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The Friend
What secrets would you kill to keep? After her husband’s big promotion, Cece Solarin arrives in Brighton with their three children, ready to start afresh. But their new neighbourhood has a deadly secret. Three weeks earlier, Yvonne, a very popular parent, was almost murdered in the grounds of the local school – the same school where Cece has unwittingly enrolled her children. Already anxious about making friends when the parents seem so cliquey, Cece is now also worried about her children’s safety. By chance she meets Maxie, Anaya and Hazel, three very different school mothers who make her feel welcome and reassure her about her new life. That is until Cece discovers the police believe one of her new friends tried to kill Yvonne. Reluctant to spy on her friends but determined to discover the truth, Cece must uncover the potential murderer before they strike again . . . From the bestselling author of That Girl from Nowhere and When I Was Invisible comes a thrilling new novel that will have you questioning the line between right and wrong.
480 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2017
303 people are currently reading
2236 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Koomson
50 books3,285 followersHello, my name's Dorothy Koomson and I'll try to make this bit that's all about me as interesting as possible.
I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.
I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my masters degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.
Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.
Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK for because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug
I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.
I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my masters degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.
Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.
Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK for because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 389 reviews
December 22, 2018
Having a Dorothy Koomson book to read is such a pleasure. Part of me wants to saviour it but I could not resist and found it so difficult to put down once I started it!!
Yvonne is attacked on the school grounds and is in a coma, her closest friends should be offering support to husband Trevor and their children Maddison and Scarlett but they have their own worries and secrets!!
Cece has moved from London to Brighton as her husband Sol has been prompted at work. The children have settled into their new school and Cece have made friends with a couple of the school
mothers the same friends that are Yvonne’s friends, who are acting rather strangely.
Loved this book. Each chapter Is about a different character and we discover what their secrets are and that Yvonne wasn’t such a perfect friend to them after all.
Why is it so satisfying when you discover the person that seems to have it all, does not have the perfect life that they portray after all!!
A must read book that will keep you hooked!! Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Yvonne is attacked on the school grounds and is in a coma, her closest friends should be offering support to husband Trevor and their children Maddison and Scarlett but they have their own worries and secrets!!
Cece has moved from London to Brighton as her husband Sol has been prompted at work. The children have settled into their new school and Cece have made friends with a couple of the school
mothers the same friends that are Yvonne’s friends, who are acting rather strangely.
Loved this book. Each chapter Is about a different character and we discover what their secrets are and that Yvonne wasn’t such a perfect friend to them after all.
Why is it so satisfying when you discover the person that seems to have it all, does not have the perfect life that they portray after all!!
A must read book that will keep you hooked!! Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
November 3, 2018
4.5 friendly stars ✨✨
“Contei tudo à polícia, claro, tirando as partes que não lhes podia contar. Que escolhi omitir. Preciosismos à parte, a verdade é que não lhes disse tudo. A maior parte mas não tudo. São sempre os pequenos detalhes que nos denunciam.”
*
“I’d told the police all about it, of course. Apart from the bits I couldn’t tell them. Wouldn’t tell them. What does it matter, the semantics of it – I didn’t tell them everything. Most, but not all. It’s always that detail that catches you out.”
- Anaya Harshani
* * *
“Era assim que a Yvonne se sentia. Agora compreendo é fácil tornarmo-nos aquela amiga. A que não faz parte do grupo, a que as outras adoram odiar e contra quem começam a conspirar sem sequer darem por isso. O que ainda é mais grave, se tivermos em conta tudo o que tem vindo a acontecer, os segredos que temos de guardar para nos protegermos a nós próprias e umas às outras.
Recuso-me a sofrer o mesmo destino da Yvonne, a ser o bode expiatório.”
*
“This is how Yvonne felt. I can see it now. How easy it is to become The Friend. The one who is the outsider and people start to unintentionally plot against. Which is even worse when you think about everything else that is happening. About the secrets we now have to keep for each other and ourselves.
I am not going to become Yvonne. Or the person who goes down for this.”
- Hazel Lannon
* * *
“Padrões, padrões, padrões. Padrões soltos , variáveis, flexíveis, descartamos e alterados, negativa e positivamente, pela teoria do caos que é a vida. Quando as pessoas mentem e ocultam coisas, os padrões tornam-se muito mais estáveis, porque elas não se podem dar ao luxo de deixar que o caos estrague tudo. A mentira e o engano requerem uma âncora, porque a mais pequena alteração pode pôr tudo a nu.”
*
“Patterns, patterns, patterns. Loose, changeable, malleable patterns that are thrown off and altered, negatively and positively, by the chaos theory that is life. When people lie and hide things, their patterns become far more set because they can’t afford for chaos to ruin things. Lies and deception need an even keel, because the smallest changes will reveal all.”
- Cece Solarin
* * *
“Poderia acabar tudo já amanhã, mas mais valia alguns dias ou semanas a viver uma vida normal do que passarmos o resto do tempo a correr e no final perdermos tudo na mesma. Mais vale viver enquanto pudemos do que fugir enquanto podemos. Tínhamos de enfrentar as consequências.”
*
“It could all be ripped away, but rather that after a few more days or weeks of living a normal life, than going on the run and then having all that ripped away. Better to live on borrowed time than run on borrowed time. We had to see it out.”
- Maxie Smith
* * *
“Que cena tão estupida. Estava lua cheia, o que, creio, provavelmente estaria a ajudar à loucura. Lembro-me de que a certa altura tive a sensação de deixar o meu corpo e pairar acima das quatro, a observar-nos: quatro mulheres, quatro amigas, no exterior da cabana da praia, num dos lugares mais bonitos do planeta, à pancada - a debater-se, a berrar obscenidades, aos murros, aos arranhões. Uma confusão de mães; uma estupidez entre amigas.”
*
“It was pointless, stupid. There was a full moon that night, which I think must have added to the craziness. I remember, at one point, almost leaving my body and watching us: four women, four friends, who were standing outside a beach hut, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, grappling with each other – grappling, fighting, swearing, clawing. A mess of mothers; a foolishness of friends.”
- Anaya Kohli
* * *
“Na guerra e no amor vale tudo.”
*
“All’s fair in love and war.”
- Winnifred Carpenter
* * *
“Está na hora de acordar.
Tenho coisas a fazer.
Filhas para amar.
Um marido para apoiar.
Uma vida para viver.
Contas a ajustar.”
*
“I think it’s time I woke up.
I have things to do.
I have children to love.
A husband to build up.
A life to live.
Scores to settle.”
- Yvonne Whidmore
“Contei tudo à polícia, claro, tirando as partes que não lhes podia contar. Que escolhi omitir. Preciosismos à parte, a verdade é que não lhes disse tudo. A maior parte mas não tudo. São sempre os pequenos detalhes que nos denunciam.”
*
“I’d told the police all about it, of course. Apart from the bits I couldn’t tell them. Wouldn’t tell them. What does it matter, the semantics of it – I didn’t tell them everything. Most, but not all. It’s always that detail that catches you out.”
- Anaya Harshani
* * *
“Era assim que a Yvonne se sentia. Agora compreendo é fácil tornarmo-nos aquela amiga. A que não faz parte do grupo, a que as outras adoram odiar e contra quem começam a conspirar sem sequer darem por isso. O que ainda é mais grave, se tivermos em conta tudo o que tem vindo a acontecer, os segredos que temos de guardar para nos protegermos a nós próprias e umas às outras.
Recuso-me a sofrer o mesmo destino da Yvonne, a ser o bode expiatório.”
*
“This is how Yvonne felt. I can see it now. How easy it is to become The Friend. The one who is the outsider and people start to unintentionally plot against. Which is even worse when you think about everything else that is happening. About the secrets we now have to keep for each other and ourselves.
I am not going to become Yvonne. Or the person who goes down for this.”
- Hazel Lannon
* * *
“Padrões, padrões, padrões. Padrões soltos , variáveis, flexíveis, descartamos e alterados, negativa e positivamente, pela teoria do caos que é a vida. Quando as pessoas mentem e ocultam coisas, os padrões tornam-se muito mais estáveis, porque elas não se podem dar ao luxo de deixar que o caos estrague tudo. A mentira e o engano requerem uma âncora, porque a mais pequena alteração pode pôr tudo a nu.”
*
“Patterns, patterns, patterns. Loose, changeable, malleable patterns that are thrown off and altered, negatively and positively, by the chaos theory that is life. When people lie and hide things, their patterns become far more set because they can’t afford for chaos to ruin things. Lies and deception need an even keel, because the smallest changes will reveal all.”
- Cece Solarin
* * *
“Poderia acabar tudo já amanhã, mas mais valia alguns dias ou semanas a viver uma vida normal do que passarmos o resto do tempo a correr e no final perdermos tudo na mesma. Mais vale viver enquanto pudemos do que fugir enquanto podemos. Tínhamos de enfrentar as consequências.”
*
“It could all be ripped away, but rather that after a few more days or weeks of living a normal life, than going on the run and then having all that ripped away. Better to live on borrowed time than run on borrowed time. We had to see it out.”
- Maxie Smith
* * *
“Que cena tão estupida. Estava lua cheia, o que, creio, provavelmente estaria a ajudar à loucura. Lembro-me de que a certa altura tive a sensação de deixar o meu corpo e pairar acima das quatro, a observar-nos: quatro mulheres, quatro amigas, no exterior da cabana da praia, num dos lugares mais bonitos do planeta, à pancada - a debater-se, a berrar obscenidades, aos murros, aos arranhões. Uma confusão de mães; uma estupidez entre amigas.”
*
“It was pointless, stupid. There was a full moon that night, which I think must have added to the craziness. I remember, at one point, almost leaving my body and watching us: four women, four friends, who were standing outside a beach hut, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, grappling with each other – grappling, fighting, swearing, clawing. A mess of mothers; a foolishness of friends.”
- Anaya Kohli
* * *
“Na guerra e no amor vale tudo.”
*
“All’s fair in love and war.”
- Winnifred Carpenter
* * *
“Está na hora de acordar.
Tenho coisas a fazer.
Filhas para amar.
Um marido para apoiar.
Uma vida para viver.
Contas a ajustar.”
*
“I think it’s time I woke up.
I have things to do.
I have children to love.
A husband to build up.
A life to live.
Scores to settle.”
- Yvonne Whidmore
July 24, 2017
4,4
Devo dizer que este foi o meu primeiro contacto com a autora, sei que este livro é bem diferente da escrita habitual dela.
O início desta leitura foi lenta, eram muitos pormenores e muitos personagens para memorizar, mas com o avançar vamos nos embrenhando cada vez mais na história e quando damos por nós, já estamos completamente agarrados.
O tema é: Quem tentou matar a Yvonne?
Fiquei hesitante em saber se a autora iria ser previsível e sinceramente surpreendeu-me bastante, não estava nada à espera, tracei vários cenários, mas nunca o que autora me apresentou.
E apesar de não ser um género literário que aprecie muito, adorei a história, as personagens, principalmente a protagonista!
Havia só duas coisas que eu gostava de ter sabido antes da história acabar...
Devo dizer que este foi o meu primeiro contacto com a autora, sei que este livro é bem diferente da escrita habitual dela.
O início desta leitura foi lenta, eram muitos pormenores e muitos personagens para memorizar, mas com o avançar vamos nos embrenhando cada vez mais na história e quando damos por nós, já estamos completamente agarrados.
O tema é: Quem tentou matar a Yvonne?
Fiquei hesitante em saber se a autora iria ser previsível e sinceramente surpreendeu-me bastante, não estava nada à espera, tracei vários cenários, mas nunca o que autora me apresentou.
E apesar de não ser um género literário que aprecie muito, adorei a história, as personagens, principalmente a protagonista!
Havia só duas coisas que eu gostava de ter sabido antes da história acabar...
July 25, 2017
"Mãe de duas crianças em coma após ataque brutal na escola"… é assim que tem início o novo livro de Dorothy Koomson, mais uma narrativa intrigante, conduzida com grande inteligência e cheia de reviravoltas inesperadas, sempre em redor dos temas já habituais de Koomson: família, amor e amizade.
A mãe que quase foi espancada até à morte é Yvonne e não é de estranhar que as suspeitas da polícia caiam sobre as três amigas mais próximas da vítima: Anaya, Hazel e Maxie, especialmente quando se torna óbvio que todas estão a mentir sobre a noite que deixou Yvonne em coma. Recém-chegada com a sua família à cidade, Cece torna-se também amiga destas três mulheres e acaba por se ver forçada a colaborar com a polícia para descobrir a verdade, desvendar o que Anaya, Hazel e Maxie escondem sobre o seu passado e sobre o que realmente aconteceu naquela noite.
Além do interesse que a história suscita logo desde o início, o livro tem dois pontos muito fortes, o esquema de construção da narrativa e as personagens que nela participam:
. Narrada através de quatro pontos de vista diferentes, a história alterna também entre passado e presente permitindo-nos ficar a conhecer melhor cada uma das personagens e como é que chegaram até aqui. Apesar de no início não ser fácil acompanhar tantas perspetivas distintas e decorar quem é quem, acabamos por nos familiarizar com cada uma delas e criar uma empatia que não seria possível de outra forma. Além disso, isto leva-nos a estar constantemente a mudar o alvo das nossas suspeitas, o que só aumenta a nossa curiosidade pelo desfecho.
. Anaya, Cece, Hazel e Maxie são muito diferentes umas das outras; mulheres com personalidades distintas que experimentaram inícios de vida que as moldaram de modo desigual e que as forçou a seguir um ou outro caminho. No entanto, para todas elas, as decisões que tomaram, todas as mentiras que proferiram ou verdades que optaram por omitir durante tantos anos tinham apenas um objetivo: preservar a família.
Gostei muito deste livro, parece-me a leitura ideal para estas férias!
A mãe que quase foi espancada até à morte é Yvonne e não é de estranhar que as suspeitas da polícia caiam sobre as três amigas mais próximas da vítima: Anaya, Hazel e Maxie, especialmente quando se torna óbvio que todas estão a mentir sobre a noite que deixou Yvonne em coma. Recém-chegada com a sua família à cidade, Cece torna-se também amiga destas três mulheres e acaba por se ver forçada a colaborar com a polícia para descobrir a verdade, desvendar o que Anaya, Hazel e Maxie escondem sobre o seu passado e sobre o que realmente aconteceu naquela noite.
Além do interesse que a história suscita logo desde o início, o livro tem dois pontos muito fortes, o esquema de construção da narrativa e as personagens que nela participam:
. Narrada através de quatro pontos de vista diferentes, a história alterna também entre passado e presente permitindo-nos ficar a conhecer melhor cada uma das personagens e como é que chegaram até aqui. Apesar de no início não ser fácil acompanhar tantas perspetivas distintas e decorar quem é quem, acabamos por nos familiarizar com cada uma delas e criar uma empatia que não seria possível de outra forma. Além disso, isto leva-nos a estar constantemente a mudar o alvo das nossas suspeitas, o que só aumenta a nossa curiosidade pelo desfecho.
. Anaya, Cece, Hazel e Maxie são muito diferentes umas das outras; mulheres com personalidades distintas que experimentaram inícios de vida que as moldaram de modo desigual e que as forçou a seguir um ou outro caminho. No entanto, para todas elas, as decisões que tomaram, todas as mentiras que proferiram ou verdades que optaram por omitir durante tantos anos tinham apenas um objetivo: preservar a família.
Gostei muito deste livro, parece-me a leitura ideal para estas férias!
May 2, 2018
The book opens with a newspaper report detailing that Yvonne Whidmore has been attacked and left for dead outside Plummers Prep School.
At the same time Cece moves to Brighton with her husband Sol and enrol’s their two boys at the same school.
Cece becomes friends with three of the mothers, Hazel, Anaya and Maxie.
Cece is adjusting well to her new life until she finds out that her new friends are amongst the suspects of the recent attack.
The narrative switches between the various female characters point of view, with each chapter also including flashbacks.
The author thrusts the reader straight in at the deep, unfortunately I found it detrimental to the book.
With the constant jumping around I’d struggled to get a connection to the main characters.
The second half was much more interesting, but didn’t redeem itself from a slow start
Disappointing.
At the same time Cece moves to Brighton with her husband Sol and enrol’s their two boys at the same school.
Cece becomes friends with three of the mothers, Hazel, Anaya and Maxie.
Cece is adjusting well to her new life until she finds out that her new friends are amongst the suspects of the recent attack.
The narrative switches between the various female characters point of view, with each chapter also including flashbacks.
The author thrusts the reader straight in at the deep, unfortunately I found it detrimental to the book.
With the constant jumping around I’d struggled to get a connection to the main characters.
The second half was much more interesting, but didn’t redeem itself from a slow start
Disappointing.
November 12, 2017
A minha estreia com a autora não podia ser melhor. Adorei a história e as personagens. Esta história fala segredos escondidos e do que as pessoas são capazes de fazer quando são obcecadas com algo/alguém.
December 22, 2018
Having a Dorothy Koomson book to read is such a pleasure. Part of me wants to saviour it but I could not resist and found it so difficult to put down once I started it!!
Yvonne is attacked on the school grounds and is in a coma, her closest friends should be offering support to husband Trevor and their children Maddison and Scarlett but they have their own worries and secrets!!
Cece has moved from London to Brighton as her husband Sol has been prompted at work. The children have settled into their new school and Cece have made friends with a couple of the school
mothers the same friends that are Yvonne’s friends, who are acting rather strangely.
Loved this book. Each chapter Is about a different character and we discover what their secrets are and that Yvonne wasn’t such a perfect friend to them after all.
Why is it so satisfying when you discover the person that seems to have it all, does not have the perfect life that they portray after all!!
A must read book that will keep you hooked!! Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Yvonne is attacked on the school grounds and is in a coma, her closest friends should be offering support to husband Trevor and their children Maddison and Scarlett but they have their own worries and secrets!!
Cece has moved from London to Brighton as her husband Sol has been prompted at work. The children have settled into their new school and Cece have made friends with a couple of the school
mothers the same friends that are Yvonne’s friends, who are acting rather strangely.
Loved this book. Each chapter Is about a different character and we discover what their secrets are and that Yvonne wasn’t such a perfect friend to them after all.
Why is it so satisfying when you discover the person that seems to have it all, does not have the perfect life that they portray after all!!
A must read book that will keep you hooked!! Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
May 26, 2017
It’s been a while since I last read a Dorothy Koomson book – not because I don’t enjoy them, I do very much, but I guess there are just so many other books on the reading pile. When I saw this one on my Lovereading review list, I was sold on the synopsis and jumped at the chance to request a copy.
The Friend begins with Cece and her three children joining her husband Sol in Brighton. Sol had been living in Brighton on his own for the previous three months following his promotion and Cece is becoming increasingly concerned about their relationship so agrees to make the move from London. The children find adjusting to their new life a lot easier than Cece – she struggles to make new friends and feels rather isolated but when fellow school mums, Maxie, Hazel and Anaya take her under their wing, she is delighted. However the story takes a darker turn when she discovers that these three women were all friends with Yvonne, a mother who was recently attacked at the school and left in a coma. All three women are clearly hiding something – but do they have any connection to the attack on Yvonne.
A face from the past brings trouble for Cece and reluctantly she is forced to turn detective however what she discovers could end even the most longstanding of friendships, let alone fledging ones. It seemed that everyone is this story has secrets which if discovered could be devastating.
There are a lot of characters introduced all at once at the beginning and it did take me a little while to remember the parent/wife/husband relationship between them all. The story is told mainly in the present time but also with narratives from the past giving a more detailed picture of each of the main characters. Nobody comes out of this story that well, the men especially it seems – they generally range from the deceitful to the downright cruel. With each new revelation, my sympathies and alliances kept changing. None of our main characters are all that they seem which makes the story so intriguing.
It may have taken me a while to get to grips with the characters, but I have to say that it soon turned into one of those reads that I couldn’t put down. The characterisation is superb with Cece being a firm favourite of mine; she was probably one of the strongest characters, both in presence and personality and didn’t take any nonsense from anyone. Sol often found himself facing her wrath (and in my opinion quite deservedly so).
You may think you know your friends but do you really? Do you know everything about their background? Unless you were lifelong friends, you would only know what they chose to tell you.
When I first started reading this, the book that immediately sprang to mind was ‘Little Lies’ by Liane Moriarty. Obviously the detail of the stories are not the same but the overall premise – the school setting, the cliquey mothers at the school gate, the drama and suspense element; if you enjoyed that book then I would recommend this one – and, even if you haven’t, I would still recommend The Friend just because it’s such a good read.
The Friend begins with Cece and her three children joining her husband Sol in Brighton. Sol had been living in Brighton on his own for the previous three months following his promotion and Cece is becoming increasingly concerned about their relationship so agrees to make the move from London. The children find adjusting to their new life a lot easier than Cece – she struggles to make new friends and feels rather isolated but when fellow school mums, Maxie, Hazel and Anaya take her under their wing, she is delighted. However the story takes a darker turn when she discovers that these three women were all friends with Yvonne, a mother who was recently attacked at the school and left in a coma. All three women are clearly hiding something – but do they have any connection to the attack on Yvonne.
A face from the past brings trouble for Cece and reluctantly she is forced to turn detective however what she discovers could end even the most longstanding of friendships, let alone fledging ones. It seemed that everyone is this story has secrets which if discovered could be devastating.
There are a lot of characters introduced all at once at the beginning and it did take me a little while to remember the parent/wife/husband relationship between them all. The story is told mainly in the present time but also with narratives from the past giving a more detailed picture of each of the main characters. Nobody comes out of this story that well, the men especially it seems – they generally range from the deceitful to the downright cruel. With each new revelation, my sympathies and alliances kept changing. None of our main characters are all that they seem which makes the story so intriguing.
It may have taken me a while to get to grips with the characters, but I have to say that it soon turned into one of those reads that I couldn’t put down. The characterisation is superb with Cece being a firm favourite of mine; she was probably one of the strongest characters, both in presence and personality and didn’t take any nonsense from anyone. Sol often found himself facing her wrath (and in my opinion quite deservedly so).
You may think you know your friends but do you really? Do you know everything about their background? Unless you were lifelong friends, you would only know what they chose to tell you.
When I first started reading this, the book that immediately sprang to mind was ‘Little Lies’ by Liane Moriarty. Obviously the detail of the stories are not the same but the overall premise – the school setting, the cliquey mothers at the school gate, the drama and suspense element; if you enjoyed that book then I would recommend this one – and, even if you haven’t, I would still recommend The Friend just because it’s such a good read.
February 19, 2018
I've read and enjoyed a Dorothy Koomson book before, and I thought this would be a fun read - which is was. A who-dunnit based around a private school and the parents that frequent the school gates... and it's obvious from the beginning that three friends know more than they are letting on.
The main character, Cece Solarin, is a wife and mother who has just moved to Brighton and her children have enrolled in the school. But despite its good reputation, Plummer Prep has recently become the scene of a violent crime; where a (mostly) well-liked parent, Yvonne, is found attacked and seriously injured outside the entrance. As Yvonne lies in a coma, Cece finds herself getting wrapped up in the investigation and with a group of friends who all have dark secrets to hide.
I love a good mystery, and being set around a group of mums at a private school was a bit different. I also love strong female friendships, and Koomson writes these so well, with lots of details about the women and their friendships which make them feel real. Cece, the main character, was excellent; smart and tough but really likeable, and going through her own crisis.
It did take me quite a while to stop getting confused between the women and their children / husbands. You get given a LOT of names quite early on, but I got there in the end. And although I never stopped getting confused about the jumping timeline (there are many flashbacks in this book, I think all the main characters have them), it didn't seem to matter too much in terms of overall understanding.
What did bother me a bit was the pace of the book. You know when you just want the whole thing to hurry up so you can find out who did it and be done? Yeah, that. I'll admit that the first time I tried to read this I gave up on 16%, as I felt like it was dragging. I then found myself waiting around without another book, so I picked it up again. I'm glad I did, because I did end up enjoying it - but I felt like it could have been about half the length and still told the story well.
Overall a good book, not as gripping or fast-paced as I would have liked, but had some really nice features. Strong female characters, friendship, lies, chilling secrets and manipulation.
The main character, Cece Solarin, is a wife and mother who has just moved to Brighton and her children have enrolled in the school. But despite its good reputation, Plummer Prep has recently become the scene of a violent crime; where a (mostly) well-liked parent, Yvonne, is found attacked and seriously injured outside the entrance. As Yvonne lies in a coma, Cece finds herself getting wrapped up in the investigation and with a group of friends who all have dark secrets to hide.
I love a good mystery, and being set around a group of mums at a private school was a bit different. I also love strong female friendships, and Koomson writes these so well, with lots of details about the women and their friendships which make them feel real. Cece, the main character, was excellent; smart and tough but really likeable, and going through her own crisis.
It did take me quite a while to stop getting confused between the women and their children / husbands. You get given a LOT of names quite early on, but I got there in the end. And although I never stopped getting confused about the jumping timeline (there are many flashbacks in this book, I think all the main characters have them), it didn't seem to matter too much in terms of overall understanding.
What did bother me a bit was the pace of the book. You know when you just want the whole thing to hurry up so you can find out who did it and be done? Yeah, that. I'll admit that the first time I tried to read this I gave up on 16%, as I felt like it was dragging. I then found myself waiting around without another book, so I picked it up again. I'm glad I did, because I did end up enjoying it - but I felt like it could have been about half the length and still told the story well.
Overall a good book, not as gripping or fast-paced as I would have liked, but had some really nice features. Strong female characters, friendship, lies, chilling secrets and manipulation.
March 10, 2018
I found it entertaining but I wouldn't say it's a must-read. It focuses mainly on the friendly and sometimes not so friendly relationship of a group of women, the secrets they keep and the lies they tell to protect themselves. All of them are strongly influenced by the men in their lives, for the better and for the worse. I think the female characters should have been a bit more independent.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
January 5, 2018
O Amor e a Amizade são o tema principal deste livro.
Que mentiras e que actos de desespero somos capaz de fazer movidos por estes dois sentimentos?
O mote do livro é o espancamento da mãe alfa de uma escola primária em Brighton, mas este acontecimento revela as fragilidades de várias famílias, cujo filhos frequentam este estabelecimento de ensino.
Que mentiras e que actos de desespero somos capaz de fazer movidos por estes dois sentimentos?
O mote do livro é o espancamento da mãe alfa de uma escola primária em Brighton, mas este acontecimento revela as fragilidades de várias famílias, cujo filhos frequentam este estabelecimento de ensino.
March 11, 2018
After being hugely impressed by Dorothy Koomson’s The Beach Wedding, released as part of the Quick Reads 2018 series, I was keen to experience her writing over the course of a full length novel and chose The Friend. Thankfully my high expectations were rewarded by this mix of women’s fiction, intrigue and domestic drama with some characters that were developed credibly over the course of the story. Whilst I would recommend The Friend heartily I did find it something of a slow starter, with the initial introduction of the characters and the dynamic of each individual marriage taking time to be fully illustrated. However after my initial reservations I devoured every moment of an emotionally involving story with some very juicy secrets and ace undercover deduction!
Cece Solarin and her three children have each given up a lot to follow husband and father, Sol, to Brighton after his work promotion. For Cece it has meant leaving a fulfilling career and her London based support network and for fifteen-year-old daughter, Harmony, and eight-year-old twins Oscar and Ore, it has meant starting new schools. Already anxious about the move and with Sol appearing to have quickly forgotten just what his family have given up to follow his dream and turning grouchy and dismissive, Cece is feeling low. After giving up a job she loves and with Sol becoming condescending about her importance to the family now she is no longer a wage earner, the cliquey parents of Plummer Prep at the boys illustrious independent school are the final straw. As the weeks pass she finally makes some tentative alliances with a group of fellow school mothers in the shape of three very different women - Hazel, Maxie and Anaya, all seemingly keen to welcome her to a new neighbourhood. However Cece is soon rocked by her discovery of the attempted murder of Plummer Prep Parent’s Council head and alpha school mother, Yvonne Whidmore, just three weeks earlier on the school premises leaving her in a coma. More disconcertingly, Sol knew of this prior to allowing the children to attend the school and Cece soon learns that her three new friends were the last to see Yvonne before her attack. Worried for her children’s safety the fractious atmosphere at drop off and pick up seemingly goes unnoticed by twins Oscar and Ore, who both quickly make friends and flourish... leaving just Cece floundering...
Already having been settled into Brighton life for three months prior to his family moving down from London, Sol is working longer hours, neglecting the children and Cece starts to think that there could be another woman in his life. Against this backdrop of marital discord the opportune meeting with former first love and the man that broke her heart as a police cadet and now detective sergeant, Gareth, brings further emotional woe. After having left the police force in a hurry and descending into a spiral of questionable sexual encounters and alcohol fuelled nights out that resulted in her unplanned pregnancy with daughter, Harmony, Cece wants no reminder of her past mistakes. As Gareth pushes for a DNA test to see if he is Harmony’s biological father, Cece reluctantly makes a deal, agreeing to spy on her new friends is exchange for Gareth leaving her family alone. With Gareth believing one of the trio is responsible for Yvonne’s attack, Cece finds herself reevaluating her opinions of her new friends and slowly becoming privy to the secrets and pasts of the women and their marriages. Given the hurdles that Cece made husband Sol jump through in order to allow him involvement in her and then one-year-old Harmony’s life, Koomson superbly draws out the dangers of each woman’s situation through Cece’s non-judgemental and sympathetic manner. As she begins to suspect that there could be more to the situation than a simple cold-blooded attack, Koomson engages her readers hearts and minds, making each and every woman’s individual predicament understandable. As Cece grows closer to Hazel, Anaya and Maxie, she starts to question Gareth’s suspicion that there could be a potential murderer preparing to strike again amongst the trio.
Not only does Koomson portray the lives of Yvonne’s (and now Cece’s) friends she also offers enough colour to give readers a pretty good idea of what kind of wife and mother Yvonne is to husband, Trevor and her two daughters whilst also summoning the atmosphere and culture surrounding prestigious Plummer Prep. Koomson’s multiple narrators are easily identifiable and all feel like distinctive individuals and I soon found myself no longer questioning how I would respond to some of the dilemmas they faced but envisaging their likely responses as I came to understand more about all of the characters. Be it on marriage, friendship or parenting, Koomson’s writing is never simple platitudes or cliche but brought to life with subtle nuances and insights that go beyond the surface of mere observation given. At 467 print pages and a fairly lengthy read I was fully prepared for some ‘filler’ content but this is kept to an absolute minimum with Koomson ensuring the unfolding action keeps her plot rolling. Whilst I wasn’t truly behind the plausibility and legality of Gareth and his CID superior officer inveigling Cece on a spying mission, even given her background in fraud, I suspended disbelief in the interests of an excellent story. Admittedly I did have initial reservations concerning the similarities with many recent novels based around the question of how well we ever know our nearest and dearest and notably the school gate setting of Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies, but Koomson’s novel has enough originality and insight to add something to the genre. By juggling the question of Yvonne’s attempted murder alongside three sub-plots (Cece and Sol’s marital discord, Cece’s reunion with her ex-lover in the form of DS Gareth and the possibility of him being Harmony’s biological father) there is plenty of drama!
Given The Friend is women’s fiction with added intrigue the high stakes and very unexpected denouement was the icing on the cake and Dorothy Koomson’s admirable sleight of hand left me open-mouthed. Thankfully the pitch perfect finale feels authentic and Koomson neatly ties up the loose ends making The Friend an involving and highly compelling read!
Cece Solarin and her three children have each given up a lot to follow husband and father, Sol, to Brighton after his work promotion. For Cece it has meant leaving a fulfilling career and her London based support network and for fifteen-year-old daughter, Harmony, and eight-year-old twins Oscar and Ore, it has meant starting new schools. Already anxious about the move and with Sol appearing to have quickly forgotten just what his family have given up to follow his dream and turning grouchy and dismissive, Cece is feeling low. After giving up a job she loves and with Sol becoming condescending about her importance to the family now she is no longer a wage earner, the cliquey parents of Plummer Prep at the boys illustrious independent school are the final straw. As the weeks pass she finally makes some tentative alliances with a group of fellow school mothers in the shape of three very different women - Hazel, Maxie and Anaya, all seemingly keen to welcome her to a new neighbourhood. However Cece is soon rocked by her discovery of the attempted murder of Plummer Prep Parent’s Council head and alpha school mother, Yvonne Whidmore, just three weeks earlier on the school premises leaving her in a coma. More disconcertingly, Sol knew of this prior to allowing the children to attend the school and Cece soon learns that her three new friends were the last to see Yvonne before her attack. Worried for her children’s safety the fractious atmosphere at drop off and pick up seemingly goes unnoticed by twins Oscar and Ore, who both quickly make friends and flourish... leaving just Cece floundering...
Already having been settled into Brighton life for three months prior to his family moving down from London, Sol is working longer hours, neglecting the children and Cece starts to think that there could be another woman in his life. Against this backdrop of marital discord the opportune meeting with former first love and the man that broke her heart as a police cadet and now detective sergeant, Gareth, brings further emotional woe. After having left the police force in a hurry and descending into a spiral of questionable sexual encounters and alcohol fuelled nights out that resulted in her unplanned pregnancy with daughter, Harmony, Cece wants no reminder of her past mistakes. As Gareth pushes for a DNA test to see if he is Harmony’s biological father, Cece reluctantly makes a deal, agreeing to spy on her new friends is exchange for Gareth leaving her family alone. With Gareth believing one of the trio is responsible for Yvonne’s attack, Cece finds herself reevaluating her opinions of her new friends and slowly becoming privy to the secrets and pasts of the women and their marriages. Given the hurdles that Cece made husband Sol jump through in order to allow him involvement in her and then one-year-old Harmony’s life, Koomson superbly draws out the dangers of each woman’s situation through Cece’s non-judgemental and sympathetic manner. As she begins to suspect that there could be more to the situation than a simple cold-blooded attack, Koomson engages her readers hearts and minds, making each and every woman’s individual predicament understandable. As Cece grows closer to Hazel, Anaya and Maxie, she starts to question Gareth’s suspicion that there could be a potential murderer preparing to strike again amongst the trio.
Not only does Koomson portray the lives of Yvonne’s (and now Cece’s) friends she also offers enough colour to give readers a pretty good idea of what kind of wife and mother Yvonne is to husband, Trevor and her two daughters whilst also summoning the atmosphere and culture surrounding prestigious Plummer Prep. Koomson’s multiple narrators are easily identifiable and all feel like distinctive individuals and I soon found myself no longer questioning how I would respond to some of the dilemmas they faced but envisaging their likely responses as I came to understand more about all of the characters. Be it on marriage, friendship or parenting, Koomson’s writing is never simple platitudes or cliche but brought to life with subtle nuances and insights that go beyond the surface of mere observation given. At 467 print pages and a fairly lengthy read I was fully prepared for some ‘filler’ content but this is kept to an absolute minimum with Koomson ensuring the unfolding action keeps her plot rolling. Whilst I wasn’t truly behind the plausibility and legality of Gareth and his CID superior officer inveigling Cece on a spying mission, even given her background in fraud, I suspended disbelief in the interests of an excellent story. Admittedly I did have initial reservations concerning the similarities with many recent novels based around the question of how well we ever know our nearest and dearest and notably the school gate setting of Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies, but Koomson’s novel has enough originality and insight to add something to the genre. By juggling the question of Yvonne’s attempted murder alongside three sub-plots (Cece and Sol’s marital discord, Cece’s reunion with her ex-lover in the form of DS Gareth and the possibility of him being Harmony’s biological father) there is plenty of drama!
Given The Friend is women’s fiction with added intrigue the high stakes and very unexpected denouement was the icing on the cake and Dorothy Koomson’s admirable sleight of hand left me open-mouthed. Thankfully the pitch perfect finale feels authentic and Koomson neatly ties up the loose ends making The Friend an involving and highly compelling read!
August 22, 2017
4,5*
Este mês li dois livros da autora. Talvez o ritmo do primeiro que li me tenha levado a adquirir este. Notei, em ambos, uma maior maturidade na escrita, a par com uma maior dureza nos temas abordados.
Trabalho em ensino há vários anos e não é nada difícil encontrar uma Yvonne em cada ano lectivo. Que personagem abjecta e, simultaneamente, tão fácil de encontrar. Por outro lado também não é difícil encontrar quem "canonize" uma Mulher por ser Mãe, quando é a coisa mais banal do mundo. Ser Mãe deveria seguir um desejo natural e intrínseco e não estar disponível apenas para cumprir um papel na sociedade.
Um excelente livro, que li com avidez, e que me deixou a matutar numa série de coisas interessantes. Leiam-no. Tomem-lhe o gosto. Não se deixem levar por preconceitos ou por julgamentos prévios por causa da capa.
Este mês li dois livros da autora. Talvez o ritmo do primeiro que li me tenha levado a adquirir este. Notei, em ambos, uma maior maturidade na escrita, a par com uma maior dureza nos temas abordados.
Trabalho em ensino há vários anos e não é nada difícil encontrar uma Yvonne em cada ano lectivo. Que personagem abjecta e, simultaneamente, tão fácil de encontrar. Por outro lado também não é difícil encontrar quem "canonize" uma Mulher por ser Mãe, quando é a coisa mais banal do mundo. Ser Mãe deveria seguir um desejo natural e intrínseco e não estar disponível apenas para cumprir um papel na sociedade.
Um excelente livro, que li com avidez, e que me deixou a matutar numa série de coisas interessantes. Leiam-no. Tomem-lhe o gosto. Não se deixem levar por preconceitos ou por julgamentos prévios por causa da capa.
August 10, 2017
É daqueles que nos prende logo no início e só queremos acabar para saber o que afinal aconteceu.
Umas merecidas 4,5⭐️
Umas merecidas 4,5⭐️
July 24, 2017
A minha opinião em vídeo: https://youtu.be/ederM9yPTpw
Fiquei desiludida. Achei uma versão inferior e fraca do "Big Little Lies", embora, claro, que não seja propositado...
Fiquei desiludida. Achei uma versão inferior e fraca do "Big Little Lies", embora, claro, que não seja propositado...
March 19, 2018
Opinião publicada no Efeito dos Livros
"No melhor pano cai a nódoa", sempre disse a minha mãe, leitora assídua dos Livros de Dorothy Koomson.
Uma escola de renome, quatro vidas aparentemente perfeitas, uma amizade com uma camada de verniz prestes a estalar e uma mulher brutalmente agredida que guarda no seu coma o nome do seu agressor.
Quem é "A amiga"? Ou melhor, quando é o que o deixou de ser?
Desde miúda que tenho este pensamento, vá chamemos-lhe uma conclusão que tirei de anos de amizades cheias de altos e baixos. Ao contrário do que se passa com os amigos do sexo masculino, as relações entre mulheres são voláteis, em alguns casos deviam trazer um sinal foto luminescente de produtos químicos/ instáveis, tal é o perigo de explosão.
Para Hazel, Maxie, Anaya e Yvonne tudo começou bem. Miúdos na mesma escola, disponibilidade para conviver, interesse por actividades em conjunto, seguido de encontros nas costas umas das outras, máscaras falsas a caírem e segredos que alguém demasiado ávido por podres alheios decide desenterrar.
Aos olhos da recém chegada Cece, cada uma destas interessantes e genuínas mulheres pode ter sido a causa do estado entre a vida e a morte em que encontra Yvonne.
Mas o que se passou na noite do ataque?
Quando é que o aparente mar de tranquilidade da amizade que partilhavam se tornou um campo minado?
Desenrolado o novelo de lã que alberga o presente e a história de cada uma destas mulheres, seguimos numa montanha russa de desconfiança e compreensão, cientes que podiam ser os nossos esqueletos a ficaram expostos no armário onde os arrumamos no passado.
Até quem diz que padece de uma vida monótona tem segredos e pequenos detalhes que prefere manter escondidos.
Pergunta é, seriam capazes de matar por isso?
Fiquei deveras satisfeita por ter pegado nesta Amiga. Tive um primeiro feeling Big Little Lies, pela picardia entre algumas personagens, pelo segredo partilhado mas o que me conquistou neste livro foi a capacidade de criar um background credível para todas as personagens, inicialmente fazendo-nos questionar sobre o que fizeram para depois terminarmos com vontade de lhes dar um abraço.
Além dos detalhes passados que vamos descobrindo, é igualmente o tempo presente, os dramas individuais e as cenas de cada relação mais ou menos perfeita, que completa o quadro e nos vai enrolando até ao fim, até sabermos a verdade.
Há uma altura que já desconfiamos de toda a gente, bem, todos menos dos miúdos 😉
E é por isso que este livro está tão bem escrito. Começamos a olhar desconfiadas para todos os intervenientes da história e achamos que todos têm motivação mais que necessária para colocar um ponto final ao comboio descarrilado que é Yvonne.
Não sei se este livro segue a linha de histórias publicadas pela autora mas posso dizer que quero ler mais.
Que venha o próximo. Acho que vou ter de olhar para a estante da mãe e ver os anteriores, aqueles que ela já devorou.
Qual é que devo ler de seguida?
"No melhor pano cai a nódoa", sempre disse a minha mãe, leitora assídua dos Livros de Dorothy Koomson.
Uma escola de renome, quatro vidas aparentemente perfeitas, uma amizade com uma camada de verniz prestes a estalar e uma mulher brutalmente agredida que guarda no seu coma o nome do seu agressor.
Quem é "A amiga"? Ou melhor, quando é o que o deixou de ser?
Desde miúda que tenho este pensamento, vá chamemos-lhe uma conclusão que tirei de anos de amizades cheias de altos e baixos. Ao contrário do que se passa com os amigos do sexo masculino, as relações entre mulheres são voláteis, em alguns casos deviam trazer um sinal foto luminescente de produtos químicos/ instáveis, tal é o perigo de explosão.
Para Hazel, Maxie, Anaya e Yvonne tudo começou bem. Miúdos na mesma escola, disponibilidade para conviver, interesse por actividades em conjunto, seguido de encontros nas costas umas das outras, máscaras falsas a caírem e segredos que alguém demasiado ávido por podres alheios decide desenterrar.
Aos olhos da recém chegada Cece, cada uma destas interessantes e genuínas mulheres pode ter sido a causa do estado entre a vida e a morte em que encontra Yvonne.
Mas o que se passou na noite do ataque?
Quando é que o aparente mar de tranquilidade da amizade que partilhavam se tornou um campo minado?
Desenrolado o novelo de lã que alberga o presente e a história de cada uma destas mulheres, seguimos numa montanha russa de desconfiança e compreensão, cientes que podiam ser os nossos esqueletos a ficaram expostos no armário onde os arrumamos no passado.
Até quem diz que padece de uma vida monótona tem segredos e pequenos detalhes que prefere manter escondidos.
Pergunta é, seriam capazes de matar por isso?
Fiquei deveras satisfeita por ter pegado nesta Amiga. Tive um primeiro feeling Big Little Lies, pela picardia entre algumas personagens, pelo segredo partilhado mas o que me conquistou neste livro foi a capacidade de criar um background credível para todas as personagens, inicialmente fazendo-nos questionar sobre o que fizeram para depois terminarmos com vontade de lhes dar um abraço.
Além dos detalhes passados que vamos descobrindo, é igualmente o tempo presente, os dramas individuais e as cenas de cada relação mais ou menos perfeita, que completa o quadro e nos vai enrolando até ao fim, até sabermos a verdade.
Há uma altura que já desconfiamos de toda a gente, bem, todos menos dos miúdos 😉
E é por isso que este livro está tão bem escrito. Começamos a olhar desconfiadas para todos os intervenientes da história e achamos que todos têm motivação mais que necessária para colocar um ponto final ao comboio descarrilado que é Yvonne.
Não sei se este livro segue a linha de histórias publicadas pela autora mas posso dizer que quero ler mais.
Que venha o próximo. Acho que vou ter de olhar para a estante da mãe e ver os anteriores, aqueles que ela já devorou.
Qual é que devo ler de seguida?
July 7, 2017
Cece Solarin arrives in Brighton with her three children following her husband's big promotion. Three weeks earlier, Yvonne, a very popular parent was left for dead in the grounds of the local school - the same school where Cece's youngest children are enrolled. By chance Cece meets and befriends Maxie, Anaya and Hazel, three very different school mothers who make her feel welcome. However, Cece discovers the police believe one of her new friends was responsible for the attack on Yvonne. Cece must uncover the potential murderer before they strike again.
I adored this latest novel from Koomson! I was utterly consumed by Cece's new life and her new friends and before long they felt like my friends as well. I loved the blend of a new exciting friendship and new life blending with the terror of an attack on Yvonne and who might have committed such a crime, the excitement and danger bounce off each other spectacularly, creating a very tight, exhilarating atmosphere.
Koomson has thrown so much into the plot and I love it! As you will soon find out when reading this, all of Cece's new friends have dangerous secrets, are they secrets that they would attack Yvonne over though? Slowly, Cece, and by extension, the reader, discover the secrets of the characters, believe me they are all well worth the wait! Once this is laid bare, Cece is still unsure whether any of them would have attacked Yvonne but it is not long before that decision is taken out of her hands.
I thoroughly enjoyed the way Koomson has written this, the present day and multiple flashbacks to the characters' previous lives, it really helps the reader understand them better, as well as ramping up the tension no end. 'The Friend' is told from multiple character perspectives, which again helps the reader gets inside their head. There is a little bit of repetition as Koomson switched between perspectives, but not enough that it decreased my enjoyment of the novel.
'The Friend' is another standout novel from Koomson that I adored from start to finish.
I adored this latest novel from Koomson! I was utterly consumed by Cece's new life and her new friends and before long they felt like my friends as well. I loved the blend of a new exciting friendship and new life blending with the terror of an attack on Yvonne and who might have committed such a crime, the excitement and danger bounce off each other spectacularly, creating a very tight, exhilarating atmosphere.
Koomson has thrown so much into the plot and I love it! As you will soon find out when reading this, all of Cece's new friends have dangerous secrets, are they secrets that they would attack Yvonne over though? Slowly, Cece, and by extension, the reader, discover the secrets of the characters, believe me they are all well worth the wait! Once this is laid bare, Cece is still unsure whether any of them would have attacked Yvonne but it is not long before that decision is taken out of her hands.
I thoroughly enjoyed the way Koomson has written this, the present day and multiple flashbacks to the characters' previous lives, it really helps the reader understand them better, as well as ramping up the tension no end. 'The Friend' is told from multiple character perspectives, which again helps the reader gets inside their head. There is a little bit of repetition as Koomson switched between perspectives, but not enough that it decreased my enjoyment of the novel.
'The Friend' is another standout novel from Koomson that I adored from start to finish.
March 8, 2018
Local mother and homemaker Yvonne is brutally attacked and left in a coma on the premises of Plummer Prep, a school her children attend and where she is head of the Parents’ Council. Yvonne is known to be a perfectly well-turned our vibrant mother of two. The community is baffled but Yvonne’s friends seem to be cagey and distant after the attack. Cece has moved the Brighton and her twin boys are enrolled at Plummer Prep, she has no idea of the attack and once she dies she curiously befriends the group of mothers who were friends with Yvonne. Circumstances and curiosity puts her in a position where she begins to unravel what actually happened the night Yvonne was injured. Facing her own personal issues within her marriage and dealing with a blast from the past will Cece discover what actually lies beneath the calm exterior of the seaside town she has moved to and will she do so without putting herself in the crosshairs?
When I first started reading this mystery, I did find it a little confusing as the story is narrated by multiple characters, Cece and the three local friends in Yvonne’s close circle, Hazel, Anaya and Maxi. It was hard to see how Cece would fit into the group initially, but by the time I got one third of the way through the way through I was more comfortable with the characters and intrigued as to what they were all hiding. There was a little overlap between narrators but it didn’t slow the story down. The voices interwove to keep the pace of this thriller going. Unfortunately, as it sometimes happens, I figured out who the culprit was, but not why, by the time I reached around halfway through the story but I still found it a stimulating read.
I have been a huge Dorothy Koomson fan for years now and this latest mystery novel from her did not disappoint at all. An intriguing bunch of characters weaving quite the chilling tale in a beautiful setting.
When I first started reading this mystery, I did find it a little confusing as the story is narrated by multiple characters, Cece and the three local friends in Yvonne’s close circle, Hazel, Anaya and Maxi. It was hard to see how Cece would fit into the group initially, but by the time I got one third of the way through the way through I was more comfortable with the characters and intrigued as to what they were all hiding. There was a little overlap between narrators but it didn’t slow the story down. The voices interwove to keep the pace of this thriller going. Unfortunately, as it sometimes happens, I figured out who the culprit was, but not why, by the time I reached around halfway through the story but I still found it a stimulating read.
I have been a huge Dorothy Koomson fan for years now and this latest mystery novel from her did not disappoint at all. An intriguing bunch of characters weaving quite the chilling tale in a beautiful setting.
May 17, 2019
This was a book club read so it was not my choice however I always reserve judgement as I have been pleasantly surprised in the past by book club choices. Not so this time for me. Although there are many people who enjoy this type of novel I do not like novels that include a group of females who are supposed to be friends yet talk about each other behind each others backs ( I hear enough of this in the office I work in). Yes they might all have secrets that they do not want exposed due to the lifestyle they lead and the lies they have already told but I really couldn't have cared less. I didn't particularly like any of the characters as they all seemed pretty shallow to me, as material things and wealth were the most important things in their lives.
If you do happen to read it I hope you get more out of it than I did.
If you do happen to read it I hope you get more out of it than I did.
January 17, 2018
This was a slow burner for me - thought it took a while to get going before the story finally dragged me in. You know that something has happened to Yvonne to leave her in a coma but the whole truth comes out slowly making you want to carry on reading to find out. A fabulous mix of characters not all of them very likeable. What tangled lives some people lead.
August 31, 2017
Opinião completa no blogue: http://marcadordelivros.blogspot.pt/2...
February 21, 2018
I did not see that ending coming at all, it has taken me completely by surprise as at no point did I think things would take that turn.
Before you get to the ending though you have a book that is continually slowly building the tension, and wow does it suddenly get to you this book.
For a fair bit of it I was overwhelmed, 4 main view points, time limes jumping about the place, but not only 4 characters but all their separate families too, its a lot of characters, personalities to try to learn all about.
Once I was into the rhythm of the bool though, I found it incredibly interesting and couldn't bring myself to put it down at all.
There are many secrets in this story, some of them are hinted at and I guessed early on the basics of them, but the details still surprised me once revealed, and some of them seemed to come from nowhere, but were really surprising, and well thought out.
The Friend as you may expect from the title is all about a friendship group, who are being ripped apart from the events of one terrible night, but just who knows what. Then there is the newcomer to the area with a rather special skill set, but really just wants to make some friends.
This is an incredibly well written and thought provoking story, from one of my favorite authors, and I'm so happy that I had a chance to read this story of friendship, secrets, lies, and more!
Thank you to Netgalley and Cornerstone Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Before you get to the ending though you have a book that is continually slowly building the tension, and wow does it suddenly get to you this book.
For a fair bit of it I was overwhelmed, 4 main view points, time limes jumping about the place, but not only 4 characters but all their separate families too, its a lot of characters, personalities to try to learn all about.
Once I was into the rhythm of the bool though, I found it incredibly interesting and couldn't bring myself to put it down at all.
There are many secrets in this story, some of them are hinted at and I guessed early on the basics of them, but the details still surprised me once revealed, and some of them seemed to come from nowhere, but were really surprising, and well thought out.
The Friend as you may expect from the title is all about a friendship group, who are being ripped apart from the events of one terrible night, but just who knows what. Then there is the newcomer to the area with a rather special skill set, but really just wants to make some friends.
This is an incredibly well written and thought provoking story, from one of my favorite authors, and I'm so happy that I had a chance to read this story of friendship, secrets, lies, and more!
Thank you to Netgalley and Cornerstone Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
August 14, 2017
muito bom!!! Dorothy,estou á espera do próximo,querida!! aconselho,pois lê se num fôlego de tão bom que é e fácil de ler!
September 17, 2022
I normally gobble this author’s books up. This one was slow and to be honest a bit boring in places. Reminded me of Big Little Lies. The latter part picked up pace and had a good twist. Not the greatest read.
March 16, 2018
All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com
Oh my goodness me, what a book!! Have you ever read a book which pulled you in, made you laugh, filled your eyes with grit, and had you wanting more, ALL within a few chapters? I HAVE, I HAVE!!!! ‘The Friend’ was that kind of book – I’m not even joking!
For me, Dorothy Koomson’s latest release had everything I could ever dream of in a book. There was mystery, romance, drama, crime, friendship woes, marriage woes..the lot. ‘The Friend’ follows the life of a group of mums who are all joined together by one person – Yvonne. When the new girl in town, Cece, starts to see cracks appearing in their friendships, it doesn’t take her long to realise that those cracks will soon become gigantic holes and people aren’t going to like what they see. One of the women is holding a card very close to their chest, but is it the card Cece needs to find to get to the bottom of their friendship woes?
I read this book in one sitting, I just refused to put it down. It really is that good! There was so much storyline waiting for me to sink my teeth into it, I felt like I was being spoiled (in a good way) by the author. All four main characters have such varied personalities, my opinion of them kept changing the more the story progressed. One moment I was siding with one of the ladies, and the next moment I found myself going against her and siding with a different one. I had no idea who to believe. To be perfectly honest, I could see why Cece didn’t want to get involved in the situation.
During the last part of the storyline things started to heat up and ends started to get tied – I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation. Were my thoughts correct, or was I completely off the mark? Whilst reading ‘The Friend’, I had conjured up a good amount of questions and I was on a high waiting for them to get answered in the conclusion. That said, I felt as though there was more to the story regarding the ending. I’m hoping that there is more to the story as I have now got a rather large question mark looming over one of the characters heads. Fingers crossed Dorothy Koomson brings that character back to life in another story!
As soon as I finished reading ‘The Friend’, I sighed with contentment, and then went onto Amazon to find the authors previous releases! Dorothy Koomson has made a fan for life due to her incredible story telling and her ability to pull her readers in with such minimal effort.
A truly outstanding, gripping, thrilling read – my only irk about this book was that it had to end! Dorothy Koomson has written such a cleverly crafted, addictive storyline which absolutely blew my mind. I cannot recommend this book enough and, whilst I’m not one for reading books more than once in such a short space of time, I’m going to break my own rules and read this book again as soon as possible. Absolutely outstanding!
Oh my goodness me, what a book!! Have you ever read a book which pulled you in, made you laugh, filled your eyes with grit, and had you wanting more, ALL within a few chapters? I HAVE, I HAVE!!!! ‘The Friend’ was that kind of book – I’m not even joking!
For me, Dorothy Koomson’s latest release had everything I could ever dream of in a book. There was mystery, romance, drama, crime, friendship woes, marriage woes..the lot. ‘The Friend’ follows the life of a group of mums who are all joined together by one person – Yvonne. When the new girl in town, Cece, starts to see cracks appearing in their friendships, it doesn’t take her long to realise that those cracks will soon become gigantic holes and people aren’t going to like what they see. One of the women is holding a card very close to their chest, but is it the card Cece needs to find to get to the bottom of their friendship woes?
I read this book in one sitting, I just refused to put it down. It really is that good! There was so much storyline waiting for me to sink my teeth into it, I felt like I was being spoiled (in a good way) by the author. All four main characters have such varied personalities, my opinion of them kept changing the more the story progressed. One moment I was siding with one of the ladies, and the next moment I found myself going against her and siding with a different one. I had no idea who to believe. To be perfectly honest, I could see why Cece didn’t want to get involved in the situation.
During the last part of the storyline things started to heat up and ends started to get tied – I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation. Were my thoughts correct, or was I completely off the mark? Whilst reading ‘The Friend’, I had conjured up a good amount of questions and I was on a high waiting for them to get answered in the conclusion. That said, I felt as though there was more to the story regarding the ending. I’m hoping that there is more to the story as I have now got a rather large question mark looming over one of the characters heads. Fingers crossed Dorothy Koomson brings that character back to life in another story!
As soon as I finished reading ‘The Friend’, I sighed with contentment, and then went onto Amazon to find the authors previous releases! Dorothy Koomson has made a fan for life due to her incredible story telling and her ability to pull her readers in with such minimal effort.
A truly outstanding, gripping, thrilling read – my only irk about this book was that it had to end! Dorothy Koomson has written such a cleverly crafted, addictive storyline which absolutely blew my mind. I cannot recommend this book enough and, whilst I’m not one for reading books more than once in such a short space of time, I’m going to break my own rules and read this book again as soon as possible. Absolutely outstanding!
May 11, 2018
3.5 stars
What to say about this book? Well, it was good in parts - but, oh, so slow in others. In terms of plot, the first third of the book is a slow build-up (and, when I say slow, boy do I mean slow) and it is so frustrating with hints about secrets. Seriously, I must have read the phrase "if only they knew her secret" (or something very similar) on practically every other page for the 1st 100 pages. It began to get annoying and wasn't enough for me to be gripped. But I kept reading, if only to see how it would all pan out (if indeed it did). The middle third was when things began to pick up - once secrets were out in the open and being discussed, then the plot could move along. I began to enjoy the book. The pace picked up and I began rooting for the main characters. Then, all was revealed - and what a let-down that turned out to be (don't worry, I'm not going to post spoilers). Just to say, although the culprit was just about believable, the plot twists weren't. (Again, being vague, so as to not give anything away). The final "chapter" (i.e. the last page) was also ridiculous and went nowhere - the story doesn't really lend itself to a cliffhanger or a sequel.
In terms of characters, where do I begin? Most of the characters were well-written but somewhat irritating. Cece was the most rounded but the other 3 main characters were well-drawn and believable. How I hated Yvonne (whose sorry story was told in flashbacks leading up to the time she was attacked)...she is definately not the sort of person I would want as a friend.
The writing style was what really spoiled this book for me. The timeline was all over the place and, at times, it was hard to keep track of where we were in terms of years. However, once I got used to it, I could live with it for the duration of the book.
All-in-all, not a bad book but, if you read it, be prepared to be annoyed at times. I think Dorothy Koomson has written better books.
What to say about this book? Well, it was good in parts - but, oh, so slow in others. In terms of plot, the first third of the book is a slow build-up (and, when I say slow, boy do I mean slow) and it is so frustrating with hints about secrets. Seriously, I must have read the phrase "if only they knew her secret" (or something very similar) on practically every other page for the 1st 100 pages. It began to get annoying and wasn't enough for me to be gripped. But I kept reading, if only to see how it would all pan out (if indeed it did). The middle third was when things began to pick up - once secrets were out in the open and being discussed, then the plot could move along. I began to enjoy the book. The pace picked up and I began rooting for the main characters. Then, all was revealed - and what a let-down that turned out to be (don't worry, I'm not going to post spoilers). Just to say, although the culprit was just about believable, the plot twists weren't. (Again, being vague, so as to not give anything away). The final "chapter" (i.e. the last page) was also ridiculous and went nowhere - the story doesn't really lend itself to a cliffhanger or a sequel.
In terms of characters, where do I begin? Most of the characters were well-written but somewhat irritating. Cece was the most rounded but the other 3 main characters were well-drawn and believable. How I hated Yvonne (whose sorry story was told in flashbacks leading up to the time she was attacked)...she is definately not the sort of person I would want as a friend.
The writing style was what really spoiled this book for me. The timeline was all over the place and, at times, it was hard to keep track of where we were in terms of years. However, once I got used to it, I could live with it for the duration of the book.
All-in-all, not a bad book but, if you read it, be prepared to be annoyed at times. I think Dorothy Koomson has written better books.
January 7, 2018
Como sempre Dorothy Koomson não deslilude! Por isso é das minhas escritoras favoritas! Com um final surpreendente o livro agarrou-me ligo desde o início! O fato de ter tantas personagens não atraoalhou a leitura que como sempre tem uma escrita fantástica! Notei que neste livro a autora referiu-se menos ao fato de ela ser de cor e em todos is livros a personagem principal ser de cor! Neste livro também lá está mas é dada menos importância ao fato! E assim li todos is luvros da autora publicados.
August 5, 2019
Вече определено ще причисля Дороти Кумсън към авторите на психотрилъри.
Особено с тази книга.
Не започна обещаващо. Толкова объркана и объркваща , че трудно се концентрирах и следвах развитието.
И тук има много герои , имена и разбира се трудни съдби.
Но в един момент някак влезе в темпо и кълбото започна да се разплита. И ми стана интересна.
Странното в този случай е прекалено сладникавия финал, който някак стои като кръпка точно на нейна история.
Особено с тази книга.
Не започна обещаващо. Толкова объркана и объркваща , че трудно се концентрирах и следвах развитието.
И тук има много герои , имена и разбира се трудни съдби.
Но в един момент някак влезе в темпо и кълбото започна да се разплита. И ми стана интересна.
Странното в този случай е прекалено сладникавия финал, който някак стои като кръпка точно на нейна история.
July 2, 2017
This book was very similar to Liane Moriarty's "Big Little Lies." Almost identical in fact which is way I couldn't rate it 5 stars. However, it was certainly a page turner and kept me wanting more. I have read most of DK's book but was disappointed with her last one so was pleased that she is back on form again. Not a thriller as such more of a mystery.
January 9, 2021
Dorothy Koomson traz-nos uma história que nos faz refletir sobre o que é a amizade e de que forma a vemos: como um sentimento genuíno ou como algo que nos pode ajudar a retirar proveito próprio em situações que não alcançaríamos sozinhos.
Opinião completa: https://quandoseabreumlivro.blogspot....
Opinião completa: https://quandoseabreumlivro.blogspot....
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