Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy - Blog Tour Review

I am delighted to be today's stop on the blog tour for Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy. Do Not Become Alarmed was published by Viking (Penguin) on 6 July 2017. 

Do Not Become Alarmed
By Maile Meloy
Published by Viking (6 July 2017)

Publisher's description

When Liv and Nora decide to take their husbands and children on a holiday cruise, everyone is thrilled. The ship's comforts and possibilities seem infinite. But when they all go ashore in beautiful Central America, a series of minor mishaps lead the families further from the ship's safety. 

One minute the children are there, and the next they're gone.

What follows is a heart-racing story told from the perspectives of the adults and the children, as the distraught parents - now turning on one another and blaming themselves - try to recover their children and their shattered lives. 

My verdict
Do Not Become Alarmed is well written literary fiction, focusing on parents' reactions to the disappearance of their children on an excursion trip during a two week cruise. The book highlights corruption, drugs and murder within Central America, so has some dark underlying themes.

The events are told from the perspectives of the parents and the children. I enjoyed the children's version of the events far more than the parents', finding it difficult to sympathise with, and warm to, the adults. I didn't find the book particularly emotional. However, I was intrigued enough to keep reading to find out what happened to the children and families by the end.

The families involved are all wealthy and successful. One key message from the plot seemed to be that wealth can't buy you commonsense, happiness or breeding, judging from the parents' behaviour. I wasn't totally sure why one particular thread was there, other than to show the rich-poor divide.

This book is marketed as a 'heart-racing' story, but I didn't find this to be the case. Instead, I found it to be a slow burner, focusing on family dynamics and changing friendships when dealing with every parent's worst nightmare. It took me a few chapters to get into the story, possibly because I was expecting something else - but once I realised this wasn't going to be a fast-paced read with lots of twists and turns, I focused on the vivid descriptions and atmospheric setting.

I suspect that readers who love fast-paced thrillers may be disappointed. And I also suspect that this could be a marmite book for the summer season - people may either love it or hate it, depending on their expectations.

Follow the Blog Tour

Look at Me by Sarah Duguid

Look at Me
By Sarah Duguid
Published by Tinder Press (25 February 2016)
ISBN: 978-1472229843

Publisher's description

Lizzy lives with her father, Julian, and her brother, Ig, in North London. Two years ago her mother died, leaving a family bereft by her absence and a house still filled with her things: for Margaret was lively, beautiful, fun, loving; she kept the family together. So Lizzy thinks. Then, one day, Lizzy finds a letter from a stranger to her father, and discovers he has another child. Lizzy invites her into their world in an act of outraged defiance. Almost immediately, she realises her mistake.

My verdict
Look at Me is an intriguing psychological tale of family upheaval and relationships. How grief can make you act irrationally. And how it's difficult to move on until you come to terms with the past.

Two years after the death of her mother Margaret, Lizzy, her father Julian and brother Ig are still struggling with cope with their loss. When Lizzy discovers her father Julian has an illegitimate child, she welcomes her half-sister Eunice into the family with open arms. But Eunice doesn't take long to worm her way into their home, and into their lives, and soon discovers that family life with Margaret wasn't quite as rosy as everyone has been led to believe.

Look at Me is a beautifully written haunting tale. But it's also a slow burner so don't expect a fast-paced read. The book isn't very long, but its 200 or so pages are filled with sadness, gentle humour and thought-provoking revelations. Eunice is particularly unnerving, as at first you're not quite sure whether she's genuine or not. None of the characters are particularly likeable but they're certainly quirky and this family won't be forgotten easily.

This is a book that may not appeal to everyone. But I loved it.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.