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the_coycaterpillar_reads's review against another edition
5.0
A poignant and a slash to the chest kind of read. In order to love a book, you need to find something that speaks to you. It needs to draw out connections. It simply knows how you tick. The Home had this in spades. The talent coming to life in these pages are like liquid gold ā valuable and rare. It has the addictive pull that ties you down and stops you doing your chores. The only thing The Home does is take you hostage and holds you to ransom until you have read the final word of the final page.
This book has everything you need to hold your attention in a futile struggle. The stable Childrenās Home. A forbidden love. Terrible parenting. Terrible decisions. Toxic relationships. A death. The death of a potential future. Layered betrayals. Deceit. And all the heartbreak you can take.
Sarah Stovell is an author that obviously lives and breathes her writing. The book has taken on an entity all its own. Itās like she has the secret formula that can break a heart. Mine blew straight out of my chest. Her narrative then leaves you searching for the missing pieces for the entirety of the novel. The tears pricked my eyes, my heart physically hurt but left me with an overwhelmingly urge to hug my babies tightly. I needed to show them the love I felt.
This definitely a hard book to read. The content is overwhelming. Itās a story that is meant to unseat you and make you uncomfortable. Itās hard and harrowing and makes you take a long hard look at your comfy existence. You might have experienced hard ship yourself but just how bad have you had it? It pulls and extracts such an intense level of empathy from your bodyā¦I had an all-encompassing feeling of just wanting to mother these girls. If I had the space, I would have taken them in in an instant.
This is the first book I have read by Sarah Stovell but by all means and purposes she is hitting legendary status. I will rectify that as soon as I possibly can. The characters she creates are broken, with a story to tell, dark and deep histories, but they have such a capacity for love. Itās amazing that after everything they have been through they can show love towards one another. Hope and Annie have such dogged determination. Neither of them want to be in this situation. It was never a conscious choice. They were dealt the worst betrayal from parents that should have given their lives for their kids.
The Home is a childrenās Home that is a safe Haven to Hope (15) and Annie (15) and Lara (12). There have the good fortune of being surrounded by the Lake District. Despite the circumstances it could, indeed, be a lot worse. The setting, the opening chapter, the creeping shadow of desolation and despair had me hook, line and sinker. I was done for ā I ended up racing to the finish.
Why you ask?
Well, Sarah Stovell has created a perfect cadence of a highly addictive plot that seeps in its intensity but try as you might to slow the reading, to savour each delicious pageā¦it is impossible. The characters, although they have been broken down by life, they display the most amazing strength and dare I even say it a hunger to still continue living. Hope toys with the idea of ending it all but I genuinely put that down to not having any direction. These girls are the epitome of the word survival.
The story kicks off on Christmas day. Two girls are missing ā Hope and Annie and Lara is in The Home, silent and unyielding. Choices come full circle and that message is being shouted loud and clear. Itās audible, deafening and terrifyingly deep. A girl is found beside the water, dead and the other is hysterical with her grief. It is bone deep. After the story starts to unfold you wonder just how much one person can take?
Annieās metamorphosis from victim to survivor is poignantly beautiful ā sheās scarred and with flaws, but she stands tall. The author has wrote about a superhero in my eyes and her characterisation spoke to me so clearly. It was impossible not to love her.
The Home is a chillingly, deeply disturbing take on the unreliable narrator. It unseats you. The narrative is razor sharp and unlike anything you have ever read before.
This book has everything you need to hold your attention in a futile struggle. The stable Childrenās Home. A forbidden love. Terrible parenting. Terrible decisions. Toxic relationships. A death. The death of a potential future. Layered betrayals. Deceit. And all the heartbreak you can take.
Sarah Stovell is an author that obviously lives and breathes her writing. The book has taken on an entity all its own. Itās like she has the secret formula that can break a heart. Mine blew straight out of my chest. Her narrative then leaves you searching for the missing pieces for the entirety of the novel. The tears pricked my eyes, my heart physically hurt but left me with an overwhelmingly urge to hug my babies tightly. I needed to show them the love I felt.
This definitely a hard book to read. The content is overwhelming. Itās a story that is meant to unseat you and make you uncomfortable. Itās hard and harrowing and makes you take a long hard look at your comfy existence. You might have experienced hard ship yourself but just how bad have you had it? It pulls and extracts such an intense level of empathy from your bodyā¦I had an all-encompassing feeling of just wanting to mother these girls. If I had the space, I would have taken them in in an instant.
This is the first book I have read by Sarah Stovell but by all means and purposes she is hitting legendary status. I will rectify that as soon as I possibly can. The characters she creates are broken, with a story to tell, dark and deep histories, but they have such a capacity for love. Itās amazing that after everything they have been through they can show love towards one another. Hope and Annie have such dogged determination. Neither of them want to be in this situation. It was never a conscious choice. They were dealt the worst betrayal from parents that should have given their lives for their kids.
The Home is a childrenās Home that is a safe Haven to Hope (15) and Annie (15) and Lara (12). There have the good fortune of being surrounded by the Lake District. Despite the circumstances it could, indeed, be a lot worse. The setting, the opening chapter, the creeping shadow of desolation and despair had me hook, line and sinker. I was done for ā I ended up racing to the finish.
Why you ask?
Well, Sarah Stovell has created a perfect cadence of a highly addictive plot that seeps in its intensity but try as you might to slow the reading, to savour each delicious pageā¦it is impossible. The characters, although they have been broken down by life, they display the most amazing strength and dare I even say it a hunger to still continue living. Hope toys with the idea of ending it all but I genuinely put that down to not having any direction. These girls are the epitome of the word survival.
The story kicks off on Christmas day. Two girls are missing ā Hope and Annie and Lara is in The Home, silent and unyielding. Choices come full circle and that message is being shouted loud and clear. Itās audible, deafening and terrifyingly deep. A girl is found beside the water, dead and the other is hysterical with her grief. It is bone deep. After the story starts to unfold you wonder just how much one person can take?
Annieās metamorphosis from victim to survivor is poignantly beautiful ā sheās scarred and with flaws, but she stands tall. The author has wrote about a superhero in my eyes and her characterisation spoke to me so clearly. It was impossible not to love her.
The Home is a chillingly, deeply disturbing take on the unreliable narrator. It unseats you. The narrative is razor sharp and unlike anything you have ever read before.
mpr2000's review against another edition
4.0
Iāll try to make my review clear but this book had left my mind spinning around with bitterness and sadness. How the human race could be so indifferent and neglective to the little ones? How is it possible that there are so many interviews and controls when a couple wants to adopt a child but no one really controls the women that get pregnant? I donāt think itās fare, neither the parents or the child that will have to suffer the consequences once they are born.
But this book is not about the neglecting mothers, is about their daughters, how they will try to have the best life possible with the resources they have; as you can imagine their future doesnāt look brilliantā¦
Everything will start when the body of a teenager is found near another teenager so upset that the police canāt take a word from her. Who are they? How they have ended in this situation? They are only teenagers! They should be home playing with their mobiles, not dead or in a police building, donāt you think?
The story will be told between two voices, Annie and Hope, how were their lives before the horrible night, since they were born till the present. Their thoughts and dreams, their actions and regretsā¦ so painful to read! Both felt so real, not a simple character but someone with life, I suppose thatās why I was so angry at the end of the book, not for the story, donāt get me wrong, but the situation of the girls of the story, because I am sure there are a lot of girls right now in more or less the same situation and no one is helping them.
What we are doing wrong (as a society) when young children feel powerless in their homes, without anyone who takes care of them or loves them. Maybe itās time to change the law to help the ones they need it, not the powerful and rich, donāt you think?
As you can see this is a book to make you feel and try to change the world we live in, to make you angry and say stop, thatās not the world I want my children to live in! We have to change it and take steps to help them now.
As you can see this book has touched me deeply; the story is detailed and touching, the characters are not nice, but you feel empathy towards them and feel their pain on your skin. Thereās some mystery on it, but Iāve read so many mystery books that I know the twists before they happen!
The Home is a book that will make you shout and cry. Ready?
But this book is not about the neglecting mothers, is about their daughters, how they will try to have the best life possible with the resources they have; as you can imagine their future doesnāt look brilliantā¦
Everything will start when the body of a teenager is found near another teenager so upset that the police canāt take a word from her. Who are they? How they have ended in this situation? They are only teenagers! They should be home playing with their mobiles, not dead or in a police building, donāt you think?
The story will be told between two voices, Annie and Hope, how were their lives before the horrible night, since they were born till the present. Their thoughts and dreams, their actions and regretsā¦ so painful to read! Both felt so real, not a simple character but someone with life, I suppose thatās why I was so angry at the end of the book, not for the story, donāt get me wrong, but the situation of the girls of the story, because I am sure there are a lot of girls right now in more or less the same situation and no one is helping them.
What we are doing wrong (as a society) when young children feel powerless in their homes, without anyone who takes care of them or loves them. Maybe itās time to change the law to help the ones they need it, not the powerful and rich, donāt you think?
As you can see this is a book to make you feel and try to change the world we live in, to make you angry and say stop, thatās not the world I want my children to live in! We have to change it and take steps to help them now.
As you can see this book has touched me deeply; the story is detailed and touching, the characters are not nice, but you feel empathy towards them and feel their pain on your skin. Thereās some mystery on it, but Iāve read so many mystery books that I know the twists before they happen!
The Home is a book that will make you shout and cry. Ready?
noveldeelights's review
5.0
Oh ā¦. goodness gracious me. Devastating doesnāt even begin to cover it. Wow!
Itās been a while since Sarah Stovellās last offering, Exquisite, and while I thoroughly enjoyed that one when I read it, Iām just going to go right ahead and say that The Home is on a completely different level and most definitely worth the wait!
On Christmas morning, the body of a fifteen year old girl is discovered in a churchyard. Hope was a resident at The Home, a place where three young girls lived. Three girls who have been severely affected by violent and disturbing pasts. But what happened to Hope?
I wasnāt at all able to figure out what happened to Hope and to be honest, I wasnāt even really trying. I became so utterly absorbed by these girlsā lives that solving that particular mystery almost became secondary. Despite knowing what happened to Hope, I oddly found myself wishing for a happy ending throughout, which is a credit to Sarah Stovellās amazing writing.
This incredibly powerful story about the lives of Hope, Annie and Lara will get under your skin and will be impossible to forget. These three girls are so realistic and believable, they almost jump from the pages and you want to reach in and help them in any way you can. It was abundantly clear to me from the very first pages that this book would leave me completely and utterly broken and it did. It is so extremely dark, brutal and raw that I often couldnāt decide if I should keep reading or maybe take a break, have a breather and trawl YouTube for some funny clips.
It should almost go without saying that this is one incredibly uncomfortable book to read. Itās harrowing, it is insanely disturbing, it is shocking. Itās positively heartbreaking but also immensely gripping and compelling. It hurts, people. Itās really, really painful in that way where it feels someone has reached into the very core of you, pulled out your heart and stomped all over it. And yet there is also a sliver of hope and love throughout, amidst all this darkness.
The Home will draw you in from the start and not let go. It will haunt you and linger in your mind for eternity. It will leave you with a lump in your throat and it will make you admire Sarah Stovell for tackling such hard topics in the most exquisite (see what I did there?) way possible.
I have no more words left. Completely and utterly broken.
Itās been a while since Sarah Stovellās last offering, Exquisite, and while I thoroughly enjoyed that one when I read it, Iām just going to go right ahead and say that The Home is on a completely different level and most definitely worth the wait!
On Christmas morning, the body of a fifteen year old girl is discovered in a churchyard. Hope was a resident at The Home, a place where three young girls lived. Three girls who have been severely affected by violent and disturbing pasts. But what happened to Hope?
I wasnāt at all able to figure out what happened to Hope and to be honest, I wasnāt even really trying. I became so utterly absorbed by these girlsā lives that solving that particular mystery almost became secondary. Despite knowing what happened to Hope, I oddly found myself wishing for a happy ending throughout, which is a credit to Sarah Stovellās amazing writing.
This incredibly powerful story about the lives of Hope, Annie and Lara will get under your skin and will be impossible to forget. These three girls are so realistic and believable, they almost jump from the pages and you want to reach in and help them in any way you can. It was abundantly clear to me from the very first pages that this book would leave me completely and utterly broken and it did. It is so extremely dark, brutal and raw that I often couldnāt decide if I should keep reading or maybe take a break, have a breather and trawl YouTube for some funny clips.
It should almost go without saying that this is one incredibly uncomfortable book to read. Itās harrowing, it is insanely disturbing, it is shocking. Itās positively heartbreaking but also immensely gripping and compelling. It hurts, people. Itās really, really painful in that way where it feels someone has reached into the very core of you, pulled out your heart and stomped all over it. And yet there is also a sliver of hope and love throughout, amidst all this darkness.
The Home will draw you in from the start and not let go. It will haunt you and linger in your mind for eternity. It will leave you with a lump in your throat and it will make you admire Sarah Stovell for tackling such hard topics in the most exquisite (see what I did there?) way possible.
I have no more words left. Completely and utterly broken.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.5
Finished reading: January 14th 2020
"We were fragile, too. But we weren't fragile like flowers. We were fragile like bombs."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Exquisite was simply exquisite last year, so I've been looking forward to her newest story ever since. It's easy to say that my expectations were extremely high, and I was honestly a bit afraid it wouldn't actually live up to expectations... But I shouldn't have worried. My mind was left reeling and my heart was smashed into a million pieces and left in a broken heap of mess on the floor... Heartrending, raw, emotional and dark: this is a story that will get under your skin and will make your soul ache for those two poor girls! Oh yes, make sure to prepare yourself for a few hours of very intense reading. So, why did the story work so well for me?
As you might have gathered from my first thoughts, this story did excellent job provoking some very strong emotions; key in this were both the characters, plot development and the writing of course. Let's take a further look at the plot and its structure first... The story is divided into five parts and uses multiple POVs to tell us the tragic story of two troubled young girls: Hope and Annie. We learn about their terrible and shocking past, the residence where they first met and lived together as well as the events that happened after that dreadful night that ended the life of one of the girls... Not in chronological order, but rather a mix of past and present which slowly gives us more insight in the lives of girls. The full picture is being slowly build up brick by brick, until the full horrifying dimension and consequences of their difficult lives are ultimately revealed.
There are a lot of dark and shocking elements included in The Home, and this story is definitely not for the weak hearted. Oh no, this is not a happy story and reading about the details of the lives of both girls has been horrific to say the least. I don't want to reveal too much to avoid spoilers, but heavy topics such as (child) abuse, child prostitution, teen pregnancy, addiction, rape, murder and mental illness play an all important role in the plot... Once again, it is simply dreadful to think just how tough of a start on life these girls had, and it truly shows their resilience that they even got this far. The darker elements also mean trigger warnings are in place, but each element is developed expertly and respectfully and helps shine light on just how hard and essentially hopeless it can be for kids to fight the terrible hand in life they have been given.
Let's talk about the characters... The main focus in The Home is on Annie and Hope of course, and to say both girls who have had a very rough life so far is an understatement. It's hard to discuss the characters in detail without giving away spoilers, but let's just say that their past and secrets will have some very shocking surprises in store and even though they might not be exactly likeable, your heart will ache for them anyway as you see just how much they suffered and still suffer. Other characters, including Lara, Helen and Ace are less present, but each plays its own role and it has been interesting to discover where each character fits in the story. Especially Ace and both mothers made my blood boil, but a story like this needs its villians for it to be realistic... And that was most definitely achieved here.
The writing is once again simply exquisite. The different POVs, the layout of the plot, the thoughts of what is basically a 'ghost', a separate 'story' about Annie's past... Different techniques are used to put together a complex and uniquely crafted story that will mostly definitely blow your socks off. Along with an emotional rollercoaster, and with lighter moments (including the relationship between the two girls) balancing all the dark and disturbing elements of this story, you will also find yourself on a journey looking for the truth behind the death of a young girl. Twists and turns will set you on the wrong track, and feelings of doubt, rage and deep deep sympathy for the girls will make it feel as if there were an emotional tornado inside your heart. Only in the best possible way of course!
There is so much to love in The Home and it is a story that will stay with me for a long time. It's not an easy read, but it's beautifully rendered and simply absolutely spot on when it comes to execution. If you are looking for an unique thriller that isn't afraid to go dark and ugly, you have just found yourself a new read!
melaniesreads's review against another edition
5.0
Iām not sure I will ever again read such heartbreaking depravity. I feel so fortunate and blessed to have had a childhood full of love, the safety of a home with food on the table and normal parents.
This is a very dark read which doesnāt just touch on difficult subjects it shouts them out with a megaphone so be prepared. But if you can handle it you are in for the most beautiful tender story of three poor little girls whose only misfortune was to be born into bad circumstances.
With one girl dead and one found clinging to her body raw with grief and the other girl never speaking there is a mystery running throughout. However this is really secondary to the pure story of their difficult lives and how each have different ways of dealing with not only their past but also their present.
Hope and Annie formed an instant bond on meeting that developed into love. So how did it all end so horribly wrong? Can you love when you have never been shown any? Why does Lara never speak? Are you brave enough to discover the answers? If you are you will be rewarded with ghostly narration and writing that is elegant in all its descriptive glory, I donāt use the term masterpiece lightly but this is without a doubt the most masterful piece of literature Iāve had the pleasure of reading in a long time.
This is a very dark read which doesnāt just touch on difficult subjects it shouts them out with a megaphone so be prepared. But if you can handle it you are in for the most beautiful tender story of three poor little girls whose only misfortune was to be born into bad circumstances.
With one girl dead and one found clinging to her body raw with grief and the other girl never speaking there is a mystery running throughout. However this is really secondary to the pure story of their difficult lives and how each have different ways of dealing with not only their past but also their present.
Hope and Annie formed an instant bond on meeting that developed into love. So how did it all end so horribly wrong? Can you love when you have never been shown any? Why does Lara never speak? Are you brave enough to discover the answers? If you are you will be rewarded with ghostly narration and writing that is elegant in all its descriptive glory, I donāt use the term masterpiece lightly but this is without a doubt the most masterful piece of literature Iāve had the pleasure of reading in a long time.
anniebartelsollosy's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
Focused around the tragic lives of three young girls this story is dark and not for the faint of heart.Ā
I enjoyed how it started with us guessing who was telling the story. As the story progressed and the chapters started with āAnnieā or āHopeā to tell us who was telling their story, I didnāt like how the author used āsheā āherā āIā as I found it hard to keep track of who was speaking. Maybe we were supposed to be still guessing whoās point of view was whoās but I felt it took away from the story.Ā
Overall, I enjoyed the story and was kept guessing.
I enjoyed how it started with us guessing who was telling the story. As the story progressed and the chapters started with āAnnieā or āHopeā to tell us who was telling their story, I didnāt like how the author used āsheā āherā āIā as I found it hard to keep track of who was speaking. Maybe we were supposed to be still guessing whoās point of view was whoās but I felt it took away from the story.Ā
Overall, I enjoyed the story and was kept guessing.
steph1rothwell's review
5.0
The Home is a crime novel, but instead of focusing on the suspicious death of a young girl in care it is more about the three girls who lived together, Hope, Annie and Lara, and what happened to them in their past.
They live in a beautiful and remote part of the country, near Langdale Pike. They should be safe from the past and be able to start rebuilding their lives. But as the story unfolds and you start to learn what each of them faced you saw how impossible it was. What happened to each of them was horrific, more so because you know that it happens. That there are children who experience the fear, neglect and violence that each of the characters faced.
It was impossible to decide who suffered the most but the one whose life story had the biggest impact on me was Hope. It wasnāt surprising that she coped the way that she did. And there was no way I could judge her, even though I did feel sorry for Annie who had to suffer the most from her occasional cruelty.
It was not just the three girls who suffered. The staff, underpaid, under appreciated and over worked. Itās not something I really thought about, how the dedicated staff neglect their own families to do their job and try and improve somebody elseās life.
A heartbreaking novel that has made me think more than any other about what some children experience and also the staff who try and pick up the pieces.
They live in a beautiful and remote part of the country, near Langdale Pike. They should be safe from the past and be able to start rebuilding their lives. But as the story unfolds and you start to learn what each of them faced you saw how impossible it was. What happened to each of them was horrific, more so because you know that it happens. That there are children who experience the fear, neglect and violence that each of the characters faced.
It was impossible to decide who suffered the most but the one whose life story had the biggest impact on me was Hope. It wasnāt surprising that she coped the way that she did. And there was no way I could judge her, even though I did feel sorry for Annie who had to suffer the most from her occasional cruelty.
It was not just the three girls who suffered. The staff, underpaid, under appreciated and over worked. Itās not something I really thought about, how the dedicated staff neglect their own families to do their job and try and improve somebody elseās life.
A heartbreaking novel that has made me think more than any other about what some children experience and also the staff who try and pick up the pieces.
sarahs_bookish_life's review
5.0
I loved the authors debut novel so this has been one of my most anticipated reads for a while, it didnāt disappoint either.
The story mainly focuses on Hope and Annie where we find out more about their pasts as well as their relationship when they meet in the childrenās home. Lara seems to hover more in the background but she is by no means any less intriguing.
Itās obvious these girls have all had troubled backgrounds. Sadly they havenāt had the lifestyles that most children should have in a loving environment. Whilst Hopeās life at home was bad enough, I have to say Annieās story is the one that got to me the most.
Whilst this is a psychological thriller, as there is a lot of suspense and mystery surrounding the death, it is so much more. The story deals with difficult subjects like, manipulation, abuse, drugs, mental health to name but a few. It makes for a dark read thatās for sure.
The Home is a dark, at times disturbing, read which fully absorbed me. What I especially love about this authors books are they are quietly brilliant. The authors writing gently draws you in and before you know it you are held captive. It took over my world as I was gripped to every page. A heartbreaking, emotional yet deeply dark and gripping read. Loved it.
My thanks to Anne Cater and Orenda Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
The story mainly focuses on Hope and Annie where we find out more about their pasts as well as their relationship when they meet in the childrenās home. Lara seems to hover more in the background but she is by no means any less intriguing.
Itās obvious these girls have all had troubled backgrounds. Sadly they havenāt had the lifestyles that most children should have in a loving environment. Whilst Hopeās life at home was bad enough, I have to say Annieās story is the one that got to me the most.
Whilst this is a psychological thriller, as there is a lot of suspense and mystery surrounding the death, it is so much more. The story deals with difficult subjects like, manipulation, abuse, drugs, mental health to name but a few. It makes for a dark read thatās for sure.
The Home is a dark, at times disturbing, read which fully absorbed me. What I especially love about this authors books are they are quietly brilliant. The authors writing gently draws you in and before you know it you are held captive. It took over my world as I was gripped to every page. A heartbreaking, emotional yet deeply dark and gripping read. Loved it.
My thanks to Anne Cater and Orenda Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.