Fab Firsts is my new regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of!
If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.
I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!
After seeing a lot of bloggers raving about this months ago when they read it, I couldn't resist trying to get a copy myself and giving it a go. Really glad I did as they are right, its fab!
Amazon UK
Title: Friend Request
Author: Laura Marshall
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 27th July 2017
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Fab Firsts is my new regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of!
If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.
I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!
After seeing a lot of bloggers raving about this months ago when they read it, I couldn't resist trying to get a copy myself and giving it a go. Really glad I did as they are right, its fab!
If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.
I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!
After seeing a lot of bloggers raving about this months ago when they read it, I couldn't resist trying to get a copy myself and giving it a go. Really glad I did as they are right, its fab!
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| Amazon UK |
Maria wants to be friends.
But Maria is dead.
Isn't she?
When Louise Williams receives a message from someone left long in the past, her heart nearly stops.
Maria Weston wants to be friends on Facebook.
Maria Weston has been missing for over twenty-five years. She was last seen the night of a school leavers' party, and the world believes her to be dead. Particularly Louise, who has lived her adult life with a terrible secret.
As Maria's messages start to escalate, Louise forces herself to reconnect with the old friends she once tried so hard to impress. Trying to piece together exactly what happened that night, she soon discovers there's much she didn't know. The only certainty is that Maria Weston disappeared that night, never to be heard from again - until now. . .
But Maria is dead.
Isn't she?
When Louise Williams receives a message from someone left long in the past, her heart nearly stops.
Maria Weston wants to be friends on Facebook.
Maria Weston has been missing for over twenty-five years. She was last seen the night of a school leavers' party, and the world believes her to be dead. Particularly Louise, who has lived her adult life with a terrible secret.
As Maria's messages start to escalate, Louise forces herself to reconnect with the old friends she once tried so hard to impress. Trying to piece together exactly what happened that night, she soon discovers there's much she didn't know. The only certainty is that Maria Weston disappeared that night, never to be heard from again - until now. . .
Bewildering set of circumstances that kept me guessing right until the end. It seemed to me that I believed every last lead or piece of information as it came up, potentially making me even more gullible than Louise, the main character.
But the question is, would you accept a friend request from an old school acquaintance who has been presumed dead for 25 years? After all anyone can pretend to be anyone online. Well Louise did accept a request in those circumstances, made all the more chilling by the secret Louise has held about the girl for her whole life.
The tension really starts to ramp up as the story progresses and I loved the sense of danger, as though you knew something big was going to happen but you just weren't sure what or possibly why. There is also a school reunion coincidentally that has been organised for Louise's year group, and it leads to her rethinking about her last year of school, how she was a teenager, and a whole host of other emotions.
This is the sort of book that almost everyone can relate to in some way, from a bad childhood, fear over losing your own child if a secret gets revealed, ex husbands, walls protecting your innermost feelings, or just receiving friend requests from unknown or unexpected sources.
Friend Request is a gripping story that once I got into it properly, I found quite hard to put down. It's a great debut novel, and I would definitely look at reading more by the author in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sphere for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
But the question is, would you accept a friend request from an old school acquaintance who has been presumed dead for 25 years? After all anyone can pretend to be anyone online. Well Louise did accept a request in those circumstances, made all the more chilling by the secret Louise has held about the girl for her whole life.
The tension really starts to ramp up as the story progresses and I loved the sense of danger, as though you knew something big was going to happen but you just weren't sure what or possibly why. There is also a school reunion coincidentally that has been organised for Louise's year group, and it leads to her rethinking about her last year of school, how she was a teenager, and a whole host of other emotions.
This is the sort of book that almost everyone can relate to in some way, from a bad childhood, fear over losing your own child if a secret gets revealed, ex husbands, walls protecting your innermost feelings, or just receiving friend requests from unknown or unexpected sources.
Friend Request is a gripping story that once I got into it properly, I found quite hard to put down. It's a great debut novel, and I would definitely look at reading more by the author in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sphere for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
I just love the sound of this book. The title, the cover - it all sounds fab. So glad you enjoyed it too. I think because you say it can be relatable it may be extra creepy. Great review.
ReplyDeleteAmanda.