Sharlene Teo writes well and chooses her words very precisely. Her prose is at once cutting, yet atmospheric, which fit Ponti well. Teo’s very talented and the years of hard work she put into honing her craft are evident in her debut novel.
LOST FOR WORDS by Stephanie Butland
Lost for Words is the sort of book that requires time and patience from the reader. During the first 100 pages, I considered abandoning the book a few times. I was bored with the writing style and didn’t enjoy jumping around three points in the protagonist’s life — 2016, 2013 and 1999. Two alternating timelines are already more than I tend to like. Three was pushing it.
OUT OF THE BLUE by Sophie Cameron
When I first read the synopsis of Out of the Blue, I was intrigued. After the first chapter, I was hooked. Then my expectations came crashing down before it partially mended towards the end. See, the concept of angels falling from the sky sounded like there’d be a lot more to it than what Out of the Blue had to offer.
THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Usually, when I find out a book is a novel in verse, I will skip it. The Poet X, however, sounded so relatable, that I stepped out of my reading comfort zone. Let me tell you, it was absolutely worth it!
SUNFLOWERS IN FEBRUARY by Phyllida Shrimpton
Sunflowers in February is at its core a morbid book. Lily was in a car accident and woke up dead. Death is never an easy topic to face. What comes after death though, is a question I’m sure many of us do wonder about. Sunflowers in February grappled with exactly that, as Lily was in limbo, unable to move on.
