Month: Sep 2020

BOOK REVIEW: THE NOTHING MAN by Catherine Ryan Howard

Francesca LucyLeave a comment

*Thank you to Corvus for sending me a copy in exchange for a review*

The Nothing Man is a book within a book, and both of these are equally fascinating. It follows Jim Doyle, supermarket security guard and uncaught serial killer, as he reads a recent true crime thriller by the sole survivor of his most gruesome attack. As he reads about the crimes he committed as a younger man, Jim finds himself thrilled by his ‘achievements’ and itching to commit one last murder.

I have never read a thriller in this form before, with a large part of the book being written by the victim (as a published book, with chapters, acknowledgements and a fake ISBN, which I definitely geeked out about), and the rest being told by the killer himself. It was a fascinating concept that was very well executed, and I didn’t realise I could enjoy reading the perspective of a character I intensely disliked as much as I did.

Jim is annoying and disturbed, and yet reading the story of his fairly uninteresting present life mixed into Eve’s investigative tale was gripping, as I found myself constantly waiting to see if he would do anything deadly. Reading from Eve’s perspective was also enjoyable, and I found myself excited every time part of her story came about to hear about whether she was any closer to finding Jim. It was a chase, told from both sides, and was very interesting to see play out.

The story itself primarily takes place in the past but it remained fascinating even as Jim’s killer past was discussed and it started jumping closer to his present. Parts were a little slow and the most gruesome moments of the story were largely glossed over, but I loved the concept and found myself hooked from beginning to end.

This book was an enjoyable read that certainly terrified me enough to keep me awake after reading too late, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a thriller that’s a little bit different but still equally gripping.

AUGUST WRAP-UP

Francesca Lucy8 Comments

As mentioned in an earlier post this month, I have never done a monthly TBR, so I think that now would be a good time to mention that I’ve also never done a monthly wrap-up. But I’m so excited to post one this month.

Not only did I read more books in a single month than I have for the rest of the year (yes, I only read seven, but it’s still a step-up for me), but I enjoyed every single one! Every single book in this wrap-up is 4+ stars and I’m unbelievably happy about that.

So without further ado, the books I read this month:

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

There’s a review up on my blog for this one already, and it’s gushing. The writing style was gorgeous, the plot was gripping, and it’s definitely been a while since I read a book where I cared so much about an entire group of characters. I adored this book and already can’t wait for book two.

5/5

We Were Liars by E Lockhart (a re-read)

I say ‘a re-read’, but what I mean is my eighth re-read. This is my favourite stand-alone ever and I always find myself being drawn to it when I’m in a reading slump. This time, I read it on the beach (the perfect place to read this book, in case you were wondering) and I’m so happy that I found myself noticing little things that I never spotted before, even after reading it so many times.

In case you couldn’t tell from the favourite stand-alone ever part: 5/5

Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid

This is the first audiobook I’ve listened to in possibly over a year, and I really enjoyed it. It was mostly just half-an-hour here and there whilst I was walking to and from work, but I really got into the story. The narrator definitely helped and I would absolutely recommend the audiobook version specifically, but it’s generally just a poignant, funny and incredibly thought-provoking story.

4/5

The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

This was a very gripping and very disturbing thriller. It didn’t have as much murder as I was expecting, for some reason, but it’s definitely the kind of story that makes you scared to leave your room in the middle of the night, in case a serial killer is waiting behind it. I read this in the space of a couple of days, and was creeped out the entire time so, honestly, I’m calling that a win.

4/5

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I read Six of Crows!!! After months of telling book-twitter that I was going to!!! And after owning a copy for years!!! I’m not really sure what to say about this book other than that I completely understand the hype. The characters are incredible, the plot is intelligent and gripping, and Leigh Bardugo’s world-building is art. I’ve been ignoring everyone’s suggestion that I read this book for years and now I’m mostly just mad at myself for doing that.

5/5

Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield

I’m going to be posting a review of this one shortly, but I will happily say now that I loved it. I’ve really struggled to get into YA horror in the past, and I often find myself disappointed in the big reveals and the jump-scares, but this book genuinely gave me nightmares. It was fast-paced, perfectly creepy, and an excellent mix of traditional horror themes and modern YA. It’s a very quick and easy read, and absolutely worth it (especially as we’re getting closer to Halloween).

5/5

Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Last but not least is definitely the odd one out on this list: a contemporary romance. I went to Waterstones on a mission for a cringey, sugary YA love story, and I have to say that I was struggling to find one. When I saw this one, about a girl, her high school crush, a cute wedding planner, and her sister’s wedding, I figured it might be exactly what I was looking for. And although there was a lot more family drama and a lot less romance than I was expecting, this book definitely fulfilled the reading craving that I’ve been having lately. It was cute, funny and a very easy read to end the month.

4/5

So that’s my August wrap-up! I’m still in the process of picking the books that I want to get through this month, but I’m so happy that it was such a good reading month and am praying for another good month as of now.

What was your favourite book that you read this month? I’d love some recommendations to add to my ever-growing TBR!