29 Jul 2017

, ,

Blog Tour Book Review / Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy

The sun is shining, the sea is blue, the children have disappeared.

When Liv and Nora decide to take their husbands and children on a holiday cruise, everyone is thrilled. The adults are lulled by the ship’s comfort and ease. The four children—ages six to eleven—love the nonstop buffet and their newfound independence. But when they all go ashore for an adventure in Central America, a series of minor misfortunes and miscalculations leads the families farther from the safety of the ship. One minute the children are there, and the next they’re gone.

The disintegration of the world the families knew—told from the perspectives of both the adults and the children—is both riveting and revealing. The parents, accustomed to security and control, turn on each other and blame themselves, while the seemingly helpless children discover resources they never knew they possessed.

Do Not Become Alarmed is a story about the protective force of innocence and the limits of parental power, and an insightful look at privileged illusions of safety. Celebrated for her spare and moving fiction, Maile Meloy has written a gripping novel about how quickly what we count on can fall away, and the way a crisis shifts our perceptions of what matters most.


Published:     6th July 2017
Publisher:  Penguin
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher



MY REVIEW

What I liked about this story...  Being in part of my 'I really need to read a lot of thrillers' mood this book was a perfect one to pick up.  Not only did it have the element of children that have gone missing but another storyline that was equally as interesting to figure out.  That was the element of this book that I liked the most.  If I had to pick a favourite side of the story to follow, it would have to be from the point of view of the children - watching them as they get lost and what comes after.  Also I have to say that although there was a big part of this story that I didn't like (see below) it also was a very interesting storyline morally to read about and think about.  

What I didn't like about this story...  What I could not understand was how could a mother who was responsible for not only her child/children but others as well fall asleep!  I know that accidents can happen but if you are in that position where you could fall asleep you get up, walk around a bit to try and wake up!!!  Also, how could a mother leave their child/children on the beach supposedly being looked after by another mother to cheat on her husband in the woods nearby!!!  Surely the well being of the children comes first and you should not leave the beach!!! 











0 comments: