A Step Too Far

by Meg Hutchinson

"You be a cheat and a liar Katy Hawley, no wonder your folks d'aint want you! Well we don't want you neither, do we girls?"

It was only a playground spat but the cruel words burned like acid into Katrin Hawley's brain. For they hinted at a truth her parents had long tried to bury.

Revenge is a dish best eaten cold, and Katrin waited until she could hit her persecutors where it hurt. One by one, those three girls suffered the consequences of her hate, but in ways so cunning that they didn't even suspect Katrin was the architect of their woes.

But there was another object of her vengeance, one whose sin could never be forgiven. And in her pursuit of vengeance against him, Katrin takes a fatal step too far.

Genres: Fiction

388 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

This author has also released books under the name Margaret Astbury.

Reviews

[Thekirkiepirate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute drivel.

I chose the book as I thought it would give an insight to the women working in factories during WW2. It was a huge disappointment.

A ridiculous and transparent plot. I only persevered in the hope that there might be some twist towards the end, but it was not to be the case.

One of the worst books I have ever read.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pleased to get to the end of this one as I found it quite a depressing read.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katrin Hawley seems to have it all, a father and mother who love her, good looks, a good quality of life and a job. But beneath the veneer lies a pot of boiling resentment.
When as a child playing hopscotch she is rudely snubbed in the schoolyard instead of it being forgotten the hatred and resentment lies dormant for many years into adulthood, the accusations and abuse hurled at her strike deep and consequently Katrin lives a life full of hatred and plots of revenge.
But now as an adult her idea of revenge is no longer just a child's will to get even after a little slight, this is full blown scheming, accusations and even has the propensity to lead to murder but will Katrin stop her hate campaign and can she step back from the brink of the madness fuelling her obsession or will it as the title suggests be a case of her following her evil plans "A step too far?" so the fallout destroys her, all the family secrets that are in danger of being revealed and even her friendships and relationships.
Can she save anything from her crazy downward spiral or is it too late?
A well written wartime drama that is a lot more gritty and "real" than other books set at this period and the author cleverly weaves the war as a theme and background detail to flesh out the novel instead of just using that as the central story which leaves the reader to concentrate on the action of the Katrin storyline.
Exciting and overall a great read.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book originally caught my attention because it's set in wartime Britain, which is one of my favourite periods to read about. The author has done a good job of describing the atmosphere and the way people were feeling during the war. I enjoyed that aspect of the book.

Unfortunately the main character Katy is very unlikeable. She has some major issues! She is seeking revenge on her 'friends' for something they once said to her years ago at school. I found it very unlikely that someone would take such drastic actions over something that seemed so petty.

Luckily the book redeemed itself by not focusing solely on Katy. There is a glimpse into the lives of the other characters, which made some interesting side-stories.

Overall the book was quite good, and I think if you don't take it too seriously it's actually pretty funny.

[Charlie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I intensely disliked this book from the get go and wouldn't have continued reading It but my Nanna and I had book club style discussion for this one so wanted to finish it for that. I didn't like the writing style, as it was at times hard to read and to follow. I found the reasons behind Katrins actions a bit simple and thought they didn't need to have this big revenge plot and the ending didn't meet my expectations. I liked the twist but also found some of it predictable.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes I quite liked this book, one of those that has you guessing and thinking and you can't wait to find out what happens at the end.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd give this book a 9/10,brilliant as usual with plenty of drama.