Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins

 

Read February 2022. Borrowed from the library.

5/5 stars

I read this in two sittings and it could have been one but I needed to get to bed. I loved this book! The characters were amazing, Felipé was so relatable for I too am a fat, socially awkward gay. And like Felipé my school bullying was directed towards my weight rather than anything sexuality based. Sigh.

I loved the development of both the boy's characters and the growth of their relationship. I also loved Caio's friends and I wish we'd had more of them. I just wanted more story in general, 15 days was just not enough!

Stef Out x

After the End by Clare Mackintosh

 

Read January/February 2022. Book I owned but since donated.

3/5 stars

This was a very strange book. Pip and Max are a married couple whose 3 year old son, Dylan, has cancer. It soon comes to a point that it's time to choose what to do next. Pip and Max sadly disagree on what to do and a court case soon comes.

What follows is a Sliding Doors-esque alternating chapter dual narrative following each outcome after the trial.

The layout change did confuse me for a moment but it was kind of interesting to see the similarities/differences between the two futures.

There was one character who we got to know who was then dropped which was frustrating and then the ending was a bombshell and an unexplained cliffhanger all in one which annoyed me.

I do like the author's writing style though, I didn't twig until I checked GoodReads that I had already read a book by her, the other was Let Me Lie which comes under thriller and this was domestic drama.

Also interestingly I found this at work and then re-donated it back there after I'd read it and then today while looking for a book for a book stack photo on Instagram (@owls_rainbow) I found a copy on my shelf! So that one will go to work as well as it's not one I see myself re-reading.

Stef Out x

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

 

Book I own. Read January 2022.

5/5 stars

This is a book that doesn't hold back and it feels like such a necessary read.

All white people should read this and especially white men. Stop fetishizing black women, stop using and abusing them.

I loved Queenie, she was strong but in a fragile way. I loved her growth throughout and how she gradually realised that she needed help and accepted it. I really appreciated that it showed the divide in family attitudes towards getting help.

Her friends were a great mix but I hated Cassandra and her lack of faith in her supposed best friend!

Overall I loved this book but it's a difficult one to review. The summary is just read it.

Stef Out x