The Son In-Law by Charity Norman

I read my first Charity Norman book last year after reading other bloggers reviews on her work describing her as the next Jodi Picoult, I still remember After The Fall and how intense the storyline was so I was looking forward to starting her new release The Son In-Law.

The day Hannah has been dreading has finally arrived, her son in-law Joseph is released from prison. After bringing up her grandchildren since the day Joseph killed her beloved daughter Zoe , and finally being able to let the children have as normal and stable life as possible this is now under threat as Joseph is making it clear he wants his children back.

As Joseph leaves the prison there is only one thing he wants, one thing he has left in life and that is his children and he is determined to get access to his children again.

With both Hannah and Joseph keen to get there way how will this affect the children?

This has got to be one of those few books that manage to pull you in straight from the intense first chapter. I was so shocked by the opening to this book it was by no means a slow start we were thrown straight into the storyline from the word go. The story switches between three of the characters points of view, Joseph, Hannah and Scarlet who is the eldest child. This is a great way to tell this story as we get to know how this dramatic storyline effects each of the characters and it allows us to get to know each character personally rather than through the view of other characters allowing us the reader to makeup our own mind about each character.

This is a fresh storyline that is not similar to any books that I have read before and so it was a joy to read. I vary rarely read a book that has made me really stop and think about things. This author’s books are so well written and they really make you realise how easy it is to be judgmental and I can hold my hands up and say just from the first few chapters I had already condemned Joseph. As the book progressed I was surprised to find myself warming to his character and I actually felt a little confused about my feelings towards him as a part of me felt that I should despise him but another part of me actually felt hopeful for him.

I loved that we also got to see how the children were feeling amongst all the drama and it was very emotional to see how it was affecting each of them and the way the author brings this across is really well done and believable. The ending to this book was beautiful and delicately done and finished of the book perfectly. Charity Norman really knows how to write books that are unpredictable and addictive.

This book is a compelling read that will have you hooked from the first page, questioning your own views and maybe even bringing a lump to your throat!

Another great read from Charity Norman.

Paperback

After the Fall by Charity Norman

In the quiet of a New Zealand winter's night, a rescue helicopter is sent to airlift a five-year-old boy with severe internal injuries. He's fallen from the upstairs veranda of an isolated farmhouse, and his condition is critical. At first, Finn's fall looks like a horrible accident; after all, he's prone to sleepwalking. Only his frantic mother, Martha McNamara, knows how it happened. And she isn't telling. Not yet. Maybe not ever. 

Tragedy isn't what the McNamara family expected when they moved to New Zealand. For Martha, it was an escape. For her artist husband Kit, it was a dream. For their small twin boys, it was an adventure. For sixteen-year-old Sacha, it was the start of a nightmare.

They end up on the isolated east coast of the North Island, seemingly in the middle of a New Zealand tourism campaign. But their peaceful idyll is soon shattered as the choices Sacha makes lead the family down a path which threatens to destroy them all.

Martha finds herself facing a series of impossible decisions, each with devastating consequences for her family.

Charity Norman is a new author to me, having heard on a number of occasions that her work is along the lines of Jodi Picoult I was intrigued to see if her writing can live upto such a great writer. 

Martha is a heart-warming character. She always wants to try and do what she thinks is best for her family and when she see’s that the best thing for her marriage would be to move to New Zealand there is one person who isn’t happy with the new plans and that is her daughter Sacha. Sacha is a typical teen and doesn’t like the idea of change and it is as though the whole world is going to come crashing down on her because of the move. I can’t say I loved her character but I do think she was a fantastic character and she is a crucial part to this book and plays the perfect character.

What won me over with this book is how unpredictable it was. At the beginning when we find out that a little boy has fallen from a balcony something didn’t feel right and as we got a few chapters in I had my own little theory as to what really happened but I have to admit I was way off track! There was so many dark twists in this book that I didn’t see coming and this held my attention all the way through.

The story follows the lead up to the accident and every so often there is a chapter back in the present day in the hospital with Finn and Martha. This was not a book that you could easily pick up and put down, you needed your full attention and I found it impossible to put down. I was tense when reading this book I was on the edge of my seat it was so detailed that I actually felt as though I was sitting and watching a film!

This was a very intense and addictive read, I did love the little twins parts in this book they brought a little light to a dark storyline with their little mischief making!

I would recommend this book and I will also be looking forward to reading more books by this author.

AFTER THE FALL HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE 2013 RICHARD AND JUDY SPRING BOOK CLUB!

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