Hi everyone! April turned out to be a pretty good reading month despite being stuck in lockdown with a never ending pile of PhD work. I think the OWLs readathon (hosted by BookRoast on YouTube) really helped keep me motivated over the last few weeks and meant that I actually read some books on my TBR that had been gathering dust for quite some time. Unfortunately, I didn't finish all of my prompts (only read 3/4 books), but I will make sure that I finish Six of Crows for my final prompt in May...
Here are the books that I read in April!
The Bystander Effect by Catherine Sanderson - 4 STARS
Firstly, thank you to the lovely bunch at @tandemcollectiveuk and @wmcollinsbooks (Instagram) for gifting me a copy of The Bystander Effect and inviting me to participate in #TheBystanderEffectReadalong this month. I'm very grateful to have taken part and it was so lovely to discuss the book with other like-minded individuals. The Bystander Effect is a non-fiction, Social Psychology book that centres around the 'Psychology of Courage and Inaction'. Essentially, why are people generally good at recognising bad behaviour (i.e. a sexist remark, racial slur, the consequences of being ordered to give someone a lethal shock), but simultaneously find themselves struggling to speak up and intervene?
Catherine Sanderson uses a mixture of psychological and neuroimaging evidence alongside real-life scenarios, like the Kitty Genovese and James Bulger cases, to outline 'The Bystander Effect' and its consequences. The first few chapters outline what 'The Bystander Effect' is and reasons why people are likely to act like a bystander when witnessing bad behaviour. If you have studied Psychology before (either at A-Level or Degree level), then you will most likely already be familiar with this phenomena and many of the signposted studies throughout. However, as a PhD Psychology student, I still discovered fascinating studies I hadn't come across before, like the cited studies on painkillers and social pain - so cool! Subsequently, there are chapters dedicated to tackling the bystander effect and fostering ethical behaviour in various settings: schools (bullying), colleges (sexual harassment and abuse), and in the workplace. I imagine these particular chapters will have significant practical implications for many readers. However, for me personally, the final chapters on learning how to act and becoming a 'moral rebel' were the strongest and most inspiring. Sanderson describes many protective factors that may prevent bystander behaviour and how to develop these skills ourselves. I found myself reflecting on situations where I have been a bystander in my life and I now feel like I have the tools and knowledge to prevent this from happening in the future. If you would like to see my responses to the various question cards that accompanied my copy of this book, these can be found under the 'BE Readalong' highlight on my Instagram page - @emviolxt.
However, this book read like a 'Social Psychology Beginners Textbook' for me and I found the writing to be quite repetitive. Additionally, I would've liked to read more studies that perhaps challenge the current literature on bystander behaviours and other confounding or extraneous factors that may have altered the reported findings. However, from a lay persons perspective, this would be a fantastic introduction to 'The Bystander Effect'!
Overall, this was a very thought provoking and inspiring read. Our silence and inaction allow bad behaviours and adverse situations to continue. Don't be a bystander. Speak up, show empathy and learn to be brave!
Paper Girls (Vol 1) by Brian K. Vaughn - 4 STARS
This mysterious, sci-fi graphic novel centres around four 12-year old girls who discover something 'other wordly' whilst delivering newspapers in the early hours of Halloween 1988.
I've recently set myself the aim to have at least one graphic novel on my TBR each month and for April, this was 'Paper Girls'. The aesthetic cover is what initially drew me in (I know, yes, don't judge a book by its cover and all that, but admit it, we all do!). Reading this was like being transported into a very strange dream. I won't lie to you, I'm not sure what the hell was happening 95% of the time throughout reading this, but I sure did love it! The colouring and aesthetics were stunning and the way this volume ended... I need to read volume two very soon!
House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas - 4.5 STARS
Goodreads synopsis: "Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it."
I lived with this book for over a month and when I finished reading, I really didn't know what to do with myself? Firstly, I need to emphasise that this book was extremely long and whilst I appreciated the world building and learning about the various cities, creatures, magic etc., the story contained lengthy and unnecessary verbose throughout. I did find some scenes rather uncomfortable to read too and would rather they had been excluded in the editing process since they didn't actually add anything extra to the story apart from discomfort. Personally, the vast range of supernatural species and strong characters are what made me fall in love with this book. I liked the burning tension between Bryce and Hunt and I loved learning about Bryce and Danika's friendship. However, my favourite character was Ruhn Danaan, the fae prince. I found myself really looking forward to reading chapters from his POV. I hope that he will feature more prominently in the second book. Please note that I hadn't read any of Sarah J. Maas' work before this, but I have heard from others both on Booktube and Bookstagram, that if you don't like Sarah J Maas' writing style and didn't particularly enjoy reading any of her previous books, then you're unlikely to feel different about this adult fantasy.
All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban - 5 STARS
This twisty YA fantasy opens with a group of teenagers, all of whom have received a scholarship letter inviting them to attend a dinner. Shortly after they arrive, it quickly becomes apparent that they haven't been invited to a dinner at all. They've been lured into a sickening trap. A note accompanies a ticking time bomb and a syringe filled with poison on the table - choose someone to kill, otherwise everyone will die.
I devoured this book. It was sitting on a 4 star rating for me up until 75% of the way through. BUT THE LAST 25%... WOW. The major plot twist changed my opinion and rating dramatically. The pacing was perfectly executed and the plot was incredibly clever and twisty - a power combination for a YA thriller. There are a few trigger warnings throughout, especially concerning suicide and drug abuse, so I recommend checking those before reading. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a gripping and fast-paced YA thriller they can binge-read in one sitting!
I devoured this book. It was sitting on a 4 star rating for me up until 75% of the way through. BUT THE LAST 25%... WOW. The major plot twist changed my opinion and rating dramatically. The pacing was perfectly executed and the plot was incredibly clever and twisty - a power combination for a YA thriller. There are a few trigger warnings throughout, especially concerning suicide and drug abuse, so I recommend checking those before reading. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a gripping and fast-paced YA thriller they can binge-read in one sitting!
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell - 5 STARS
 I've provided the Amazon synopsis for this story because I feel like this gives a more rounded and eloquent description than I could write: "Vanessa Wye was fifteen-years old when she first had sex with her English teacher. She is now thirty-two and in the storm of allegations against powerful men in 2017, the teacher, Jacob Strane, has just been accused of sexual abuse by another former student. Vanessa is horrified by the news, because she is quite certain that the relationship she had with Strane wasn't abuse. It was love. She's sure of that. Forced to rethink her past, to revisit everything that had happened, Vanessa has to redefine the great love story of her life - her great sexual awakening - as rape. Now she must deal with the possibility that she might be a victim, and just one of many..." I gave this heart wrenching, nauseating and beautifully written story 5 stars. This was an extremely challenging read, but I knew that it would be. Many breaks were taken while reading this. There were times where the story got very dark and uncomfortable, so I needed to distance myself for a little while. However, I needed to know what was going to happen next. I really liked the dual timeline and it was interesting to read Vanessa's perspective both when she was young and then when she was older. Growing up is difficult enough without the awful abuse and trauma Vanessa experienced. Notably, the author described dissociation so authentically, something I haven't noticed in other books I've read, and for that I was extremely grateful. There are obvious trigger warnings throughout this book (pedophilia, sexual abuse, rape, emotional abuse, gaslighting), but please do look up the full list prior to reading. As I said, it's a dark and difficult reading experience. The audiobook was wonderfully narrated. I feel like Grace Gummer really brought Vanessa to life for me, which made it all feel even more raw and real. I will never forget this story and its importance. |
An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen - 4 STARS
In this tense psychological thriller, Jessica signs up to a psychology study on ethics and morality. As with all psychological studies that have received ethical approval, 'anonymity is guaranteed'. Or is it? As the questions start to become more invasive and the sessions begin to escalate in ways she hadn't imagined, it becomes very clear to Jessica that something is rather wrong with the mysterious Dr Shields. Does Dr Shields really know what she's thinking? Ahhh, this was a real page turner! Parts of this story were so intense, I found my palms sweating and pulse racing. Hendricks and Pekkanen have a talent for building spine-tingling suspense designed to evoke a visceral reaction. However, the ending for me felt extremely rushed and as a result, I didn't feel super satisfied with how things were left. I felt like I blinked and missed the ending, which is a real shame because I loved the majority of this story. Nevertheless, I still liked the writing style and the complexity of the characters. Every scene with Dr Shields made me shudder! Now that I have read this novel and 'You Are Not Alone' by the same authors, I definitely need to read 'The Wife Between Us' to complete my Hendricks and Pekkanen reading experience.
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So that's a wrap on my reading during April 2020! Have any of you read any of the aforementioned books or are you thinking about adding one of these books to your TBR? I'd love to know! I hope you are all staying safe and well during this particularly turbulent time. Take care, Emma x
Instagram - @emviolxt
Twitter - @emviolxtreads
Goodreads - Emma Violet (@emviolxt)
Instagram - @emviolxt
Twitter - @emviolxtreads
Goodreads - Emma Violet (@emviolxt)
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