It’s been more than a year between book reviews. How did that even happen?
I’ve been reading. I’ve been enjoying reading. I just haven’t gotten around to sharing that enjoyment with you all.
Well, this time I am. AND I have a copy to give away! WOOHOO!
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Lonely Girl / Lynne Vincent McCarthy
(Macmillan, 2018)
In the shadow of a mountain in small-town Tasmania, a woman named Ana is watching the clock, marking the days until she ends her life.
The strange, reclusive daughter of the local pariah, that’s how people will remember her, when they remember her at all. No one will mourn her, she reasons, not really. Not even her faithful dog River. The only thing she’s waiting for is the opportunity.
But then, on the very day she planned to end it all, the police find the body of local woman Rebecca Marsden. And for Ana, that changes everything. Because Ana was the last person to see Rebecca alive. Because Ana thinks she knows who killed her. And because Ana has decided to keep him for herself…
I almost said no to the opportunity to read and review this book. It sounded compelling, but it also sounded triggering, and while the blurb I received didn’t give away too much, it seemed the tale would most certainly include violence, ambush and entrapment.
But the premise was too rare to pass up. If I ask you to name all the books you can think of with a female-holds-male-captive narrative, can you think of any more than Stephen King’s Misery?
Ana lives with her dog, River, in the house that was her grandmother’s. River is dying, and Ana plans to follow him when he dies.
But life throws a spanner in the works. In the shape of a could-be is-he isn’t-he maybe-yes maybe-no murderer.
Lonely Girl sucked me in early. Which is no mean feat for a book in which I disliked almost every character I encountered.
How did it suck me in? I just had to know. I just had to know how someone could do what Ana did, and how they could justify it to themselves. A past me wouldn’t have thought the events of this book were possible. Unfortunately, I no longer think of people’s ability to talk themselves into despicable acts as fiction.
How could someone do such awful things? How could they justify to themselves the doing of those awful things, and not step back and think ‘NOW I’ve gone too far’ at each point of escalation?
I’ll never understand, but – one more time for the people up the back – I just had to know. I approached this book with trepidation and read it at arm’s length, and I was appalled, disgusted, disturbed and shocked. And I was unwittingly, unwillingly, totally and completely hooked.
And, I’m pleased to say, I remain okay with the world. A riveting read that didn’t give me nightmares. Winner.
I’m still thinking about the ending. If you read this book, I’d love to discuss it with you. But I’ll be ending the review there before the spoilers start to flow.
Standout lines (that don’t contain spoilers):
- She knows what it feels like to be a creature that can only emerge when no one is watching.
- Apart from the flakes of pastry now collecting on his shirt Lenny is a study in curated coolness. He’s one of those natural born nerds who styled himself out of op shops long before the hipster invasion gave him contemporary currency.
- This is it, the action that will push her beyond simply reacting and into the realm of premeditation.
- She has no idea what to do with such naked grief. She wants to run from it but she can’t leave him to bear it alone.
- It wasn’t enough for either of them but she pretended it was enough for her.
Lonely Girl is Lynne Vincent McCarthy’s first novel. Is it too early to say I can’t wait for the next one?
You can purchase Lonely Girl from Booktopia here and find out more about the book from the publisher, Macmillan. Or you can enter to win your very own copy below!
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GIVEAWAY!
Thanks to the team at Macmillan, I have a copy of Lonely Girl to give away!
For your chance to win, leave a comment below answering the following question in 25 words or less: What do you love best about a good thriller?
This competition has now closed. Congratulations to our winner, Cassandra!
(If you’d like some general tips on winning games of skill, head to my post on how to win 25-words-or-less competitions. And if you think that should read 25 words or fewer, check out this one as well.)
{Here comes a whole lot of fine print stuff. Yawn. This competition is open to Australian entrants only, and delivery must be to an Australian address. This competition is based on skill. My judgement is final, and no correspondence will be entered into. Unless you have read Lonely Girl and would like to discuss it in detail. In which case, let’s correspond! The prize is one (1) copy of Lonely Girl, RRP $29.99. Competition opens 6.00pm 2 July 2018 and closes 11.59pm 8 July 2018, AEST. Yawn. The winner will be contacted and must respond within three days to claim their prize. The winner will be announced in an update to this post and on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram when the winner has confirmed. The prize is provided by Macmillan and will be sent by Macmillan directly. Yawn. The end. Zzzzz.}
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* This is not a sponsored post. I received a copy of Lonely Girl from Macmillan for the purposes of review, and they will provide the giveaway copy. All views are my own. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click to purchase the item, I may earn a little commission, but you won’t pay any extra.
The twists, behaviour and mental state of the characters that leave me thinking about it even after I’ve finished reading the book.
I’m still thinking about this book weeks later! Good sign?
Thanks for entering the comp.
I love a good thriller that keeps me guessing and has a good twist. But then I also like ones that are a little predictable so I can say “I knew it!” And feel clever 🙂
YES! Gotta love both those scenarios!
A good thriller captures my imagination immediately and then follows up with plot twists.
I wonder if there’s been a scientific study into the perfect number of plot twists for a good thriller?!
I love a good scare
that deep to the bones fear
that leaves you too frightened to leave your chair fear
That terrified feeling fear
I don’t need a good thriller – I’ve got chills from your comment!
The sleepless nights where nothing is real except the book I hold in my hands. I hear only the words. I see only imagination.
So many sleepless nights. SOOOOOO many can’t-put-this-book-down nights!
A good thriller keeps me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages and always has a killer twist.
KILLER twist. I see what you did there!
Oooh great review! Now I want to read it! A great thriller, for me, is a page-turner which delves deeply into darker motivations while balancing it with a bit of light relief.
Ooh, nice. Yes, it has to have both. It can’t be all darkness.
Definitely the adrenaline rush a good thriller gives, from the comfort of the couch! Bonus points if I can’t pick the twist!
Excellent use of bonus points!
The best thrillers I’ve read are the ones where I think I’ve got it all figured out and then – boom – plot twist! And I’m left feeling why didn’t I see that coming??
I like this. You’re thinking you’re so clever, mwahaha I am so great, then BAM!
The thrill of the chase and ultimately right winning over wrong..not necessarily good over evil..when the ending satisfies your view of the world..
I love this. Right over wrong doesn’t necessarily mean good over evil… I’ll be thinking about this response for as long as I’ll be thinking about a good thriller!
The suspense! Love that I have to keep reading to find out and sad when I have to put the book down to sleep.
Great response! My solution: sleep is optional.
I love a good thriller because of there twists heart racing adventures with who did it or who lives. Nothing better then a good thriller
Heart-racing is a good description. It has to suck you in, doesn’t it?
I sensed your trepidation but you went on..and I now gather that you are pleased you did.
I am not a great fiction reader much anymore. I have listened to Eleanor Oliphant and I loved it so much because of the narrator along with the story line.
Great to see you back here in bloggy land. I think of you often.
Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek. Next week’s optional prompt is “My Home Country” 28/52. Denyse x
I have to mix up the categories to keep interested. From thriller to historical fiction to biography to drama to poetry. Thanks for sharing my post!
I love how it scares the pants off me and gives me shivers down my spine. That’s a fantastic Thriller!
Keep those pants on, please! 😉 Haha, thanks for entering x
A great read. I love your review. Lonely Girl is one of those books I found hard to review without spoilers. I agree with you about the ending, it’s definitely an ending that warrants discussion.
I think it’s a book that could have ended one of at least four ways. SOOOOO much to talk about!
Thinking I know what is going to happen and being surprised when I am wrong. That is the best!
It really is, isn’t it? Unless you realise it was obvious and you’re just a bit of a doofus. #beenthere #donethat
Crime fiction, and particularly good thrillers, test my ability to solve the crime before the experts. That challenge is the stimulation I crave in books.
I love that idea as a challenge. Do you take breaks from the book to see if you can work it out, or just plough through?
Love the twists, yes, but even more having my prejudices revealed. My shifts in character assessments when more information’s revealed and why. Lessons for life!
This was yet another response that really made me think. I love that, too. Learning a lesson while also having an incredible reading experience.
That a good thriller is like a black hole. Everything disappears: stress, worries, time itself. All that matters is what’s on that page.
Oh, how great is it when you lose yourself in a book to the extent that everything else disappears?! Thanks for entering.