Book Review: Mel Sherratt, Written in the Scars

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Book Description

Scars. Sometimes they’re visible. Sometimes they’re hidden deep within.

After years of living as a single parent, all Donna Adams longs for is someone to make her smile, to share hopes and dreams with, to keep her warm at night. But when that certain someone gives her the attention she craves, true love doesn’t always follow the right path.

Home from the army, Lewis is a changed man. Angry and consumed by grief, troubled by nightmares and flashbacks, his mind is worse now than ever. Shutting out what he’s seen isn’t easy, but he risks losing everything he’s come back to if he doesn’t, including his sanity.

Megan Cooper hides her scars for fear of being rejected. Mary Marshall can’t always remember how she got hers.

If the past could be erased to make a better future, we’d all want that, wouldn’t we? But life is never that easy for the residents of The Mitchell Estate…

My review

It was lovely to be back on the Estate again. This is Mel’s fourth trip to the Mitchell Estate, this time concentrating on Donna Adams, a single parent who is trying to juggle the needs of her two grown up children, a mother suffering from dementia, and her job at the local shop, with her growing desire to have a bit of fun herself, Megan, who is working two jobs as well as looking after her own mum, and Lewis an ex-soldier suffering from the trauma of two tours in Afghanistan.

I couldn’t wait to read this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. As with all of Mel’s books, the gritty realism is there from the start. This isn't an easy read, life on the Estate is hard. From the pressure family life was putting on Donna, to the flashbacks suffered by Lewis, I was pulled in from the very first page.

The character of Mary, Donna’s mother, was so realistic, and the relationship between them took me back to the times I use to visit my own grandad who suffered from dementia, and the pain of not being recognised. I was most drawn to was Lewis, suffering from post-traumatic stress after witnessing the death of his friend. His suffering was heart breaking, and I hope this book will raise awareness that we should be doing more to help sufferers, even if they feel they don’t want it.

Mel’s books are never without the odd twist or two, and this one was no different, one was a complete shocker that I never saw coming.

It is hard to review this book without giving away spoilers, but if you’re a fan of Mel’s writing you will love it. It is another of her books that is hard to put down once you start it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one.

Many thanks to Mel for the advanced copy.

The book is published on 30th October 2015 and is available from:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Written-Scars-Estate-Book-4-ebook/dp/B013YL33R8/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1446187448&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=mel+sharratt+kindle+books