Purchased on one of my research trips (best-second-hand-bookshops) in Colchester!

But may wait to get 'The Lovely Bones' before I read this one.

As long as you've looked at the back cover then you'll know that this isn't going to be an easy read. It is Alice's personal account of being raped and her struggle to come to terms with it, as well as relating the trauma of (successfully) taking her attacker to court. The title of the book is explained on an introductory page.

A small warning here - don't think that it can't get any worse after the first chapter, where she describes her ordeal in detail. It does get worse, but to say why would be a spoiler. Although a grim read, it wasn't as grim as Auschwitz by Laurence Rees, which I read earlier in the year.

It was certainly a compelling read – there was a strong need to keep turning the pages to find out how Alice fared with time. But the odd thing was that after I’d finished it, not whilst I read the book, I felt completely sick for several hours.

I will be looking out for The Lovely Bones now.

RELEASE NOTES:

Picked up at the Chelmsford meet at The Riverside Inn on 13th June. Will certainly read it when I am feeling mentally robust. Thanks pakasanelly and good to meet you.

I have held on to this book for much too long and it's time to set it free.

Taking to the bookcrossing meet tonight.

Not for me as I loathed Lovely Bones, but I'll move it on to Buscall & Flynn's when I'm in next.

On the bookshelf upstairs.