Mini Book Review Catchup Post

 

THE SCENT KEEPER, by Erica Bauermeister

Have you ever smelled a scent and felt yourself instantly transported back in time and place to your grandma’s kitchen, or your mum’s hugs, or your childhood home? THE SCENT KEEPER explores the power of scent through the voice of young Emmeline, who lives on a remote island with only her eccentric scientist father to keep her company. Growing up in isolation, Emmeline takes her gift for recognising scents for granted – until tragedy strikes and she is transported into a world where technology and modern life have taken over our reliance on our senses, and our ability to use them for our survival.

 

THE SCENT KEEPER is both a coming-of-age story as well as a reflective tale about our relationship with our senses and the world around us. I loved the way Bauermeister describes Emmeline’s experience with scents, and her insights into how scents can be used to influence our emotional experiences. The connection between scent and memory was fascinating to behold, and probably my favourite part of the book. Whilst I really liked Emmeline as a character and enjoyed the remote island setting, I felt that the story lagged a bit in parts (especially the long ruminating over her childhood friend Fisher sometimes read like a YA novel) and then ended very abruptly with many questions left unanswered.

 

I think that THE SCENT KEEPER will appeal to readers who have enjoyed books such as WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING or THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS – for the atmospheric setting and the young character with a unique gift. I loved learning more about the power of scents and its uses in our modern world, which was fascinating. Overall a well written and engaging story!

HOME BEFORE DARK, by Riley Sager

“Oh Maggie, you really shouldn’t have done that.” Would you revisit a house that made your parents pack up the whole family in the middle of the night and flee in fear of their lives, never to return? A house with a secret so terrible that your father has written a book about the ghostly horrors contained in its walls? Would you?

Part ghost story, part old fashioned horror flick, part book-within-a-book, home before dark was the sort of entertaining, atmospheric read that is so immersive and addictive that you will want to devour it in one night. With the lights on. And whilst I am not usually a fan of stereotypes, the well-used horror tropes Sager uses to build suspense were immensely enjoyable.

HOME BEFORE DARK will appeal to anyone who loves a good old creepy house story with Gothic vibes. It packed plenty of surprises and kept me glued to the pages. I am really becoming fond of Sager’s easy to read, entertaining reading style, like watching an old black and white movie in front of the fire munching on popcorn. Read it when you are looking for something light and riveting you can devour in one sitting.

HER KIND, by Niamh Boyce

Do you like time travel to another era? Then Niamh Boyce’s novel HER KIND is just the right book for you. Based on the real life character of Petronella de Meath, the first woman executed for witchcraft in Ireland, the book vividly evokes life in 14^th century Kilkenny. I particularly enjoyed the author’s interpretation of a woman’s role in the medieval age, which for noblewoman and moneylender Alice is vastly different than for her Gaelic born maidservant Petronelle. Seeing that the woman’s role in early history is rarely found in the archives, it’s always a special treat to find a historical novel with strong female characters, and HER KIND certainly fits that description. Both immersive and interesting, HER KIND would make a treat for any historical fiction lover.

A LIFE WORTH LIVING, by Louise Guy

The special bond between identical twins combined with tragedy and family secrets certainly made for an intriguing mix in Louise Guy’s new novel A LIFE WORTH LIVING. The book caught my attention early when an unforseen event upended the twins’ lives – I am very careful here not to give any spoilers!

 

I enjoyed reading about the difference in personality between Eve and Leah, and their vastly different life choices, which influenced much of what came next. Even though the sisters were a little bit too opposite at times, almost to the point of caricature, the story kept my attention and I wanted to find out how the situation would unravel. My main issue here was with pacing, since not much happened after the initial earth-shattering event, and the trapped-in-a-corner situation of one of the twins could have been used to create more tension and drama to bring the focus back on the crazy position her choices had put her in. I also would have loved a bit more insight into how the twins’ overcame their difference in personalities in the past and had arrived at this particular point in time because some of their actions didn’t fully gel with me for that very reason.

 

Altogether a pleasant and mildly intriguing family drama that made a nice change from my faced paced thrillers.