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Blog Tour: The Adults by Caroline Hulse

Title: The Adults
Author: Caroline Hulse
Published: August 23rd, 2018
Publisher: Orion
Rating: ★★★★
Find the Author: Goodreads 


Disclosure: I was sent this ARC by the publisher, reviewing it as an impartial review. This does not sway my opinion of the book. As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

The most hilarious debut you will read this year. 
* * * * *MEET THE ADULTS.Claire and Matt are divorced but decide what’s best for their daughter Scarlett is to have a ‘normal’ family Christmas. They can’t agree on whose idea it was, or who said they should bring their new partners. But someone did – and it’s too late to pull the plug.Claire brings her new boyfriend Patrick, a seemingly eligible Iron-Man-in-Waiting. Matt brings the new love of his life Alex, funny, smart, and extremely patient. Scarlett, their daughter, brings her imaginary friend Posey. He’s a rabbit.Together the five (or six?) of them grit their teeth over Organized Fun activities, drinking a little too much after bed-time, oversharing classified secrets about their pasts and, before you know it, their holiday is a powder keg that ends – where this story starts – with a tearful, frightened, call to the police…
But what happened? They said they’d all be adults about this…
* * * * *
If you loved THE BREAK by Marian Keyes or raved about THE ROSIE PROJECT – look no further than THE ADULTS.

First Thoughts…

There’s something just super relaxing about reading a book like The Adults. I think when I read YA, I’m like this is my game face, I’m ready to read! But Adult fiction is just a lot more calming to me, no matter what the genre or plot. When I first was introduced to The Adults by the lovely team at Orion, I couldn’t say no! It sounded like a true breath of fresh air.

My Review…

I would pick up any book that was for fans of The Rosie Project. I truly devoured those books and thought this little slice of fiction would be no exception! So, first and foremost, Claire and Matt are a divorced couple. They have a daughter together, Scarlett, who really is a little star among the pages. They want her to have a life as normal as possible, and in doing that, a perfect Christmas that runs along the line of normalcy. They don’t know how it happened, but soon enough, they’re all together and the awkwardness starts to appear. Despite the fact that they have new partners, it first gets off to a rocky but steady start. But then the cracks start to appear. 
With Claire’s new partner Patrick and Matt’s new love Alex, with Scarlett (and her imaginary friend Posey the rabbit) they make an unlikely bunch. Doing activities together and “bonding” with organised “fun” they start to unravel. Oversharing leads to secrets, tears and a whole lot of fireworks. But what they don’t expect most is to learn something new about themselves, each other and what it really means to be an adult.
Overall, I really just couldn’t get enough of The Adults. Whilst it took me a little bit to really get into the novel, the middle and end sure made up for it. The points of view, striking and capturing my attention, were poignant and funny and just so real (is it strange I really loved Posey, the imaginary “friend”?) I never expected for The Adults to be as it was (if that makes sense) and it took me on a whole different journey (in the best way possible). If you’re looking for a novel with humour, “adulting” and mayhem that leaves you feeling like you’ve read something importantly great, you’ve found your new favourite read. Four amazing stars! 
Hi Caroline! Your characters go through so much before the book even begins. Which character has been your favourite to craft personality-wise?

Hi! I should probably answer about a human character first. On that basis, it’s Patrick. I enjoyed writing his dual-edge character, showing the difference between his successful, enviable ‘outside’ and the teeming insecurities within.
Overall though, my favourite character was Posey. There’s an element of wish-fulfilment in writing a character’s imaginary friend who exists purely to support and entertain that human: who can get over physical hurdles effortlessly (logistics, gravity etc.) and who doesn’t care about anyone’s needs or feelings except those of ‘their’ human. It would be ace to go through life with a side-kick like that.
Also, Posey gets to have all the fun, all apart for having to sleep in the airing cupboard. I wouldn’t be so keen on that part.

The Adults is such a funny, yet oh-so-real book. What inspired Claire and Matt’s story?

I was trying to think of a plot for an everyday suspense, with the potential to produce tension between well-meaning people. I don’t really like to write ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’: in my books, people are more complicated than that.
I read an article in a weekend section about an ex-couple who went on holiday together with their shared family and new partners, and I just thought, How? Why?
I wish all my exes well, but I don’t have to see them on a day-to-day basis – and I don’t think it would be a great idea to go on holiday with them and their new partners! But people do! And those people must be way more mature than me.

You blend humour and drama together faultlessly. If you could write in any other genre, what would it be?

Firstly, that is lovely, thank you.
I read widely, mostly crime and thrillers, book club and literary stuff, and I would love to write a serious thriller one day. I just need to think of a killer, edge-of-your-seat plot, and work out how to drop the comedy that sneaks in to my writing. Leave it with me.

Finally, if The Adults was made into a movie, who would you *love* to play who?

I’m so sorry, I can’t answer this properly. The people in the book are so real in my mind, I can’t think how to suggest actors for it. It’s a good thing I’m not a casting director, and if The Adults does get produced as a movie, I’ll be fascinated to see who they choose!

Thank you so much for answering my questions, today.
No problem, and I’m so pleased you enjoyed the book.

Caroline Hulse spends most of her days writing, having fulfilled her dream of having a job she could do in pyjamas. She also works in Human Resources sometimes.
She is openly competitive and loves playing board and card games. She can often be found in casino poker rooms, and wishes other people would want to play Cluedo for money.
She lives with her husband in Manchester, UK, where the two are captive to the whims of a small, controlling dog.he Goodreads database with this name.

Have you read The Adults? Are you looking forward to it?


Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!


Tweet me about the book and get involved in the Blog Tour with the tag #TheAdults


happy reading!

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Book Review: “The Here And Now” by Ann Brashares


*NO SPOILERS REVIEW*


Title: The Here And Now

Author: Ann Brashares

Published: Janurary 1st, 2015

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books

Find the Author: Goodreads


I received this for review from Hodder for review. As always, my reviews are fair and un-bias.

TIME TRAVEL AND FORBIDDEN ROMANCE FROM THE BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS

Thrilling, exhilarating, haunting and heartbreaking, The Here and Now is a twenty-first-century take of an impossible romance.
There are rules.
Never reveal where you’re from. Never be intimate with anyone outside the community. And never interfere with history.
Seventeen-year-old Prenna James emigrated to New York when she was twelve. But Prenna didn’t come from a different country, she came from a different time – a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.
Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth and take the lives of her younger brothers. But everything changes when she falls for Ethan.
She might be able to save the world … if she lets go of the one thing she’s found to hold on to.


The Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants series are some of my favourite literary gems from before I started blogging and the movies (including a third in the making!) are some of my most favourite ones to watch with my friends when we marathon fun, girly films. So taking all this into account, I was so excited to start what Ann Brashares had written next – and considering it was a time-travelling novel – it looked like it was exactly perfect for what I love to read. 

Prenna, the narrator and our main character, is a seventeen-year-old normal girl. Except when she was twelve, she emigrated to New York . . . from the future. In her future, Prenna’s time had become deadly. A mosquito-borne illness had become extremely deadly, spreading like wildfire, killing millions of people, leaving her time in great danger. Not everyone could escape from the future, but those who did into the present day banded together, following a set list of rules not to be broken, including never revealing where they are from and they can never interfere with history, let alone be involved intimately with anyone outside their community. This gave an intense, dramatic feel to the book and even though I hadn’t really connected with Prenna at this point, I still loved the uniqueness of the futuristic world Ann had created. 

As the novel grows, we start to see the romantic connection between Prenna and Ethan who have a sort of prior history to their actual first meeting. Still, Prenna does as she’s told by the community believing she can make a difference to the world. But with Ethan, it complicates things for her and the choices she thought she had already made to save the world she loves. It’s a tragic love between them and was very much a wrong place, wrong time and forbidden type of romance that’s as exciting as it was moving and saddening. I didn’t connect with Prenna until near the end where I could see many sides of her and completely understand her character, but when I did, I really saw how much her character had developed and that’s a thing I love about novels like this. 

Equal parts drama, romance and time-travel, The Here And Now was an absorbing, Sci-Fi novel that even though it was short at under 300 pages, was engaging and fateful simultaneously. For anyone who has read Ann’s previous writing and loves the way she creates memorable characters and plots, this is definitely for you. 

   


 Fans of Ann’s Sisterhood series and for Sci-Fi fans looking for a sweet and memorable quick read. 

 What did you think of The Here And Now? 

Did you think it lived up her Sisterhood series?

Let me know in the comments!

happy reading!
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Book Review: “The Moment Collector” by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Title: The Moment Collector

Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson 
Genre: Young Adult – Mystery
Release Date: August 7th, 2014
Published by: Orchard Books


I received this from Orchard Books / Hachette in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 

A haunting mystery, romance in the vein of The Lovely Bones by New York Times bestselling author.

“The yard of this house is a graveyard of moments and everything left behind is a clue. And I am here to dig.”

There’s a ghost haunting 208 Water Street. She doesn’t know who she was, or why she’s still here. She does know that she is drawn to Maggie, the new girl in town, and her friends – beautiful, carefree Pauline and Liam, the boy who loves her.

But the ghost isn’t all that’s lurking in Gill Creek… Someone is killing young girls all across the county. Can the ghost keep these three friends safe? Or does she have another purpose?

The first thing that struck me was the beauty of the cover, with it’s originality and almost haunting vibe. When I read the synopsis, that was it – it had to be read. 

Being compared to The Lovely Bones is an extremely praising quote – as above in the synopsis – and I agree with it 100%. I could forever quote all the haunting quotes, moments and pieces of The Moment Collector that sent shivers up my spine. I’m not usually the type of reader that dives into novels with “ghost” in the synopsis at all, but this is my rare exception. How often do you get to read from a ghost’s point of view, watching the lives as they pass by? 
Maggie and her family move to Gill Creek in the opening to The Moment Collector after Maggie’s Mom lost her job. Reserved, organised and book-worm Maggie slowly comes out of her shell when she starts to explore Gill Creek and witnessing her character evolve was one of my favourite things and although the beginning is a little slow paced, it’s worth sticking with it. But this story isn’t about Ghosts like a paranormal and fantasy read at all – it’s one quite like no other. It’s a coming-of-age novel about love, friendship and learning how to grow up in reality. There were other characters that brought their presence to the story; Pauline and Liam – and although they weren’t my favourite sub-characters that I’ve read, I think they were perfect for this novel while not taking the spotlight from Maggie who was the sole focus. Her journey from the first page to the last was heartbreaking, but at the same time, beautiful. 
Overall, The Moment Collector was the dramatic, complex and emotional read I was expecting. I’m adding Jodi Lynn Anderson to my Authors to watch list because this won’t be the last time I read a novel from her. If you’re looking for something like The Lovely Bones with a twist, you’ll love this beyond words. The ending left me speechless – and I can’t wait to hear what everyone loves about this one, too. By far one of my favourites this year. 

Like I said above, the ending was BEAUTIFUL. I dare you to read it to find out why.

YA readers who love Mystery and an intriguing plot, but for Adults alike.



Have you read The Moment Collector?


What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #TheMomentCollector

happy reading!

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