Crushed author Kate Hamer By Kate Hamer

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Phoebe stands on Pulteney Bridge, tights gashed from toe to thigh. The shock of mangled metal and blood-stained walls flashes through her mind as she tries to cover her face so she won't be recognised. It wouldn't do to be spotted looking like this. She's missing a shoe. She feels sick.

Phoebe thought murder and murder happened. Thoughts are just thoughts, they said. Now she knows they were wrong.

At home, Phoebe arranges the scissors and knives so they point toward her mother's room. She is exhausted, making sure there's no trace of herself - not a single hair, not even her scent - left anywhere in the house. She must not let her thoughts unravel, because if they do, there's no telling who might be caught in the crossfire, and Phoebe will have to live with the consequences. Crushed author Kate Hamer

My goodness, this book was as atmospheric as they come, the characters so well developed, they felt real. CRUSHED is as intense as it is deep, as disturbing as it is surprising. Kate Hamer’s enchanted writing is sure to put you under its own spell, which will linger long after you’ve turned the final page. Kate Hamer Why is so much death affecting the 3 main characters- Orla, Phoebe and Grace? Are they really witches who can influence the events that occur around them?

The action started in the vert first scene/chapter of this novel with someone dying in a car accident. However, the action was very spaced out throughout the whole of the novel. A few death scenes did occur throughout the novel but they were spaced apart and few and far between. The death scenes were basically the only action scenes throughout the whole of this novel. In some places the overall story did drag and was very slow paced.

In terms of characters I did not feel that there was much of a character profile/backstory for Orla. I would liked to have found out more about her character. I found Phoebe's character quite annoying in a lot of places as her character wasn't very happy at most points in the novel. I also found one of the relationships in the plot line very weird and did not enjoy reading about it, especially how that story line ended.

A lot of the novel was too descriptive and they did not improve my enjoyment of reading the novel. There was too much description of their surroundings and things in my opinion that didn't really need to be described. That's why I found the overall plot slow and lacking.

Overall, I gave this novel 2.5/5 stars. I found it very slow paced with not enough action and too much description. However, other people will like this novel because of the magic involved throughout the story line and the action/death scenes featured in the story. Kate Hamer I have so many problems with this. The three teenage girls are exactly that - annoying, self absorbed teenage girls. I couldn't like any of them or even care enough about what might happen to them. So in all honestly I skimmed the second half. 3 wannabe witches who are taking LSD and having difficult relationships with their mothers. It just wasn't for me. Kate Hamer A beautiful and haunting investigation into the relationships that women have, with an essence of Shakespearean witchcraft. A coming of age story in which the interactions of the three main characters with each other and all around them are carefully examined. I wouldn't necessarily say that it was an enjoyable read, my heart was in my throat for a lot of it, but I feel enriched for having read it and I continue to muse on the themes after finishing, which is always a sign of a great book. Kate Hamer Not very enchanting like the first two novels by Hamer. Sadly, I coudn't relate to any of the three main characters. So I missed this connection and maybe also because of that I missed the message that the author tried to tell... Kate Hamer

This is the third book I’ve read by Hamer, and there’s one thing that she consistently does – tell a dark tale so beautifully. Hamer really does write very well, she creates an immersive atmosphere with her words. Crushed was a particularly interesting read because it was a lot harsher, rougher, than her previous novels. Let me explain that a bit more, when I think of Hamer’s books, I think dark fairy tales, a yearning in me as a reader to save the characters she creates, so while the plots are dark, the read is soothing – I really hope that makes sense. But, in Crushed, I wasn’t soothed, I was consumed…..

Crushed is more than just Phoebes story, told from three perspectives, it looks at the lives of three teenage friends, Phoebe, Orla and Grace. This novel shows the relationships these girls have with their mothers and how great an impact it has on them; it also showcases what I can only call their toxic friendship. Though Phoebe is the one mentioned in the blurb, I found her the most horrid of the girls, which is completely understandable once you’ve met her mother; Grace was my favourite and her home life was the most interesting. Of all the characters, it was her anxieties I felt the most, she definitely came across as the most authentic. She was the one I wanted to save, to show her how things could be. But, I guess what’s important here isn’t which girl you favour but the exploration of how they were victims of circumstance, crushed under their home lives. Their immaturity shown through their jealousy and manipulation. When things are as bleak as these girls perceive them to be, taking drugs doesn’t seem like such a bad idea, but there’s one thing to remember:

“what’s done cannot be undone”

I have to be honest, there’s this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that I missed something with one – this novel is dark, toxic, sinister, tragic, it works because the characters are so bold, and you want to know what awaits them, is this their coming-of-age? I’m also trying to be as vague as I can about the events in this novel, because I think the synopsis holds so much back for a reason, you’re meant to discover certain things only when you read the book, only when Phoebe, Orla or Grace decide it’s time. I’m under no illusion that this novel will be for everyone, and I don’t particularly think you should read too much into the synopsis; rather, go into this one with an open mind, be prepared to meet some strong characters, always expect the unexpected, and embrace Hamer’s beautiful, yet dark, writing – it’s simply captivating.

*My thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book* Kate Hamer My review on www.bookread2day.wordpress.com

After reading The Girl In The Red Coat, I've been waiting to read another book by Kate Hamer again. Crushed was one of those stories about young girls that made my eyes wide open with a little fear. Specially one young girl, Phoebe, who is obsessed with reading Macbeth and yikes she thinks she's a witch. Oh it gets a even creepier, Phoebe believes she is the one who caused a man to be squashed against a car against the wall with blood flowing out. Look out there's scenes with the wishing bowl, that Phoebe clearly remembers her wish. I recommend any book by Kate Hamer.
I've been watching a TV series Light as a feather about a young group of girls that has creepy moments and I think that Crushed could be turned into a mini film, where Phoebe is definitely a little creepy and strange. Kate Hamer Kate Hamer's new novel is a gripping thriller based around the fragile nature of friendship, especially friendship between females and feels like it skirts the line between an adult/young adult thriller pretty well. You are drawn into the drama right from the beginning due to the hypnotic writing style, and Hamer throws you in at the deep end right into the middle of the action. This is a deceptively dark, complex story with many twists in the tale. It follows teenagers Phoebe, Orla and Grace, three friends who we travel with as they experience the confusion and emotional mayhem of coming of age. It also explores how each girl's mother drastically impacted the women they grew up to be.

This is a rather chilling read at times and at others, it's quite sad and emotive. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the three girls so we learn more about them throughout and their characters deepen with each turning of the page. They are a broken group of friends who lead intriguing, deeply troubled lives, and although this is more of a slow burn than a pacy read it works well and creates an original and compulsively readable tale in which the tension builds and builds resulting in an ominous and rather disturbing conclusion. It's honestly just great to read a thriller with a refreshing concept at its centre. Many thanks to Faber & Faber for an ARC. Kate Hamer Gloomy, tragic, and consuming!

Crushed is an ominous, gritty, character-driven tale that takes you into the lives of three teenage friends, Phoebe, Orla, and Grace, as they each struggle to find some semblance of control, power, and love in a life littered with dysfunction, self-destruction, insecurities, and lack of affection.

The prose is tight and intense. The characters are vulnerable, damaged, and impulsive. And the plot is a slow-burning, immersive tale full of life, loss, deception, desperation, friendship, familial drama, manipulation, jealousy, obsession, emerging sexuality, abuse, violence, and murder.

Overall, Crushed is a dark, eerie, astute, coming-of-age tale by Hamer that does a remarkable job of delving into the complex dynamics between friends and family and highlights just how parasitic and toxic some of those relationships can truly be.

Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. Kate Hamer Ahhhh! 😫
This is such an awkward review.
I am a huge fan of Kate Hamer and have been eagerly anticipating this new book. As soon as it was available on kindle, I bought it.
I’m not going to lie, I’m not even sure what I just read, let alone whether I’d be able to tell you about it or not.
This is a weird, thready, and difficult story, with poor formation.... it took me until chapter 37 to even differentiate between the main 3 characters.
I found myself confused and pausing a lot to take stock, just to keep up with the story - but sadly it was a relief when I finished it.
I have to say that it got better towards the end and I’m glad I persevered, but its been very disappointing on the whole.
2 stars.

Kate Hamer