The Home by Sarah Stovell #Review Giveaway

I love being part of an Orenda Blog Tour as their books are always such brilliant reads and this is no exception. The Home by Sarah Stovell was published on 10th January 2020. 

I also have the opportunity to offer you the chance to win a print copy of the book. For details on how to enter, just go to the foot of this post.

When the body of pregnant, fifteen-year-old Hope Lacey is discovered in a churchyard on Christmas morning, the community is shocked, but unsurprised. For Hope lived in The Home, the residence of three young girls, whose violent and disturbing pasts have seen them cloistered away… As a police investigation gets underway, the lives of Hope, Lara and Annie are examined, and the staff who work at the home are interviewed, leading to shocking and distressing revelations … and clear evidence that someone is seeking revenge. A gritty, dark and devastating psychological thriller, The Home is also an emotive drama and a piercing look at the underbelly of society, where children learn what they live … if they are allowed to live at all. 

My Thoughts

Wow! This has to be one of those novels which grabs you and demands that you pay attention right to the end. It centres around three vulnerable and damaged girls who are living in an isolated house in the Lake District 'for their own good'. That is, they are in a therapeutic environment where they are put there to work through their issues and hopefully emerge as people who can function within society. Only we know, it is never as easy as that. We also know that there are more people who will feature in this story- their relatives, their carers and people who may not have their best interests at heart. 

     This is a story which grips you round the throat and squeezes the air out of you. I found it totally intimidating and each of the girls' stories breaks your heart. It is so disturbing how some characters  hear voices in their heads and it gives you the feeling that you aren't sure who to believe. I particularly enjoyed the carers' stories as they tried to contain these young adolescents. For everyone who believes that each person should have a voice, this is a must read.

In short: A chilling look below the surface. 

 

About the Author

    Sarah Stovell was born in 1977 and spent most of her life in the Home Counties before a season working in a remote North Yorkshire youth hostel made her realise she was a northerner at heart. 

She now lives in Northumberland with her partner and two children and is a lecturer in Creative Writing at Lincoln University. 

Her debut psychological thriller, Exquisite, was called ‘the book of the summer’ by Sunday Times.

 You can connect with Sarah on Twitter  | Goodreads  | Facebook

Amazon UK 

Thanks to Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the Blog Tour

Don't forget to look up these brilliant bloggers!

 

 

Giveaway ( Worldwide)

 

 

To win a print copy of The Home,  just Follow and Retweet the pinned Tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!

 Closing Date is 31st January 2020 and there is one winner.

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide.  The winner will be selected at random via Tweetdraw from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.