One of the easiest 5-star reviews I’ve ever given – I loved everything about Idle Hands by Cassondra Windwalker.
The plot:
You can call me Ella. You generally assign me a whole host of other preposterous monikers. I think the least imaginative name I’ve heard is “the devil”, but I’ll answer to it if I must.
After making the courageous decision to leave her abusive husband, Perdie and her 3 young children start over and finally find the safety and love they deserve. But years later, when tragedy strikes, Perdie is left wondering if the choice she made to leave has led them to this moment.
If she were given the opportunity to take it all back and stay, would she?
In a frantic bid to protect her family, Perdie makes a deal to do just that. But in a world where the devil pulls the strings, can Perdie really change the past?
This will be in my top books of the year, guaranteed
WOW. You’re sucked into this story from the very first word and is gripping the whole way through. This book took my heart and crushed it, hugged it better, to only crush it again. It’s a short read at 215 pages but packs a real big knockout punch – when I finished this book, I couldn’t say anything other than ‘wow’. If I could post a review of just the word ‘wow’ 500 times, I’d definitely do that.
It’s so unbelievably original – I’ve never read anything like it and hope I never do again (I don’t think anyone could’ve written this better) – I’m going to remember every little detail and it’s a definite re-read asap.
The voice is amazing – the ‘devil’ narrating, which was introduced at the beginning in a way to give you goosebumps (although this happens many times throughout the book), and then interjected throughout the chapters, which interrupted the flow in exactly the right way; it builds character to the infallible devil.
Troubling topics such as abuse and grief appear, and they’re handled in a raw way, so be prepared for this.
What I loved most about this story was how it isn’t just your straight forward book about a mother’s choice and a fairytale ending, but is unfathomably heartbreaking, brilliantly well done with an unexpected and thriller-y ending and brings you, as a reader, into the story.
It makes you question everything, with the Devil bringing you directly into the story. It’s an incredibly quick and thought-provoking book, and the imagery is out of this world.
This book is so much more than its delicious twist – you’re fed information which you may be blind to until finishing (which is why it’s a definite re-read).
I am undeniably waiting with bated breath for the next book by Windwalker. What an INCREDIBLE book – this will be in my top books of the year, guaranteed.
Idle Hands, Cassondra Windwalker, RRP £8.99 (paperback); Book Depository
Pages: 215
Publisher: Agora Books
Genre: Fiction/ Thriller
