When I was asked to join the blog tour for the debut by Jane Bailey I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it sounded like a good little mystery so I agreed. I’m very glad I did, it was a great mystery but it was also so much more.
Sorry Isn’t Good Enough is told from the perspective of Stephanie. As a 9 year old she lives with overly strict parents. Stephanie is a bit of an outcast unable to live up to her parents demanding standards. Her only friend is Dawn, a manipulative little girl who is jealous of anyone else that Stephanie might talk to. As an adult she is haunted both by events in her childhood and by tragedy in her family. The dual timelines go backwards and forwards before merging in the final pages.
This was a stunning read. Part mystery, part family study, part coming of age tale, I found it utterly compelling.
This was a novel that at times made me laugh, times made me cringe and at times was heart-breaking. The relationship between Stephanie and her mother was terribly sad, yet throughout you get the sense that it is not all it seems. The fact that it is all told from the viewpoint of one person gives it almost a voyeur feeling to the reading. You can sense how Stephanie is feeling but also have an external perspective on events that makes it such an absorbing read.
I really enjoyed the style of writing, I tend to read quite quickly and can be guilty of skim reading books (apologies to all authors out there) but this was just not possible with this book. So much of the action and reaction was that subtle it would easily be missed. The story jumps about all over the place and changes direction here there and everywhere yet personally I found it easy to follow. I was lucky enough to be able to read this over a couple of evenings away on my own as it really was impossible to put down.
To say I enjoyed it would be an understatement, however it would also seem to be the wrong word. It was desperately sad in places, but also had a sense of lightness.
I would thoroughly recommend this novel if you are after something a bit different from the norm that is full of emotion.
Find out what others on the blog tour though:
A crime readers blog 