The Book Review ~ Revenge Wears Prada

Read: 7th October 2013

Rating: -5/5

This depresses me to write, but I do believe having stuck with reading this for a number of weeks it is one of the worse books ever written. Such an amazing character is destroyed on the first page. I was heartbroken reading this book, especially after being so excited on its release. 

Everything you love about Andy in the first novel are turned on its head in the second. 

Writing for a Bridal Magazine?! A rich husband?! Emily her best friend?! A fluffy dog?!

It is ridiculous. And awful. The narrating is crap, the writing is rushed and the plot badly laid out - one minute something dramatic happens and the chapter ends on a cliffhanger - then the next chapter is completely different!

If you loved "The Devil Wears Prada" DON'T READ IT!

If you didn't like "The Devil Wears Prada" DON'T READ IT!

Basically... DON'T READ IT.

The Colourful Eye ~ How to Find Your Perfect Colour!

The smoky eye has recently taken a turn for the colourful. Instead of starting dark and going darker has become a case of finding a colour and playing with its different hues to create the same smoky effect. With a sudden burst of colour on the eyeshadow front it is often hard to decide what to buy when you are faced with a rainbow array at the beauty counter –should you go for the hot pink sported by Emily Blunt, or Ginnifer Goodwin’s turquoise shimmer both seen at the Met Ball, or even Barbara Palvin bright orange that shocked the crowds at this years Cannes? One important thing to remember is: not everyone suits every colour. So how do you go about finding your perfect shades?

Finding your perfect colour match requires taking into account your permanent facial features (aka your hair and eye colours). It is important to compliment your hair and eye colours as it will allow your eyes to reach their full “pop” potential.

Most people do not think to incorporate their hair colour when choosing eye shadow. However, if you think about it hair colour should be the major decision maker after all hair is the curtain to your canvas!  

For the blondes among us the best way to start your eyes is with a neutral palette. Light browns and nudes work great along with pastels, pink, coral, beige and peach work great with blonde hair. You don’t want to go for pale pinks as it can wash out the skin stick to the more orangey pastels, pinks as they give a much warmer hue. If you want to step out of the box a bright blue will work great, think Gwen Stefani at L.A.M.B.’s spring/summer presentation. Electric blues really look fabulous with blonde hair, but stay away from any that have a silver undertone; much like the pale pinks these will make you look washed-out. Go for the opposite metallic as gold undertones create warmth and accentuate the shimmer of your hair.

Red heads have a lot of colour going on atop their heads so it is best to keep your eye palette within the same family. Mixing hues and colour groups can clash and overwhelm your eye. Also red heads can often have a pale complexion set off by the bright shades of their hair therefore; peach, beige and gold work great to warm the skin. For the braver red head try your eyes with an emerald green like Sophie Ellis-Bextor at the Diet Coke 30th Anniversary party, or if that is a little too daring you could even try a lighter green with a bit less colour and a little more sparkle using Ellie Kemper look from the Screen Actor Guilds Awards as your inspiration. 

Not one brunette is the same. The luscious vibe of the brunette is the different shades that their hair picks out that is why metallic’s work really well with brunette hair. The added glitter of the eye really brings your eyes alive. A really gorgeous example of this is found in Emma Watson’s gold flecked eyes at the Harry Potter Premier back in 2011. However, if you are after something more basic you could try Emma Robert’s gentle gold shimmer she wore to the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Party in 2011. Another eye palette a brunette should not be without is Purple. The purple hues from lilac through to violet really help offset a brunette. Rose Byrne rocked the purple eye at the premier of I give it a year.

The second thing to consider when forming your eyeshadow colour palette is your eye colour. This might seem an obvious thing to consider – but when a colour catches your attention at the counter you can often forget whether it will suit you and just splurge on it because you love the colour.

Blue eyes really pop when paired with a basic neutral palette think browns, rose, and terracotta as the basics. My favorite look on a blue eye though has to be a charcoal red or deep purple. The darkness of these colours really makes the bright blue of your eyes sparkle – perfect for a night out.

There are many shades of brown eyes so deciding where your hue lies is important to the colours that are going to look good, but a main rule for the brow eye is to avoid dark colours which minimize the look of your eyes. The darker your brown the lighter the shadow you want to choose. Try out a plum, a bronze or forest green. A combination that works particularly well would be a Champagne tone with violet highlights – try this especially if you have a light hazel eye colour.

Green eyes are a lot easier to compliment. First off stay away from black eyeliner which can overshadow your green pigments, avoid colours with blue undertones and silvers altogether as they do have a habit of whitewashing your natural eye colour. Other than those two rules go wild! Dark greens, lavenders, purples, plums or lilacs look gorgeous. Gold and copper are always a must as they are great for highlighting green eyes.

I hope this will give you an idea of how to pick out your own colours for the new smoky eye. Take a base and then using the colours suggested blend those the same way you would with a smoky eye but instead create something fun, bright and interesting!

Step-by-Step The Smoky Eye

The smoky eye this season has taken a turn for the punk! Diane Kruger, Kate Bosworth and Nina Dobrev are just a few of the celebrities rocking this new makeup trend which has taken the traditional smoky eye look and added in a metallic twist. It is a great new way to spice up the smoky, which has become a makeup staple.

You want to start your smoky eye with a fresh face. Moisturizer and Foundation already on, eyebrows already sculpted and filled in, plus concealer perfectly masking your dark under-eye circles.

As you are blending so many colours with this new smoky metallic eye you really need to start with a base crème that retains the colour, and also assists with the blending. You want to cover your eyelid and crease with the crème.

The first colour you want to apply should be your base colour. I find a colour one shade darker than your skin tone really warms the eye and gives a good offset for the more lavish colours you will be using. You want to use this colour over your lid.

The next colour should be a cream shadow. (I personally use a chubby eye pencil in Black Gold from Laura Mercier.) You want to apply this in blotches across the lash lines both above and below the eye. Then taking a blending brush you want to smudge it across the eyelid blending it with the base colour.

Using your darkest shadow now, you want to sweep it across your crease creating a distinct line from the eyelid to the eye crease. Using a flat brush allows the powder to get right into the crease, and especially when applied in a windscreen wiper fashion!

Taking a very light shadow, or your highlighting powder you want to highlight just below your brow. This helps to not overwhelm the eye area – it adds a splash of lightness and stops the look from becoming too gothic. Make sure to sweep the brush up towards the brow as you do not want speckles of light shadow to touch your dark smoky colours!

It is this step that takes the smoky eye to its next level. Taking your choice of metallic shadow you want to coat a flat brush and dab it across your eye. It should be thick enough to sparkle, but not too thick that you cannot see the blacker, defined shadows below. Once you have covered your eye in the metallic colour you will want to take a blending brush and bend the metallic across the lid and into the crease, and the same on your bottom lid, smoothing it up to the water line.

Now to define the glitter even more you will want to redo your dark crease shadow over top of the metallic. This will really help set up the metallic, and catch the pigments.

To finish you want to add a liquid black eyeliner – this new look is best finished off with a thin cat eye liner, too wide and it becomes overpowering. The black needs to sit right on your upper lash line, and on the lower water line.

Finally adding mascara, (perhaps some fake lashes), a quick touch-up of concealer and you are done!

The Movie Review ~ About Time

Seen: 4th September 2013

Rating: 5++/5

GO AND SEE IT

THE END

TidyBoy wanted to be included on this review saying: 

"Curtain Call for Curtis"

The Book Review ~ Gone Girl

Read: 30th August 2013

Rating: 5++/5

So after arriving for my mini-break to Aber with no book to speak of (as I read it on the train) I popped into WHSmiths. Luckily KAlberta had told me to read this book earlier this month so seeing it on a 50% discount I didn’t hesitate. 

If it hadn’t for being on a trip I would have consumed it in one sitting. It was AMAZING! 

The characters Flynn creates are superb. The twists are phenomenal. 

It is crazy how genuinly unique and amazing this book was. I was swept up. It was like nothing I had read - and in this day and age it is rare to find a book that hasn’t been done already. 

INCREDIBLE! 

READ IT PEOPLE!!  

The Movie Review ~ The Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones

Seen: 31st August 2013

Rating: 2/5

KAlberta and I ditched the boyfriends a ventured into our guilty pleasure today when we went to see The Mortal Instruments. We the original Harry Potter generation so children’s literature of this kind is pretty much my favorite thing. Although I have yet to read this series -- KAlberta gave me the first book a few weeks ago -- I couldn’t resist but to accompany her to the movie -- especially as Lily Collins is the lead and I adore her. 

On the whole the movie was pretty bad. (Not as bad as Twilight - at least this cast could act!) 

The script was incredibly cheesy. However, the costumes, sets, and special effects were fantastic. 

The plot is a solid one as is the cast. It was great to see a barely clothed Jonathan Rhys Myers back onscreen! The character of Simon was brilliant portrayed. Most importantly Lily Collins being the heroine held up her part of the bargain and really carried the movie. 

There were unintentional giggles -- especially in the garden with the sprinklers. --

There were wincing with the disgustingness of the special effects -- especially with the rottweiler. -- There were even moments of fear -- the hooded men in the city of bones. --

All in all I enjoyed it. 

It was no Hunger Games but it was fun to watch. 

The Book Review ~ The Winter Ghosts

Read: 23rd August
Rating: 5/5

It takes quite a book for me to consume it in one setting, but I did with Kate Mosse’s “The Winter Ghosts”. I had read maybe a few chapters before boarding my train to Cardiff but the book was finished and back in my bag by the time we hit Newport. I just couldn’t put it down. My coffee was cold, my sandwich half eaten… The book pulled me completely in. It was brilliant.

Mosse creates this pathetic character that you cannot help but sympathies with as he begins this journey to rid himself of his grief, or his life. I don’t know how she creates such sympathy as on the surface he is rather ridiculous in his self-pity. There is something so sad about him that you cannot help but forgive him for his pathetic-ness. Then he meets Fabrissa and the story just leaps to life.

The descriptions of the Languedoc region are exquisite. Mosse’s words just transport you there. You don’t question the ghosts, the echoes across the moor – everything is made real and believable by Mosse’s descriptions and characterizations. The historical aspect of the novel is also phenomenal – I don’t just mean the set period, but the journey back to Fabrissa’s village. There is nothing Mosse misses, or overshoots. Everything is as iy should be and so perfect!

She is the most talented writer I have had the privilege of reading! 

Wow, and thank you Kate Mosse.

The Book Review ~ How to be Lovely

Read: 17th August 2013
Rating: 5/5
I have been reading this book on the side for a few weeks now. I love anything Audrey Hepburn, and have read a great number of books on her. This has to be one of my favorites. The Hellstern doesn’t fill it in with her opinions of Audrey and what she thinks Audrey thought- instead she uses Audrey’s own words, and the words of her friends and family. In fact the majority of the book is in Audrey’s own words.

Each chapter uncovers a bit about her, and looks at what everyday people knew of Audrey. Then Hellstern backs it up this with evidence in regards to what Audrey herself said, and what friends said about her.

The images are fantastic. The information is great – it doesn’t just reuse what everyone else has said. The author really has focused on new information about Audrey that is not really generally known or popular about her. It is an easy and light read. Well worth checking out.

The Movie Review ~ Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Seen: 15th August 2013

Rating: 4/5

I am not a Partridge fan. I should lay that outright now. I have experienced the TV series, Knowing Me Knowing You, and his autobiographical audio book - all through osmosis (from TidyBoy continually playing them over and over!) Unfortunately I had made him watch the tragedy that was The Bling Ring so the revenge was Alpha Papa. With all that said the movie was actually rather good… stupid, but really really funny.

The film does rest heavily on the talent of Coogan, but it also draws a lot on slapstick humour with the police blowing up a lunchbox used by a hostage to defecate in and Partridge losing his trousers and underpants while climbing through a window after locking himself out of the siege. It is not the ‘classic Alan’ of the TV Series, but in a way that works to the big screen advantage making it more accessible to the masses that are not familiar with Alan, and his Toblerone filled past.

The storyline is solid, the characters stereotypically British, and the music very fitting. It is a proper film in the sense of giving the audience great entertainment. It is light, comical and easily accessible to everyone in my opinion a great success.

Knowing What to Buy

I am a huge follower of Pinterest. It completely makes my day everyday! It is like an active magazine, constantly updating, always new. Not only does it provide great outfit inspiration, beauty advice, and home décor ideas – it also provides the most brilliant food for thought! 

A little gem I recently came across was completely and utterly linked to my new series on finding your Fashion Mojo. I just had to share it with you:

Not only does this checklist give you the essentials, it also gives you the exact pieces you need to make a full, timeless and classic closet. Of course every season you want to add in one or two trend pieces, just to keep your style relevant (don’t forget to dispose of said items once the season is done though)!

The key advice to getting this checklist right is quality! You don’t want to grab the tops from Old Navy and Primark. The reason the classic closet works and is timeless is because of the quality of the pieces. You want a line that can be washed and worn, and yet remain in good-perfect condition. 

The classic closet is limited in selection allowing for each item to be invested in. To justify the payment you really need to see the Classic Pieces (off the list) are Investments. You will be wearing them to interviews, dinner parties – places that you need to make an impression. The impression has to start with your appearance. People will pay you more attention if you LOOK the part – then you can impress with your wit, academic knowledge, skills and personality. If you look a scruff the people you seek to impress will not give you the time of day. This is not vanity – it is common sense. 

 The Closet Cull is Done. 

Now you need to see what you have and what is missing.  

Use this list and examine your closet. 

 Then using your outcome make a new personal list of what you need to get… 

The Closet Cull

With the weather being on the brink of change now is the perfect time to start the Closet Cull. You can throw out half your Fall/Winter stock and not worry about having nothing to wear as technically you should be still in your Summer Stuff! By the time the autumn starts you will be equipped and ready to go with your closet already holding the gems of the season fully pressed and organized.

Before you start shopping, especially on a limited budget you need to know what you have, and what you need. This is where the Cull really begins. 

Everyone becomes attached to their clothes… you wore it on your first date; you wore it to graduation etc. BUT that does not mean you will ever wear them again. The memory will live on without the pit-stained sparkle tee! You need to be harsh and set boundaries before you even begin!

You are looking for:
1.    Clothes that clearly Fit You!
2.    Clothes that make you Feel Good.
3.    Clothes that Suit You and your lifestyle.
4.    Clothes that are in Good-Near-Perfect Condition.
5.    Clothes that you wear Regularly.
There is your initial Cull. Anything that does not fit into one of those five categories needs to go. 

BUT it doesn’t end there so don’t get the hangers out yet…

Now you have the basics of your wardrobe left you need to edit them 

(just like an essay – you never finish at the first draft!)

This round you are eliminating item-by-item. You need to take a close look at each item you have kept and check for certain defects, and of course asks yourself some hard questions!

1.    Are there Pit Stains, or Holes?
2.    Has the Item been Stretched or Shrunk?
3.    Is the item Worn or Bobbily?

 If you answered YES to these questions, or even paused to consider them, the item needs to be thrown away! Remember this is what will represent you to a future employer!

Those are the obvious things to consider. On Edit 2 you need to dig a bit deeper.

1.    Have you had the item for over Two Years?
 

* If the answer is YES the wear and tear will show, if not to you to your ‘viewers’. It     is always good to have a two year rule – anything older… it is time to put it into retirement!

2.    Was this item part of a Trend?
 

*  If the answer is YES then throw it NOW! The point of trends is they come and go. Do not listen to your parents, or friends who say that trends always come back, they may well do but they never come back the same! So don’t waste space and time waiting for something to come back – Throw it OUT!

3.    Have you worn this item in the last Year?

*  Really simple one folks! If you haven’t worn it in you never will. Use the space for something you will love and wear all the time. 

There are two exceptions to the cull. For the exceptions to work you really must be harsh on yourself:

Firstly if there is something you want altered get it done IMMEDIATELY or else it will go back into the closet unworn, and taking up space.

Secondly if you really love something put it in a VISIBLE spot in your closet. If you wear it great, if in a few weeks time it is still there, unworn you are not going to wear it so clear it out!

Congratulations the Closet Cull is Completed!

Finding Your Fashion Mojo on a Limited Budget

Being a student you are often faced with the dilemma of what to wear, and the result of staring at the same clothes day-in-day-out nearly always leads to you getting stuck in a fashion rut. This is not always the case many people have the ability to just keep going in their familiar clothes complete with holes, and fading, but when I loose my fashion mojo everything goes down the toilet! So how do you pull yourself out of such a situation especially when there is no money for a closet makeover? 

As well as being a creative writing student, I also work 40 hours a week in a publishing house. The office is very casual and I find myself wearing pretty much anything into work. I think that is where my problem begins. My inability to define work clothes from fun clothes! As Maria in The Sound of Music says “The Children Must Have Play Clothes!” (Even if they are made from drapes!) – There is also the idea of dressing for success – one can’t expect to get anywhere showing up in Mavi boyfriend Jeans and a Bazinga T-shirt! Plus on a low day the outfit defines my mood and productivity. You could say I have SAD but CAD (Clothes Affective Disorder).

Can I be cured on a non-existent budget, and a closet full of last seasons (and the season before) clothes? How can a fashionista find her mojo again?

Before anything is bought, exchange, or gifted there must be a closet cleanse. Holes that cannot be fixed discreetly and sweat patches are the worst. Not even Oxfam will want those. Then there is the random “trend pieces” that you bought on a whim last year – those will find a great home at the charity shop. What should remain are the essentials. 

Next is the checklist. The list that every fashion guru declares one must own: the LBD, the white button down and the simple black pumps (you know the one). With just those the regular person can live happily. But, for the fashonista this is the bare essentials… bare being the emphasized word. The hunger to own something new and in style is just too much for me, and a season cannot pass without something new being introduced into my closet. This is where things get complicated and planning is needed!

As a foreign student, studying at Oxford, and funding herself funds are tight. When it comes to clothing allowance the funding is just non-existent. How can you buy on trend clothing without taking out of your food allowance for the month? You can’t! It’s as simple as that. What you need to do is invest in timeless pieces. Counting on endless Primark clothing that might seem cool this week but will either fall apart or be out of trend next month is not the way to go. You just end up spending more money, and not gaining anything from it. The same can be said for saving up and buying the latest Galliano skirt that is so hot right now. Living in a dorm with old washing machines is going to shorten the life-expectancy of the skirt. Plus are you really going to be wearing it to and from the Bodleian library, and back and forth to lectures, and riding your bike in between? What I am talking about is investing in the High Street Brands. The expensive but the sensible… Maybe living in the UK and in close proximity to Kate Middleton is rubbing off on me?! But she has the right idea – she is current but each outfit is suitable and relevant to what she is doing. When you are in John Lewis or walking along the high street that is what you need to ask yourself. What is relevant to my day, what is suitable, and what can I wear countless times and still look on trend? – Plus most of the high street brands wash and tumble dry! 

So over the next few months (and probably beyond) I am going to start taking my own advice, and start on my own closet reinvention. With a budget I am happy to share, and a lifestyle you can sympathize with I will tell you what I am doing and why, even the outcome (bad or good) of my choices.

The reason is simply. I am no longer a full-time/ early twenties student – I am a graduate student on the brink of becoming a professional. What I wear is about to become as important as what I produce in my work. So here goes! Taking a deep breath we shall plunge into the pile of cotton together! What will we find?! 

 

The Book Review ~ Ghostwalk

Read: 11th August 2013

Rating: 3/5

Rebecca Stott creates a great web of details and plots and twists… but perhaps a little too many. The story builds and builds giving little to nothing away as to why these strange occurrences are happening. There are pop ups of courts rooms, and dead animals and reflected rainbows, and mediums that get the reader caught up in the world of Lydia Brooks, but also gets them highly confused as to what the heck is going on.

Everything is related and yet nothing is related. By the end of the book what is real, imagined and actually causing the problems and deaths are completely entangled. Was everything supernaturally caused, or governmentally caused? She had enough of a story without the animal rights angle and I really think that second plot ruined the book.

Everything wonderful and intriguing about the novel was found in the connection between Sir Isaac Newton, Alchemy, and the mysterious Mr. F. The manuscripts that make appearances are spell binding and beautifully written.

The tangled personal relationships between Lydia, Cameron, Sarah and Kit were fabulous too. The characters and situations were superbly written, and this surface plot kept everything moving in the realm of reality.

Then there was the animal rights, neuroscience, and government organization plot line that literally felt thrown in on top and in the end really didn’t need to be there at all! It just ruined the fantastic story of Newton and Lydia.

The first half of the novel is so focused on building these illusions and throwing the reader off that it becomes hard to get into the story. Luckily I waded through and found the last 25% off the book spellbinding enough to read it in one sitting. It is a real shame that Stott tries so hard to make the multilayers work, and keep the reader guessing to a point of loosing their attention when her core story is so brilliant!

Can You Guess What I am Doing Tomorrow?

The Posh Gurl is Reading

I will be doing a Reading of my latest work next week.

Thursday 1st August at 7pm.

Somerville College, 14 Little Clarendon Street, Oxford

Nibbles and Drinks Provided

Everyone and Anyone is invited.

 Please RSVP on this post so I know to expect you.

Thanks and see you there!

The Posh Gurl

The Movie Review ~ The Bling Ring

Seen: 12th July 2013

Rating: 1/5

I went into the film expecting so much. I was in LA at the time of filming and had seen some of it being done. It was such a big news story. Sofia Coppola is always such a big deal. But... it was crap! First off it made the crimes... they were crimes seem really cool and this kids lives seem really awesome --> so promoting stupidity and criminal activity is a good thing right?!

As usual Coppola’s music was fantastic. And it looked really pretty BUT the script sucked. Nothing happened. All the good bits of the action were explained in various ways not actually acted out... it was Boring. 

The acting was average. Thank goodness for Emma Watson because the other actors were pretty crappy. Basically... waste of time and money. Don’t know how it got to Cannes?!

The Theatre Review ~ Pride and Prejudice

Seen: 9th July 2013

Rating: 3/5

So it was TidyBoy’s birthday, and I spoilt him rotten (so I gave myself a little present in the evening). After a delicious dinner at an Italian we went to Trinity College, and under the setting sun of a beautiful day we watched a stage production of Pride and Prejudice in the gardens there. It was a fabulous setting. The background was gorgeous. The staging was fabulous! Lizzy, Lydia, Mrs. Bennett, Caroline and Mr. Bingley were just absolutely brilliant. Especially Mrs. Bennett who just embodied the character to a tee.

The script was very rushed being a mixture of the BBC production, and the book. Another disappointment was there was a lot of overacting - especially from Mr. Bennett and Jane. It really ruined the effect... maybe I was just sat too close to the stage!? 

It was a great night though, and a beautiful experience in the Trinity Gardens at sunset with the one I love listening to the words of Austen! I think Jane herself would have smiled at us... sat there snuggling in a Canucks blanket on his birthday watching her love story! Very Romantic! 

Things are Changing....

OK so this is a quick update on what is going on:

I am writing my first full novel. I will provide extracts soon. 

I am House Chair at Somerville College. 

Social Secretary of the Oxford University Student Chorus. 

My family moved to Ottawa.

 I work in an Oxford publishing house. 

(And I am in love!) 

Post to come: many late book reviews, and a movie review -- as well as snippets of my book!

Sorry about my MIA Status... Will improve time management immediately!

Much Love 

ThePoshGurl (& Her TidyBoy)

The Movie Review ~ The Great Gatsby

Seen: 18th June 2013

Rating: 5/5

This was Baz Lurhman at his finest. Brilliant use of setting and music. Gorgeous costumes! Just phenomenal. I would say that this was his best movie since Romeo and Juliet. It will go down as an epic. 

Leonardo DiCaprio was fantastic. He is always so much better in these strange, serious roles. Tobey Maguire was phenomenal as always. I am a huge fan of Joel Edgerton so seeing him in a title role in this sort of movie was... ABOUT TIME! As for the women, Carey Mulligan and Isla Fisher were great- but for them it was all about the costumes... WOWZA! 

Also have to say something about the script! Such a fantastic adaptation. 

Amazing! Loved it! The End!

The (mini) Book Reviews 2-7

Read: 15th June 2013

Rating: 3/5

Not the horror story I was expecting. Mostly a story about death. Very strange story but it was pretty engaging. Really vivid character. I wanted more information on the Fanshawes though. 

Read: 3rd May 2013

Rating: 5/5

This was a reread for me but oh the JOY! Rape, Murder, Romance, Ghosts, Sins, Lust - what more can you want from a book. It is a horrific story but so well done. You can’t put it down. Loved it even more the second time around!

Read: 29th May 2013

Rating: 2/5

OK I don’t get what the fuss is about. Poe is clever and his stories are really vivid BUT I don’t love them, or hurry to read through them. There were only a handful I really enjoyed. It was a long read. 

     

Read: 21st May 2013

Rating: 5/5

I LOVE Wilkie Collins! He is dark, mysterious, twisted and really really heart-wrenching! The plot keeps you guessing till the end. I loved it so much! Why are not all novels written like this?

Read: 18th May 2013

Rating: 4/5

Completely different from the film but just as good. Writing is not brilliant but the voice, description and characters are truly haunting. Excellent! A real page-turner. 

Read: 12th May 2013

Rating: 3/5

Cute little book with interesting points, but its more on etiquette and manners than a budget book. Really has aged, but it is no less enjoyable. The ‘cases’ section are the most fun to read. Not as good as I expected.