Red Ink by Julie Mayhew

How did I get the book?  Blogger Event thank you @ Hot Key Books

Genre: Contemporary

First Impression: Sounds brilliant.

Synopsis: When her mother is knocked down and killed by a London bus, fifteen-year-old Melon Fouraki is left with no family worth mentioning. Her mother, Maria, never did introduce Melon to a ‘living, breathing’ father. The indomitable Auntie Aphrodite, meanwhile, is hundreds of miles away on a farm in Crete, and is unlikely to be jumping on a plane and coming to East Finchley anytime soon. But at least Melon has ‘The Story’. ‘The Story’ is the Fourakis family fairytale. A story is something. RED INK is a powerful coming-of-age tale about superstition, denial and family myth.

200words (or less) review: The really short explanation of why I liked this book is; I believed Melon. A lot if the time when I read books about people in dealing with death I sympathise with the character, sometimes I’ll shed a tear, but I don’t believe in them.

Melon reminded me so much of myself at times it made uncomfortable reading. People treading on eggshells, Melon feeling guilty for not being upset enough ALL of the time… yeah it put me right back there. Red Ink actually made therapeutic reading in that sense.

Excluding my personal circumstances the book is well written, I liked how you got to see different events during Melon’s childhood. Despite her absence you really get a feel for Melon’s mother and their relationship. I didn’t like the epilogue, in my opinion I think the book would have been fine without it.

Red Ink has a great protagonist and a mystery for her to unravel, who she is.

Recommend it?

Absolutely

Red Ink is due out in June 2013