Review - When Sleeping Women Wake by Emma Pei Yin

 

 

 

 Title: When Sleeping Women Wake

Author: Emma Pei Yin

Pages: 458

Publisher: Quercus

Release Date: 17th June 2025

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Hong Kong, 1941. Following the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, the wealthy Tang family flee to Hong Kong.

As the First Wife of the family, Mingzhu leads a sheltered - if lonely - existence overseeing her daughter Qiang and managing the household alongside her devoted maid, Biyu.

But when the Japanese army invade, the three women are scattered. Mingzhu is coerced into working for a Japanese captain. Qiang and Biyu escape the island, only to be forced into factory work then separated after an encounter with the East River Column Resistance fighters.

The longer the brutal occupation lasts, the more determined the women are to resist. And as war rages around the world, each is holding onto the hope that the other is alive.

Beautifully told and compulsively written, When Sleeping Women Wake is an utterly transporting story of female resistance and untold bravery, at once epic and intimate, heartbreaking and hopeful.

 

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for a review. My thanks to Quercus and NetGalley*

The Tang family relocated to Hong Kong from Shanghai to escape the Japanese invasion, but then there are whispers that Hong Kong may be next, and the lives of the family change forever.

Mingzhu, the First Wife of the family, finds herself working for the enemy, her knowledge of several languages saving her from death.

Mingzhu's daughter, Qiang, and long-time servant and friend, Biyu, are forced to work in a factory for the Japanese occupiers.

As the women live through the dangers of the occupation, they find their own ways to resist.

Not knowing anything about the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during the second World War, I was interested to see what what this novel would be like.

The book mainly follows Mingzhu and Qiang, and I found them to both to be likeable and relatable protagonists. They both experienced horrible events and I liked how much they wanted to help other people.

The setting of Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation was interesting, and something I hadn't read about before.

The plot was good overall, but the pacing was a bit all over the place, and I thought some things were rushed over. While I did like the characters, I was never immersed in the story, and always felt removed from what was happening. The writing style didn't always flow smoothly and was a little stilted at times.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

 

Review - Witchcraft For Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

 

 

Title: Witchcraft For Wayward Girls

 

Author: Grady Hendrix

 

Pages: 502

 

Publisher: Tor Nightfire

 

Release Date: 16th January 2025

 

 

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 

‘I did an evil thing to be put in here, and I’m going to have to do an evil thing to get out.’

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. There, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to keep her baby and escape to a commune. Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby’s father. And Holly, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Every moment of their waking day is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid . . . and it’s usually paid in blood.

 

  

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My Review:

 

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan*

Wellwood House is a home where young, pregnant, unmarried girls are sent to have their babies in secret. The babies are then adopted and the girls go back to their families, as if nothing ever happened.

All of the girls are given new names when they arrive, so fifteen-year-old Neva becomes Fern. At Wellwood House, Fern makes friends with with several of the other girls, and dreams of going back home and resuming her old life.

When Fern is given an unusual book by the visiting librarian, she and her friends find themselves dabbling in witchcraft.

Can magic solve their problems?

Or is the price too high?

The premise of this book intrigued me, especially with it being set in the 1970s.

Neva/Fern was a likeable protagonist. I felt really sorry for her with the way she was shipped off to Wellwood House. I liked the friendships she made with several of the other characters. However, I did feel that, especially compared to some of the other characters, that Neva/Fern didn't really have much personality.

The plot was good overall, but the pacing did feel off at times. Not much really happened plot-wise, and towards the end it did feel like the book was dragging a little. There were some creepy and quite traumatic scenes that happened, some relating to birth.

While this didn't end up being quite what I expected, there were elements that I liked.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

 

Review - The Trunk by Kim Ryeo-Ryeong

 

 

Title: The Trunk

Author: Kim Ryeo-Ryeong

Pages: 258

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

Release Date: 19th November 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

Meet Noh almost thirty years old, with five wedding rings and counting, she's never once been in love.

When Inji first accepted a job at Wedding & Life, the popular matchmaking service that’s taken Korea by storm, she never imagined her role would be with NM, their secret-marriage division that rents out “husbands” and “wives” to their wealthiest clientele. Just like a real marriage, Inji's assignments involve a wedding, some sex and a bit of housework, all tailored exactly to the client’s desires and for their specified length of time before they go their separate ways—no legal battles, no fights, no emotional baggage.

After several marriages, Inji has become an old hand. She certainly isn’t interested in finding real love, despite everyone trying to convince her her brazen neighbor Granny, her flirtatious best friend, Shi-jeong, and her failed blind date, Tae-seong, who won’t take no for an answer.

Then one of Inji's old husbands, a mysterious high-profile music producer, requests her back for another year. Over the course of their marriage, the secrets of Inji’s past begin to unravel, as well as the dark, sinister underbelly of NM’s management team, who will stop at nothing to preserve their reputation—and their clients…

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My Review: 

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK*

 

Inji works for a matchmaking company in a secret department where clients sign up to a marriage with a field husband or wife. These marriages are just like real ones, but with a predetermined length.

Inji has been a field wife to several husbands, and is requested by one of them to have a remarriage.

Inji begins to have questions about the company she works for, and her life.

The concept of contract marriages intrigued me, so I thought I would give this book a try. However, I ended up disappointed.

Inji was an okay protagonist. There were times when I felt sorry for her, but there were also times when I found her to be rude or abrasive.

I found the plot enjoyable to begin with, but after a while I started to lose interest and I wasn't at all invested in what was happening. Not much actually happened, and the book felt rather messy to me.

The concept of the contract marriages was interesting, and it's something that I could see happening in real life.

I feel like the book didn't reach its potential, and I'm left a bit confused as to what the author was hoping to achieve with it.

I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall, this was an okay read.

 

Review - Daughter of Chaos (The Dark Pantheon, #1) by A.S. Webb

  

 

 

Title: Daughter of Chaos (The Dark Pantheon, #1)

Author: A.S. Webb

Pages: 468

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Release Date: 16th January 2025

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 FOR MORTALS TO RISE THE GODS MUST FALL.

In ancient Greece, the twelve gods demand the ultimate tribute – food, treasure, even human sacrifice.

There are some mortals who cling to a desperate prophecy – telling of one to come who’ll set them free. But few truly believe it.

Until Danae, a fisherman's daughter, eats a mysterious golden apple. And suddenly, her life unravels and a strange and dangerous path unfolds before her.

Chased from her home, she neither understands nor fully controls her future. One which will find Danae walking the winding roads of heroes. There, she encounters and befriends the mighty demi-god, Heracles. Together, they will seek out monsters to battle.

But Danae’s destiny is not to fight beasts.

She will hunt the gods.

She will drag them screaming from Olympus . . .

 

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph*

Danae has spent all her life on the small Greek island of Naxos, living with her family and giving tribute to the twelve gods.

As bad things happen to those she loves, Danae starts to question the rule of the gods and finds herself on a path that will change everything she knows.

Can mortals be freed from the cruel reign of the gods?

Who is the Last Daughter?

As someone who can't resist a Greek mythology book, I was intrigued to read this and see what happened.

Danae was an okay protagonist. I liked how much she cared for her sister, and that she was willing to fight for what she believed in. However, I never felt that I really connected with her.

I liked some of the secondary characters.

The setting of ancient Greece was interesting and I liked that the author used myths/legends throughout.

The plot was very mixed. I started off enjoying the story, but as it went on things began to bother me - I felt that certain events were brushed over, and that not enough explanation was given - and I found my interest waning. I didn't care about what was happening, and was not invested at all.

I feel that this had a lot of potential, but the execution didn't work for me.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

Review - Butter by Asako Yuzuki, Polly Barton (translator)

 

 

 

 Title: Butter

Author: Asako Yuzuki, Polly Barton (translator)

Pages: 448

Publisher: Fourth Estate

Release Date: 29th February 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

 

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My Review:

 *I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Fourth Estate*

 

Journalist Rika Machida writes for a men's magazine and dreams of getting a job in the editorial team.

Rika has the idea of interviewing Manako Kajii, a woman in Tokyo Detention Centre who was convicted of the deaths of several men she was in relationships with.

Until then, Kajii has refused all visitors and requests for interviews, but when Rika sends her a letter about a recipe, Kajii - who is a known food lover and cook - agrees to meet Rika.

Rika's visits to Kajii will change how Rika sees food, and she finds herself wondering if she's more similar to Kajii than she could ever have thought.

The concept of a Japanese female serial killer intrigued me, and with all the hype around the novel, I was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, I ended up disappointed.

Rika was a likeable and relatable protagonist. I liked the relationships she built with secondary characters.

It was interesting to find out more about Kajii and why she was the way she was.

The setting of Japan was interesting, and I enjoyed finding out about the way things are viewed compared to the West.

The plot was okay, but the book could easily have been cut in half as not much really happened. If I hadn't been able to dip in and out of the audiobook version alongside the Kindle version I originally started, I'm not sure I would have finished this. While I wasn't excited to continue reading after putting the book down, I did want to know how it ended.

My favourite part of the book was the exploration of friendship, beauty standards and misogyny.

I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, and I'm not sure if I will try another book by the author.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

 

  

 

Review - Honey by Isabel Banta

 

 

 

Title: Honey

Author: Isabel Banta

Pages: 337

Publisher: Zaffre

Release Date: 4th June 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

I didn't like to perform. I liked to be loved. 

It is 1999 and Amber Young is about to transform from nice New Jersey girl to one of the most infamous pop stars of her era. Enter Gwen Morris and Wes Kingston. Gwen has the top music video on MTV's Total Request Live. Wes is a member of the most popular boy band in the world, ETA. They're the American teenage dream, two perfect pop stars in love. In Gwen, Amber finds the first friend who can truly understand her - maybe the only person who ever will. But when Amber goes on tour with ETA as one of their opening acts, she develops an infatuation with Wes that threatens both her friendship with Gwen and the career she is so desperately trying to build. Under the spotlight, Amber must reckon with her own desires, agency, and sense of self-and how the kaleidoscope of public opinion can distort everything.  

Isabel Banta's debut novel, Honey, re-imagines the pop stars of the late 90s and early 2000s, who we idolized and hated, oversexualized and underestimated, giving them the fresh, multifaceted story they deserve.

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My Review:  

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre*

Teenager Amber Young loves to sing, and dreams of being famous.

When Amber's dream comes true and she's offered a record deal, Amber is thrust into the limelight with all the ups and downs that come with it.

Amber becomes friends with Gwen, another teenage singer, and Wes, who is part of a boyband.

As Amber's career takes off, she struggles with how the public perceives her and her desires.

As someone who grew up in the 90s and 00s listening to a lot of pop music by young singers such as Britney Spears, I was intrigued to read this book.

Amber was a mostly likeable protagonist. She hadn't had an easy childhood, and had some unresolved issues that affected her. I was rooting for Amber to be her own person and hoped that things would get better for her. There were a couple of times when her actions frustrated me, but she was very young. I liked Amber's relationship with Gwen, and how they supported each other.

The setting of the 90s was interesting and made me feel nostalgic.

The plot was interesting and held my attention throughout, but I wasn't gripped or surprised by anything that happened. I didn't feel overly invested in the characters. The pacing was pretty good throughout. I liked that there were song lyrics and articles scattered throughout.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

 

 

Review - Saltblood by Francesca de Tores

 

 

 Title: Saltblood

Author: Francesca de Tores

Pages: 328 pages

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: 25th April 2024

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 In a rented room outside Plymouth in 1685, a daughter is born as her half-brother is dying. Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark, and Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money.

Mary's dual existence will take her to a grand house where she'll serve a French mistress; to the navy where she'll learn who to trust, and how to navigate by the stars; to the army and the battlegrounds of Flanders, following her one true friend; and finding love among the bloodshed and mud. But none of this will stop her yearning for the sea.

Drawn back to the water, Mary must reinvent herself yet again, for a woman aboard a ship is a dangerous thing. This time Mary will become something more dangerous than a woman. She will become a pirate.

Breathing life into the Golden Age of Piracy, Saltblood is a wild adventure, a treasure trove, weaving an intoxicating tale of gender and survival, passion and loss, journeys and transformation, through the story of Mary Read, one of history's most remarkable figures.

  

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury*

 

 

When Mary's older half-brother Mark dies, their mother decides that in order to still receive Mark's inheritance money, Mary will pretend to be Mark.

As Mark, Mary finds work in a house as a servant, then she joins the navy and falls in love with the sea. For the rest of her life, Mary finds herself always drawn to the sea no matter where she is, and she ultimately becomes a pirate.

I had never heard of Mary Read the pirate before, so I was intrigued to read this book.

Mary was an interesting protagonist. I'm not sure how accurate this novel was to her life, but I liked that Mary found her home on the sea. There were a few side characters that I liked and I enjoyed the interactions Mary had with them.

The setting of the 1600s-1700s was interesting, especially as I don't know much about piracy or the wars at the time.

The novel is told from Mary's perspective as she tells her life story, which was interesting and enjoyable. However, because of this there was often a lot more telling rather than showing, which made it harder to feel immersed in the story. This also meant that, towards the end, I felt that the book was too long, and could maybe have been a bit shorter. Yet, I did enjoy finding out about the historical figure Mary Read, and I would like to read more about her.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.