Blog Tour and review: Trails in the Dust by Joy Dettman

Trails in the Dust by Joy Dettman is the seventh installment in the Woody Creek series. It follows Jenny Hooper and her extended family, as they grapple with their own issues and how these may come to impact the family to a larger extent. While it is the seventh book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone as the reader can gain most of the context from within the book.

The synopsis:

After many tumultuous years spent grappling with the past, Jenny Hooper might have expected her latter years to be the best of her life, and they are - until tragedy strikes. Left floundering in a house full of memories, not all of them good, Jenny knows a reckoning is in order.But it won't be easy. History is beginning to repeat itself for Jenny's adopted daughter, Trudy, who finds herself trapped in an abusive relationship. Jenny and her older daughter, Georgie, can only stand by and watch as Trudy's life implodes. Meanwhile, half a world away in the UK, Cara and her husband Morrie nurture a devastating secret that keeps them at arm's length from Jenny. But most of all, Jenny wants to renew contact with the beloved son she lost decades before when she was at her lowest ebb. Only that, and having the chance to tell him the truth about what happened, will give her peace. But is it too late?

Trails in the Dust was my first Joy Dettman book so going into this, I was unsure what to expect or if I would be able to begin my reading journey of the series, starting with the final book. I feel like it would benefit readers to pick up from the beginning of the series, for clarity and to see the journeys that the various characters have taken over time. Despite this, it certainly could be read independently and most of the plot will make sense.

Dettman has cemented herself as an author that excels when writing about small, rural towns. The small Australian town vibe in this book connects the reader to the plot from the first chapter. Throughout the course of the book, we are provided with various different lenses to deepen our understanding of the situations which come about through the multiple POV. This is done in such a way that the reader is able to consider one character in a variety of different ways and how those around them feel about them. The main perspective focused on is that of key character Jenny. Jenny is portrayed as a caring mother at the beginning, yet this is contradicted during this book as she attempts to reconnect with her long lost son. This is a sore point for Jenny and due to this and other critical events during the book, Jenny is portrayed as someone who is quite flighty and willing to take risks. I found some of the decisions Jenny made over the course of the book difficult to understand, due to events which had previously unfolded. This adds to the quality of the book, as Dettman has the ability to make somewhat rash decisions feel natural and like something that would occur in real life situations. The inclusion of the flashbacks to various different points of Jenny’s (and the other character’s lives) were also insightful. The reader was able to attain a greater understanding of the context of the situations at hand and why they were so significant.

Trails in the Dust is quite a realistic book. The events and situations which unfold throughout the book are things which could easily occur within real life. The tragic death of loved ones, foster caring, domestic violence, issues relating to old age in general and adoption are all topics which are covered in the book. The characters within the book are also painted as imperfect too. Each of the characters have their own personal issues that they are coming to terms with and attempting to resolve. Some of these issues impact other characters in the book, while others just impact themselves. Despite the majority of the book being realistic, I found the part near the end where Nick is high on drugs and kidnaps Jenny to be somewhat unrealistic.Despite this, I could see how it was included due to the build up of tension between Nick and Jenny's daughter Trudy, throughout the course of the book. 

I did find the book to be a little hard to read and follow at some points and am unsure whether this would have been aided if I had read the previous six books in the series. This may be due to the author’s incredibly descriptive style of writing which does take some adapting to. I also found the characters to be quite unlikeable, I’m not sure whether this was what the author was going for or not. They were so immersed within their own bubbles that they were not aware of what was going on around them and the implications their own actions were having on the world around them. There were also so many different characters, it was difficult to decipher who was related to who when it was often never explicitly stated, especially in relation to some of the side characters.  This may be easier for those who have read the other books in the series.

Overall, Trails in the Dust was a nice change of genre for me. I would recommend to those who enjoy books set around small country towns with an emphasis upon family. While it certainly can be read as a standalone, if you would like a little more context, I would recommend checking out the first book in the Woody Creek series.

I rated this book: 3 Stars ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to MacMillan Publishers for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is now available for purchase in Australia from bookstores nationwide.

Publication date: 25^th June 2019

Publication form: Trade paperback

RRP: $32.99

Review: Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Storm and Fury is a young adult fantasy novel which integrates supernatural beings into a high paced text. It is not the first novel of Armentrout's that I have read, I have previously read some of her YA contemporaries and also quite enjoyed them too. It is quite lengthy for the first novel in a series but it engages the reader throughout, as the plot evolves over time. It encompasses so much within its pages and plot including, but not limited to, strong friendships, deceit and betrayal, adventure, complex yet lovable characters and of course demons who stir up trouble. 

The blurb:

Eighteen year old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens- gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again- but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…

The things I enjoyed…

•           I really enjoyed the world building. The author was able to successfully use two current states within the US (Virginia and Washington D.C.) to establish her story. While she could have created her own world, I think by putting it into the context of the United States, it made it feel more authentic. Her descriptions of the settings made you feel like you were there.
•           The characters. I loved Trinity and her determination and courage. Despite having a degenerative disease which was impacting her vision, she still aimed to do her absolute best at everything which was thrown at her. I also really enjoyed seeing the relationship between Trinity and Zayne develop. While at first Trinity was hesitant about the mysterious Zayne and his outsider clan, she eventually opened up to him and their relationship blossomed. I also really liked Peanut the ghost. He was such a fun addition to the cast of characters and was extremely enjoyable to read about. His antics and mischief brought happiness to Trinity when she was struggling most.
•           The different demons within the book made for a rollercoaster ride. You never knew when the demons were going to appear and this kept me engaged throughout the course of the book. I did get some vibes similar to that of V.E. Schwab’s Monsters of Verity series which is one of my favourite series’ of all time so I thought it was great that another author has delved into the world of demons and monsters and written them so well.
•           The inclusion of the Wardens and their gargoyle form was also a fascinating element of this book. I haven’t read a book before that includes gargoyles and thought it was a wonderful inclusion to the book. The shape shifting in their forms was very interesting too and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it.

Things I thought could have been adjusted... 

•  Storm and Fury is quite a lengthy book. While I thought it was written very well and the plot kept me engaged throughout, I did feel like the book dragged in some places. I do think it lacked in some action during the middle of the book and that the action near the conclusion seemed to happen very quickly. As it was a book over 500 pages, I would have thought the action that has been building up over the whole book would have been a little longer. Overall though, most of the book was well paced and kept me interested in what was going to happen next.
•  I did find Trinity’s secret a bit predictable (but this may just be due to me reading too many books and working plot twists out too early!) I feel like the extent of her powers was sort of washed over too, I would have liked to have known more about them. This may be in the author’s previous series which I have not read, so I won’t hold that against her and she may have already explained it.

Overall, I did thoroughly enjoy Storm and Fury. It had elements which made it stand out from any other fantasy book I have read before and which kept the reader interested and engaged throughout the plot. I would highly recommend it to older YA fantasy lovers who like books with a complex plot and who love the fight of good against evil.

I rated this book 3.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐🟀

Thank you to the publishers, Harlequin Books, for providing me with a copy for review.

Storm and Fury is out now and can be purchased from bookstores in Australia.

Book Review: The Secret Letter by Debbie Rix

The Secret Letter is a beautiful, yet heart wrenching tale which addresses the horrors of World War II from the perspective of the Germans and the British. It delves into the lives of two adolescent girls, not only from two different countries but quite different backgrounds, and their experiences during the years of the war. The story begins in 1939 and spans through until the early 1950s, following each girl, the difficulties that they faced and how one of them changed the others life forever.

We are told the story from two different perspectives: that of 13 year old Magda and 15 year old Imogen (this is how old they are when the story begins in 1939). Magda lives in a rural German village, not far from Munich, where she is forced to participate in Hitler related activities at school and pretend she hails him as the Fuhrer. This is something that she struggles with as she discovers over time, through communication with her brother, that Hitler is doing dreadful things (including taking her best friend away). Over the course of the book, Magda grows enormously, as she aims to do what is right and not what all the other Germans are doing. When enemy fighter planes go down near the farm, Magda does all that she can to assist and help them back to health so that they can make home to their families and to the cause against Germany. Despite being subject to harassment, sexual abuse and threats from the Gestapo, Magda stays true to her beliefs and fights for the freedom of all. I found her character developed so much throughout the book. At the beginning she made small changes to rebel against her school mates, which then led to larger changes including supporting the White Rose and hiding enemies in her house. I admired her strength and determination and how she had no fear, no matter what situation she was put in. She was such a selfless character who always wanted to help those around her who were going through hardships. 

The second narrator is Imogen, a young British girl who is forced to move to the lakes with others adolescents from her city so that they are away from the risks of bombings. As she moves around throughout the war years, from the lakes to London, France and back again, she throws her heart and soul into her job working for the war effort as a Wren but she always feels like something is missing. Imogen struggles with her love life, as she has a couple of short flings but pines for her one true love, unsure if he ever loved her as more than a friend. I found Imogen’s love life throughout the book to really play with my emotions. She was a girl that knew what she wanted, but it was just out of her reach. This would have been the case for so many relationships within the war time, the men going off to war and the women never knowing if they would come back. Rix made this part of the plot so seamless, it was as if the reader was feeling the same emotions as the characters.

I adored this book from start to finish. By having the story span over a number of years, it was great to see all of the characters develop and change so much over time and the impact that their actions had on future events. I was immersed into the world of Germany and England and felt like I was a part of the story, the story, the characters and the events were extremely emotive. Rix writes beautifully and in such a way that the contents of each page feel lifelike. One part that really toyed with my emotions was when Magda was sexually assaulted, I was extremely upset and hoped that she would get her revenge. There was no point during this book where I felt the plot lacked or slowed down, it was a high paced adventure that kept me engaged throughout. The most special part of this book was reading through and trying to work out the connections between Imogen and Magda prior to anything being revealed. As the first chapter was told in the present day, a letter between the two characters, you knew that there was going to be some form of connection between them and it was fascinating seeing how Rix interwove their stories together. The most amazing part of this book was the relationships between the characters and I feel like this was what kept me so interested as I wanted to see what happened at the end.

I would highly recommend this to those who have read The Nightingale and The Book Thief and thoroughly enjoyed them. It is a story of sacrifice, love, motivation, strength and perseverance which captivates you until the final page. It is historical fiction but is based on true events which occurred during World War II. I was blown away by this book and I’m sure you will be too.

I rated this book: 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to the publishers, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

The Secret Letter will be released internationally on the 22^nd of July 2019

Book Review: King of Fools by Amanda Foody

King of Fools is the second book in the Shadow Game series (with Ace of Shades being the first), written by Amanda Foody. If you haven’t read Ace of Shades and plan to in the future, there are a couple of spoilers from that, as this is a sequel and the synopsis does mention a couple- just skip the next paragraph or first couple of sentences.

King of Fools is an action packed, fast paced sequel set in the notorious City of Sin, which follows on directly from the first instalment. It begins as Enne and Levi have just escaped the Shadow Game, when they are faced with the fall out and a series of repercussions, including a bounty on both of their heads. This book focuses on the main characters attempting to fix the fate of New Reynes through their own deeds and with the assistance of other stakeholders and gangs. This is done both criminally and politically. The narrative is told through three different perspectives of Levi, Enne and Jac as they each face different challenges over a series of months. Levi, with the development of an unlikely partnership, Enne, attempting to build her own gang and stuck between being a street lord and proper lady, and Jac who builds an unlikely friendship with a woman who holds significant power over one of the cities wealthiest families.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Despite its intimidating size, it kept me engaged throughout and the fast pace made me want to keep reading into the night. One thing that really stood out to me was the inclusion of three narrators. As there was a lot more going on in this book, by having each of the main characters narrate, as a reader, we were able to see further into the plot and what was going on. This also allowed for the characters to develop further and to discover more about their context. I especially liked reading Jac’s point of view, as he was only a secondary character in the first book and this book really allowed for him to show what he was capable of. Jac was able to prove that he was more than just Levi’s second and he could make his own choices based upon what he believed in. I found Enne’s chapters thrilling to read too, as she battled with herself and what she believed in, whether she should be a street lord or whether she should just be a set of eyes for Vianca.

Unlike other young adult fantasy books, I commend Foody for writing about some topics which other authors may find confronting or shy away from. Within this book, there is mention of drug addiction and abuse, torture and parental abuse (to name only a few). While these scenes may be confronting for some, they allow the reader to visualise the high stakes of the city and the lengths that the characters will go to, to ensure that they are in control.

Another aspect of the book I really enjoyed was the inclusion of Enne’s gang and the feminist representation within. These girls all came together with a common goal of seizing power in a city where the men were seen to rule the gangs. Despite their differences, they all worked together to achieve their goals despite numerous setbacks. I also admired the character of Enne and how she changed so much from Ace of Shades. Her character development was phenomenal, going from a girl who was used to a fancy finishing school, to leading a gang. Over time, she learnt the ways of the city and that it was a fight to survive.

This book also included mystery within its pages too. This aura of mystery made me want to continue reading, to find out what was happening. There was the mystery regarding who Vianca’s third omerta was which left the reader guessing throughout the whole book. There was also the mystery regarding Sophie, who she is and what her intentions were over the course of the book. These were two things within the book which kept me guessing until the very end and made me engage more with the plot.

I also felt like the characters were further developed throughout this book. While the various other gangs were introduced in Ace of Shades, King of Fools gave Foody the opportunity to flesh out these gangs and the members within them. The reader was able to find out more about the gangs, what they were after (considering the events of the previous book) and how they aimed to achieve this. There were shifting alliances, new members joining old gangs and new gangs being formed. I especially liked learning more about the Scarhands and the Doves as they were previously introduced but not too much was known about them.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading King of Fools and following Enne, Levi and Jac on their journeys in New Reynes. This was a book that kept me engaged throughout due to its fast pace and inclusion of so much action. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book when it is released to see where the plot goes!

I rated this book: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

King of Fools will be released in Australia later this month and has already been released in the US. Thank you to the publishers, Harlequin Australia, for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley

More about the book and information regarding where to purchase can be found by accessing the link below:

https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781489276971/king-of-fools/

Blog Tour: Sky by Ondine Sherman

Welcome to my blog and my stop on the Sky blog tour!

Sky by Ondine Sherman is a young adult contemporary book which tackles many issues young adult authors have shyed away from in the past. It considers veganism and the struggles that come with that, animal rights, coming to terms with the death of a parent and trying to fit into a new town.

The synopsis is as follows:

After her mother’s death, Sky leaves her city life to move in with her aunt and uncle in a small Australian town. When her mum was alive, Sky knew who she was: a kind hearted and full of a passion for justice, especially the rights of animals. She was also a vegan whose hero was Jane Goodall. And until recently, she preferred the company of dogs to boys. But being vegan and trying to fit in to her new home isn’t easy. Her aunt has forgotten she doesn’t eat meat, and Sky is desperately lonely without her mother and friends. It seems the only way to fit in and make friends is to pretend to be someone she’s not.

When Sky starts to investigate the local chicken farm for a school project, the cruelty she witnesses goes to the very heart of who she is. She knows she has to do something, but what? Can one single act really make a difference? 

Let’s start off with the characters. I thought the inclusion of a vegan protagonist was a great idea, but the execution I did struggle with a little. I found Sky to be quite difficult. She had been through a lot in the past few months with the loss of her mum and with the move to the country to live with her aunt and uncle. Despite this, I still feel like she was very blunt towards her aunt. She was abrupt towards her because she forgot that she was vegan. I feel like Sky could have just told her that she didn’t eat meat because I’m sure it was just an honest mistake and that it wasn’t due to her not caring about her. Her aunt was also going through a very difficult time, losing her sister, struggling to make ends meet and conceive. I just wish that Sky was a little more understanding and could see that she was not the only one with problems in her life.

I found the parts of the book regarding her new friends interesting. All Sky wanted to do was fit in and that ultimately meant hanging out with the ‘cool’ kids. I enjoyed seeing Sky and her attempts to fit in with this group, while it did not eventuate in the end. This is an all too common situation in high schools, with students trying to fit a mould that they don’t fit and bringing it into the book made it more realistic. I was saddened when she was trying to fit in by not eating (where there were no vegan options), I feel like she should have been upfront about this but suppose that she felt she would not have been cool if she’d been honest about her views.

The animal rights arc within this book was extremely prominent and so critical to the main themes being conveyed. I applaud Sky for standing up for the chickens and for what she believed was right. Without her risky antics, the farm would never have been discovered as being unethical and she could live knowing that she made a difference to the lives of hundreds of animals. I feel like by using chickens as examples, you get two sides of an argument. Some people do not believe that having chickens in cages is animal cruelty while others do. If this had of been written with a more severe case of animal cruelty, you would not have been able to see two sides of an argument. Nevertheless, the book goes into great depth about the impact that the cages have upon the chickens and how they would benefit from being free from the cages.

I thought that this was a really eye opening book. This was the first book I’d ever read that is focused around animal rights and veganism. In young adult books, it is so important to consider new views and I feel like this book did it in a positive way. These are issues which are present in Australia today and I felt that Sherman has done an excellent job at portraying these to those who may not have been aware of them.

While I am not vegan, while reading this book I came to accept veganism and it increased my understanding of vegans and how they are so passionate about what they believe in and strive to make the world a better place. I would highly recommend this book to younger young adult readers as it is very easy to read and deals with complex issues that they might find easier to understand in a novel format. It places so much importance on veganism as a lifestyle choice and how Sky aims to stick to this despite numerous battles.

I rated this 3/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐

Sky is available for purchase now from all good booksellers in Australia

Thank you to Pantera Press and Aus YA Bloggers for providing me with a copy of the book for review purposes and for allowing me to participate in the blog tour!

 Happy reading J

Review: The Boy who Steals Houses

The Boy who Steals Houses is the second novel written by Australian author C.G. Drews. It is just as emotional as her first novel, A Thousand Perfect Notes (if you haven’t read it, please do yourself a favour and pick it up), but also focuses on so many other important issues that other authors seem to shy away from.

The synopsis is as follows:

Can two broken boys find their perfect home?
Sam is only fifteen but he and his autistic older brother, Avery, have been abandoned by every relative he's ever known. Now Sam's trying to build a new life for them. He survives by breaking into empty houses when their owners are away, until one day he's caught out when a family returns home. To his amazement this large, chaotic family takes him under their wing - each teenager assuming Sam is a friend of another sibling. Sam finds himself inextricably caught up in their life, and falling for the beautiful Moxie. 
But Sam has a secret, and his past is about to catch up with him.

Often it takes me a while to get into a book, but this novel had me captivated from the first few pages. Early on we learn that main character, Sam (Sammy) Lou and his brother Avery are both homeless. While Avery often gets by through couch surfing, Sam goes around breaking into people’s houses, whether they are on holiday or just out for the night, so that he has somewhere safe to stay. He collects the house keys from each house so it gives him a sense of hope that maybe one day he will have somewhere that he can call home. The story is told through both the present day and through a series of flashbacks. The flashbacks retell events which occurred between the boys and various family members over a number of years. The most difficult part I found to deal with was the domestic violence. The domestic violence that both him and Avery were subject to was difficult to read and how Sam in particular was treated by various people within his life was upsetting. Both boys had been through so much in life, they were well overdue for some happiness. Throughout the whole book, all I wanted to do was alleviate some of Sam’s pain.

One aspect of the book I really thought was well done was the Autism rep. All too often authors shy away from representing people with disabilities in their books but the character of Avery was so well done. The tics, panic attacks, need for routine and things to not change and being naïve are all things commonly associated with Autism and these were all represented in Avery. The one thing which stood out to me was his relationship with his ‘older’ friends and how they took advantage of him. This is all too common of people with Autism as all they want is to feel accepted. I loved seeing the relationship between Avery and Sam develop throughout the novel too. Even though Sam was the little brother, he was so protective of his older brother that he would do anything to ensure that he was safe. This was not only in the present time of the story, but through the flashbacks too.

While I absolutely loved every aspect of this book, what really stood out to me were the characters, not only Sam and Avery, but each member of the DeLainey family who appear after Sam is discovered in their house. Each DeLainey family member has their own quirks and it was great seeing them develop a relationship with Sam over time. Moxie was certainly a stand out and she was such a fun character to read about as she dared to be different. It was like reading about a regular family from the suburbs and it was so easy to relate to in that sense. I also really liked reading about the other characters who were key to the story, but who had a negative impact upon the main characters (I won’t go into detail as, spoilers). While these characters were awful to Sam and Avery, it was interesting to discover the reasons behind their actions and how these had an impact on the future.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Boy who Steals Houses. While it was an emotional rollercoaster which involved so many themes, ultimately it was the relationship between Sam and Avery which made this book so special. The brotherly bond was critical to the plot and withheld everything that was thrown at them over the years. So will Sam and Avery find a place to call home? You will need to read this beautiful piece of work to find out!

I rated this book: 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Boy who Steals Houses is released on the 9th of April in Australia

Thank you to the publishers, Hachette Australia, for providing me a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog tour: Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard

Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard

Publisher: PanMacmillan Australia 

Release Date: 12/2/19 (Australia)

RRP: $17.99

Rating: 4 and a half stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard is the second installment in the Beautiful Broken Things series. It continues two years after the original story as the three teenage girls from Brighton, Caddy, Rosie and Suzanne, begin to embark down different paths once they finish high school. While the first book was narrated by Caddy, Fierce Fragile Hearts is told from Suzanne's perspective as she moves back to Brighton and begins to come to terms with a range of issues which have been plaguing her for a number of years. This is the ultimate chance for Suzanne to start her life again, with those who have always been there for her through life's ups and downs.

I read Beautiful Broken Things a couple of years ago when it was released and my main issue with the book was Suzanne as a character. I found her to be difficult to understand with her flighty and spontaneous decisions and did not understand why she was so different. After immersing myself into Fierce Fragile Hearts, I have gained a greater understanding of her as a character and why she was so difficult to understand. By having a different narrator, the reader has the ability to come to understand another characters perspective which provides greater depth to the overall story. Fierce Fragile Hearts provides Suzanne with the opportunity to share her struggles and how they have impacted her over a number of years. These are still evident in the present day as she finds it extremely difficult to open up to those around her and wants to be independent yet is barely keeping herself together. I really enjoyed hearing Suzanne's story throughout the course of the book and the way the author wrote about her perspective. Barnard is not afraid to tackle complex issues including dealing with emotional and mental scarring from abuse and does so in a way that is believable.

One of the highlights of the book is how Suzanne comes to terms with her past and decides she wants to better herself for her future. She has been subject to trauma and abuse within her family which has a severe impact on her and how she goes about her daily life. This is something that so many people face throughout their lives and with the events she has been faced with previously, Suzanne wants to ensure they do not impact her future. She has been through so much in her 18 years and overall, this book focuses on her realising her flaws and wanting to overcome them independently. While she finds this is almost impossible to do as Suzanne comes to the realisation that she needs support from those around her, including her friends and (some) family. She is a fiercely strong character who shows determination in everything that she does, even if she does not believe in herself.

Another part of this book which is significantly important is friendship. Despite their differences, Caddy, Rosie and Suzanne are incredibly supportive of one another no matter the distance between them. While Caddy and Rosie head off to university in different areas of the country, the three of them keep in constant contact to ensure that they are always there for one another. There are difficulties that they face over time, but overall, friendship prevails. Another friendship I thoroughly enjoyed reading about was the one that was created between Suzanne and Dilys. While it was an unexpected friendship, Dilys was there for Suzanne when she needed someone the most and continued to be a shoulder to lean on when times got tough. She was an outsider who was able to look in and provide solid advice.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Fierce Fragile Hearts. It was a raw, honest and well written book with a focus on friendship and overcoming the struggles of abuse. Barnard has written in such a way that the reader becomes emotionally attached to the characters and is able to understand the issues they are facing. 

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a copy of  the book to review and for the invitation to participate in the blog tour with AusYABloggers!