crime – Read, Review, Love.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SPOILER ALERT!!

I’m a big fan of reading books that I know absolutely nothing about because I’m not comparing my initial thoughts to pre-established opinions that I’ve come across. I love falling in love with stories that way and it was no exception with “The Outsiders”. It was a goofy, heart-breaking, philosophical read that captured the pressures and stoicisms teenagers often deal with. The characters are trying to keep their heads above water in what seems like an impossible, ephemeral existence. I could feel the intensity whilst reading. I enjoyed the themes of camaraderie and survival, which reminded me strongly of “The Lord of the Flies”.

Johnny’s death was so sad, but ultimately inevitable. He was so selfless and counteracted the personalities of the Greasers, so it was only a matter of time before he did something heroic.

Dally’s, on the other hand – that was so damn brutal. It was a death that, in spite of Ponyboy explaining that it was always meant to be, I did not expect AT ALL. He had been through so much in his life and hadn’t let death or sacrifice stop him before. He was a guy that seemed to keep on trucking. I was pretty surprised when that gun scene happened and, for me, it was the saddest and most crushing scene in the book.

One of the loveliest moments in the book was when Ponyboy is approached by Soc members, threatens them with a broken bottle, and then, after they leave, he picks up the broken glass on the road because he doesn’t want people getting flat tires. It was hilarious, sweet and indicative of how young people can be – a mixture of genuine and showing who they want to be.

The only reason I couldn’t give this novel five stars was that Ponyboy wasn’t always the most interesting narrator. He would describe the members of the Greasers in such a romantic way that they were all vibrant and fascinating to read. He would get psychological and theoretical about life and that was fine, but it got a little tiresome as he never described himself in any way that could match up to his perceptions of his gang members. I’m not sure if I’m a minority in that fact, but there you are.

If you’re a fan of “The Lord of the Flies” or even “Romeo and Juliet” in terms of gang warfare or rivalry, then I’d recommend this one. With a clever ending, equanimity in tough places and words to live by (“Stay gold, Ponyboy”), you can’t go wrong!

View all my reviews

The Ones You Trust by Caroline Overington

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

SPOILER ALERT!!

I was genuinely confused after finishing “The Ones You Trust”. It had so much potential to be a really gripping, on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller with a touch of mystery to boot. But the clumsy writing and the random twists and turns ruined any chance for me to take it seriously.

Some of the choices that were made with the creation of the characters were also a bit perplexing. Like the names – who names children Seal and Fox-Piper? Every time their names popped up, I was mad, especially when the book was being ironic and shamed a character for being called Denim.

Emma’s actions and motivations also got under my skin way before it was revealed that she was a huge part of the kidnapping. Some of the reasons (now revealed as excuses and lies) that she gave for Fox-Piper not being handed in to child services were pretty flaky at best. Now that I’ve read the ending, I know it was meant to be that way, but at the time I was shaking my head and calling her dumb repeatedly.

Another one of her silly choices was not coming clean about catching Brandon watching pornography on his laptop. Because she hesitated and lied to police, it would have implicated her from the start and any chance she had of flying under the radar would have been destroyed. And speaking of Brandon, he just disappeared at the end of the book, almost like he was a footnote.

I also wasn’t sure how realistic it was to make Maven such a dominating presence in Emma’s private life. Can a network executive really be responsible for planning weddings, and telling their employees when to start families and where to go on holidays? Maybe that’s showing my naivety about the business of television management and public relations.

Also, why the heck did the police release the Lindt Ball Man? He was in custody one minute and potentially harassing Cassie the next! No explanation.

However, whenever the story was told from the point of view of Franklin, his account of the situation was informative and reflective of what actions police officers take in crimes such as this one. I liked the methodical steps that had to be taken as soon as the kidnapping was reported, and how his skepticism of Emma and Brandon intertwined with said steps. I took this into account when rating it, and it ultimately was what made me decide to bump it up to three stars.

I was hooked for two-thirds just because I wanted to find out who the kidnapper was, and now I wish I hadn’t bothered. It was a laidback and easy read that tried so hard to be the next “Gone Girl” and fell flat on its face. I probably wouldn’t read it again.

What did you think of this one? Do you think it deserved the Women’s Weekly Book Club Award? Did you find it charming or authentic? Did you see the twists and turns coming? Love it or hate it, I’m interested to see what you think!