great protagonist with a compelling and relatable voice. Jo nails that feeling of being entirely adrift as all your plans crumble into nothing in an instant. She had everything mapped out and then it disintegrated. The arc that she goes on is interesting and delivers a brilliant message, especially for teenage readers. It can be so overwhelming and Jo combines a classic coming-of-age story with an exploration of how we feel even more defined by our relationships in a modern age of social media and status. All of the surrounding characters also feel authentic and three-dimensional, as Jo gives them space to reveal layers. They are all a little messy, as teenagers are, and trying to find their path in the world.
Jo’s writing captures that intangible spark that powers a good love story. You can feel the chemistry crackle through well-drawn character and dialogue that teases out a dynamic you cannot help but fall in love with. It nails that teenage voice without feeling cliché. Nothing is plain sailing though with believable peaks and valleys. There are consequences from their actions and they have to face up to them eventually, all feeding into the layered arcs Jo is setting these characters on. I really liked how Jo tied the fake dating trope into this. It is an interesting take on a very familiar trope, but one that I usually enjoy anyway!
Heartbreak Era is an exquisite and heartfelt story that feels like a warm hug in book form, embracing the love in our lives and the ways we are continually evolving. Jo continues to deliver just what the heart needs.
Next up, I’d like to talk about The Shadow Carver by Nadine Matheson. Thank you to HarperFiction for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
When a convicted killer is released and later found brutally murdered, DI Henley and the Serial Crimes Unit are pulled into a deadly investigation with links to other recent attacks – all the victims are connected by the vicious signature left behind by the killer.
Henley and her team begin to connect the dots between the killings, and realise the murders are part of something more sinister. Each victim has been chosen with a deadly precision, their deaths carved out with a shocking cruelty.
As the rampage continues and the case spirals into a terrifying hunt for the killer, the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Henley and the SCU are running out of time … Can they outsmart a monster before they strike again?
Publication Date: 12th February
CW: death, murder, violence, torture, blood, rape, sexual assault, grief, PTSD
My Thoughts:
The Shadow Carver is another dark and grisly thriller that is impossible to tear yourself away from.
If you are yet to meet Inspector Angelica Henley, you need to correct that as soon as possible. With this series, Matheson has introduced a formidable and complicated protagonist caught up in a tangled web of secrets, lies and murder. Her development over the books so far is fascinating and promises plenty more twists and turns in store. Around her is her tightknit team, who all have their own secrets they are carrying or problems to face. Their relationships are messy and add even more texture to the story. They feel real, like they could step off the page any second. We have a new face in this story and I am yet to fully decide where my opinion falls, but in trademark fashion, there is more than initially meets the eye.
I adore it when a series has an underpinning thread that slowly reveals itself and this series has been building to something explosive. In each individual book though, Matheson delivers arresting and horrifying cases that speak to our darkest fears and delving into difficult topics with sensitivity but also holding nothing back. This latest case is extremely topical and as always, there is nuance. It lives within that murky grey space and is happy to explore that thin line between justice and vengeance. The complex moral tapestry of the series is a real highlight and Matheson continues that across several threads here. Based on the hints we have for the next story, I am very excited and will definitely be picking it up.
The Shadow Carver is a twisted nightmare of a book that explores fascinatingly fraught moral territory. It is further proof (not that any was needed) that Matheson continues to deliver police procedural excellence with the Inspector Angelica Henley series.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Gone for Good by Sarah Crossan. Thank you to Simon YA for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Connie Ryder is taken from her home in the dead of night and sent to Silver Lake Academy – a remote, high-security facility for ‘troubled’ teens.
At Silver Lake, the vulnerable and the violent are locked in together under a brutal regime that aims to improve their behaviour.
But when Connie learns she’s been given the bed of a missing girl named Belle, she is drawn deep into a chilling web of secrets and lies…
Publication Date: 26th February
CW: death, murder, homophobia, imprisonment, manipulation, torture
My Thoughts:
Gone for Good epitomises the brilliance of YA thrillers, told innovatively through verse and is yet another example of Crossan’s mastery of her craft and form. It had brilliant characterisation and excellent twists and turns along the way.
Sarah Crossan is a force of nature. I have long enjoyed her work in verse and how powerfully precise it is. She imbues each word with emotion and carefully structures the story to allow you to lose yourself within the pages. This marks her first YA mystery and I was intrigued to see how the genre would marry with the form. It is no surprise that it is a complete triumph. She has selected another timely and important topic and explores it in a layered and brilliant manner. It will spark a lot of much-needed conversation and hopefully land with the readers who may need it most.
Connie is an excellent protagonist with a voice that hooks you immediately. She is betrayed, grieving and determined that this place will not break her. You can feel the fragile bonds she makes with the people around her and the clear love and compassion she has. Just the determination to find out the truth about the missing girl is commendable, especially with the stakes involved. It is a horrible reality that showcases the monstrosity of humanity. From the first page, you are thrown into this chaos and danger with her, feeling just as disoriented. It is an effective start that ensures you cannot tear yourself away from the pages. You are in for a wild ride from there with amazing twists that flip the story on its head and have genuine ramifications for the characters. It is a heavy book that stares into the darkness, but retains a sliver of hope throughout.
Good for Good is the type of book that lingers with you long after the page. It is an emotional masterclass from a writer at the top of her game and for me, it really hit home how unfortunately timely it is.
A Short Book Lover 
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