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Reviewsday: The Survivors by Kate Furnivall

The Survivors was one of the most complex, gripping historical thrillers I have read. This is the first novel I have read of Kate Furnivall's, and I was thoroughly engrossed from the first page.

Following a story line not common of novels set in the Second World War, The Survivors is not a story of concentration camps or war scenes, but the aftermath of war and the long lasting effects on civilians who have lost everything. The shadow of war lingers heavily over the characters of this novel. Klara and her daughter Alicja suffered through a long and almost deathly journey to get to the Graufeld Displaced Persons Camp after being reunited after the war. After losing Klara's hubsand, Alicja's father during the war, their home was bombed, leaving them with nothing. Far from finding the safety and security they expect at the camp, Klara discovers that a mysterious figure from her past has arrived at the camp, and she fears for both her life and her daughters'.
Who is this man, and what events of her past have led her to fear him so much? And what did Klara do to fear his revenge?

The Survivors shows the depths of a mother's love, and the lengths she will go to in order to protect her child. A story of love and loss, of hope and of despair, it will keep you hooked from the first page. It kept me on the edge of my seat through the intense war scenes, the thrilling journey to freedom, and a fight for survival. The twist at the end had tears streaming down my face, and I wanted to read this book all over again.

I highly recommend The Survivors for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Love That I Have, and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, or just for any fans of well written and researched historical fiction.

~ Coreena, QBD Morayfield

By Coreena, QBD Morayfield   0 Comments

Have you met our September Book of the Month?

Have you heard about our September Book of the Month? 

If you've ever dreamt about getting revenge on an ex that has wronged you (and who hasn't?), you will absolutely DEVOUR The Sunday Girl!

Described as Bridget Jones meets The Girl on the Train, I couldn't wait to read The Sunday Girl, and when I finally managed to get my hands on a copy, I even read it in one sitting - it's THAT good.

After Taylor's ex decides to leak her sex tape, Taylor decides to consult The Art of War in order to successfully destroy Angus' life... but at what cost to her own? Taylor is broken-hearted, angry, and fixated on revenge. As relateable as Bridget Jones, Louisa Clark and Bella Swan, Taylor is awkwardly funny and often cringe worthy in the best possible way.

When her plan goes horribly wrong, Taylor is dragged into the grip of the consequences of seeking revenge, and the reader is forced to question if perhaps she'll be the one who is destroyed after all.

I rate this read 4.5 out of 5 stars; a must read that will keep you gripped until the every last page (and watch out for that plot twist!)

~Emily, QBD Loganholme

Get your copy of The Sunday Girl in store or online here. 

By Emily, QBD Loganholme   0 Comments

Reviewsday: Impostors by Scott Westerfeld

Master storyteller Scott Westerfeld returns with a brilliant new series set in the world of his bestselling Uglies series.

The first thing that had me hooked with this novel was how refreshing it was to be back in Tally Youngblood’s universe. I somehow skipped over this little fact – which is handily supplied in the blurb, who knew? - due to my uncontainable excitement over the novel's existence. Diving headfirst back into it all these years later was like coming home.

As I’m sure we all know at this point Westerfeld writes some mind-blowing characters, but Frey has knocked everyone else off their pedestal and claimed her rightful place as my favourite. Despite basically being a walking, talking, ticking time bomb, she’s an insanely complex character with an unexpected vulnerability to her that had me firmly in her corner from the first chapter.

Westerfeld’s world building is superbly on point as always and the changes wrought by Tally’s hand in the Uglies series (which I wholeheartedly recommend reading if you haven’t already!) essentially lay the foundation for the plot of Impostors. I won’t say too much because untangling Westerfeld's intricate web is an experience not to be missed, but there are enough heavy smatterings of action, intrigue and good ole plot twists to keep you engrossed until the last page. With a cliff-hanger ending that is so deviously twisted I barely registered how shocked I was because I was so damn impressed, Impostors is not a novel to be missed.

~ Karen, Tweed Heads QBD

 

About the book: 

Frey was raised to take a bullet.

She's the body double for her twin sister Rafia - the precious heir of the first family of Shreve - and her existence is a closely guarded secret. So while Rafi was schooled in poise and diplomacy, Frey was drilled in weapons and combat. Her purpose: to protect her sister from their tyrannical father's many enemies.

When Frey is sent in Rafi's place as collateral in a precarious business deal, she becomes the perfect impostor - as elegant and charming as her sister. But Col Palafox, the son of a rival leader, is getting close enough to spot the killer inside her. As layers of deceit peel away, can Frey become her own person, and risk everything in a rebellion?

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Coming to TV: Karin Slaughter’s Pieces Of Her

In exciting news, Made Up Stories have acquired the rights to Karin Slaughter's latest novel 'Pieces Of Her'!

Owned by the award-winning producer behind Big Little Lies and Gone Girl, Made Up Stories are planning to develop a television series based on the book in conjunction with Endeavour Content.

A suspense thriller, 'Pieces of Her' follows Andrea, a woman who thought she knew everything about her mother, Laura, until a shooting takes place at a local mall. Laura is hailed as a hero for her actions at the mall but 24 hours later she is in hospital, shot by an intruder, who's spent decades trying to track her down. As elements of the past return and put them both in danger, Andrea is left to piece together Laura's former identity and discover the truth - for better or worse - about her mother. Is the gentle, loving woman who raised her also a violent killer?

“From the moment I started reading Karin’s visceral new novel, I felt like there was nothing like it on TV – an emotional mother/daughter story living in the skin of a heart-pounding action thriller. I can’t think of a more perfect pairing than Lesli and Charlotte to translate Karin’s novel to the screen. It’s truly a dream team of female content creators,” said Papandrea to Variety.

We're sure that this adaptation will hit the small screen in a big way!
Want to read it before you see it? Pieces of Her is available at your local QBD or online here.

 

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Reviewsday: Jane Doe And The Cradle Of All Worlds by Jeremy Lachlan

Can't get enough Harry Potter? Waiting for Wundersmith?  

Never fear, we have found your next great magical read!

Introducing the Jane Doe Chronicles! A cursed child, a magical realm, and an epic quest.

It's all our reading hopes and dreams come true!

 

When a fierce quake strikes the remote island of Bluehaven, and her father disappears, Jane Doe is thrown headfirst into an epic quest to bring him home.

But this ain't no ordinary rescue mission. Her father is lost in a place between worlds; a dangerous labyrinth of shifting rooms, infernal booby traps and secret gateways. And Jane has to find him fast, because someone else is searching for him, too. A man who knows her father's secrets. A man who has an army.

With a pyromaniac named Violet and the enigmatic Hickory by her side, Jane is about to discover that this adventure is even bigger on the inside than it looks ...

 

"I was captivated from page one. There is action, adventure and mystery around every sentence.
Jane started with a possessed, mute father and had to care for him from a young age in a basement of a family who despised, but also feared them. Jane forged a secret forbidden relationship with Violet, the daughter of the family she was staying with. Violet was a risk taker and enjoyed sneaking around helping Jane. Little did she know that this friendship would mean helping save the world in the future.
The pressure is on when Jane discovers that the entire universe is depending on her to save it. Every world and every dimension will die if she does not find the keys and restore the Manor to it's original state. She finds the most unlikely accomplice who can barely be trusted but is her only chance of completing her mission and surviving the ever internally changing Manor which seems to have a life and mind of it's own.
In searching for the cure for the Manor, she discovers the truth about her past and who she really is. Her entire world changes and her future becomes uncertain. She has abilities she doesn't understand and needs to uncover before it's too late. Gripping, adventurous, fantastical, magical and mysterious. Be prepared to be gripped." ~ Taryn, QBD Chadstone 

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