Blake Book Buddies

Little Bang
No spoilers: I finished the book - a very satisfying ending, with hope for the future. Each character's emotional journey was resolved but the author cleverly acknowledged there is no straightforward answer to the question of allowing abortion. I even think that this book would help persuade strong believers who are either pro/anti choice that there are so many variables in each individual case, that it is impossible to stand in judgement of other people who decided to take this course of action. Apart from this serious central message, I enjoyed the way the plot unfolded, the well-drawn characters and their relationship between each other. Definitely a recommended read. 7/10 from me.

Mrs M

Little Bang
I am up to Chapter 10 and these are my thoughts so far. I'm enjoying the book - especially the text version. (I found listening to the audio version was too slow, though I'm not a particularly fast reader.) I like both central characters who, though they started out the stereotype good girl/bad boy, quickly developed into more nuanced versions of themselves. Without spoiling the story for anyone - at this stage in the story, there is tension between the young people and their families whilst the two of them are still learning new and surprising things about each other. Everyone is on a steep learning curve. The author is good at developing everyone's characters in a pacy way so they become rounded and believable. This makes it is less easy to predict where the storyline will end up which keeps the reader's interest. I like the premise of the story and its Northern Irish setting. The theme is topical, even though the story takes place in 2018. Battles for change, once won, are usually quickly forgotten and the rights of women to have control over their own bodies and to abortion has recently been removed in parts of the United States so this book is a reminder that we shouldn't take rights for granted. It is an easy read and I'm looking forward to how the plot unfolds.

MrsM