When I saw a twitter competition for a proof of a Scottish based book, I knew I had to jump right on it. I absolutely love books that are based in Scotland, very patriotic I know!! When the tweet came in to say I had won the competition I was over the moon and beyond excited. So excited I pushed it to the top of my to be read list, sorry to all my other books that have sat unread for months, and I promise you I was not let down!!
The Homes is a village of a thousand orphan children on the outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland. Life is never normal for the children in The Homes, especially for Lesley and Jonesy. The Homes were designed to keep unwanted children safe, however when young girls start to go missing from The Homes, and all found dead, will anyone help to keep the remaining children safe? Or can Lesley and Jonesy find the killer before it is too late?
I really enjoyed the style in which Mylet wrote this story. The full book is written from Lesleys perspective and in a way that feels as though she is writing in a diary. At parts its almost like she has word vomit and just writes down every thought she has. I thought this take was perfect for this story as it helped me feel connected to Lesley and get to really know her. I think it also helped show how young Lesley is and how naive she could be about certain ‘grown-up’ situations. And not to forget the use of Scottish slang, it made me smile when I saw it being used (again very patriotic but you’ll struggle to find a Scottish person who isn’t).
Lesley is a great character and I loved watching her grow in confidence throughout the book. She starts off as this little girl who likes to stay in the shadows and out of trouble, but as the story continues you get to see her blossom as she deals with complex situations.
The plot made this book incredibly hard to put down, I needed to know what Lesley and Jonesy were going to do next. The twist at the half way mark really caught me off guard, I generally gasped and had to take a second away before continuing, was perfectly done. However, I do feel like the ending was rushed slightly. I have been thinking of what else could have been added and I’m not entirely sure but I cant stop thinking it was ever so slightly rushed. Maybe a bit more information about Eadie would have helped, I feel she was pushed out very suddenly. That being said, the overall ending was great for this book. Everything was answered and tied up and left in a very uplifting way, or at least as uplifting as it could be!
After reading the postscript I grabbed my phone and googled The Homes, the real one this book is loosely based on. I had no idea this ever existed, never mind a few hours away from where I’ve grown up. The concept is just mind-blowing and I would have loved to have seen what life was really like in The Homes. Every day is a school day, am I right?
Thank you again to Viper Books and J.B.Mylet for this competition win, it has made such a wonderful addition to my bookcase. Pre-order/order here!!
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