this was such a refreshing yet dark take on the romantic relationships that so many experience, from the drama of the youth to the excitement of first & lasting love. the core enticement of the story really situated in how dark & twisted it is, but also how it’s so relatable & real. it really feels like an early twenty-somethings diary who unfortunately goes through the inevitable stage of depending on male validation but does so with pure intentions of finding love & harmony.

the story is told through a structure of events, focusing on one guy at a time, with a raw & unapologetic tone that grips the reader & forcing them to see through the protagonist’s eyes. Foley does well in capturing the loss of innocence, naivety & emotional turbulence that so many have gone through, collecting points of recognition to navigate the idea of self-worth in relationships. despite how short it is, the book really sticks with you especially the last few pages…

DNF @ 33% - an interesting premise and a character full of promise, but unfortunately the novel is confusingly written and horribly edited. At one point a character mentions waiting for blue ticks on a message - the chapter is set in 2003. I couldn't bring myself to continue after that, really - not the author's fault but it's really poor, especially as I am reading a finished copy of this one. Other discrepancies cropped up as I skimmed through so I decided this wasn't the one for me.

What a highly engaging dark read, that even though it creeped me out I just could not put it down. It was incredible, and I can't wait to read more of this authors work.

I have mixed feelings about this but there are lots of good things that I liked. With sex being the main theme, the protagonist’s inner thoughts were portrayed in delicate detail, exploring the longing, yearning and reminiscing of sex in one’s early 20s. It reads like a journal, private and reflective. Some sensual writing here and there that felt original and intimate. The protagonist’s messy life didn’t make me rooted for her, but the main issue being the storyline felt a bit scattered to me, I would have liked it more if it feels more intact, even though I did like a lot of it.

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Deliciously dark, I was hooked from the opening pages and could not put this down, a really compelling and unflinching read. Charlotte is an excellent character and this is a really strong debut. Painfully realistically at times and jaw droppingly surprising at others, I could not put this book down and loved how Foley takes a somewhat familiar story and adds a deeply original twist .

There were one or two errors and I am loathe to say this , me who has never written a book, but I think this book deserved a tighter edit. There is a glaring error about the main character's sisters age and a couple of sentences that jarred and stood out in what was a really well written novel. I think because I was so brought into Charlotte's world that these things stood out starkly.

I was really impressed by this novel overall though and am looking forward to more from this author.

4 star. Recommend.

Foley’s debut novel is dark, twisty and absorbing. Bodies, follows Charlotte a young-Irish women, navigating life, relationships and female desire. I enjoy books with elements of unreliable narrators, in moments whilst the prose flowed and I was absorbed with the story sometimes it felt somewhat flat, with a lack of ‘clear plot’ (for me) reduces the rating to a 4. Definitely, a book for fans of thrillers and first person narratives.

This was a really interesting novel which I found to be really quite unpredictable - I wasn’t sure I was enjoying it, until I realised I couldn’t put it down and stayed up late to finish it!

While I can't quite say I enjoyed it, this was an extremely powerful read. Unique, dark and suprisingly twisty.
It's a great approach to the violence that happens to womens' bodies and cycles of abuse that feel impossible to escape. This is all told through our narrator and her experiences with men from her teen years to the present. As we go through this with Charlotte, we see her start to take control - and how this grief and rage manifests itself in cycles of destruction.

Bodies, Christine Anne Foley

John Murrays is smashing it with their recent releases. So grateful to have received an ARC of Bodies on NetGalley, thank you!

Bodies confronts the way that women's bodies are treated and the lasting impact of trauma. So many women reading this book will sadly find the recounts uncomfortably familiar.

The book follows our protagonist Charlotte, who recounts her toxic experiences with different men.

The prose is syrup-like and pulls you in. I was hooked throughout and couldn't believe the twist! I will say though as a warning, this book is so much darker than I was expecting.. you have been warned!

I can't believe this is a debut, outstanding! I have also timed this with publication day, so Bodies is available now!

I absolutely loved this. It was funny and relatable for many reasons, it felt as if it could have been the diary of every young girl. I couldn’t wait to keep on reading and enjoyed the dark and twisted turn that it took. I look forward to seeing what this Christine Anne Foley comes up with next.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oooo well wasn't this the gift that kept on giving! We start with a young girl, Charlotte, who lives in Dublin and who goes on to tell her story... At 17 she was lusting after Johnny who was everything a girl could want. But he had an older brother who was similar but also held the added advantage of being a bad boy! When she went to college, she met Dave and they had a bit of a toxic relationship. Then there was Kyle, the "best friend" who probably wanted more. And Adam who was a bit cute. And all amongst her retelling of these relationships, she also references "you"...
Now you might think this is just a woman talking about her past lovers. You'd be right, but also so so wrong. It's hard to expand on what I mean here as it would probably spoil things for you but suffice to say that there is way more to this that just being unlucky in love!
Charlotte was a cracking character. Not sure I liked her but that really doesn't matter. She's wild and shocking and naive and, well loads of other complex layers that all surround her and hide the inner "her". She's a bit of an enigma at times. But so much fun if that's the right word.
It's a bit chicken and egg too. Is she a product of what happened to her, or is what happened to her part of who she is? But again, I'll leave you to work that one out yourself. Suffice to say that I am hanging for the Audiobook to be released so that I can go back and revisit her and all her suitors...
As far as I can tell, Bodies is her debut book... Colour me even more impressed! So much so that I am really looking forward to seeing what she serves up for next time! My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This book made me laugh lots. The poetry aspect was unique but enjoyable. I liked how the story was easy to follow and it flowed well. The characters seem unforgettable even now for me.

Bodies is a dark twisted read, and it is not until we get close to the end that we fully realise what’s going on. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this before publication, and I’m fairly certain this will be a big hit upon its release.
Our main character is Charlotte, a young woman seemingly seeking validation through her sexual encounters.
Johnny is her first. Then there’s his brother, Lars. We have her first serious boyfriend, Dave, and university roommate Kyle. And then there’s married man, Con. However, it’s not until the end of the book that we realise the significance of Charlotte’s recounts.
I’m not sure what to make of Charlotte. This felt, at times, like an extended version of the video for Smack My Bitch Up by The Prodigy. Unsettling, but definitely memorable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-Arc.

This was an excellent dark and twisted fiction piece. I loved the style in which this read - like a diary entry or a friend talking directly to you. It felt intimate and honest, but there was an undercurrent throughout the book that things were not quite as they seemed.

I absolutely loved this book, thought it was well written and would definitely recommend to others. Feminine rage at its finest.

🚹 REVIEW 🚹

Bodies by Christine Anne Foley
Publishing Date: 4th July

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

📝 - You were everything I ever wanted. Johnny was my first. I was seventeen and I was only brave enough to talk to him after I’d had three vodkas. He was only brave enough to kiss me when no-one else was around. Dave was different. We didn’t go out or see friends. We were each other’s world. Dave was all I needed. We were toxic before it became fashionable. Kyle was my best friend. And that was the problem. Or at least that’s what he said was the problem. Because friends can hook up but they can’t date. Adam was meant to be some harmless fun. I met him in a hotel and he was wearing an Adidas tracksuit. Casual but cute. He was anything but harmless. And then I met You. And things went from bad to worse. 

💭 - Bodies was an intriguing read. The life of a woman told through her relationships with men, with dysfunction running through each of them. Very fast-paced and written almost in the style of diary entries, our narrator, Charlotte, pours everything onto a page about these relationships, but still seems to maintain a distance, as if the relationships and their endings aren’t affecting her. However, even as she tries to maintain her distance her spiral as a young woman in a world of men taking what they want with no regard for those around them is evident. I did like the writing style, as I felt myself getting pulled into the story, especially with short chapters. However, I felt perhaps some aspects could have been delved into even further - I don’t want to give anything away but perhaps anyone who’s read it has a similar perspective…
Overall an enjoyable read but perhaps missing something. Perfect for a fast-paced dark read to break up longer, heavier books.

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I tend to lean far more towards YA and children's fiction than I do novels catered to adults, but I am so glad I made an exception for Christine Anne Foley's 'Bodies'.

At only around 200 pages long, and written in perfect prose that is almost impossible to put down, it's a quick, fast-paced read that provides insight into what it's like growing up as a woman. (As a 25 year old woman myself, I was able to relate far more than I liked)

I'm hesitant to include too much detail in this feedback, since I was able to correctly predict exactly where the story was going whilst I read it thanks to the few pieces of feedback I saw before choosing the title, but I would recommend reading it if the description appeals to you even slightly. Foley is a skilled author, and her characters are every bit as intriguing as her storyline is heart wrenching, so you won't regret it. Just be carefu; reading reviews before you pick it up!

As for me, I do think I will stick to the lighter, gentler novels I'm used to, but I did very much enjoy this dip into general adult fiction and this story will stick with me for a long time.

Such a great read! This has had lots of hype already on social media and it's easy to see why. Absolutely loved the narrators take on sex, love, relationships and grief.

A dark and at times deeply disturbing read narrated by Charlotte. I wasn't too sure of it at first but by the time I got to 40% in I knew I had to finish it. No spoilers from me but as it's a short book I think it's worth a read. Thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for an early copy.

I’m having a bad run of books this month and really hoped Bodies, the debut novel from Irish writer Christine Anne Foley, would break the cycle. While I got through it quickly, it didn’t really work for me though I did appreciate elements of it.

Our narrator Charlotte is a young, troubled woman leaning heavily on the self-destruct button. She’s getting wasted on drink and drugs, attempting to straddle life back in her hometown in Kilkenny with her new life in Trinity. The story takes us through the men in her life, all of whom have treated Charlotte badly, as she unravels.

The book is unflinching in its portrayal of male violence and drink and drug culture, and deals with triggering themes like coercive control, suicide, narcissism and self esteem issues. It’s a lot. Think of it as being like Rosemary McCabe’s memoir (which I loved) but without the humour, the reflection, the empathy. This is provocative stuff but it’s a sledgehammer approach, it lacks subtlety. It was probably also too similar in themes to Exile by Aimee Walsh which I read earlier in this month, so I had some genre fatigue.

While it’s pretty compelling and there’s a clever plot device used, there were many sentences at which I winced. “I felt like I kept the paranoia to myself, kept the questions burning like acid in my throat, like the heartburn of a pregnant woman”, and “There was a hole there for sure, a hole that was massive and gaping. A gaping, holey soul; what a thing.”

There were also a few errors that should have been picked up at editing stage, notably the age difference between Charlotte and her sister Saoirse, mentioned as four years and later six years.

I think will appeal to a younger readership (under 25s). Many thanks to @johnmurrays and @hachetteireland the advance gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars overall!

I found this book so absorbing, it was so easy to get lost in and really powerful. This is definitely one for those who love an unreliable female narrator, something I’m fond of myself!

I loved seeing Charlotte’s journey through life through her different experiences with men, and although I found some parts predictable (I won’t spoil), it was written in a way that still provided a shock factor.

I did feel slightly confused by the ending, but it felt matching with the style of the book and I think it worked!