I thought the synopsis of this was very interesting, and certainly hard-hitting. Not sure if it gripped me as much as I would've liked, but definitely still one worth checking out.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

A book that has been on my Netgalley shelf for a considerable amount of time is Dear Charlie by N.D Gomes. Fun fact, this was a book I wished for on a complete whim, and I was genuinely not expecting to have my wish granted. Dear Charlie follows the aftermath of a school shooting through the eyes of the shooter’s younger brother Sam, who is struggling with the question of what drove his caring older brother to commit an atrocious act. I went into Dear Charlie with low expectations and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it (as much as you can enjoy a book focused on such a tragic act). After a few chapters, I became completely engrossed in Sam’s life and I read Dear Charlie in a matter of hours. Unlike other books out there that feature school shootings, Dear Charlie offers a different take. Set in the UK during the Nineties, it focuses on the lives of Sam and his family, who are left to face the outpouring of hatred and fury from the community. It’s rare to find a book that looks at the impact an act has on the family of the shooter, and N.D Gomes captures the slow deterioration of the relationships within Sam’s family in a heartbreaking and poignant way. Overall, I found Dear Charlie to be a thought-provoking and emotional read, with a similar feel to The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Dear Charlie is a definite recommend from me to those of you looking for your next read, and I could kick myself for not reading this book sooner.

An incredible story though it was extremely difficult to get through due to how well the subject matter was presented. School shootings are too familiar in our everyday lives and this story feels every bit as real and harrowing as I expected it to be.

The one thing that clinched this story for me was just how vile and cruel and insensitive the media were as well as the families of the victims.