Book Review: Sorry by Zoran Drvenkar

"This is all about memory. It's about details. Details are important to you. You prize details." Pg 7.







Kris, Tamara, Wolf and Frauke. Four young friends with too much time on their hands and one big idea: an agency called Sorry. Unfair dismissals, the wrongly accused, jilted lovers: everyone has a price and the Sorry team will find out what that is. It's as simple as that. The idea catches on like wildfire and the quartet are soon raking in the cash, doing the emotional dirty work for fat cats, businessmen, and the romantically challenged.

But what they didn't count on is that their latest client would be a killer...

This is going to be another of those rare books that I review in which I must say from the beginning: If you are squeamish at all - Do not read this book. If you are under 16 - Do not read this book. No, seriously, I'm not kidding.

This is a crime novel, yes, but it also a brilliantly written journey into the psychotic mind. And I do love those. And so rarely do you find one not only so fantastically written - but one that can also hold up three different perspectives. Most notably - YOU are the killer. You know how he thinks and what he will do next.

Then you have the four 'heroes' of the story - brothers Kris and Wolf, and long-time friends Tamara and Frauke - who have unwillingly been thrown into this nightmare and each have different opinions and ways of dealing with it - some more fatal than others...

Interspersed are chapters with someone unknown. You know this person is watching both the friends and You, but who is this person and what is the connection? Only reading till the end will everything make sense.
Never have I encountered a novel crafted so masterfully. Set across an icy Berlin backdrop, this tale will seriously chill you to the bone.

Published: March 2012 by Harper Collins (First published in German 2009)

Book Review: Shift by Em Bailey

“Anyway, aren’t we supposed to be staying away from Miranda?”

Shift is a sinister psychological thriller that tears through the themes of identity, loss and toxic friendship.

Olive Corbett is just a bit mixed up. Dealing with a family break-up and surviving a suicide attempt, Olive has turned from being the popular girl at school to the introverted ‘freak’ that everyone ignores. With the exception of her only friend – Ami – Olive talks to no one.

Then one day a new girl shows up at the school. There is a rumor that she killed her parents, and Olive admits that she’s just as curious as everyone else. But when Miranda turns out to be an ordinary (if not sullen and pale) girl, she is ignored – even teased – with Olive’s former friend Katie at the head of the gang. But things begin to change, as suddenly Katie and Miranda are best friends – swapping clothes and going out all night. And as Katie begins to show signs of wearing down, Miranda is looking more and more like Katie…

I’m really glad I had the chance to read this book. It’s so different and I think it’s going to be a strong addition to the YA market. The characters are solid and Olive really ties the story together – you are really living with her as she goes through her days convincing herself that she’s not at all crazy.

This one gets five stars from me and I strongly recommend you add it to you ‘To-Read’ lists and go out tomorrow and pre-order it from your bookstore!

Published: September 2011 by Hardie Grant Egmont