Thursday 28 February 2013

Blog tour: The Murmurings by Carly Anne West


Hello everyone, today as part of The Murmurings blog tour hosted by Shane @ Itching For Books I will be sharing my review with you. But first here's a bit about the book.


Publication date: March 5th 2013
My rating: 3 stars
Everyone thinks Sophie’s sister, Nell, went crazy. After all, she heard strange voices that drove her to commit suicide. But Sophie doesn’t believe that Nell would take her own life, and she’s convinced that Nell’s doctor knows more than he’s letting on.

As Sophie starts to piece together Nell’s last days, every lead ends in a web of lies. And the deeper Sophie digs, the more danger she’s in—because now she’s hearing the same haunting whispers. Sophie’s starting to think she’s going crazy too. Or worse, that maybe she’s not….




Me and horror books never go, scrap that me and horror anything never go. If you ever put on an horror film on I’ll be the first one out of the room. But when I came across The Murmurings, I admit I was intrigued, the cover totally creeped me out, also lately I have been tearing my way through mystery books more and really enjoying them. So I was eager to find out the mystery surrounding Sophie’s sister and what really happened to her.

Sophie’s sister Nell had been admitted to the Oakside Behavioural institute after displaying some strange behaviour, Dr Keller from the institute deemed this as the perfect place for Nell to be at. And Sophie and her mum thought so too. But if everything was peachy there, why would Nell run off with one of the orderlies and end up dead? Sophie immediately regrets not being there for Nell when she needed her the most, so she makes it her mission to get to the bottom of the truth.

What I liked about The Murmurings was that I totally hadn’t thought about what had happened to Nell, I had some assumptions, But Carly Anne West blew these right out of the water, with the aspect she did decide to focus on. I can’t really say what it is without giving the entire plot away, but it was never something I would have considered.

Sophie was singled out at school because of everyone knowing about what had happened with her sister and everyone else assuming the same would happen to her. So it was great that Sophie found a friend in Ethan, someone she could confide in. They both soon realised they had so much in common and decided to do some investigating of their own. Their journey was one of horrific discoveries and heartache, but they both battled on to discover the truth. I admired how Sophie soldiered on, the weedy weak individual I was first led to believe that she was one that quickly disappeared. Her love and her affection for her sister came strongly through, as she would go to any extremes to get to the truth. But the one thing that bugged me about Sophie was how she went barging into situations without thinking things through and by breaking promises along the way. I understand that she wanted to bring an end to the horrible things that had happened and which took Nell away. But there were also people who cared about her, her mum was barely coping from the loss of Nell, and then she goes and immediately puts her own life at risk.

The Murmurings wasn’t as scary as I was expecting, but there were aspects that creeped me out. The concept was different from a lot of the books that I had seen out there, the only issue I had was down to pacing, it took forever for finally something major to kick off, so I welcomed the second half which was more action packed and kept me riveted until the last page. I was pleased with the way things were wrapped up, with so many unanswered questions finally being able to put to rest.

The Murmurings was a book which was very different to what I’d normally pick, but I think West did a good job in producing a novel mixed with mystery, creepiness and romance. I would certainly recommend giving it a try if you’re looking an unconventional read.

24 comments:

Suzanne (Parabooklover) said...

I'm also not a fan of horror anything Jaspirit, so this book didn't really spark any attention with me. It does sound quite interesting though and you didn't find it to be too scary lol. I'm glad to hear that it picked up in the second half too. Great review Jaspirit :)

Aa'Ishah said...

I agree with all your points here, Jasprit. At first I found Sophie really weak, but then she toughened up and really went after the truth. The pacing in the second half was much better, but you're right, it took too long to get there. Sophie seriously didn't think about things. Her mother really annoyed me as well because I didn't see why her daughter should have to pretend to be fine and not have her own family to lean on. This was definitely a mix, but worth reading anyway. Lovely review, J! :)

Sam (Realm of Fiction) said...

I'm curious about Nell now! Unpredictable books seem to be rarer and rarer these days, so I'm glad to hear aspects of this surprised you. Quite a few people have mentioned that this isn't as creepy as it sounds, which is a little disappointing (I'm craving something down-right creepy!), but I'm glad you enjoyed this anyway. :) Lovely review, Jasprit!

Sara @ Forever 17 Books said...

Oh yes, Sophie definitely was the type to act before thinking things through. It require some book yelling. lol I loved this one though! Sometimes I love horror when it's not so in your face and on the lighter side. :)

~Sara @ Forever 17 Books

Jenny said...

SAME JASPRIT! I'd be hauling bum right out of that room with you if a horror movie came on. I can't handle them. I'm a little girl when it comes to blood and gore and serial killers and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I don't think this one is for me just based on my distaste for scary books, but this convinced me it won't be for me most of all:

"But the one thing that bugged me about Sophie was how she went barging into situations without thinking things through and by breaking promises along the way."

Grrrr. I understand maybe barging into one situation without thinking and then learning from it, but multiple times? Drives me crazy:)

Unknown said...

That's such a bummer that this didn't end up being quite as creepy as I think everyone expected it to be. I know I would've expected that if I had picked this up.. I mean look at that cover!! Such a bummer, but fabulous review. :)

Unknown said...

Ooh! I definitely like the way this one sounds, but I'm not so sure about the slow pacing... ugh. I don't really know if I could take that. But I guess we'll see at a later date! Fab review, Jasprit! (:

Loves,
Megan@The Book Babe

Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings said...

I am glad this had just the right amount of creepy and that is didn't scare the pants off you Jasprit. I just read Barbara;s review and it sounds like this book had a lot of potential but it missed the mark a bit. Thanks for the honest review!

Unknown said...

Good for you for stepping out of your comfort zone, Jasprit. I'm not a fan of horror movies or books, either, so I would probably not pick this one up on my own. I'm glad you liked it, despite the slower pace.
Great review!

Keertana said...

I was originally really excited about this, but it seems to be a novel with a more interesting synopsis than story. I feel like its downfalls are major disappointments and for a horror story not to be as scary as you hoped, that's a shame! :/ Still, I'm glad you strayed out of your usual zone to pick this one up and wound up enjoying it for the most part. Fantastic review, Jasprit!(:

Henrietta @ Leisure Reads said...

I'm now totally curious about what might have happened to Nell. Sophie seemed a bit reckless but I guess I'd have to read the book to find out whether or not I'd like her. Thanks, Jas!

Renae @ Respiring Thoughts said...

I've been waffling back and forth on whether or not to give this a try. I was really excited when it first came to my attention, but the reviews I've read haven't been the best, it is disappointing that you didn't find this to be very scary, but I am encouraged when you mention a proactive main character. That's always a plus.

Shooting Stars Mag said...

I'm not the biggest "horror" fan but it all depends on the book, movie, etc. I think this sounds like a really intriguing book. It's a bummer that it takes awhile to pick up steam, but that happens. Glad you liked it too, since it's not your typical read.

Tanja - Tanychy said...

Haha Jasprit! I totally agree. Me and horror anything won't work xD That's basically the only reason I'm skipping this book. I'll leave it for the better days when I find my courage :D Great reivew.

Vegan YA Nerds said...

I'm with you, hun! I am no good with horror at all, and the cover of this is a bit creepy! But it's good that it didn't end up being too scary for you, that makes me think I'd be ok with it, too!

Unknown said...

I was curious to read this because of the cover :D I might try reading this one :D

Anonymous said...

I hate horror movies too! But oddly, I like reading horror books for some reason. I wanted to join this blog tour but I was overwhelmed with too many review books. I really really love the cover. It's so creepy. Plus, the plot line sounds so intriguing. I really want to know how Nell died! I guess I'm going to have to read the book to find out. I'll go into the book not expecting it to be too creepy and I'll probably enjoy it more!
Fabulous review, Jasprit!

Maja (The Nocturnal Library) said...

Every review I've seen so far has been three stars! It seems people are neither completely disappointed nor exactly thrilled with this one. I'm so sorry it wasn't what you expected, but I still have high hopes for the creepy parts. I'm all about the creepy, lol
Fantastic review, hon!

Jess said...

This one has been on my wishlist ever since I first heard about it, but I think it's one I'll wait to buy for a Halloween read. I like books like this to be quite scary so I'm disappointed that it wasn't as scary as it looks!

Livvy said...

I'm glad you tried something different, Jasprit. Sorry it didn't blow you away and Sophie's action without thought definitely sounds annoying.

I heard this one wasn't that scary so for you who is pretty scared of horror that works out quite well!

Great review as always, Jasprit! :)

Unknown said...

Oh man. Another one bites the dust. I'm not much of a horror anything either but once in a while, a switch in your routine may very well surprise you. Too bad this one didn't, though. I was looking forward to this but a mild reception from you will definitely not entice me any further.

Thanks for the heads up, Jas. :)

Aneeqah said...

Being a big creepy book fan, I was seriously excited to pick this one up. I'm currently in the middle of it, and it's just irking the heck out of me unfortunately. It's just that I don't really like Sophie, or the insta-love, or the strange writing. However, your remark about Sophie becoming stronger throughout the book gives me a little hope about her character. I'll try to read a little farther to see if the book can redeem itself for me, especially because I kind of want to know what really happens with Nell.

Thanks for the lovely and oh-so-helpful review! <3

Anonymous said...

I'm still debating on whether or not I'll read this. It's up in the air. I am a horror girl and always have been so i disappointed to hear it's not that creepy. But I might still give it a try. great review! new follower! :)

Maji Bookshelf said...

I think this book will also be a 3 star rating for me as well.. I hate that it wasn't that creepy either!! Great review!
- Farah @ MajiBookshelf

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