BOOK BITES | Nikki Munitz, Frances Hardinge, Jamey Comey

Fraud: How Prison Set Me Free ★★★
Nikki Munitz
Melinda Ferguson Books

A young Jewish woman's life breaks down after her father's death and she falls into the clutches of heroin addiction. Fed up with her, her mother drops her off on the road to Noupoort, a hard-core rehab facility headed by a zealous Christian. Here she meets Jake, After a death at Noupoort, they convert to Christianity, leaving to live with his parents in Pretoria. But this does not last and things go from bad to worse. This memoir is the heart-rending story of a woman struggling to come to terms with the triggers of her addictions and her road to redemption and self-love. — Gabriella Bekes

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Unraveller ★★★★
Frances Hardinge
MacMillan

Kellen has a unique talent; he can unravel curses. Some may assume this makes him a hero, but he’s pretty unpopular, even with the people he has saved. Even Nettle, his constant companion since he freed her from bird form, persists in getting him to face his shortcomings. But it may be too late, as now Kellen too is cursed. Should their quest fail and the curse take hold, the world may unravel with him. Hardinge has woven a darkly rich tale of the nuisances of human emotion, including the complex layers of hate. A unique and relevant read for teens, parents and all lovers of fantasy. — Tiah Beautement

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Central Park West ★★★★
James Comey
Head of Zeus

American lawyers, the mob, the FBI, an undercover hit woman and the families of the main role players all come together in a gripping novel that takes you deep inside federal law enforcement in New York. If you enjoy authentic stories that take you into the actual spaces where big court cases happen in real life, there is no better person to take you than a former FBI director, in this case James Comey, a man fired by former US president Donald Trump. Trying his hand at fiction, he has turned out this gripping legal thriller that tells the story of prosecutor Nora Carleton, who is pursuing a case against a powerful mobster when a bunch of seemingly unrelated events threaten to scupper the matter she has been crafting for years. The plot is bold and compelling, packed full of real-life details woven through with twists and drama - and the pace is fast. — Gill Gifford

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