My Latest Booktube Video

This is my quick Booktube video reviewing an intriguing book about a group of women trapped in a cage.

A Fascinating Book About Imprisonment (short dramatic narrative) #booktube #bookish #booktoker
https://youtu.be/0o4PRqvaoQo

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Book Review: Different Class – A Gripping Novel

It has been a while since I finished a book and wrote a book review on the blog. This week I got to the end of ‘Different Class’ by Joanne Harris and I am keen to share my thoughts on it.

Having read the first book in the series, ‘Gentlemen and Players,’ I was really looking forward to get to find out what happened next. St Oswald’s Grammar School in North Yorkshire was once again the setting for a complex drama which revolved around Roy Straitley, the Latin teacher who was devoted to his job.

The Plot

The story jumps back and forth between 1981 and 2005. Back then some boys had got into some bother related to a missing lad and some drowned mice. Later on, one of those boys returned to St Oswald’s as the head teacher. His presence shakes Roy and begins a suspicious set of events that rock the whole town.

Straitley is soon under pressure to retire so that a fresh group of staff can come onboard. He smells trouble and finds himself in the middle of a confusing set of events. In the background, a disappearance, a staff reshuffle and some fairly offensive policies make St Oswald’s seem much less popular than before.

As usual, Harris can be relied upon to unravel a gripping storyline which soon engages you and sucks you right in. Twists and turns are written cleverly and help to keep you guessing. Each chapter is told by one of the key characters and the quality of writing is wonderful.

Summary

If you like a mystery drama then this novel is for you. Although it follows Gentlemen and Players, it also sits well as a story by itself. The characters are interesting and fully developed. Definitely download a sample of this narrative and I am sure you will find yourself wanting more.

I hope that you enjoyed my book review. For more of my bookish content, check out Books that are satisfying me . Please follow my blog and share a comment if you have read this or another of Joanne’s books.

The Girl in the Blue Coat – Book Review

I just finished a story which was set in Amsterdam during the Second World War. This book was really interesting and thought-provoking so I felt I definitely should make time to review it on this blog. Packed with history and twists and turns, this book was even better than I initially expected.

‘The Girl in the Blue Coat‘ was published in 2016 by a writer called Monica Hesse and caught my attention because of its intriguing title and brilliant front cover design. Holland is one of my favourite countries and I had intended to visit Amsterdam in 2020 but the pandemic stopped me. Meanwhile, this book has transported me back there, during the 1940s, a time of shortages and conflict.

Now I feel even more motivated to go soon and, whilst in Amsterdam lookout for the features mentioned in this beautiful novel.

The Story

Hanneke was known for sneaking around Amsterdam delivering contraband goods, such as pieces of cheese and meat, otherwise not allowed during rationing. Whatever her clients wanted, she would somehow lay her hands on it. Hiding her deals behind a seemingly normal life, she was still grieving the death of her boyfriend, who had perished at war. Sneaking around behind her parents’ backs, she had woven a complex web of friends and confidantes.

One day, while in an old lady’s house, she was asked to find a missing Jewish girl (a girl in the blue coat) that had been living secretly in a hidden annex. Hanneke immediately got drawn into lots of difficult situations as she made it her life’s mission to find and protect the girl – Mirjam, hoping to do her bit for her community.

Thoughts

This book is advertised as a YA story but was a very mature tale of people suffering under the German occupation of Holland. Hanneke gets involved in the resistance as she delves into a trail of clues that she thinks will lead her to Mirjam – increasingly known as the girl in the blue coat. In some ways she feels she owes the world something for allowing her boyfriend to go off and join the army. She is constantly punishing herself for this decision, which she believes was her doing.

The writing is clever and entertaining. Each chapter is short and the book length is around 152 pages on Apple Books. I will definitely be looking out for more books by Monica Hesse as this was compelling and satisfying. I totally recommend checking out ‘The Girl in the Blue Coat.’

Thank you for taking the time to read my brief review. For another YA book review, check here. If you want to read similar future content about books as well as the environment, perhaps consider following my growing blog.