Review: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

5 stars for Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.

Our time on Earth is anything but finite. But what if...

Tuck Everlasting, a timeless story, will always hold a special place in my heart. I do not think I will ever get tired of rereading it. Cross my heart and hope to die.

I first read this book at the tender age of fourteen, at a time when I feel as if I have all the time in the world and there is hope yet to be. Even then, the story has made a deep and impressionable impact on my young mind and I remember with vivid clarity the sense of loneliness and sadness that descends upon my whole being when I finally finish reading this enchanting novel.

Years pass and still, the story remains in the back of my mind. Rereading the novel now brings back an achingly familiar yet strangely distant feel. Familiar because fundamentally, I experience the same sense of loss and sadness as I did years ago when I finish reading the book. The distant feel, I guess, stems from the fact that though it is the same story, I see things in a different light now.

I am glad that I have read Tuck Everlasting when I am younger, at an age of wonder when I can easily connect to the characters which enable me to really appreciate the content. Because of that, I believe that the story will live on in my heart for a long long time - and perhaps forever - as it is truly a novel that is hard to be forgotten. Never mind that the book may be out of sight because it will not be out of mind.

Tuck Everlasting has fascinated me when I read it the first time and I trust that it will continue to intrigue me as and when I read it again.

Review: Killer Instinct (Charlie Fox #1) by Zoë Sharp

3.5 stars for Killer Instinct (Charlie Fox book 1) by Zoë Sharp.

If not for Lee Child’s beaming recommendation, I will definitely not have picked up Zoe Sharp’s novel at all.

True to author Lee's favourable mention, this is a thriller not to be missed. The story is convincing and the writing is plain brilliant with scenes flowing fluidly from one to the next. The female protagonist, Charlie, is down-to-earth and as real as can be. The part I like best is the - emotional - baggage that Charlie carries, like it or not, it is what makes Charlie who she is in present day.

The only grievance I have is that towards the later half of the book, the plot gets a tad too predictable; I can see all too clearly where the path is leading to and how it is going to end.

Review: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

5 stars for Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

This is a touching novel, beautifully and powerfully written. The story revolves around a 12-year old girl coping with loss and learning to move on.

A splendid novel suitable for readers of all ages, it is a poignant reminder for all of us to cherish and spend time with our loved ones.

Review: Looking for Trouble (Sal Kilkenny #1) by Cath Staincliffe

3 stars for Looking for Trouble (Sal Kilkenny book 1) by Cath Staincliffe.

This is likely Cath Staincliffe's debut novel. Not too bad a story considering it is her first book but the editing can have been better.

The story is uneventful and does not excite me much intially. Then all of a sudden, a seemingly straightforward case of searching for a missing teenager spirals into more and I find myself turning the pages in a bid to unravel the mystery.