Review: Pippa

Pippa by Malynda Schlegel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! This is not an easy review to write. I don’t want to give away anything. Yet a warning is needed. I will do my best.
I’m still digesting what I read. I would place this as psychological suspense. To be honest, for a few chapters, I wasn’t exactly certain what I was reading. Some of it felt like a coming of age story. Pippa comes from a dysfunctional family. There are two other children who are also from dysfunctional families. I was hooked from the start. I know dysfunctional. I have been interested is the why of people’s choices and thinking for at least thirty years. I knew something was off with Pippa, her family and the others who play major parts. The author tells you this in her description but leaves off how well she can confuse things. I was intrigued at the beginning of the story then fascinated and then that ending! I read this book nearly nonstop. It stayed in my head the brief times I set it down. I loved the friendships, dysfunctional as they were also. I thought a lot about how the children tried. I thought a lot about how adults let them down. I thought about people I knew in my life. I will be thinking about this book for awhile. It is not always an easy read. If you had a traumatic life, some of this may trigger memories. I would caution you to be ready for that. There are some not so nice things in this book though the author did not choose to be very graphic. There is a scene with an animal that is disturbing. It was brief but is told by Pippa. Choose wisely when deciding if this book is for you.
I was given an arc e-copy for review purposes. My review is based on my honest thoughts of it. I gave it five stars because it held me captive until the end, I wanted more of the story after the end, I cared about the children, it made me think about how dysfunction in families affect others, it made me think how easy it can be to lead a child and how much we need to improve services for children, and it is a book I would have conversations about. It is a book I would be interested in hearing others thoughts about it.

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Review: Strawberries & Crème Murder

Strawberries & Crème Murder by Susan Gillard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is my first time reading this author.
I’m intrigued by this book/series. I liked the mystery and that it was a quick read. I didn’t like that I didn’t really get to know Heather or really any of the characters, not even Dave the dog. I’m hoping that as the series goes along the main characters will develop more. It is possible since these are quick books the author is choosing to let us get to know everyone a little at a time. That would be fine as we don’t know anyone very well our first meeting. I also question how quickly and easily Heather is allowed to help with the investigation. I can go with things though if I like the characters.
It took me about an hour or so to read it. It was interesting enough that I plan to read a few more to see how the story and characters develop.


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