Book Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

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Mad Mabel  by Sally Hepworth  is a domestic thriller about the youngest person convicted of murder in Australia, Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. Now 81 years old, Elsie is living on Kenny Lane and has been for the past sixty years. When a mother named Roxanne moves into Mabel's neighborhood with her seven year old daughter, an unlikely friendship forms between Elsie and the seven year old child named Persephone. As Elsie's secrets come to light, her world comes crashing down.  Having read quite a few novels by Sally Hepworth, I requested an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Mad Mabel  without reading the synopsis of the story. I was thrilled when NetGalley and St. Martin's Press approved my request. The expected publication date of the book is April 21, 2026. Not knowing anything about the storyline before I started reading Mad Mabel  made the story much more interesting to me as I had no preconceived ideas. The tale was told from Mabel's perspective in alternating timeli...
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Book Review: Midnight Sun (Twilight, #5) by Stephenie Meyer

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midnight sun twilight stephenie meyer

Midnight Sun (Twilight, #5) by Stephenie Meyer tells Edward Cullen's side of the story of when he and Isabella "Bella" Swan meet. The tale is so much darker when told from Edward's perspective and gives the reader more insight into the original story of Twilight (Twilight, #1). Hang on to your seats Twihards because you're in for the ride of your life!

Who else was ecstatic when they heard that Stephenie Meyer had actually completed writing Midnight Sun and was actually publishing it last year? The news made my 2020 a little bit brighter among the pandemic. And, how apropos was it that Edward's version of the story was released at this time when his backstory directly correlates to what is going on in the world today. If you haven't read the first or second installment of the series Twilight (Twilight, #1) and New Moon (Twilight, #2), or seen the movies, then I want to forewarn you that there are a couple of spoilers below.

As excited as I was about this book being published and released, I had a hard time getting into the storyline. It took me several chapters before I became invested into Edward's version of events. By the time I got to where Edward takes Bella to meet his family the first time, I couldn't read fast enough. And, when I got to the meeting of the Cullens, James, Laurent, and Victoria, I was just beside myself because I kept getting interrupted. I kept telling my family to stop bothering me until I finished Midnight Sun. I just couldn't get enough of this book and the story.

I would love to see Edward's perspective of New Moon (Twilight, #2) since Edward is missing for a good chunk of the book. And, I desperately want to know what he and the rest of the Cullens were doing when they left Forks. One can only hope that Stephenie Meyer writes this story.

All in all, I gave Midnight Sun (Twilight, #5) four out of five stars because I did struggle with the story in the beginning. If you liked Midnight Sun, I recommend A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy, #1) by Deborah Harkness.

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