Wulf's Book Reviews

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls My rating: 3 of 5 stars I’ve had a hard time reading “ The Glass Castle ” by Jeannette Walls . Walls describes the horrors (and a few good times, few and far between) of her childhood and adolescence. While I kept wishing someone had intervened, I still felt thoroughly disengaged from the memoir. Walls describes everything without allowing any emotions to shine through. “Glass Castle” reads like it has been written by a detached observer. It’s a sterile, antiseptic report, which is undoubtedly well-written but, to me, not very interesting. Only during the very first chapter are there any meaningful emotional components and in her acknowledgements, Walls states being “grateful to my father, Rex S. Walls, for dreaming all those big dreams”. These are the dreams of a man who repeatedly tried to sell his own daughter to strangers to rape her. Moreover, he goes on to victim-blame her. Walls is also grateful to her mother “for believing in art and truth”...

Dead Memories by Angela Marsons My rating: 5 of 5 stars A clever and chilling thriller that blends psychological depth, intense suspense, and emotional storytelling as Kim Stone’s past is dragged back into the present. “ Dead Memories ”, the 10th instalment in Angela Marsons' brilliant “D.I. Kim Stone” series , was yet another great read. As I state so often in these reviews - this one is the best one yet. This time, Kim is brutally haunted by her past: A murderer is recreating the traumas of Kim’s time in the child care system. Many of these have already been featured in earlier novels but some of them are new to the reader and truly horrible. While this novel is not as dark as some of its predecessors, there is one scene of sexualised violence against a child. You have been warned. Marsons wouldn’t be Marsons, though, if she didn’t manage to create an extremely well-balanced, suspenseful, and, at its core, very humane novel out of this. Apart from the well-established team by n...

Anything for You by Samantha Brinn My rating: 5 of 5 stars Anything for You: A Feminist Utopia Wrapped in Warmth and Wit. I just wish it wasn’t fiction. “ Anything for You ” by Samantha Brinn is the third instalment of the “ Laws of You ” series and continues the story of Hallie, Julie, Molly, and, in this novel, Emma. These four female protagonists are best friends (or “found family” as they regard each other) and share a law practice. They’re all strong, capable, empathetic women in their late twenties or early thirties with distinct personalities and well-established backgrounds. They basically read a little too well to be true but that’s part of my enjoyment of these novels, and we’ll get to that in a moment. Beyond that, they’re part of a group of friends and partners most of whom appear in every novel. While I usually much prefer small cameo appearances, this different approach works brilliantly here: While Brinn’s focus is clearly on the respective protagonists, she effortles...

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan My rating: 3 of 5 stars I wish I could have enjoyed “ Before I Let Go ” by Kennedy Ryan more than I did because there is a lot to like in it: Yasmen and Josiah Wade are divorced after suffering devastating losses and finding out they’re incompatible in their respective grieving. Nevertheless, they run a successful restaurant together and do their best at co-parenting. So far, so good. Told in dual points of view, from both Yasmen’s and Josiah’s perspectives, the novel—very obviously a second chance romance—tells the story of how both grow and, ultimately, find their way back together. In terms of writing, I have absolutely no complaints: Ryan's prose is confident and elegant. Depending on the perspective and context, she succeeds in striking the right tone: sometimes clear and straightforward, sometimes light and playful, sometimes metaphorical and powerful. » That kind of depression is blunter than sadness. Sharper than misery. It is the impenetr...

Fatal Promise by Angela Marsons My rating: 4 of 5 stars Back to reviewing after a nasty encounter with the flu or something. Angela Marsons “ Fatal Promise ” is another solid entry in the D.I. Kim Stone series , though it doesn’t quite reach the heights of some of its predecessors. One of the standout aspects of this instalment is the introduction of a new team member, Penn, who brings a different dynamic to the group. Marsons handles this addition well, allowing the character to integrate naturally into the existing team while also providing enough backstory to make him feel fully realised. The novel also delves deeper into Kim Stone’s personal struggles, particularly how she deals with loss and grief. Marsons has always excelled at balancing the professional and personal lives of her characters, and “Fatal Promise” is no exception. Kim’s growth as a character is evident, and her resilience in the face of adversity continues to make her one of the most compelling protagonists in cr...