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. All of today’s picks share a publication date of the 27th August as well!
First up, I’d like to talk about Claws Out by Bella Mackie. Thank you to The Borough Press for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Diana’s on the hunt and has the perfect new target.
Finally, the type of wealth she’s always dreamed of. A five-storey house in Hampstead, unfettered access to London’s liberal elite and a bloated bank account. If she can ensnare David Farrand, then she really will have clawed her way to the top. The only snag? David’s daughter, Cat.
Diana might have got her claws into David, but Cat is sharpening her own. Entitled, suspicious and used to getting her own way, she’s been digging into Diana’s past. And it turns out Diana’s last three marriages have one thing in common: the silly old fools are all six feet under.
To lose one husband is unlucky. To lose two is careless. But three? Three must be murder.
CW: death, murder, violence, grief, cheating, manipulation, gaslighting
My Thoughts:
Claws Out was a vicious and wickedly funny read with two deeply unlikeable protagonists clashing as their lives collide. It has that razor-sharp satirical bite I love in Mackie’s work.
Bella Mackie has a brilliant brand of presenting rich people behaving very badly in darkly comedic ways that skewer these socialites and reveal uncomfortable truths. There is always this intertwining of humour and truth that feels cathartic and confronting at the same time. These are pockets of society that most of us will never be able to access, so it feels a little like peeking behind the curtain. In Claws Out, Mackie’s attention focuses primarily on the liberal elite of North London, with certain types and assumed beats coming into play. It is my favourite of her works yet and is a masterclass in characterisation and voice.
At the centre of it all, we have Diana and Cat, put at loggerheads over the fight for David (Cat’s father and Diana’s latest beau). Their dynamic is fascinating and turns into this elaborate chess game of increasingly bizarre behaviours. Every move is calculated for maximum impact on the other. Mackie injects plenty of humour here but also genuine tension, especially with the deadly track record of Diana’s previous marriages. We move between past and present to explore these a little further and in doing so, we get to learn more about Diana. She is a complicated figure but one that I think you can find a little more empathy for at times. There’s this glimpse, this crack in the facade and then she’ll immediately do something that pushes you away again. Right from the beginning of the story, she is built up as this mythic figure, a cautionary tale of greed and ambition. The truth might just be a little murkier.
The parallels between these two women are stark and you do occasionally what might have happened in another story. These are two women from very different backgrounds clashing over the appearances and lifestyle they have become accustomed to and wish to maintain. It is all about wealth and status here, highlighting the ultimate vapidness of this world. The way these characters contort themselves to fit the way they think they should be perceived is fascinating.
Claws Out is a compelling and cutting story that mixes the pacing and tension of thrillers with this social commentary and acerbic wit of satire. What transpires is one hell of a book.
Next up, I’d like to talk about Fawn by C. N. Vair. Thank you to 3AM Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
In the Appalachian hills, Tess Wynne lives in precious quiet. She tends her wildlife sanctuary, honours old rituals and survives what comes for her each year.
Then she finds a doe split open. And the fawn who survived. Red-mouthed. Full set of teeth. Hungry.
Nature knows what must be done. The town watches to see if Tess will do it.
She does not.
Whispers spread. Old bargains strain. Something feral stirs within Tess – anger, appetite, the slow understanding that prey is only prey for so long.
CW: death, violence, murder, drowning, sexual assault, harassment, religious fanaticism, sexism
My Thoughts:
Fawn was the perfect Summerween read. It pulls you into its spell and leaves you stumbling out, head still full of this wonderfully crafted story.
This is a story that questions how we define monstrosity and who gets to be transformed by power. It is that type of horror that sinks into your skin with a fantastic wielding of atmosphere. The small town stereotype is in full force with a community that slowly loses its trust and puts its faith in new hands, which may not have the best intentions. Tess is at the polar opposite edge, but she is a complicated character that has survived by manipulating everyone around her. The power she holds within her is fascinating and Vair explores this in interesting ways, particularly the way she communicates with certain visitors to her land. Her story is layered and speaks to the violence enacted against women time and time again.
There is a deep sense of the cyclical nature of violence here and that reciporcal consequences of actions. Throughout, there is this bubbling undercurrent that threatens to boil over and when it is combined with this shifting mindset, it is an explosion waiting to happen. Vair keeps the tension taut as secrets are unveiled and the truth slowly pieces together. Tess has plenty she would rather keep hidden but this fawn forces it to the surface. The role of the fawn and the symbolism of it is brilliant and nuanced. Vair taps into timely conversations about power, sacrifice, hunger and what it takes to keep on surviving.
Fawn encapsulates small-town horror at its finest with the interplay of monstrosity, humanity and how it often crosses over. It is gorgeously written with this undercurrent of violence that builds and builds into a conclusion that sears itself into your brain.
I’d also like to talk about 72 Hours of You by Darianne Schramm. Thank you to Electric Monkey for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
72 hours before someone dies, Sydney Hoffman sees a pink neon countdown clock over their head. Seeing death’s status updates in real time without being able to do anything has left Syd closed-off, cynical and alone.
Then she meets Peter Beckett. Outgoing, optimistic and annoyingly gorgeous, Peter convinces Syd to wander NYC, looking for pink clocks and helping strangers live their best final hours.
As they grow closer, Syd starts to believe that maybe she can let go of the past and have a future instead. Until the universe shows her the one clock she can’t ignore …
CW: death, grief, illness, PTSD, anxiety
My Thoughts:
72 Hours of You reminded me of just how wonderful YA contemporary can be. It has this speculative edge that explores grief, death and the fleeting beauty of life in such wonderful ways. Prepare to sob.
I was intrigued by the premise for this book, which had an interesting dynamic at its heart. Sydney has the ability to see when someone has only 72 hours left to live and no matter what she does, she cannot prevent their death. This has left her extremely guarded and fearful of making genuine connections with people, for fear of having to see them die. Enter her polar opposite Peter. The dynamic that grows between the two of them felt authentic and swoon-worthy, moving from dislike to mutual respect to something else. I enjoyed the tension that crackled between the two of them and the dialogue that sparked off the page. It sounded believable and helped their relationship shift and evolve. Both of them are holding their own weights but help one another see the world a little differently. The characterisation is brilliant and three-dimensional, helping make the rest of this book land as well as it does.
As you may expect from the premise, this is a book that deals with death head-on. It is a tough read at times but Schramm handles these topics with nuance and sensitivity. Teenagers are not invincible and sadly this is a book that will land with many readers for their own experiences. However, this is ultimately a bittersweet and life-affirming book with a positive message about embracing the highs and lows of life. It is emotional and impactful with a ray of sunshine just in the distance.
72 Hours of You is a beautiful and original YA contemporary that includes creative speculative elements and a central romance that will tug at your heartstrings. It is a story about grabbing each moment that you can and the courage it takes to love.
Finally, I’d like to delve into To All The Men I’ve Killed Before by Katy Brent. Thank you to HQ for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
If a man hurt your best friend – like, really hurt her – what would you do?
Key his car? Or hunt him down and chop him into little pieces? Tough decision, I know.
I’ve tracked this lowlife to LA and brought my little sister Antoinette along for the ride. I’m trying not to be irritated that she’s found a taste for murder and is leaving body parts all over our hotel. Because this girls’ trip needs a Hollywood ending.
And of all the men I’ve killed before, this one will be the sweetest…
CW: death, murder, violence, rape, sexual assault, harassment, stalking, misogyny, sexism, PTSD
My Thoughts:
To All The Men I’ve Killed Before concludes a triumphant trilogy in explosive fashion. The development of these characters has been stellar and as usual, there are even more tricks up Brent’s sleeve as we race to the finish line.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Kitty Collins series for its razor-sharp balance of wit and wickedness. This is a pitch-black dark comedy thriller that comes to a brazen and brilliant conclusion here. At the centre of it all is the deeply flawed but fascinating figure of Kitty herself. The journey she has gone on since book one is a bumpy one full of revelations and littered with bodies. However that deep sadness and anger that defined her by the start may have dissipated a little. She has endured so much and looks to tip the scales of violence back through her actions. The ending of the previous book adds a new dynamic into her careful planning and this is fun to explore in the story, especially as philosophies differ and new characters come into play.
Ultimately this has tapped into plenty of stories that eerily remind you of constantly current headline and how the world continues to burn. Rampant violence against women is not a new topic and history keeps repeating itself time and time again. When you inhabit a world that endlessly tries to push you down, you can understand how that anger and frustration might spill over. Kitty is an extreme example of this but fundamentally the emotional core of her can resonate with many readers. Brent is careful to explicitly show how violence begets violence and this vicious cycle only leads to more bloodshed. These are fractured women trying to find a way to survive, though the path they choose may be a bit bloodier. This is a timely and impactful story, but one that I hope becomes a little less timely as we progress.
To All The Men I’ve Killed Before may be the last outing of Kitty Collins but what a way for this story to end. Brent has created a deliciously dark trilogy that taps into the anger simmering beneath the surface of our society.
A Short Book Lover 
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