Girlfriend

ダニエルの彼女チェリーと彼の母ローラの葛藤が迫力を持って描かれる。やがて悲劇が起き、ある人物が許しがたいうそをつく。そのうそは人物全員の生活を変えることとなる。

Ich habe mir das Buch für meinen bevorstehenden Spanienurlaub gekauft in der Hoffnung dort etwas packendes zu lesen! Leider war dem nicht so. Ich hatte mich auf einen Psychothriller eingestellt welcher mir leider nicht geboten wurde. Stattdessen handelt es sich eher um einen Roman der Mittelklasse. Es gab keinen effektiven Spannungsbogen noch gab es ein überraschendes Ende. Ich war leider sehr enttäuscht von dem Buch.

Like others have said it's very gripping, you keep desperately reading just hoping that all will be revealed and Cherry won't get away with everything. Makes me terrified for when my sons grow up though...I enjoyed the first 80% though there were sections I skimmed where it was just filler...I found the dog/hamster bit bewildering...but mostly the ending was a complete anticlimax. I was completely surprised it was the end, there wasn't the closure the story needed and you're left feeling frustrated that you have invested time and it's a 'this happened the end ' kind of thing with no real exploration of how characters respond to it.So 3/5 stars, mostly gripping and entertaining but falls flat at the end which isn't a great recommendation to read more by the author. A shame as with more time this could have been resolved.

I've read all of Michelle Frances' books, i just love those beautiful arty bright blue covers!My favourite up to now is The Temp followed by Sisters and as well as The Daughter they are beautifully written flowing with such ease.However, i found The Girlfriend needed some oiling with the writing, it didn't flow too easily with me, just a little rocky. But just like her other books, the author allowed me to see and feel everything with such ease.Michelle's endings never go how i would like them to although The Temp was closest to my liking. I just love her villains too much! Cherry was amazing as the girlfriend.A great read from start to finish with no boring paragraphs, pretty solid.The book really becomes un-put-downable in the final chapters as Michelle created a very cleverly crafted run towards the end which was flawless. I appreciate how much thought the author put in throughout the book to really make this work out with such precision.All the mobile phone stuff was so fine tuned!And that damn puppy was absolutely crucial!

THE GIRLFRIEND - MICHELLE FRANCESThe route to a successful novel is variable and often difficult to define. Riveting plot and compelling characters can sometimes be outdone by a simple narrative that is beautifully crafted. In general terms, the best literature is where the author exposes a little piece of their inner self, either in a character, a situation, or perhaps just in a few sentences. These are the moments when you know the author is writing from within and the time taken by the reader on their creation is worthwhile.The plot in this novel is straightforward. Young girl from humble background meets wealthy young boy with the world at his feet. Their relationship is her escape from a humdrum existence. Boy's mother has her suspicions, to which he is blind. Following a near fatal accident boy's mother tells a massive lie to the girl to get her out of their lives. When her lie is exposed the girlfriend ensures she pays the price.I am afraid this book is below average. The main elements of the plot could have been constructed by a fifth former they are so utterly predictable. The two 'lies' which are at the centre of the first section of the novel amount to 'my grandmother is sick/dying' and 'my plane ticket cost £100 more than I said'. It takes all the way to page 146 for the author to swashbuckle this to the reader in the most painful way possible, by using italics for emphasis - ' Cherry had made it all up'. It takes fifteen chapters to reach this underwhelming disclosure.It is evident this never was a novel. It is an idea for a three night TV drama, it might even be one that would be watchable. It would be instantly forgettable. It is essentially a script that has been padded out to an unnecessarily long 250 pages. One particular section, where the mother describes her overly anxious outlook towards her son throughout his life, is excruciatingly out of place and a desperate effort inject some substance into a character who just does not come to life in the book at all. The climax is uninspiring.There must be many rejected authors who will read this and wonder why.