A tremendous book which is not easy to read due to the topic, but worthwhile for the feels – check out A Song of Isolation by Michael J Malone.

The plot:

Film star Amelie Hart is the darling of the silver screen, appearing on the front pages of every newspaper. But at the peak of her fame, she throws it all away for a regular guy with an ordinary job. The gossip columns are aghast: what happened to the women who turned heads wherever she went?

Any hope the furore will die down are crushed when Amelie’s boyfriend Dave is arrested on charges of child sexual abuse. Dave is locked up with the most depraved men in the country. Damaris, the victim at the centre of the story, is isolated – a child trying to make sense of an adult world…

This really cements Malone as an incredible writer for me

I’ve read another book by Malone called After He Died (my review here) and my only downfall was that it was slow to get into, but this book has definitely turned that around and there’s not a dull moment.

It’s much darker due to the topics (although it is delicately handled, if you’re concerned about its heaviness), and jaw-droppingly well done. It’s emotive, whilst being thriller-y intense and incredibly well written.

You have the main plot, but then there’s 3 character stories intertwined to carry the story through. You have: Amelie, uncovering her past and rise to fame, Dave, in prison for 70% of the book, providing an engrossing experience, and Damaris, coming to terms with what’s happened but still being so heartbreakingly young. The exploration of these 3 different characters’ feelings (1 woman, 1 young girl and 1 man) showed so much about their personalities and also appeared very realistic.

There’s a lot of trigger warnings for this book, but apart from the child abuse mentioned in the synopsis, I won’t mention them here to avoid spoilers – get in touch via my home page if you want to find out more.

Chapters are short, but you’ll find it impossible to put down anyway.

An unforgettable story and without a doubt a very high 5-star read. I loved it, despite it having its difficult moments to read, and the ending – INSANE.

This really cements Malone as an incredible writer for me. The talent seeps out of every page, and I have his other books on my shelf which I can’t believe I’ve been sleeping on. They’re being read asap now.

A Song of Isolation, Michael J Malone, RRP £8.99 (paperback); Book Depository 

Pages: 325

Publisher: Orenda Books

Genre: Thriller/ Fiction