Now Go Tell by Susan Sachon

 

The month I’m recommending Now Go Tell by Susan Sachon.

Protagonist Jenny Watson has a challenging life anyway. And then she is offered an even greater challenge.

It seems like a dream job - putting on a Shakespeare festival and running a pub but she knows she has to get this right. Then things start to become quite sinister and her life is in danger.  

This novel has well-drawn characters, plenty of pace and tension and a satisfying ending. This makes a good holiday read.

Susan Sachon certainly keeps us guessing in Now Go Tell.  

Find your copy here 

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Survivor by Tom Hoyle

I bought this book for the course I teach at Salford University: Intro to Children’s Literature. I always like to source some of the latest publications and I actually go to the Urmston bookshop to do this. It has a special sort of clientele. People who shop here are serious about books.        

Survivor did not disappoint. I’d label teen / young adult.  The cover says “For Fans of Cherub and Gone”.  Yes, that seems right too. It’s a thriller / whodunit. It keeps us guessing right until the end and even then you can’t be 100% sure. It’s really up to the reader to decide. That makes it absolutely spot on for young adults.  

Some really nasty things happen as protagonist George Fleet takes part in the Ultimate Bushcraft adventure holiday. He gives his account. After each part of this another voice speaks, often leading us to believe the perpetuator of the crime is someone we’ve met in the previous account. There will then be a text that looks like an official statement.  

George’s statements are somewhat longer than the others and read like a normal first person narrative. Nevertheless, they remain reasonably short and that with the shortness of the other texts makes this book very readable. You’re often tempted to read a little bit more as you can see that the next section is so short.

I read it very quickly.

I look forward to reading more from Tom Hoyle.