Carina Between You and Me, Contemporary Fiction, Paperback, Lisa Hall
24421 ratings
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Price: £8.99
Brand: Carina
Description: 'Compelling, chilling and an incredibly impressive' Alexandra Brown'Shocking, and very cleverly crafted' The Book Review Café'Disturbing and chilling' Northern Crime Reviews'A gripping psychological thriller with a level of tension that will leave you breathless' Tracy Book Lover. Carina Between You and Me, Contemporary Fiction, Paperback, Lisa Hall - shop the best deal online on thebookbug.co.uk
Category: Books
Merchant: Harper Collins
Product ID: 9780008194505
Delivery cost: Spend £20 and get free shipping
Dimensions: 126x198mm
Keywords: London,love,romance,sex,marriage,husband,wife,perfect,man,woman,family,lies,fear,secrets,trust,honesty,truth,break up,heartbreak
ISBN: 9780008194505
Author: Becca's Books
Rating: 5
Review: In true 'towering TBR pile' book blogger style, it took me longer than anticipated to reach Hall's much talked about debut Between You and Me. I had seen so many raving reviews about this book, so much so that it only served to heighten my own excitement in regards to reading it. Everywhere I looked there were 5 star reviews, and claims of a 'killer twist' that I just wouldn't see coming. Suffice to say, those reviewers were correct. The twist, when it reared its ugly head, knocked me right off of my feet and left me feeling completely and utterly derailed, and questioning my own views on the topics raised within. In Hall's debut Between You and Me, we're introduced to characters Sal and Charlie. Married, and parents to daughter Maggie, to everyone on the outside looking in, this couple have got it all. Perfectly-kept home to entertain work friends of an evening, confident and attractive Mr and Mrs, and an adorable little girl. On the surface, it really is spotless, but beneath, things are not as perfect as they first appear to be. For me, personally, I love it when an author takes something that looks pretty and appealing and slowly, gradually, peels away the layers hiding the truth. As this novel finds its wings and begins to take off, Hall reels her readers in and begins to build the foundations of the novel's frighteningly real premise. Domestic abuse, physical and violent, ensured that I, as the reader, felt the overwhelming presence of control and fear that followed me right the way through the pages to the very end. It was claustrophobic and suffocating, yet completely addictive, a novel I found I couldn't put down without wondering where the author would lead me and her characters next. Wrapped beneath the deceiving blissful domesticity was a real edge of danger and terror that I found I couldn't turn away from. Hall's leading couple, Sal and Charlie, were fantastically put together and felt so real to me as I continued to turn the pages. Charlie, a workaholic and lover of control. Sal, a stay-at-home mother and unable to make a single decision in her life without letting Charlie know first. It was impossible for me not to take sides while reading. I wanted nothing more than for Sal to get the hell out of there with Maggie in tow and make a run for it. Hall's vivid imagery and emotional descriptions tore at me completely, and my concern for Sal and Maggie only grew as the novel progressed. Alongside family members and Sal's good friend Laura, attempts at intervening and trying to help are knocked aside repeatedly by Sal, and this only further portrayed how frightened of Charlie Sal truly was. It is so difficult to write this review as there's so much more I want to touch upon, yet I don't want to give a single thing away while doing so. It was nerve-wracking, tense, and really packed an emotional punch with me as I'm sure it has done with most readers. Although the read had me uncomfortable at times, it's fair to say that I absolutely enjoyed the ride Lisa Hall took me on throughout reading Between You and Me. The twists and turns were unseen, and the ending blew my mind completely. For Hall's debut, this has really set the boundary high, and I will be waiting on tenterhooks for Hall's next book, as I can't wait to see what this author has lined up for her readers next. Becca's Books is awarding Between You and Me by Lisa Hall with five of my bookish cupcakes. Sharp, edgy and compelling, this was a thriller of the highest impact and has left a lasting impression on me.
Author: Neil Prague
Rating: 3
Review: Like many other reviewers, I guessed the twist halfway through Chapter 2. It would probably have taken me a little longer if the marketing blurb hadn't hyped up the twist so much, and perhaps I'd have concluded that the writing was just clumsy. For the first time in 50 years of reading, I looked at the last few pages for confirmation that my guess was right so that I could enjoy the book on its other merits without being annoyed by the somewhat awkward style. I'll give Lisa Hall the benefit of the doubt and assume that the idea was to challenge the reader's prejudices rather than a cheap trick to satisfy readers who care about twists more than story or characterisation. If so, it would have been far better to have been upfront about who was who, in order to give the characters depth and explore more fully the shame and embarrassment that someone in this situation would no doubt feel. That aside, I found the story of mounting domestic violence quite gripping, although I can't help feeling that reading books like this is a bit like slowing down to look at a car crash. I was actually more interested in the secondary plot involving the Romanian businessman. Apart from the unusual style necessitated by the twist this isn't badly written, but I wish that authors would avoid hypercorrection ("you and I" when "you and me" is correct). At least she got it right in the title! I have also read "The Party" by this author and it was much better. I have tried to avoid spoilers here; whatever one thinks about a book, it's wrong to ruin it for others. I hope I have succeeded, even if the result is that this review may not mean much to people who haven't actually read the book!
