Tuesday 29 March 2016

Book Review - Park Life by Katharine D'Souza

Amazon UK
Title:  Park Life
Author: Katharine D'Souza
Format reviewed: Paperback
Source: Author supplied review copy
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: 4th May 2014
Rating: 3.5 Stars


When Susan moves to Birmingham in search of a fresh start she’s unprepared for the challenges she’ll have to face. Her new next-door neighbour Craig thinks he’s more than ready for life but has yet to learn that the best laid plans have a habit of going awry. They’re not friends. Yet. But many things can change during a walk through a park, or over tea and cake in a café. 

Sharply observed, poignant and funny, Park Life will get you thinking about what it means to be a good neighbour.

Park Life was really two quite separate stories, which ran in parallel to each other, with only thing the characters having in common is that they are next-door neighbours. 

Craig is in his mid twenties, and gets a bit of a shock when his ex girlfriend gets in touch. He also seems to be having issues at work, and is just trying to be the best person he can be. Susan has moved into central Birmingham having left her controlling husband, and her son who seems to treat her like a doormat. Susan had been plotting her escape for a while and is looking forward to her new life. She gets a job in Tall Trees Cafe and it's the real start of her reclaiming the rest of her life.  

Of course nothing runs smoothly for Craig or Susan, and they did occasionally have a dinner together, or a chat in their hallway, and it felt as though there was a fledgling friendship forming. 

 I quite liked the writing style that Katharine D'Souza uses, and the alternating viewpoints between Craig and Susan meant that if you were getting a bit fed up with one character, if wasn't long until you were back with the other.  However in my case I enjoyed both of their stories equally, even if I didn't agree with all of the their decisions. 

Park Life is set in Birmingham, and during the book you will be treated to some of the various hidden parks in and around Birmingham I loved seeing small pockets of greenery in a clearly urban city. 

Thank you to Katharine D'Souza for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

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