Book Review - The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #60

Amazon UK

Title:  The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes

Author: Anna McPartlin

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Black Swan

Publication Date: 1st January 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

Here is a truth that can’t be escaped: for Mia ‘Rabbit’ Hayes, life is coming to an end . . .

Rabbit Hayes loves her life, ordinary as it is, and the extraordinary people in it.

She loves her spirited daughter, Juliet; her colourful, unruly family; the only man in her big heart, Johnny Faye.

But it turns out the world has other plans for Rabbit, and she’s OK with that. Because she has plans for the world too, and only a handful of days left to make them happen.

Here is a truth that won’t be forgotten: this is a story about laughing through life’s surprises and finding the joy in every moment.

Heartbreaking...emotional...beautifully written...compelling are just some of the words that could be used to describe The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes. Part of me wants to just call it indescribable and a say that everyone should read this book, and whatever I saw I know I can't do this story justice. 

Although I didn't cry, there were many many occasions during the story where I found a lump in my throat and was on the verge of tears. A lot of the time they were just one liners, but were so well written that they got to me. 

In some respects you pretty much know how the book will end, almost before you begin, but to not read it would be so wrong. There is a great deal of hope, and I was crossing my fingers that my assumption on the finish would be incorrect, but regardless the story is brilliant. 

Split into parts that signify each day that Rabbit Hayes is in the hospice, it really is a countdown, and as there were less and less pages left, I found myself dreading the next day signifier, just incase it was the last, as I didn't want to run out of book at any point. 

Each Day, and chapter is split into multiple focal points, which thankfully have character subheaders to them, so you were always aware of who you are focusing on. Some of the characters we saw a lot of than others, and it was really helpful, as you got to know all the members of Rabbit's family in great details. 

A lot of Rabbit's sections were her sleeping and reliving the past, specifically the just as heartbreaking story of her first and only love. I enjoyed reading Rabbit and Johnny's sections and early on at least there were some quite light hearted moments and some lovely conversations between the two. 

I found it was Juliet's parts that really got to my heartstrings though, she is Rabbit's 12 year old daughter, and has been looking after Rabbit for a good few years. She is confused, in denial and afraid, but seems to get on really well with her cousins. Some of the best moments involved Juliet, and her interactions with other family members. 

During the course of the book I learnt a lot about the various family members, and couldn't believe the rollercoaster of emotions I was spending on my involvement with the story. 

Although I found The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes to be utterly compelling reading, and I was completely hooked on it, I did find myself having to put the book down at regular intervals just to catch my breath and regain my composure just so I could carry on. 

I can't believe I had this wonderful story sitting in my TBR pile for a few years, unread as it was so utterly amazing. 

Thank you so much to everyone that has voted for me to read this book I can completely see why Emma Crowley has been telling me to read this for ages! What a fabulous book that is for the 60th week of running this feature. Don't forget to take a look at this weeks vote and take part yet again! 

Book Review - Somewhere Inside of Happy by Anna McPartlin

Amazon UK

Title: Somewhere Inside of Happy

Author: Anna McPartlin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Black Swan

Publication Date: 7th April 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

'And just like that my boy was gone.'

Maisie Bean is a fighter. A survivor. Seventeen years ago, she went on a first date that went so badly it was enough to put the girl off chips. The marriage that followed was hell but it gave her two children: funny, caring Jeremy and bullish but brilliant Valerie.

Just as it seems everything might finally start going right, sixteen-year-old Jeremy goes missing. The police descend and a media storm swirls, over five days of searching that hurtle towards an inevitable, terrible conclusion.

Maisie is facing another fight, and this time it’s the fight of her life. But she’s a survivor. Whatever the odds, she’ll never give in.

Somewhere Inside of Happy had me hooked right from the start, as it takes you on a powerful journey, that I could barely put down, and was feeling incredibly emotional at by the end. However due to the nature of the story, it is a very tricky one to review, as I don't want to spoil anyones experience of it, by saying the wrong thing. 

The story is told from a variety of perspectives, and is about a five day period in January 1995, in a small village in Ireland. You know from the start that there is a drama about to unfold and that it may not have a particularly happy ending. It is the story of best friends Jeremy and Rave and the last night that they were seen. 

Maisie has had a tricky life, and when she realises her son Jeremy has gone missing, just as she was starting to trust a new man in her life, it doesn't get any easier for her. Jeremy has a younger sister Valerie who is a sassy pre-teen, but seems to have a soft spot under her mouthy exterior. There is also Jeremy's beloved granny, Bridie, who is suffering from Alzheimer's. When the perspective shifts to Bridie, you are treated to a fascinating insight to what the though process of someone living with the condition must be like. 

There are flashbacks to incidents in Maisie's past that really paint a picture of what her life as an adult has been like, but she really is a fighter, and I found myself really inspired by her strength of character throughout this whole ordeal. 

As the story progresses I found myself understanding that there is a real message in the book, and even in 2016 its a story that certain parts of the population could do with learning. There is a very tender story in parts, and it makes me sad that due to society at the time of the book being set, that characters were made to feel that way. This really does give an accurate insight into what small town life was like in Ireland in the mid 90s. 

The writing has a fantastic maturity to it, and its clear the book is well researched. Somewhere Inside of Happy is an emotional tale which is well told and will get under your skin. I feel its one of my top reads already of 2016, and will be hard to topple from that spot, and is definitely my favourite book by Anna McPartlin. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Transworld for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.  

Book Review - The Truth Will Out by Anna McPartlin

Amazon UK

Title: The Truth Will Out

Author: Anna McPartlin

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 25th February 2009

Rating: 3 Stars

Twice Harri tries to marry the love of her life.
Twice she fails.
Since there are only so many times she can leave her man standing at the altar, Harri loses him.
On top of that, as she battles the panic attacks that have stopped her getting married, Harri discovers that everything she understood about her life is wrong.
As the truth comes out, and the world she thought she knew crumbles around her, Harri struggles to pick up the pieces.
Can she find herself again and, if she does, will it be too late for love?

Harri suffers from crippling panic attacks. They are the reason she has now failed to marry James twice, and left him standing at the altar both times. James understandably has now had enough, and in the days that follow, Harri's parents decide they need to explain some things to their daughter, and her twin brother, George. 

The revelation that follows is a bit hard to believe, I'd say even for fiction, but since I wasn't living in Ireland in the 70's, I can't be sure its completely unreasonable. However what George and Harri are told shocks them completely, and the rest of the book deals with the aftermath. 

There is also Susan, Harri's business partner, and she is struggling with her marriage, and Harri's best friend Melissa feels like a single mother to her two young children as her husband doesn't seem to help out anywhere near enough. 

At the end of each chapter there is a diary. It dates back 30+ years and it takes quite a while as the book progresses for you to even vaguely know who was writing it. Unfortunately the diary entries didn't grab me at all, and I hate to say that after half the book, I was skipping those sections (with odd paragraphs catching my attention), as I just didn't really relate to what was happening. Also due to the amount of characters in the main story, I was then getting confused with a similar amount of people being mentioned in this diary. As a result I feel I may have lost some sense of the book as a whole. 

I liked the main story, but felt it did drag a bit in places. Ultimately I much preferred the other book I have so far read by Anna McPartlin, but still want to read more by her. 

Thank you to everyone that voted last week. This was the overwhelming favourite, unfortunately, in retrospect I think I would have enjoyed the other books up for vote slightly more. 

Please do take a look at this weeks Rachel Reads Randomly vote, and have a say. Regardless of the outcome, I have generally purchased all these books at one point or another, so do want to read them.