quippe | Recent Entries

The Blurb On The Back:

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy …

Where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter Aces is bringing two students’ dark secrets to light. Talented musician Devon buries himself in his rehearsals, but he can’t escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn’t afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power. Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they’re planning much more than a high school game …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Faridah Àbìké-Íyímídé’s debut YA thriller is billed as GET OUT meets GOSSIP GIRL for good reason. It’s a searing high concept novel where racism meets conspiracy to create an intense choking claustrophobia as Aces racks up their campaign against Von and Chiamaka. That said, it doesn’t nail the final quarter and there are holes in the conspiracy if you think about it too closely but it has pace, it makes you think and it still feels of the moment.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Even in the midst of runaway economic inequality and dangerous social division, it remains an axiom of modern life that meritocracy promises to open opportunity to all. The idea that reward should follow ability and effort is so entrenched in our psyche that, even as society divides itself at almost every turn, all sides can be heard repeating meritocratic nations.

But what if, both up and down the social ladder, meritocracy is a sham? Today, meritocracy has become exactly what it was conceived to resist: a mechanism for the concentration and dynastic transmission of wealth and privilege across generations. Upward mobility has become a fantasy for the embattled middle classes, while at the same time, even those who manage to claw their way to the top are required to work with crushing intensity. All this sets directly from meritocracy’s successes.

This is the radical argument that The Meritocracy Trap prosecutes with rare force, comprehensive research, and devastating persuasion. Daniel Markovits knows from the inside the corrosive system we are trapped within, as well as how we can take the first steps towards a world that might afford us both prosperity and dignity.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

David Markovits is Guido Calabresi Professor of Law at Yale University and director of the Yale Center for the Study of Private Law. This interesting but infuriating book convincingly argues that the USA’s middle classes are locked out of opportunities to advance to the professions and elite education and the elite are forming a self-perpetuating clique but relies on such a narrow view of meritocracy that I was unconvinced by the propose solutions.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Spies lie. They betray. It’s what they do.

Slow horse River Cartwright is waiting to be passed fit for work. With time to kill, and with his grandfather - a legendary former spy - long dead, River investigates the secrets of the old man’s library, and a mysteriously missing book.

Regent’s Park’s First Desk, Diana Taverner, doesn’t appreciate threats. So when those involved in a covert operation during the height of the Troubles threaten to expose the ugly side of state security, Taverner turns blackmail into opportunity.

Over at Slough House, the repository for failed spies, Catherine Standish just wants everyone to play nice. But as far as Jackson Lamb is concerned, the slow horses should all be at their desks.

Because when Taverner starts plotting mischief people get hurt, and Lamb has no plans to send in the clowns. On the other hand, if the clowns ignore his instructions and fool around, any harm that befalls them is hardly his fault.

But they’re his clowns. And if they don’t all come home, there’ll be a reckoning.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The 9th in Mick Herron’s SLOUGH HOUSE spy thriller series is a game changer for the slow horses as they take casualties (including a fatality) and scores are settled. It has the sharp wit, savage violence, and political skewering of the previous books but some of the writing isn’t as clear as it could be, and some of the slow horses remain underdeveloped. That said it still held my attention and the stunning ending makes me impatient for book 10.

The Blurb On The Back:

After a long journey from England, Ray Bullard arrives early on a winter morning at the gates of the Indian village which will be her home for the next three months. The door of the hut she will share with Serena, her English co-worker, is a loose sheet of metal, the windows holes in the walls. Outside, village life goes on as normal.

And yet, the village is far from normal. It is an open prison - a village of murderers. And when Ray and her crew take up residence to observe and to make a film, they are innocent visitors in a violent world, on a mission to hold the village up to viewers as the ultimate example of tolerance.

But the longer the visitors stay and their need for drama intensifies, the line between innocence and guilt begins to blue and an unexpected and terrifying kind of cruelty emerges.

A mesmerising and heartfelt tale of manipulation and personal morality, Nikita Lalwani’s The VIllage brilliantly exposes how truly frail our judgment can be.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Nikita Lalwani’s literary novel about prisons, personal morality and the manipulative techniques of documentary film-makers has some interesting ideas but hinges on a main character who is simply too naive and weak to be believable or one who I could empathise with. At the same time, I was uncomfortable with how two-dimensional the Indian characters all are - including Nandini - while the open ending felt like a tacked on cop-out.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Pedro likes everything to be perfect.

His pile of toys …

His roly-polies …

And even his friends.

When Pedro meets Poppy, he thinks he’s met the perfect friend, until they enter the school talent show together. Poppy’s approach is definitely not perfect. But maybe she can show Pedro that perfection is not always what it’s cracked up to be …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Simon Philip’s lovely picture book about not putting pressure on yourself by trying to be perfect all the time and instead just focus on enjoying yourself, features delightful illustrations by Ella Oksted that convey a real sense of energy and movement. Young readers will enjoy the colours and the mischievous sense of humour and adults will enjoy the book’s central message.

PERFECT PEDRO was released in the United Kingdom on 7 August 2025. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

All the caterpillars on the broad green leaf dream of being absolutely beautiful butterflies. All except one - Frank.

Frank is a very plain caterpillar, and he’s quite happy that way. But what will happen when Frank turns into a butterfly?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Alex Latimer’s self-illustrated picture books is a charming little delight that’s all about how to be happy with who you are and what you have rather than focusing on your appearance and how you compare with others. Frank is a great central character and I really enjoyed the little chat bubbles and Latimer’s use of colour. Young readers will love this and there’s plenty here for adult readers to find fun too.

FRANK IS A BUTTERFLY was released in the United Kingdom on 7 August 2025. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

School. Home. Life. Everything has changed for Amir and Mo since they arrived in the UK as refugees. The two close friends are navigating their new lives as best they can: navigating their new lessons, using new languages.

But when Amir suddenly finds himself in hospital, he starts to read. Through the books, he finds an inspiring, unexpected voice to guide him. Will this help Amir and Mo to finally find their voice and come to terms with their past?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Sita Brahmachari’s contemporary novella for readers aged 11+ is part of a collection specifically aimed at readers with dyslexia and those lacking in confidence. It’s a very sensitive, empathic look at friendship, what it means to be a refugee and the terrible experiences that those who have been displaced endure in their journey to the UK that is all the more important given the current political climate.

PHOENIX BROTHERS was released in the United Kingdom on 5 June 2025. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Have you ever considered how much energy goes into avoiding sexual violence? The work that goes into feeling safe is largely unnoticed by the women doing it and by the wider world, yet women and girls are the first to be blamed the inevitable times when it fails.

With real-life accounts of women’s experiences - based on the author’s original research - this book challenges the culture of victim-blaming by highlighting women’s everyday resistance to harassment and sexual violence.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

F Vera-Gray has worked for the Rape Crisis movement and is currently Deputy Director at the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit at London Metropolitan University. This very readable and unfortunately highly relatable book looks at the steps that women take to avoid sexual violence in their day-to-day lives, drawing on interviews with 50 women from different age groups and backgrounds and showing how it permeates through the generations.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Lucky de Salle can see ghosts, but it’s daemons she should be worried about.

With no family and very few friends, Lucky’s psychic ability has always made her an outcast. The only person she can rely on is Kayla, the ghost girl who has been with her since she was born.

But Kayla is not all that she appears.

Hen again, neither is Lucky …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Sue Tingey’s debut romantasy novel (the first in a trilogy) was sadly not my cup of tea. Hampered by a passive main character who repeatedly makes stupid decisions for the purposes of advancing the plot, an insipid potential love triangle (the main love interest being grotesquely manipulative) and a lazy, cod medieval demon world that offers little new. At best it was dull and at worst it really irritated me such that I will not be reading on.

The Blurb On The Back:

A mysterious key unlocks a perilous adventure …

Face-changer Ista Flit has saved the magical town of Shelwich but her Pa is still missing.

His trail leads Ista to the Marsh Court, where a beautiful queen tricks runway humans into joining her endless revels.

The only way to rescue Pa is to venture inside, but as the Tide rises, so too does the Marsh Queen’s power. Can Ista, Nat and Ruby use their own magical Tide-blessings to outwit her, or will they all be lost forever … ?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The second in Clare Harlow’s fantasy trilogy for readers aged 9+ (featuring Kristina Kister’s evocative illustrations) is a clever and gripping adventure about friendship and family set against the sinister Marsh Queen’s court. Ista remains interesting and resourceful and although I wish that there had been more between her, Nat and Ruby, the friendship that develops with Tamlin is believable. I am very much looking forward to the final book.

TIDE MAGIC: ISTA FLIT AND THE IMPOSSIBLE KEY was released in the United Kingdom on 1 May 2025. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Open The Cage, Murphy takes us on a roller coaster ride through a decade of Paul O’Grady’s life. Full of hilarious stories, extreme situations and outrageous one-liners, the book begins as Paul’s brilliant comic creation Lily Savage embraces success as to the manner born, and world domination beckons!

The action comes thick and fast. Paul is involved in a plane crash, gets caught up in the LA riots and has a close encounter with Madonna. He takes us to a gay-themed weekend at Butlin’s in Skegness, on a rowdy tour with Prisoner Cell Block H - The Musical and into the depths of the Australian rainforest, where he befriends a rare bird that can disembowel a man with a single kick. The cast of characters includes a family of dolphins, Charlton Heston and the ghost of Joan of Arc. And there’s a starring role for a certain remarkable dog, Buster Elvis Savage.

But whether he’s writing about star-studded Hollywood parties, the devastating loss of close friends to AIDS, or late night shenanigans at the end of Blackpool Pier, Paul’s wit and humanity never desert him. Open The Cage, Murphy is a genuine delight - all the more so for being delightfully genuine.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Paul O’Grady was a comedian, actor, TV presenter, chat show host and British national treasure. The last of his autobiography quartet picks up shortly after the death of his mother and tracks his career transition from drag queen host of the Vauxhall Tavern to TV presenter and national treasure set against a back drop of personal tragedy as the AIDS crisis strikes close to home. Told with his wit and warmth, it’s a bittersweet testimony to the man.

The Blurb On The Back:

While hiking, Rhi discovers four young women living wild and guarded by wolves. The girls tell her that they are lost princesses raised by a man called Mother.

Shocked, Rhi takes them to hospital, all the while haunted by memories of her family trauma. Surely, the girls have been abducted, misled or abused? Yet she can see a bond between them that blurs fantasy and reality.

As media hysteria surrounding the young women grows, Rhi comes to a decision that will change all of their lives forever.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Madeline Claire Franklin’s debut YA novel maintains a satisfying ambiguity between its contemporary and fantasy elements in a way that’s mature without feeling like a cop out. Character-driven, it deals sensitively with the difficult topic of abuse (trigger warning for cannibalism) and combines it with themes of found family and survivorship. This is one of the strongest YA debuts I’ve read and I look forward to reading Franklin’s next book.

THE WILDERNESS OF GIRLS was released in the United Kingdom on 2 January 2025. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

There’s something about Italy

Food, fashion, art, architecture: there’s no denying Italy has captured the world’s imagination. And we’re here to celebrate it. The Italian Way invites you to explore the country’s countless wonders, from ancient Roman relics to innovative modern art and beyond. By the end, you’ll be more in love with Italy than ever before.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

If you’re planning a holiday in Italy and want to get more of a sense of its history, geography, food, social life, design and culture then this book is a handy introduction. Broad in scope, it’s full of photographic illustrations and nuggets of information that extend to locations outside the normal tourist zones but it is slightly spoilt by some typographical errors within the text, which is not acceptable for a book with a £20 cover price.

THE ITALIAN WAY was released in the United Kingdom on 5 June 2025. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Things get SPOOKY at Dragon Towers!

Dragon Towers is holding its super scary SPOOKYTIME festival and Theo, his friends and the dragons can’t wait for PERILOUS pumpkin-picking, FEARSOME midnight feasts and FRIGHTFUL fancy dress - but then they hear strange roars coming from the forbidden tower … is it an actual ghost dragon?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The second book in this comic fantasy series by Pip Bird (a pseudonym for a collection of writers) for readers aged 6+ is an amusing affair with a lot of bum and fat jokes. David O’Connell’s illustrations add to the humour (I particularly liked how he gets across Wanda’s character) and I enjoyed the antics of the zombicorns. That said there are a lot of characters and I got some mixed up so a character list at the start would be helpful.

DRAGON TOWERS: THE GHOSTLY SURPRISE was released in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2024. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Harper wants to be an influencer. Badly. She’ll do anything to be like her famous cousin, Belle.

When Belle is the latest ‘victim’ in a string of influencer kidnappings, and is put on an island for a new reality show, Harper wants in too.

It’s her chance to join the greatest talents and finally make a name for herself.

But with demeaning tasks and the constant pressure of a live audience judging their every move, it’s not long before cracks begin to appear in the influencers’ shiny veneers …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Monique Turner’s debut YA thriller is a clunky polemic about influencing culture and how celebrity is a trap. It’s an interesting high concept - especially given how pervasive influencing is - but the execution left me cold, particularly the inconsistencies in Harper’s character and her relationship with Belle - while the influencer contest is flat, not helped by the cardboard characterisation of the influencers, which makes them interchangeable.

ISLAND OF INFLUENCERS was released in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2025. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

At the age of 41, Rich Waters received a diagnosis that sent shockwaves through his world: early-onset Parkinson’s disease. But fate had more in store for him; shortly after this revelation, he learned that his daughter was also grappling with a degenerative condition.

Cold water swimming on the Isle of Skye, became his lifeline - a radical wellspring of fulfilment and resilience. Plunging into the frigid depths, Rich found a strong connection with the natural world. The sensation of icy water on his kin mirrored the challenges he faced in his life, and each swim taught a crucial lesson of personal survival.

Guided by Matt Rhodes, known as ‘the viking of Skye’, Rich discovered that the biting cold, the relentless waves and the untamed currents were more than just physical challenges: they were a metaphor for the unpredictability of life itself. In those waters, he learnt to surrender control, to accept the ebb and flow of existence, and to find beauty in the chaos.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Richard Waters is an award-winning travel and sports writer. This very personal book is part memoir, part self-help guidance that looks at how cold water swimming and a stoic attitude helped him to come to terms with two life-changing events. Unfortunately it lacks the self-reflectiveness and raw honesty to succeed as a memoir and lacks the general life advice to work as self-help, which is a shame as the descriptions of nature are excellent.

SWIMMING WITH THE VIKING OF SKYE was released in the United Kingdom on 27 February 2025. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Do you bear the sign of the witch? Because if you do, gods help you.

It has been seventy-five years since the dragon’s rule of fire and magic was ended. Out of the ashes, the Solmindre Empire was born.

Since then the tyrannical Synod has worked hard to banish all manifestations of the arcane from existence. However, children are still born bearing the taint of the arcane, known to all as witching. Vigilants are sent out across the continent of Vinterkveld to find and capture all those bearing the mark.

No-one knows when the Vigilants of the Synod will appear and enforce the Empire’s laws…

But today they’re coming …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Den Patrick’s fantasy novel (the first in a trilogy) has interesting world-building that incorporates Norse and Russian history and tries to subvert the tropes of normal ‘young people discover magical powers’ fiction. Unfortunately the pacing is slack, the storytelling doesn’t stand on its logic and the characterisation - particularly of the antagonists - is rarely above the superficial, meaning I won’t be reading on.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Ibraheem LOVES Eid.

What’s not to love?

There’s games and snacks and … PRESENTS!

Eid is ALL about the presents - isn’t it?

Join Ibraheem as he hunts of this gifts and discovers all the things that make Eid wonderful.

A heartwarming celebration of Eid, curious children and family love.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Farhana Islam and Nabila Adani’s picture book is a colourful, joyous exploration of the social, family and spiritual meaning of Eid that aims to show young readers that the celebration is not just about receiving gifts. I liked the fact that it’s aimed at Muslim readers but it does miss a trick by not giving a bit more context or explanations for non-Muslims who may want to know more about it.

IBRAHEEM’S PERFECT EID was released in the United Kingdom on 27 February 2025. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

I’m Harper Drew and my life is completely beyond normal!

Current evidence:

1. My brother Troy … has a skateboarding vlog. But only owns half a skateboard.

2. My uncle Paul … has a diamond toe ring and is apparently a Hollywood movie producer. But no one has ever seen a film he’s made.

3. My dad … has just crashed the school minibus in front of a police officer.

And that’s before I even got started on my mum, my baby brother (the Prune) or the llamas on our disastrous family holiday …

Does anyone else have this much drama in their life?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Kathy Weeks’s debut humorous novel for readers aged 9+ (the first in a trilogy) has a good narrative voice and builds its funny scenes well while Aleksei Bitskoff’s energetic illustrations bring out the absurdity of Harper’s family and the situations that she finds herself in. My biggest criticism is that the family’s attitude to arriving on time for things triggered my anxiety and I would have liked a bit more normality to make it feel grounded.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Since the end of the Second World War, we have moved from an international system in which war was accepted as the ultimate arbiter of disputes between nations, to one in which it was not. This remarkable book, which combined political, legal and intellectual history, traces the origins and course of one of the great shifts in the modern world.

The pivot was the Paris Peace Pact of 1928, when virtually every nation renounced war as a means of international policy. By 1939, however, that Pact looked like a naive experiment. Hathaway and Shapiro show that it was in fact the critical moment of a new attitude to war, and how it shaped the thinking of those who framed a new world order after 1945.

Though this is a book about the power of ideas and their impact upon history, it is peopled throughout by individuals who brought about these momentous changes. The Internationalists is a significant contribution to understanding international affairs, and how great historical changes come about.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Oona Hathaway is Professor of International Law and Political Science at Yale and Scott Shapiro is Professor of Law and Philosophy at Yale. This is a thorough and engaging look at the legal framework underpinning war as a means of dispute resolution and how the Grotius view of “might is right” was overturned with the 1928 Paris Peace Pact, which changed attitudes to the legitimacy of war and formed the basis of the modern international order.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

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Page Summary

Ace Of Spades by Faridah Àbìké-Íyímídé
The Meritocracy Trap: The Tyranny Of Just Deserts by Daniel Markovits
Clown Town by Mick Herron
The Village by Nikita Lalwani
Perfect Pedro by Simon Philip and Ella Okstad
Frank Is A Butterfly by Alex Latimer
Phoenix Brothers by Sita Brahmachari
The Right Amount Of Panic: How Women Trade Freedom For Safety by Fiona Vera-Gray
(no subject)
Ista Flit And The Impossible Key by Clare Harlow
Open The Cage, Murphy by Paul O’Grady
The Wilderness Of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin
The Italian Way
Dragon Towers: The Ghostly Surprise by Pip Bird
Island Of Influencers by Monique Turner
Swimming With The Viking Of Skye by Richard Waters
Witchsign by Den Patrick
Ibraheem’s Perfect Eid by Farhana Islam and Nabila Adani
What’s New Harper Drew? by Kathy Weeks
The Internationalists And Their Plan To Outlaw War by Oona Hathaway and Scott Shapiro

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I Read, Therefore I Blog

A Book Review Blog Belonging to Caroline Hooton

Recent Entries

Ace Of Spades by Faridah Àbìké-Íyímídé

The Meritocracy Trap: The Tyranny Of Just Deserts by Daniel Markovits

Clown Town by Mick Herron

The Village by Nikita Lalwani

Perfect Pedro by Simon Philip and Ella Okstad

Frank Is A Butterfly by Alex Latimer

Phoenix Brothers by Sita Brahmachari

The Right Amount Of Panic: How Women Trade Freedom For Safety by Fiona Vera-Gray

(no subject)

Ista Flit And The Impossible Key by Clare Harlow

Open The Cage, Murphy by Paul O’Grady

The Wilderness Of Girls by Madeline Claire Franklin

The Italian Way

Dragon Towers: The Ghostly Surprise by Pip Bird

Island Of Influencers by Monique Turner

Swimming With The Viking Of Skye by Richard Waters

Witchsign by Den Patrick

Ibraheem’s Perfect Eid by Farhana Islam and Nabila Adani

What’s New Harper Drew? by Kathy Weeks

The Internationalists And Their Plan To Outlaw War by Oona Hathaway and Scott Shapiro