After The Crash

So I have finished my latest read. After The Crash by Michel Bussi. It is a crime thriller and it is his first book to be published in the UK.

At the beginning of the book I found parts of it confusing. There were a lot of characters mentioned and it is only when you read more into the book that the story behind each name is revealed. I like how it is written from the different characters point of view and not always the same person. It gives more insight into the story. The only thing bad about this is that at the start of the chapter there is no indication as to who it is about, you need to read the first paragraph to gather who the author is talking about. As Michel Bussi is a French writer he uses french names and places. I never took much interest in French at school so I wasn't entirely sure how some of the words were supposed to sound, but as long as they sounded 'ok' to me then who cares.
I must say it is a very gripping story. The clues don't really seem to lead anywhere so it is confusing as to how the story is going to end up. I'm the type of person who tries to figure things out for myself so that I can feel kind of smug if I turn out to be right, but this one was too difficult to figure out. Things stopped and started, twisted and turned, it was a task trying to keep up with everything. It was all dates and times which weren't to hard to follow as they were mostly in order anyway, but it was the number of characters that made it hard to keep up. Especially with no indication (until you read the first paragraph) as to who's point of view it actually was.
The last few chapters of the book contained probably the biggest twist of all. I could never have guessed what was to come. If I wasn't already hooked this certainly done the job. Without giving too much away it went from solving an identity, to a "whodunit", to a search investigation. It is the kind of book you need to read almost all at once. There is no time to put it down for a day or two and forget the small details.

If mystery crime thrillers are your sort of thing it is definitely one to add to your collection. Highly recommend.

Want to read more of my book reviews?
The Girl On The Train
Second Life

xx

The Boy Next Door

Recently I've been doing a lot of reading so I haven't been watching too many films. But last night I took the time to watch The Boy Next Door. 

My sister and I have wanted to see this film ever since I saw the trailer. To be honest I'm not a big fan of JLo as an actress however, the film looked to be the kind of 'edge of seat' thriller that I like and the guy (Ryan Guzman) is hot... Lol.
The film started off pretty good and there was a good build up to the main story line. The acting was better than I had expected, but it still wasn't the best. I was really beginning to enjoy the film. The secrets, the delusion, the blackmail, etc. And then all of a sudden when it all went belly up. I expected more blackmailing and a bit more of 'thrill' but it never came.
Towards the end of the film he turned from a stalker to a full blown psycho! This just escalated to quickly in my opinion. To be honest I personally was disappointed with the ending.
Also some of the scenes in this movie are a bit OTT. The sex scenes were borderline "50 Shades Of Grey", and the gory scenes at the end were very graphic in parts. It was very shocking as I wasn't expecting it to be that kind of film. So if you are thinking of watching it here's your heads up!

I wouldn't rule out watching it again, but not entirely sure if I would recommend it. Although if you want to give it a watch and form your own opinion please feel free to share it with me.

xx

Second Life

Just finished reading Second Life by SJ Watson. If you read my previous post about the book The Girl On The Train you will already know I like to read mysteries with twists and turns that unfold.

I saw this book in Waterstones and as it was in the Crime, Thrillers & Mystery section I decided to make the purchase. It sounded interesting. "Shes living two lives. She might loose both." I could just tell this was going to be a book full of secrets waiting to unravel, and I was right! 

Reading this straight after reading The Girl On The Train I found some similarities in the characters. At times I felt as though I was reading about the same people, I was picturing the same people in my head but in a different situation. There were also some similarities in the story itself. Things like the violence/abuse, the blackmail and addiction (trying not to give too much away). Don't get me wrong though the story line itself is different and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I loved how nothing was as it seemed. Just when I thought I had it figured out the more pages I turned unveiled something which made me rethink. It is another book I didn't want to put down. I just wanted to read chapter after chapter. Even the characters you can relate to. Its written from Julia's point of view and there are certain parts that I know people will have experienced themselves for example, she has a teenage son. I'm sure many parents can relate to some of the issues. There is also some other parts of the story that anyone can relate to. Even someone of my age. But I can't tell you any more than that. You will have to read it for yourself. No spoilers here.

One thing I would say is a bad point is how SJ Watson ended the story. It just kind of stopped in the middle of something (again trying not to give anything away). It was left at a 'Did she? Didn't she?' situation and the reader is just left to use their own imagination and decide for themselves. Some people might like these abrupt endings but personally I don't. I like answers. I want to know. 

If, like me, you are into these kind of stories I do recommend this book.

Also if you click the link above it will take you to my review of The Girl On The Train. 

xx

The Girl On The Train

Now and again in the afternoon when I am not doing anything sometimes I watch Loose Women after This Morning. Last week the Loose Women panel announced they were going to start a book club and every month one of them is going to pick a book for everyone to read and review. They have encouraged everyone to get involved and post their thoughts on Facebook and Twitter using #loosebooks. First up, Coleen Nolan chose the book The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins.

I haven't read anything in a while. I'm pretty sure the last books I read were the Fifty Shades books. So I was keen to go out and buy this book.

As you can see from the covers of the book it has been given very good reviews, and I can confirm these are accurate. I love thrillers with a lot of twists and turns. I like to be kept guessing and wondering, trying to figure out the clues while the story unfolds. This book definitely lived up to those expectations. There was so much mystery! I just couldn't put the book down, longing to know what was going to be discovered next. One minute I was reading the first line, the next I was on page one hundred and something. Really did hold my attention.

I don't want to go into a big review of the whole story as that would have to contain some spoiler alerts and everyone should read it for themselves and hopefully get the same gripping feeling I got from the story. It really is a brilliant read and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for anything to come from Paula Hawkins.

Highly recommended! I might even read it all over again... 

xx