Perfectly Preventable Deaths

“Memories are versions of what happened stories that we’ve told ourselves enough. The fiction ivy — winging around the real, to strangle out the bad, promote the good. If you’re not careful, ivy eats a house. It lets in rot.”I don’t really know how to describe Perfect Preventable Deaths. It follows twins Maddy and Catlin, from Maddy’s perspective as they move to a castle in an isolated town and strange town called Ballyfran. They move to be with their mother’s new husband who is clearly carrying a lot secrets. The twins are learning about themselves and love, and sexuality, and that they may not always follow the same paths. They are also learning that maybe magic isn’t such an unrealistic concept and that things are certainly off in their new home.This book is so incredibly beautiful in the way it was written and the strange characters. It is unbelievably eerie, and gets very dark so fair warning, but its a story that I can’t let go of. I am definitely going to look for more from this author. I give this book 5 full stars.“Maybe I should just say. ‘I am currently identifying as extremely gay, but in the future I may be open to other suggestions. End of discussion. P.S. Magic is real, so the salt stays under your beds.’”

I loved the characters in this book, the lush atmosphere, and the mystery.

Madeline and Catlin find their new home, Ballyfrann, a bit...well...odd. It's full of Collinses for a start, one family grown out of all recognition. There's the bodies that keep turning up – birds, foxes – and the strange feeling of warmth in the middle of winter, and Mamó, their new stepfather's cousin, with her herbs and potions. And, of course, there's the missing girls; teenagers have gone missing in Ballyfrann for many years. But that won't happen to Madeline or Catlin, of course. They're perfectly safe...An atmospheric, slightly terrifying read. The language is amazing, lyrical sentences that lull you into thinking nothing bad can possibly happen – usually immediately followed by something bad happening. The increasing fear as things start to go wrong will ensure you can't put this one down. Deirdre has captured perfectly the relationship between siblings, sometimes prickly, sometimes supportive, always there for each other. I'd love to meet Mamó for real, assuming I could get her to answer my questions!A great, chilling read.Receiving a proof did not affect my review in any way.

Madeline and Catlin are teenage twins and have just moved across the country to a place called Ballyfrann, Ireland, to live with their mum and her new husband Brian who just happens to live in a castle. His ‘aunt’, Mamo, also lives in the castle in her own section. She is a strange lady who has visitors coming and going all day long and is at one with nature and uses herbs for ailments. You are never quite sure if she is just eccentric of there is something more sinister about her.Ballyfrann is a town surrounded by mountains where over the last sixty years teenage girls have gone missing. There is something in the air in this mysterious little village where everyone knows everyone and everyone seems to be keeping secrets.Told from Madeline’s POV we witness this young girl trying to come to terms with who she really is. Not only as she seems to possess some kind of inner magic which she feels like an itch inside of her, but also sexually as she is trying to understand her attraction to females.Catlin was a very self-centred young girl. She definitely had a ‘me, me, me’ attitude, even her own mother says she behaves like a princess – a needy one at that! She is determined to find herself a boy in Ballyfrann and it’s not long before older Lon takes a fancy to her and the two have this lust for one another.Whilst I expected the book to have a more supernatural element to it, I did enjoy the plot and how it mainly revolved around these two girls. It felt a little like a book about teenage self-discovery with some raw earthly magic thrown in. Don’t get me wrong, the book does get darker and more sinister the further you read but I still wanted a little more.Overall it really is a spellbinding book. You’re never quite sure what is going to happen next. Ballyfrann comes across as a town with a hidden identity, one that Madeline is trying to solve. The pace is quite slow, but it works for this book. On a side note, I also want to add that I love the chapter titles too, they fit the story perfectly.Book Reviewed on Whispering Stories Blog*I received a free copy of this book, which I voluntarily reviewed

You're sat on an empty train carriage, enjoying the solitude. Next stop the carriage fills with loud schoolchildren and you have no choice but to listen to their inane conversations for the duration of your journey. You think about moving carriage, but there's no chance of getting a seat if you move. You sit there trying to block out the tedium and praying for the journey to end. That is exactly the feeling this book left me with. Absolute tripe.

Fascinating read, gorgeous prose. Dark, but with plenty of humour.

This is one of the best books I have read in ages. Thoroughly recommended. I'll be reading everything Dierdre writes!

A superb book to read, full of dark humour, charm and and laugh-out-loud wit from main character Madeleine on every page. A very unique take on Irish folklore with plenty of new twists for many to enjoy.

I read this and a few times was going to give up. It started to get interesting towards the end but i knew what was coming. Sorry but i really feel i wasted my time and money reading this utter drivel