Tag Archive | Hodder Books

Meet Me At The Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan

Jun2

Truth & Happiness

Meet Me At The Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan is a very charming contemporary novel that I adored.

It is a novel about parents and daughters; friendships and relationships; and the healing power of puppies! Puppies can make people smile when all around them is crumbling.

We meet two daughters who have troubled relationships with the parent whom they believe (wrongly) is responsible for the ending of marriages. The daughters are both hurting and both lash out. One is aged ten, and the other in her twenties but both need to reconciled with their parents.

One of the characters is deaf, and another fits hearing aids to the deaf and the hard of hearing. We see the importance of sign language to give people a voice.

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Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan

Aug12

Be Yourself

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult  & Jennifer Finney Boylan is a powerful contemporary novel that consumed me from the start.

I have always loved Jodi Picoult’s novels and Mad Honey is no exception.

The plotline surrounds a young man, Asher, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Lily. The reader follows the trial through the eyes of Asher’s mother after the event; and we hear Lily’s voice leading up to the event. Two women who love Asher. The reader wants to believe that Asher is innocent – but even his mum has doubts.

A major theme is that of being true to yourself. “You’re the only one who gets to decide who you’re going to be. You don’t have to be just like your father.” We must not let anyone mould us into being someone we are not.

It is heartbreaking to see a character suffering at the hands of the bullies. Even their own father bullies his offspring. There is a heartbreaking scene that leaves a youngster powerless.

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