Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah

Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - HQ Stories

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

ON AN ORDINARY WORKING DAY…

Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law’s voice is filled with panic. He’s at his son’s nursery to pick up Max. But he isn’t there.

YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE…

Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot.

Racing to the carpark, she grasps the horror of what she has done. Max has been locked in her car for six hours on the hottest day of the year.

IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE…

But she’s too late.

What follows is an explosive, high-profile trial, that will tear the family apart. But as the case progresses it becomes clear there’s more to this incident than meets the eye…

A gripping, brave and tense courtroom drama, Next of Kin will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, heart-stopping page.



My Review

Leila is the big sister, responsible, organised, does everything for Yasmin since they were kids and it was just them. Yasmin has a little boy Max that Leila dotes on but Leila has always sacrificed everything so Yasmin doesn't have to. When the morning of her big deal comes and she is asked to drop Max off at daycare of course she agrees despite it being an inconvenience. None of them could have forseen what would happen that morning or how their lives will change forever.

It kicks off really quickly so you are pulled in from pretty much the first few chapters. There is a lot of history with Leila and Yasmin and why Leila is always the rescuer and now this incident will completely change their relationship. We see a fair chunk of the book surrounding a court case and the emotions and feelings mostly with Leila drawing you in.

The book has some very hard hitting subjects, death, child endangerment, loss, suicide, relationships, family and so much more. Leila's husband is an absolute tool and I gasped at one point like what the actual, why why why would you do that ugh.

This is my second read with this author and it won't be my last. Some of the happenings in the book are pretty shocking and hard hitting, emotive and either you can identify or empathise with what happens. Pretty emotive and rage inducing at some point, I am struggling to get a proper run at reading however I sank into this over 2 days. 4/5 for me this time, not an easy read due to the subjects covered but absorbing and engaging, she doesn't pull her punches!

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Grown Ups by Marian Keyes

Grown Ups by Marian Keyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 656

Publisher - Michael Joseph

Source - bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Johnny Casey, his two brothers Ed and Liam, their beautiful, talented wives and all their kids spend a lot of time together - birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, weekends away. And they're a happy family. Johnny's wife, Jessie - who has the most money - insists on it.

Under the surface, though, conditions are murkier. While some people clash, other people like each other far too much . . .

Everything stays under control until Ed's wife Cara, gets concussion and can't keep her thoughts to herself. One careless remark at Johnny's birthday party, with the entire family present, starts Cara spilling out all their secrets.

In the subsequent unravelling, every one of the adults finds themselves wondering if it's time - finally - to grow up?


My Review

I do love Keyes books you get to leave your own life and woes behind and jump into someone elses and Keyes does give us some class characters/dramas. Ed, Liam and Johnny are brothers and couldn't be more different. We follow their relationships, family gatherings and everything in between.

The book opens with a family gathering and Cara, Ed's wife, tells some home truths after a knock to the head and some shocks to the family. We then flip to six months before the event and get to know the characters.

Some we love, some misunderstood and we get more depth as we go on. Dysfunctional relationships at it's best. I am struggling to read with a lot going on at home, lack of sleep etc however despite this being a chunky monkey over 600 pages I got through it in 4 days.

There are a lot of issues these folk are experiencing, some will be very hard hitting with some people. Second marriages and the fall out, mental health issues, relationship issues, families, wealth, popularity, money issues - it has a whole bag. Some characters you will love, some not so much and all you want to know what is coming next. This isn't my first Keyes, it won't be my last, 4/5 for me this time.

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Review - Harvesting the heart by Jodi Picoult

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Publisher - Hodder

Blurb from Goodreads

Written with astonishing clarity and evocative detail, convincing in its depiction of emotional pain, love, and vulnerability, Harvesting the Heart recalls the writing of Alice Hoffman and Sue Miller. Paige has only a few vivid memories of her mother, who left when she was five. Now, having left her father behind in Chicago for dreams of art school and marriage to an ambitious young doctor, she finds herself with a child of her own. But her mother's absence, and shameful memories of her past, make her doubt both her maternal ability and her sense of self worth. Out of Paige's struggle to find wholeness, Jodi Picoult crafts an absorbing novel peopled by richly drawn characters and explores issues and emotions readers can relate to.


My Review

I love Jodi Picoult novels, they always make you think about how you would feel and what would you do. This book finds us opening with Paige, outside her home watching her husband and little boy through the window. The husband is visibly angry and moves from her line of sight. The book goes back to when Paige and Nicholas first meet and how their relationship begins until we are back to present day. Paige's mother abandoned her as a child and Paige has prior for running too. This all links into what happened to make her husband so angry and why she is outside.

I really enjoy Picoult's writing and I first read this in 2010 and gave it 5 stars. I actually didn't remember any of it, at all, which makes me think I confused it with another book. There were some parts of the book I quite liked. The chapters are split between Paige and Nicholas and usually told from the same time period. Their relationship starts very quickly and they go from zero to committed very quickly.

I had issue with both of their characters and how they behave, Paige you can understand because of her abandonment as a child however she is very selfish. Nicholas has two sides, he is a very good professional but he also comes across very selfish too. The story itself kept me interested and I wanted to know the big mystery with her mother, the explanation was a bit of a let down, for me personally. The ending I didn't like either, it was just too abrupt and I like to know everything, not be left with questions.

That said, this book is loved by lots of people, if your a Picoult fan it is worth reading as her writing is still good. If you have never read Picoult I wouldn't start with this one, I liked it but it is by no means her strongest. I'm a half and half with this one, 3/5 for me this time, I do love Picoult so will be reading more by her.

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