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Psychological Thriller

Book Review: The Last Thing I Remember by Deborah Bee

Title: The Last Thing I Remember

Author: Deborah Bee

Published: February 25th, 2016

Publisher: Twenty7

Find the Author: Goodreads


I received this book for review! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

For fans of Rubbernecker and Before I Go To Sleep, a tense thriller with a clever and original premise – and a devilish twist

Sarah is in a coma.
Her memory is gone – she doesn’t know how she got there. And she doesn’t know how she might get out.
But then she discovers that her injury wasn’t an accident. And that the assailant hasn’t been caught.
Unable to speak, see or move, Sarah must use every clue that she overhears to piece together her own past.
And work out who it is that keeps coming into her room.
A novel that grips from the very beginning and that will live long in the memory, The Last Thing I Remember is Deborah Bee’s startling debut thriller.

I’m a HUGE mystery fan, first and foremost, so when I was approached about The Last Thing I Remember and it was compared to Before I Go To Sleep (one of the best of THE best) I jumped at the chance to read it.

Sarah is in a coma. She doesn’t know how and she doesn’t know why she is there, or any of the events of her life that brought her to this moment. She is aware of the world around her and is totally concious of people surrounding her, but she can’t move or show them that she can. What frightens her more than the masses of memory loss is that she can’t piece together who keeps visiting her, knowing that it wasn’t an accident from information around her gathered, and that whoever did hurt her, hasn’t been caught. 
Teenager Kelly, our other narrator, knows Sarah well, being her next door neighbour’s daughter. She plays a huge part in the chapters, not only from her knowledge but as a close person to Sarah. The way their lives intertwined was peculiar at first but that outlook vanishes as the novel weaves new insight into light and through the messy, brilliant revelations, a whole world of startling discoveries and pasts come to life. 
The question that hangs in the air is; will the truth ever be revealed? Sarah becomes more panicked by the second, unable to communicate her terror except with us as the readers. Whereas I felt I couldn’t relate to Kelly in parts, she plays a valued part of the novel as we learn more of Sarah’s story and how finally the truth can be dug up, I did find I could feel the pain of Sarah who struggled to cling onto any shred of life and hope she had for the truth to come out. 
Overall, The Last Thing I Remember is a truly enthralling piece of literature. I recently heard it might be turned into a TV show or movie and I can definitely see how this is going to grip any audience. Without giving away too much (because where’s the fun in that? a mystery should stay a mystery until you read it) you must read this book. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, compelling edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller then you’ve found your new read. 

Fans of mystery and thriller, older YA and Adult.



Deborah Bee studied fashion journalism at Central St Martins. She has worked at various magazines and newspapers including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, The Times and the Guardian as a writer, a fashion editor and later an editor. Currently, she is a Creative Director in luxury retail.

Have you read/heard of The Last Thing I Remember?


Tell me what you thought in the comments or at @LittleMemoirs on twitter!


happy reading!

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Book Review: “There Will Be Lies” by Nick Lake

*NO SPOILERS REVIEW*


Title: There Will Be Lies

Author: Nick Lake

Published: January 6th, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens

Find the Author: Goodreads


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

Shelby Jane Cooper is seventeen, pretty and quiet. 

It’s just Shelby and her mom, Shaylene, a court stenographer who wears pyjama jeans, stitches tapestry, eats ice-cream for dinner and likes to keep Shelby safe. So safe she barely goes out. So safe she doesn’t go to school. Because anything could happen, to a girl like Shelby. Anything.

When Shelby gets knocked down by a car, it’s not just her leg that’s broken: Shelby’s world is shattered. Her mom turns up to collect her and drives off into the night, like it’s the beginning of a road trip, like two criminals on the run, like Thelma and Louise or Bonnie and Clyde. And somehow, everywhere she looks, there’s a coyote watching her, talking to her, telling her not to believe.

Who is Shelby Jane Cooper? If the person who keeps you safe also tells you lies, who can you trust?

Shelby Jane Cooper has led a pretty sheltered life so far. At home it’s just her and her mother; Shaylene. Shelby’s Mom likes to keep her safe, like any mother wants of their children – but with Shelby, it’s pretty different. Shaylene likes to keep Shelby so safe that she doesn’t go to school or barely goes outside to do anything, too terrified that something will happen to a girl like her. On one of the few outings Shelby is allowed, she is hit by a car and suddenly everything comes to a halt. Her leg is broken, and now everything else seems to be too. 

Setting off out of town, Shaylene pulls her daughter into a road trip. The overprotective mother that Shelby had mixed feelings about – whether she accepted the safety and understood her mother or craved more freedom – became clear that this was more than just a road trip. They were on the run. 

Now everything seems different to Shelby. Everywhere she looks, there’s a coyote watching her and taunting her, telling her things. Her dreams are wild and inquisitive, telling her things to believe. The storyline picks up right away, setting a scene for thrills and a story with layers you’ll love to delve into. 

I was won over by the enthralling enticement for There Will Be Lies, into the darkness of the lies and secrets hidden inside Shaylene and Shelby’s lives. At times it reminded me of something straight out of a movie like Gone Girl or Before I Go To Sleep, the tension and exhilarating storyline twisting into an explosive conclusion. 

Overall, There Will Be Lies is a book you don’t want to miss, thriller fans. You’ll be surprised, like I was, at the carefully crafted characters and significance of Coyotes and dreams that uncover the meaning of Shelby’s story. If you love psychological thrillers and stories that keep you on the edge of your seat, scoop up this and read just how amazing it truly is. 


         


 For fans of S.J. Watson and Gillian Flynn – you will love this. 

 What did you think of There Will Be Lies?

Did you think it was as thrilling as I did?

Let me know in the comments!

happy reading!
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Book Review: “Don’t Look Back” by Jennifer L. Armentrout



Title: Don’t Look Back

Genre: Young Adult – Psychological Thriller
Release Date: April 15th, 2014 
Also by the Author: Obsidian, Half-Blood
Published by: Hodder (UK) 






Thanks to Hodder for the ARC of this book! As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias.





What if you had the chance to start again…but only if you promised never to look back? 
Samantha is popular, rich, and seemed to have it all…until the night she and her best ‘frenemy’ Cassie disappeared and only Sammy resurfaced, with no recollection of who she is or what happened. Sammy’s a stranger in her own life – a life she no longer wants any part of. Losing her memory is a chance to start again. Then Sammy begins receiving mysterious notes warning her about that night, urging her to not look back. But she can’t let it go. As she starts poking around in her past she begins to remember…and something sinister begins to surface.

 Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of the best YA writers out there, and I completely adored Obsidian and I’m dying to finish the series. Don’t Look Back is jumping into another genre, and I was keen to see how the story played out from the summary. It looks eerie, mysterious and I love putting books with puzzles together. 


Straight away, Sam is introduced. She can’t remember a thing – who she is, where she has been for ages, or why she was even where she was – and the story kicks off with fireworks and startling events from there. 
We uncover that Sam and her best friend Cassie had disappeared and now that Sam is back, everyone is wondering where Cassie is. But when the regrettable happens and Cassie’s body resurfaces, everyone is quick to point the finger at Sam – who still can’t remember where she was or even what happened to her best friend. Little by little, Sam starts to piece together facts about her life; she was a really bad person, extremely wealthy and not at all someone she was proud of. Trying to change now was hard, but as Sam starts to twist her life into a different type from her other one, whilst still following the misdirected clues and roller-coaster ride that has become her life, she uncovers the huge twists that had weaved into that time she was gone. 
The conclusion really surprised me – like totally knocked me off guard – and I was so impressed with how this was a true psychological mystery. I didn’t guess correctly, and the plot kept me roped in, dying to find out if the clues Sam was finding out were leading the right way or if they were going to take her on a road to horrible events. With a little romance (Carson and Sam were so right for each other – and their relationship/friendship played out without messing with the storyline of mystery), a lot of mystification and suspicion, Don’t Look Back was one of my most anticipated reads by far this year and it definitely lived up to my expectations! 
This is one of Jennifer’s very best reads that I recommend so highly! I want this made into a movie!

The ending! I won’t give too much away, but when you figure it out, or get totally surprised like I was, you’ll know the part I’m talking about. But the whole thing was totally addictive, sneaky and chilling. 

For fans of Pretty Little Liars – you will eat this up. Anyone, YA readers or Adults who love a good mystery and a dash of romance, Don’t Look Back is going to be next on your to-read list. Trust me. 


5 STARS

happy reading!
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