Book Review: Gazelle in the Shadows by Michelle Peach

Title: Gazelle in the Shadows
Author: Michelle Peach
Publisher: IngramSpark
Publication Date: 20th April 2018
Pages: 327
Format read: paperback
Source: From author via Book Publicity Services 

In the mid 90s, Elizabeth Booth is a young British college student studying Arabic at Durham University. With some travel and work already under her belt, she excels at her studies and is sent to Damascus to immerse herself in the language. Taken aback by the generosity and kindness of the people there, she easy slips into a life in the ancient city. She has friends, her studies, and even a handsome boyfriend. But things aren't always what they seem. Soon, in a world where mistrust and disloyalty are commonplace, Elizabeth finds herself navigating a web of lies, betrayals, and even murder involving MI6, deadly terrorist factions, and the shadowy Syrian secret police.

Gazelle in the Shadows, set in the early 1990’s, depicts life how it was for the people of Syria under the government of the time; a strict regime that ruled through fear.

Peach includes aspects of the political history of the country plus social and religious customs to bring the country and its people alive on the page.

Elizabeth arrives in Syria to complete her University requirement of a year of overseas study. She is the only one from her University to go to Syria however there will be other foreign students at the school she will be attending.

I found Elizabeth to be quite naive and ill prepared for her trip abroad as besides her plane ticket she had not made any other arrangements concerning her stay. She befriends an airline steward who assures her he has friends she can stay with.

The story highlights the disconnected life of a foreigner in a strange country where language is a distinct barrier.

Peach blurs the line between fact and fiction as she includes some events based on her own life experience.

While in Syria Elizabeth meets many welcoming Syrians. She falls in love but also learns that not everyone can be trusted. Her initial trust in everyone puts her in grave danger where she will have to call on every ounce of her courage to save her own life and that of a friend. The thought of losing her life causes Elizabeth to realise how much her family means to her.

Gazelle in the Shadows is a unique coming of age set against the exotic backdrop of Syria.

My rating: 4/5    🌟🌟🌟🌟 

Content: implied sex

                 minimal violence

*I received a review copy from the author via Book Publicity Services.

  

Michelle Peach graduated from Durham University in 1995 with a B.A. in Arabic with Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. During 1992, she spent her second year of college studying abroad at the Arabic Teaching Institute for Foreigners in Damascus. 
Since then, Michelle’s love for Syria has never been far from her thoughts. When the unrest began in 2011, her determination to start writing Gazelle in the Shadows intensified. “I was distraught and appalled by the suffering of the people and by the destruction of its historical sites in Aleppo, Palmyra, Bosra, Homs, Damascus and elsewhere. I know that many will not have the opportunity to see the sights of Syria due to the ongoing conflict, but I hope that through my story readers can enjoy the cities, landscapes and culture of Syria.” Gazelle in the Shadows is set to be released in September 2018, published by IngramSpark.

Michelle lives in Atlanta, GA. She is a stay-at-home mom, married with three children.

Book Review: Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Title: Nine Perfect Strangers
Author: Liane Moriarty
Publisher: Macmillan Australia 
Publication date: 18th September 2018
RRP: $32.99
Pages: 512
Format Read: Trade paperback
Source: Uncorrected proof from publisher

From the no. 1 New York Times bestselling author of The Husband's Secret and Big Little Lies.
The retreat at health and wellness resort Tranquillum House promises total transformation. Nine stressed city dwellers are keen to drop their literal and mental baggage, and absorb the meditative ambience while enjoying their hot stone massages.
Watching over them is the resort's director, a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies.
These nine perfect strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.
With her wit, compassion and uncanny understanding of human behaviour, Liane Moriarty explores the depth of connection that can be formed when people are thrown together in... unconventional circumstances.

I absolutely devoured Big Little Lies! I love how Liane Moriarty starts a story all sweet with likeable characters, then slowly a foreboding veil comes across the story and people’s dark side begins to emerge changing a good story into a compelling story.

Nine people book into a health resort, Tranquillum House, ready to be transformed into a better, thinner, healthier version of their former self.

A washed up romance novelist, a family broken by tragedy, a has-been football star, a young couple whose marriage is faltering, the wife who has been left for a newer model and the lawyer who has  commitment issues. Nine perfect strangers all broken in their own way looking for a make-over, a rejuvenation.

Then there is Maria (Masha) Dmitrichenko, a Russian immigrant. Masha, the director of Tranquillum House, is a transformation zealot – enlightenment for all. These nine guests are to be the first to start her new regime. Their destinies are in her hands. She is going to change these people, not just temporarily, but forever.

I wasn’t sure where this story was going to go. But.....the way it went was never in my wildest dreams what I imagined.

Moriarty’s ability to bring out the small idiosyncrasies in each person is extraordinary. She slowly dissects each character, their thoughts, fears and hopes are revealed through her writing. It was easy to see something of yourself in these everyday people.

Moriarty has written a novel that delves into the human mind and the way we think and connect with each other, showing an intricate observation of human failings and frailties.

The story had my emotions reeling. I could feel empathy for the characters and sadness over their different circumstances. But a sudden shift in the story had my anger rising, which shows how real the characters and the story felt to me. With Moriarty you never know what could possibly happen next.

Nine Perfect Strangers is a roller coaster of a read with beautifully developed characters full of insecurities, false bravado and completely relatable. Once you start reading this book it will be hard to put down!

My rating 4/5     🌟🌟🌟🌟

Content: infrequent coarse language.

Photo courtesy of Macmillan AUS

Liane Moriarty is the Australian author of seven internationally bestselling novels, including the no. 1 NYT bestsellers The Husband's Secret, Big Little Lies and Truly Madly Guilty. Her books have sold over fourteen million copies worldwide, including two million in Australia and New Zealand. The Husband's Secret was a no.1 UK bestseller, an Amazon Best Book of 2013 and has been translated into over 40 languages. Big Little Lies and Truly Madly Guilty reached no.1 on the NYT bestseller list in their first week of publication - the first time this has been achieved by an Australian. Liane is also the author of the Space Brigade series for children. 

Book Review: Feel Me Fall by James Morrris

Title: Feel Me Fall
Author: James Morris
Publisher: Inkspot Imaginarium
Publication Date: 2nd May 2017
Pages: 233
Format Read: eBook
Source: Publisher via Netgalley

 Secrets and survival in the Amazon

Emily Duran is the sole survivor of a plane crash that left her and her teenage friends stranded and alone in the jungles of the Amazon. Lost and losing hope, they struggle against the elements, and each other. With their familiar pecking order no longer in place, a new order emerges, filled with power struggles, betrayals, secrets and lies. Emily must explain why she's the last left alive.

But can she carry the burden of the past?

Discover the gripping novel that explores who we are when no one is watching, and how far we'll go in order to survive.

Emily is the sole survivor of a plane crash. Now recovering in hospital her counselor suggests she writes down her story to work through her feelings of survivor guilt.

The story is narrated by Emily so right from the start I’m wary but she is a convincing narrator telling the horror of the crash and how her and a few classmates managed to survive the initial crash into a river and pull themselves out of the rushing waters.

What follows is a gripping story of survival in the Amazon jungle. Personalities clash as school rivalries come to the fore. Friendships are made and broken whilst crushing secrets are revealed.

We follow the teens as they have moments of hope and moments of despair. The strong become weak and the weak become strong.

We see flashbacks of Emily’s life as the narration alternates between her life before the crash, her time in the jungle and now, recovering in hospital.

The story was totally engrossing and I felt the teens time in the jungle was very realistic.

The story reminded me of The Life of Pi as in it was an account by a sole survivor. They can tell ‘their’ story the way they want it to be.

The ending was outstanding. I didn’t see that coming!

A recommended read.

*I received an ecopy from the publisher via Netgalley.

Content: Implied sex

                 violence

My Rating: 4/5      🌟🌟🌟🌟 

 

Photo courtesy of Goodreads

James Morris is a former television writer who now works in digital media. When not writing, you can find him scoping out the latest sushi spot, watching 'House Hunters Renovation', or trying new recipes in the kitchen. He lives with his wife and dog in Los Angeles.