*Wrecker by Noel O'Reilly (384 pages) ★★★ (3.5)I received this book from the wonderful people at HQ at Harper Collins and it has to be one of the most beautiful books I own as not only it is gorgeously designed but it's a naked hardback so the cover is printed onto the hardback book, no annoying dust jacket! I absolutely adore the cover, it's stunning! Anyway, enough gushing about the cover. Set in the wonderful, atmospheric and beautiful setting of Cornwall we follow Mary Blight who rescues a man from a shipwreck after a storm. Shipwrecks are a very common occurrence as is the practice of looting the washed up cargo and personal affects of the dead (I didn't know this was done until I read Sentinels Of The Sea in May).
The story unfolds as the identity of the rescued *handsome* man is unveiled as a minister and what follows is a look into the impoverished lives of the community, how religion plays a part in everyones lives and the intertwining lives of Mary and the rescued minister, Gideon as they struggle with their feelings for each other, the judgement of the community and religious beliefs. Oh also, there's supposedly a cannibal in their midst...
I loved the writing style which was quick and easy but had an eerie and darkly descriptive tone. It was a very quick read, I wanted to find out what would happen and I think the ending was as hopeful as it could have been given the events in the book so I was happy about that! I found Mary annoying at times but I also liked how she subverted the typical expectations and actions of women. There are some scenes of domestic violence in this book which made for slightly uncomfortable reading but thankfully it is viewed as negative in the book rather than normal part of life, however I think it could have been dealt with even better, if that makes sense. I found some of the characters and their views frustrating at times and I'm not religious at all so some sections of the book were a little tedious but overall I really loved this novel! I'd definitely recommend it for fans of dark, bleak historical fiction.
Do you like historical fiction? Will you be picking up this book?
Thanks for sharing my dear
ReplyDeletehttps://www.melodyjacob.com
I'm not a fan of historical fiction so it's probably not something I'd go for but I absolutely love the cover.
ReplyDeleteJenny
http://www.jennyinneverland.com
oh wow that sounds so good. I love how you are a part of it :)
ReplyDeleteErin || MakeErinOver
Im not usually into historical fiction but I am always up for trying new books as I love reading. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeletewww.misslaurenmorgan.blogspot.co.uk
I love the book cover but it isn’t my genre sadly x
ReplyDeleteThis sounds pretty good! Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book
ReplyDeleteI love the cover page too.
Much Love,
Jane | The Bandwagon Chic
I love historical fiction in a book, this one sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteLove, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
I really like dark and gritty historical dramas so this sooeals to me. Also, the design on the front cover really is beautiful.
ReplyDeletenot my kind of genre, gonna be honest but maybe I should try something new when it comes to reading.
ReplyDeletePam xo/ Pam Scalfi♥
The cover immediately caught my eye on this one!
ReplyDeleteOoh sounds good! x
ReplyDeleteIt’s a gorgeous cover with so much detail, I totally get why you love it so much.
ReplyDeletehttp://littlemissmelanie.com
Doesn't sound like my sort of read but fab post.
ReplyDeleteFaye Jessica | fayejessica.co.uk
Pretty looking book for those it would suit
ReplyDeleteNot for me but I love the cover x
ReplyDeleteI'm such a sucker for a pretty book cover - this totally draws me in!!
ReplyDeleteChantelle x
The Girl In The Tartan Scarf
Not my usual genre of book but loving the cover design x
ReplyDeleteThe book cover is intriguing!
ReplyDeletethis sounds intriguing
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cover! Not my kind of book, but I love these posts of yours.
ReplyDeletexxx
I love the cover! This book sounds super interesting too xo
ReplyDeleteChar | www.charslittleblog.co.uk
Love the description 'eerie and darkly deceptive tone'. Sounds right up my street for a read :)
ReplyDeleteSincerely, Sarah xx
www.sincerelysarah.net