I didn’t think this book was for me. It languished in a pile for so long it was at the bottom. Then one day I just thought I would give it ago. I used to be one of those people who forced myself to read a book all the way through even if it bores me. Now I just toss them aside if I’m not that into it. I absolutely loved this book. I recommended to my friends. Forced my husband to read it. So take it from me it’s worth your time.

This was a one off unique book for me, as I’ve never quite read anything like it nor could I describe it 😂

I felt sorry for Perdie and her awful life with Matt but even more sorry for her children, I have to say I quite enjoyed the devil (or Ella) the most (is that bad 🙈)

Such a strange book but it was seriously gripping and funny, scary and emotional, and it was harrowing viewing Perdies life and abuse with Matt...a really odd to review but brilliant offering right here, have a read of it; I think you’ll enjoy it 😊

*this is an honest review in exchange for an arc on netgalley*
~someone else may have a different experience with this book~
The plot follows Perdie and her three children, Hannah, Rachael, and Tad. The four live in an abusive household with Perdie's husband, Matt. After putting up with Matt's harsh abuse for years, Perdie makes the decision that it would be better for her kids if they left. Perdie builds a new life in a new place, and all is well. When tragedy strikes, Perdie questions her choice to leave Matt.
Idle Hands provides an interesting take on the lives of humans, as it is told from the perspective of the devil, or as she likes to be called, Ella. I think that this addition in the book was the strongest and the weakest point. Ella provides wisdom on the human experience from an outside perspective throughout the book. Her sarcastic yet clever comments make the book a lot more complex. This being said, there were several times where the comments of Ella pulled me out of the story. During the climax of the story, I noticed this the most. I would get really into the plot, as the characters are well developed, and the comments would draw me out of the story and cause my emotion to fade away.
Overall, I liked the book. The plot is interesting and the narration is unique. I would recommend this book to mothers.

As usual, Cassondra Windwalker does not disappoint and the dual narrative of this story is both haunting and inspirational.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for this ARC

Unfortunately I did not get to read this book as I missed my chance. My apologises

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am ashamed to say how long it has been on my Netgalley shelf waiting to be read.

In this book narrated by the Devil (aka Ella) and through the eyes of Perdie (the devil's latest amusement) we examine the decision making processes of humans and the entertainment those provide for the devil. Perdie is a battered wife, how she deals with this might lead to differing outcomes but the devil maintains that neither is necessarily all good or all bad and that perhaps we as humans do not always make decisions but live in the light of false hope and euphemisms that mean as little today as they ever meant. Euphemisms such as "it will all work out the end" or "there is no good choice".

I find it difficult to describe this book and its meanings. Is it asking us to consider new ways of decision making? Is it arguing against fate? I really don't know. What i do know is that it was brilliantly engaging from the firs words, it puffed life and breath into its characterisation and narrative building. It was unputdownable. Read in just a couple of hours it is one of those books that make you stop and think, that make you want more pages.

I have not read anything by this author before but i will be rectifying that in the future

This wasn't exactly what I was looking for but I still very much enjoyed the story. I loved Perdie, but hated some of her decisions. I really enjoyed the narration by the "devil". I will most definitely be recommending this book on my YT channel. It may not have been a favorite but the writing was great and I loved the characters.

Idle hands was a harrowing and emotional read, not at all what I was expecting but it was a truly gripping read well written with great characters.

This book is harrowing and engaging. The story follows Perdie, a mother who is in an abusive relationship with the father of her children/husband. The author realistically captures the struggles and trials victims of that kind of abuse face. I liked the characterisation of the children in the book, at times they were angry at their mother for the disruption in their lives, as they didn't understand nature of the abuse she suffered which I found very real. The book is short but with the harrowing nature of the plot I think that is fitting.

I loved the speculative aspect of the book where one of the chracters who narrated chapters was The Devil (but, please, call her Ella) The author did a top notch job of writing a supernatural antogonist who is both unerving and compelling.

There is quite alot of contect that can be triggering to people, some I found triggering myself but I would still reccomend this book as it can be cathartic at times. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Amazing!!!! I connected so strongly with this story and loved every word. Thoroughly researched and a spot on account of what it feels like to be in an abusive relationship, as a woman and as a mother. Hard to read at times due to personal relations but also extremely engaging.

Amazing from start to finish
I flew through this book in two sessions , that’s how good I think it was.
It is gripping, very well written, clever and original never read anything like this before.
The story with Perdie’s life with Matt is sad and your heart breaks as with any domestic violence case.
Whichever route Perdie is tempted to choose there is a huge price to pay. There are some shocking scenes, stark choices and heartbreaking tests.
The ending is excellent and makes your reflect on life

This book was boring to me. The characters especially Perdie was a bit much. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

3.5 stars for IDLE HANDS by Cassondra Windwalker.

The first half of the book resonated more with me than the second half. The first half being 4.5 stars and the 2nd half being 3 stars. The narration was broken up through out the chapters in a way that peaked my interest from the start. There were many sections that sought to challenge the viewers outlook. Some may find the methods used to be heavy handed and at time less said can be more. The supernatural aspects threw me off because I expected more at the end. In the end I wanted a culminating event that brought the narrator's wishes to full fruition but I don't think that was achieved here.

While it made for a ver emotional read, I would say that this was more of a suspense than a thriller which is what I expected it to be. That may just be my misunderstanding and wrongly placed expectations based off the synopsis. The cover is well done as it matches the story perfectly, and I love a good cover that properly gives just enough insight to pull the reader in. The characters were well built and I was captivated for most of the story, but the ending was not to my liking. At a certain point I was looking at the page numbers and wondering how so much could happen in such a few amount of pages. Simply because it seemed really obvious as to what the outcome of most situations would be. Although it was clear what direction the story would go, the twist was not shocking enough for my taste.

Idle Hands by Cassondra Windwalker is a bone-chilling work of fiction. The Devil as the narrator reminded me of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak in which Death narrated the story.

The story revolves around a mother of two who is in an abusive relationship. She takes the plunge to leave her husband for the sake of her children, but bad stuff happens to them anyway. The Devil gives her a chance to roll back the clock and be back with her husband as if she never left. But we all know how an abusive relationship is likely to end - especially not in a cliched happy ending.

The book makes one rethink the decisions we take in our lifetime.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Verdict: Recommended.

This is a tale of domestic abuse, interspersed with the ‘sinister’ ramblings of the devil, Ella.
The domestic violence storyline is uncomfortably realistic and it does give a twist to the idea that, as a mother you’re ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’.
Although the devil is verbose, she’s not particularly scary; in fact, I wasn’t really sure of her agenda. There didn’t really seem to be any purpose in Ella’s character being there.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

I did not personally enjoy this book exactly, but it was a very thought provoking look at morality versus a desire not to be trampled on. It was definitely a fresh take on the philosophical question ‘if you could have a conversation with the devil?’ An interesting read.

This is a through provoking and well written book that I devoured in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

There is something refreshingly inventive about that book. Something that tugs at your sensibilities and persists there like an ear-bug, making you question what you really thought all those years ago about that "wrong decision" you made or that twist in fate that denied you your heart's desire.

This book's main character is the Adversary/the Devil or you can call her Ella. It could be anybody really. Anyone who slips into the role of "the devil's advocate". Think of Lucifer (the TV series) minus the humour.

Ella introduces us to Perdie, a woman who is in an abusive marriage, both physically and emotionally. All that Perdie wants is, like any good mother, to shield her children from her abusive and violent husband. She has two courses to choose from: To leave, or to stay.

Ella's role is to show us that both courses have their flip sides, and what we humans love to do is to say that if I had chosen the other course none of the flip side of my current choice would have happened. A fair point really. I never could have articulated it any better than this story.

But there was a caveat for me. The continuous merger of the narrative and Ella's soliloquies as the devil's advocate were neither one nor separate. They were only set apart by italics. And sometimes they became discursive and took away from the coherence of the story. Sometimes I just zoned out. Sometimes I thought Ella was the narrator but further along, I was less sure. And as a bit of nit-picking on my part, there was the occasional inundation of Ten dollar words that could have easily been substituted with simpler synonyms that could deliver a punch of meanings.

A brilliant idea was at the core of the book, but I can see why it won't work for some.

Thank you NetGalley and Agora books for my eARC.

This unfortunately fell a little flat for me. I could get drawn into the plot like normal. Maybe it's me and the lockdown blues. Maybe it's the book. But I know I'll give it another go in 2021 and see

Fantastic ´. Read all in one go. Sliding doors meets the book thief. Looking forward to reading more from this author