I read 'The Girl with all the Gifts' and loved it, so when I saw another book on NetGalley by M.R Carey, I knew I ad to request it and I'm so glad I did.
While it didn't grip me as much as TGWTG, Someone like Me was full of intrigue, and suspense. I found myself thinking about this book when I was unable to read it thanks to real life responsibilities.
I would highly recommend it

Liz Kendall is doing okay. Like everyone else these days she sometimes has to make sacrifices to meet unexpected bills but she gets by and enjoys her job working in a cinema, she has a homely little apartment and good friends and two wonderful children (who she would give her life for). Now that she has divorced her abusive, manipulative ex-husband she only has to see him when he drops the kids off after their visits. Everything should be great – but this time, Marc (the ex), decides that Liz deserves to be beaten for daring to complain that he has returned the children much later than agreed. As he is attempting to throttle her – he really does seem to mean to kill her – she seems to find the strength from deep within herself to strike back with a broken bottle. But, it soon becomes clear, this strength may not have come from Liz herself but from some other entity inside her mind.

This is a tense and, at times, terrifying story: not the oddly supernatural slant so much but the domestic violence, the physical and psychological abuse and also the secondary plot featuring a young girl who is still traumatised, ten years on, by her kidnapping at the age of six. Although I called this a psychological thriller it is not what many would expect from the genre. This is far more Sarah Pinborough than Paula Hawkins and goes far beyond the kind of ‘normal’ abnormal psychologies we usually see. Carey’s flair for looking at established genres from an unusual angle continues.

This book was not my cup of tea. I really adored "The Girl with all the Gifts" so I was very excited when I saw a new book from this author. But I never found my way into the story. It was soooo slow. So many words. There is a lot of repetitive. I just got bored. I finished it but it felt like forever. And now I wonder why I finished it. I just did not get it. Weird, strange, and boring. I am very sorry that I have to say that.

The first thing I need to say is that I absolutely love the fact that the author, a MAN – the ‘M’ is for ‘Mike’ – has the incredible ability to create such strong, resilient female protagonists. He must have had some pretty amazing role-models in his life!

I’ve had ‘The Girl With All the Gifts’ sitting in my TBR pile for quite some time now, and I never seem to get around to reading it, so when the opportunity arose to read the next offering from the same author, I jumped at the chance. I certainly wasn’t disappointed, and now I’m even more determined to get to his previous book!

It’s impossible to categorise ‘Someone Like Me’ into any one particular genre. For similar reasons, it’s equally difficult to review it without giving too much away. The storyline revolves around Liz and Fran, two very different women, who are having to manage life under some rather harsh circumstances.

Liz is a single mom to Zac and Molly, while still dealing with her abusive ex, Marc. Fran is just sixteen, but in such a short time has had to do more adulting than most adults. She’s lost her mom, was abducted and abused ten years previously, still suffers from PTSD, and is just trying to make the best of things with her well-meaning dad, Gil, and her imaginary guardian – a fabulous armour-clad, sword-wielding fox named Jinx.

The book is told alternately from both Liz’s and Fran’s points of view, and then gradually we get to see how their paths intertwine. Initially this happens through Liz’s son Zac, who attends the same school as Fran. They slowly (at first, even reluctantly) become friends and the relationships evolve from there.

Although this is quite a long read, it’s engrossing and intriguing with enough twists to keep the reader fully absorbed all the way through. The edgy psychic, slightly paranormal theme that runs through it was definitely what gave me that extra impetus to keep reading. The plot is great, but this just added to the unnerving quality of the entire narrative for me, and I loved it! 4.5 silvery stars for this one!

Liz is a divorced mother of two who is still being terrorised by her abusive ex-husband. Fran is a 16 year old girl who is still struggling to deal with a terrifying ordeal she suffered as a young child. Liz and Fran live not too far away from one another but the same home city is not the only thing they share.

Very original, extremely clever and often brutally violent, this book delivers a fantastic science fiction twist on what is essentially a family drama.

This is a story that I recommend really highly: My only experience previously with this author was The Girl With All The Gifts: well this, in my opinion, blew that one out of the water.
I loved both stories but this just had the wow factor for me.
I am not going to go into the whole plotline here as with the blurb being so vague in nature I really think its best to just experience this in its whole entirety without any preconceptions.
That is what I myself did and what a fantastical journey this took me on: one that totally exceeded my expectations and then some.
So If I had to pigeon-hole this to fit into a particular genre I would say paranormal suspense.
It's really a hard one to define as it really does cross-genre boundaries and its actually in a class all of its own.
what I would say is Someone like me is an extremely unique experience that is an addictive page-turner and though relatively long in actual length it never for me dragged: in fact, I read this in one entire day as I couldn't put it down: my poor family was left to fend for themselves.
This one for me was a no-brainer in terms of do I recommend reading: well hell yeh! of course.
I voluntary reviewed an Arc of Someone Like Me.
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

3 ½ stars.

Creepy. Creative. Reeeeaaaaallllllyy slow.

In case you missed it, this is by the same author who wrote The Girl With All the Gifts - a fact that doesn't seem to have been part of the book's promotion. I almost just passed it by. Fortunately, I did read it, and Carey's vivid imagination works its magic once again. Too bad there's about a 300-page slog before we get to the goods.

Slow build is great, but this level of waffle makes my mind wander. Maybe in a few years Carey will have mastered the Stephen King-style compelling waffle where 300-page stories become 1,000-page stories but you still enjoy them anyway. Someone Like Me is not quite there yet.

It starts well. Liz Kendall finally fights back when her abusive ex-husband's temper rises, and yet she is left confused by her actions-- it felt almost as if someone else was acting in her place and controlling her body. So she seeks psychiatric help. Across town, Fran Watts is dealing with her own trauma. After being kidnapped as a young child, she now has bizarre hallucinations of a protector called Lady Jinx, a talking fox. These characters come together when Liz's son, Zac, becomes close to Fran.

It's not a spoiler to say that Carey has returned to the horror genre and supernatural elements soon rear their head. Liz feels more and more like she is losing control of her body to some... other thing (which makes for some very scary moments!). Fran returns to the details of her kidnapping and her abductor to try to figure out why her trauma is still so fresh, and her findings are more than she could have ever imagined.

In many ways, it is a smart creepy book. Carey has written a very unsettling horror story about domestic violence and its aftermath. It's a fantastic idea with a perfectly dramatic climax. I do think, though, that it should have shed at least 150 pages. There's lots of tedious overlong chunks of the story where the characters chase loose ends, or else Liz practices meditation to try to "cure" herself.

Despite my problems with it, there's no doubt in my mind that Carey is an author to watch.

CW: Domestic violence (graphic); kidnapping; ableism (specifically, the r-word).

WOW! What a way to start a book! I will put my hand up and say this is my first book by Mr Carey, but I do have the Girl with all the gifts on my Kindle due to a recommendation from a friend. So when this came up I snapped it up straight away! I have not regretted a single word that I have read.

There are two stories running through the book, Liz is a single mother of two amazing children, trying to move on from her abusive ex-husband. We then have Fran, a girl with her imaginary best friend Jinx, who is a fox. She has her own struggles and is suffering from PTSD. And when the two meet for the first time, woah!!!!

There is so much in this book (a whopping 500 pages!) but to tell you anything will just ruin it for you. You need to go in reading this completely blind so I will wait while you read the book

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Finished yet? Not read it? Well, I fully expect you to after reading this! Although this review will be incredibly vague I just hope I can pique your interest. It is hard to write a review, I do not think I can convey this books into words, there are no words

As mentioned this is a huge book, but it needs to be. No words have been wasted when writing this book, everything is in there for a reason, half the time I did not realise how much I had read because I was just devouring everything. Man Mr Carey can write! I was hiding behind the cushions sometimes and holding my breath at times because well it was just so damn intense. I was worried that after that amazing and shocking opening page it might not keep the momentum going, but boy it did!

This is a must read for everyone, there are twists and turns and shocks galore, all keeping you on a tender hook the entire time. The writing is believable and the characters are so real and relatable that it could almost be real (I said almost). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I really do recommend this to everyone, so go on…shoo go and get it!

Someone Like Me by M.R. Carey is a story about violence and mental health issues.
Liz Is a mother of two and trying to make ends meet. Her abusive ex husband is still around and making life very difficult.
Fran is a teenager with a very traumatic past and trying to cope with school and life in general.
It's was hard to discover what was going on in this book and I had a lot of theories about what was happening. It was scary in parts.
I would like to thank NetGalley and for Little Brown Books UK my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. Well this was an unusual novel. I had seen various reviews which suggest that it is difficult to assign it to a specific genre and I would definitely agree. My personal feelings are that it is crime, fantasy and love story.
It did take me a while to get into and I found it much easier to read in large chunks. It starts with violence when Liz is being attacked by her ex husband and she defends herself. This is also the start of something a little more mysterious.
The other story in the novel concerns Fran who survived an abduction when she was a young child. She still suffers because of those events despite her father’s best efforts and her only salvation comes from the wonderful Jinx. As much as I want to say plenty about Jinx I will leave it all as a surprise. But it is a brilliant part of the novel. Their lives are combined after a meeting in a psychiatrist’s waiting room.
There was plenty about the novel I got wrong. I felt I should reread now I know what was happening, just to see if I feel different. All of the characters are brilliantly portrayed, Liz, Fran, Jinx. Gil, Marc, Zac and Molly especially. The author has done a fantastic job of making them all feel real. Adult, child, male, female and especially animal.
It is the first book I have read by this author, I think I need to read more.

5☆ Intoxicating! Page Turner!

Wow oh wow what an opening.
The first few pages of Someone Like Me had me gasping for breath. I knew from that point on it was going to be a special read and I wasn't wrong!

The book opens with Liz literally being strangled to death by her Ex Husband Marc as he has a violent outburst, when bringing home the children.
Luckily he has no plans to bring them home as he wants to keep them out on a school night, so they wasn't able to witness the vicious assault on their mother!

But from somewhere deep down inside Liz finds her inner strength and stabs Marc in the face with a shard of broken glass.
Told you it left me breathless!!

I don't want to give anything away in case I spoil it for anyone. Trust me you won't want to miss out on reading this gripping book.

The blurb was intensely intriguing, the plot is no exception it's simply a gripping, intense, dark, compulsive read that once you delve in your not going to be able to stop reading.

The characters were extremely well written, multi layered complex characters, I couldn't help warming too.
I loved both Liz and Fran and uncovering their stories. Both tragic and deep rooted.

The pace is fluid and captivating, that Ramps up the tension page by page.
The plot and characters kept me on the edge of my seat. Overall a dark,sinister, yet very satisfying read. One that I couldn't put down.
Yes this is a very long read!, But one that is so gripping those pages just fly by.

This is my first book my Carey and can't believe I have only just discovered this Author. Definitely an Author going on my to watch out for list.

I'm not too sure how where to place this book in terms of genre, so for me it's Sinister Suspenseful Thriller, that delves into Pyschological Thriller / horror.
Either way.... you won't want to miss out on reading this Endearingly Gripping Read!

Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Tours and Little Brown Book Club for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

4.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2018/11/12/someone-like-me-by-m-r-carey/
Someone Like Me is such a difficult book to review. I don’t want to give away spoilers or ruin the read for others and whilst that might sound like a bunch of excuses I mean it most sincerely. It would be like somebody telling you the ending to The Sixth Sense and completely spoiling the final reveal, you know that feeling, where you finish something and then you have to start casting back asking questions, looking for missed breadcrumbs or clues – that’s what this book makes you do. I mean, in fairness, this isn’t so much a final reveal as a bunch of reveals – but still, the sentiment remains the same. Check out the blurb for the book and the cover even – they’re a pair of sneaky suckers aren’t they? They’re giving nothing away and neither am I. I think the biggest clue that we have here is in the title – and I realise I’m being evasive and the title could mean a number of things but there is a clue in there – of course it’s easy for me to say that now, all superior like, with the benefit of having read the book, but that’s all I’ve got. Read the book. Go on. Do it.

MR Carey is such a great author. I love that his books are never what you expect or more to the point they’re all so completely different that you actually don’t even know what to expect in the first place. It would be difficult to ever put this author in any particular category. I like that in my favourite authors – pigeon-hole immunity. Mr Carey has that in spades. Obviously it helps that his writing is excellent too but picking up one of his books is almost unnerving because you just don’t know what it’s going to be about and the sense of anticipation is quite delicious.

What I can say is I loved this. It made for compulsive reading and I read it in two days which for a book that sits at just over 500 pages is some going. I mean this wasn’t just compulsive, it was nail bitingly good. All the cliches – name them – I couldn’t put it down, I read into the early hours, I was on the edge of my seat. Yes, yes, yes. All of those things and then some.

So, what can I safely tell you.

Well, the book follows two main characters. Two characters with two things in common. Firstly, they’ve both suffered traumatic events. Secondly, they both share the same therapist.

Liz is a divorced mother of two. Her ex husband is manipulative and controlling and he used to use Liz as his own personal punch bag. She’s a likable character, her neighbours and colleagues rally around her and her two children adore her. She can come across as a little bit weak but to be honest the gradual spiral into domestic violence that her relationship eventually took would be enough to wear anyone down. Starting with mental abuse and eventually becoming physical it took a lot for Liz to finally walk away and in fact she really took the step to protect her children, not herself.

Fran is a teenage girl. When she was a little girl she was abducted by a man named Picota and was missing for a couple of days before the police found her. Her abductor is now held in a state facility after being deemed mentally unstable. Fran still suffers a great deal from the attack experiencing nightmares and hallucinations. She has an imaginary friend named Jinx, a protector and cartoon character from an old favourite show about knights and codes of honour. I think everyone is going to love Jinx. Trust me on this one.

There are a number of other significant characters. Liz’s ex husband Marc for example, the children, Fran’s father, the therapist and what really worked for me is how well the dynamics are between them all. They’re believable characters. They’re relatable. They’re imperfect. They have typical lives, some of the time quite bland but they’re basically getting on with living – it’s almost like you’re reading about the normal lives of normal people but before you get too comfortable (aka just as you’re getting comfortable) Carey pops in a little seed of something different and before you know it it’s grown into something else that’s totally unexpected and chilling and you have to read more, you have to know what’s going to happen next, things have gone to hell in a handcart in fairly short order and you really didn’t see it coming – and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Send help. And who is this other character who I shall not mention?

I’m not really sure what else I can tell you. This is partly mystery, partly thriller, partly magical realism. It’s subtle and unusual. The writing is excellent, the pacing is good and the ending is tense. I wouldn’t say the concept is totally unique, I’ve read or watched similar things but to be honest this one takes the idea in it’s own direction and one that I didn’t foresee.

I think if you’re expecting a straight up, no nonsense, no para-normal elements type of read then this might not be for you – although, I would say, cast aside any pre-determined notions and give it a shot anyway. It’s a really great story and it defied my attempts at second guessing what was going on. I started out thinking maybe this was a look at mental health issues, I had a moment of maybe thinking it’s a ‘what if/Sliding Doors’ type of story but I eventually realised that whilst both of those have a part in the story they’re not the complete picture.

I’m sorry if this isn’t helpful. All I can hope that you take from this review is that I thoroughly loved reading this and I hope you will too.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Liz Kendall suffered mental and physical abuse from her ex-husband. A meek and mild individual, some people would say she was a walk over. But when she fought back at her ex, she let her dark side come to the surface.
10 years after being kidnapped by Bruno Picota, Fran was still suffering mental trauma. Things changed in front of her eyes and some people appeared as two. However, a chance meeting with Zac, Liz’s son, gets her embroiled in a phenomenon that will put her life in danger.
Liz had a great relationship with her children and her son Zac would fight for her to the end. However, being a family that close they soon notice subtle differences and I understand how hard it was for Zac to realise that there was something wrong with his mom. Fran whilst having a great relationship with her dad, had no one else she can trust, classed as the weird kid at school she kept her own counsel. Trusting Zac with her secrets was a big step for her.
When I started reading this story, I was thinking about how Fran and Liz would get involved with each other. Liz a victim of domestic violence and Fran a rescued child, there was no connection to their lives. As the story developed you could see how well plotted this story was. The story moved from Fran to Liz seamlessly and you slowly get drawn into their lives. The topics discussed in this story were difficult subjects to tackle but even though some of the scenes could be hard to read, it was necessary to tell the story. Whilst this book is a long read, it doesn’t feel like it. Fran develops before your eyes, as you watch her grow into a caring mature young lady. This story will take you on a rollercoaster journey, it will bring out all sorts of emotions as the tension increases to a dramatic ending.
With its unique storyline, this is a story that cannot get pigeonholed into any genre. It has a paranormal, horror, suspense thriller feel to it. This is the 1st time I have read any of this author’s work and I really enjoyed this story.

A psychological thriller with a touch of the supernatural. I think that this is the way to describe this book.
Liz is the victim of domestic abuse, the last time she was attacked she fought back, but with such ferocity it shocks her. Fran is trying to recover from a horrific childhood trauma and has invented an alter ego Jinx who protects her from the outside world. This is the story of what happens when these two extraordinary individuals meet. It was explosive and not what I was expecting.
This author makes you think outside the box and not everything you see is black and white but shades of grey. Read this book, there are so many different genres in this book. It is cleverly written and it certainly makes you think WHAT IF ?????
I would like to thank the author M. R. Carey, Little Brown Book Group UK and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

Someone Like Me is a difficult book to review without giving anything away. I think the less you know about it when you start reading the more you will enjoy it. It has many twists and turns along the way, with some genuinely shocking moments that take the story in directions you never would have expected.

Suffice to say I absolutely loved this book! M. R. Carey is a fantastic story teller and his characters are complex and fascinating, making you want to read long into the night. In all honesty I struggled to put this book down, it kept me enthralled from beginning to end!

To say more would risk giving something away and this is a story you really don’t want to spoil. All I will say is that if you’re already a fan of M. R. Carey’s work you will not be disappointed. And if you’re new to his work this book will completely blow you away! A highly recommended and brilliant read.

Review also posted as part of the Blog Tour. Thank you to Tracy Fenton, Orbit books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this fantastic book.

I loved the imaginative concept of this but the execution felt messy to me - the Jekyll & Hyde trope works well with two vulnerable female characters at the start... then it all gets a bit out of control. Lots of action scenes - I guess I expected something more elegant. Sorry, not for me.

Liz is divorced from her husband Marc. He has the children two weekends a month. When he drops them off one day, he turns on her just as he used to and ends up almost strangling her. Liz finds a strength from somewhere nad picks up the nearest item to hand as she pays on the floor, smashes it and uses the remains to defend herself, fearing for her life otherwise.Francine is a child of around 16 who suffers from mental issues. She had an incident a few years ago which triggered this. She is well aware of her conditions and is happy to have her medication altered accordingly. She has a virtual companion who is by her side all day. When she sees Liz waiting at the clinic she can’t help but feel that there are two of her although not quite in sync. What is happening to Liz- does she have an alter ego or is something else going on? Who is now targeting her and does Fran have some sort of insight?.and just who is Beth? This is one of those books that you know from the first few pages it has you. It has you in its grasp and its not going to let go for the remaining 500 pages. The quality of writing shows through- well thought out and beautifully described without passing that fine line of over the top.MR Carey is a wordsmith- he uses the right words with the correct balance which eases you into the scenes and keeps you there.. A book I am really not quite sure how to describe. Psychological drama mixed with fantasy and crime? Almost scifi/mild horror ?I am not into horror so nothing to give you nightmares. Weird? Different certainly. Whatever it is is kept me turning.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
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amazon Top 1000 reviewer
(rest of links as part of blog tour)

I knew very little about this book when I started it, nothing much more than the blurb, and I am really glad about that. So I am going to try to keep this as brief as possible as not to spoil it for anyone!

When Liz finally snaps and fights back after one too many attacks from her abusive and violent husband, she instantly feels different. Like something, or someone, took over her body and she was watching from the outside. She initially dismisses it as a heat of the moment incident, but when it happens again over something much smaller, she starts to worry that she is losing control of her own mind and body.

Across town, troubled teenager Fran is still dealing with the after effects of a childhood trauma. A trauma so bad that, as a symptom of PTSD, she suffers from hallucinations and has created an imaginary companion, Jinx the fox/knight, to help her cope with her situation.

The story that follows is very hard to describe! A unique supernatural thriller with a few doses of family drama and horror thrown in for good measure. Beautifully written with a great mix of characters, but I must admit to have fallen a bit in love with Jinx!

Although it is a long book (over 500 pages) I didn’t feel that it was overly so, in fact I really enjoyed how it never felt rushed and ultimately how the story gradually unfolded. If you enjoy your psychological thrillers with a touch of the supernatural, you will love this.

I haven’t read any of this authors other books but I certainly will be now!

Where to start with the review for Someone Like Me? How about… I’ve found one of my favourite books this year!? I’ve loved all MR Carey’s previous books but this one has stormed it’s way to the top. A mix of thriller/horror and supernatural I was hooked from the first few pages and Liz’s attack from her abusive ex-husband Marc had me gasping for breath. It’s during this attack that another side of Liz comes to the surface and finds the strength to fight back to save her life. Where is this alter ego from; is it simply Liz’s natural instinct for survival and her kids protection or something much darker? If you’ve read anything from MR Carey before you can guess what the answer to this will be.

I loved all the characters in this novel and the fact that even the “bad” guys have their redeeming features and reasons for their actions. Apart from Marc. We do not like Marc! Although separated from Liz he co-parents and is always pushing boundaries, playing the power game. Liz has cowed down to him in the past out of self salvation and to stop the violence escalating onto the children, Zac (16) and Molly (6). You can forgive her for finally snapping and her subsequent behaviour. There is also Picota who kidnapped Zac’s friend Fran when she was young causing serious mental issues as she grew up; is he really the shadowy monster to be frightened of?

When talking about Fran we must mention Lady Jinx, Fran’s imaginary friend who happens to be a fox that can also transform into a knight when she feels her friend needs protection or comfort. Fran is well aware of her own battles with mental illness and although at first wanting to up her medication to stop the terrifying hallucinations she suffers she becomes curious about her past and with help from Zac becomes brave enough to tackle her demons.

It is so difficult to say much more without being spoilery and I don’t want to do that. All the stars (and a den full of fox knights) for Someone Like Me!!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with one of the creepiest, most unsettling books I’ve read in a while.
When we first meet Liz Kendall she’s being attacked by her ex-husband. Something inside her snaps and she fights back. What follows is deliberately unsettling and genuinely unnerving.
We’re not quite sure what’s happening but Liz feels the incident has affected her. She feels unnaturally angry and prone to violent outbursts. When she sees a shrink, she is seen by a young girl from her son’s school who is convinced she sees two women.
Pretty soon after we are dumped in the realms of paranormal story. Both Liz and young Fran (a kidnap victim who seems to have a fox as her best friend, that nobody else can see) are dealing with a very unusual set of experiences.
The novel follows the other mother (chilly Coraline feel here) as she tries desperately to take on the life she has assumed. We way h as things unravel and head into eerie territory.
There’s no clear answers for what happened to the characters affected by this experience, but there’s plenty of details to satisfy our curiosity and leave us happy that key events are resolved.