All the Good Things by Clare Fisher

Today I’m taking part in the blog tour for All the Good Things by Clare Fisher which is published by Viking on the 1st June. I love being sent books to review as I find it challenges me to read books I wouldn’t necessarily choose.

All the Good Things by Clare Fisher

Twenty-one year old Beth is in prison. The thing she did is so bad she doesn’t deserve to ever feel good again.

But her counsellor, Erika, won’t give up on her. She asks Beth to make a list of all the good things in her life. So Beth starts to write down her story, from sharing silences with Foster Dad No. 1, to flirting in the Odeon on Orange Wednesdays, to the very first time she sniffed her baby’s head.

But at the end of her story, Beth must confront the bad thing.

What is the truth hiding behind her crime? And does anyone – even a 100% bad person – deserve a chance to be good?

I enjoyed reading this book as soon as I read the first few pages. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Beth from the moment I started reading her story. She could easily have been someone I went to school with.

Her story is told through a series of chapters where she writes about all the good things in her life, which obviously gives the book it’s name. This is a great way to learn more about Beth, which is quite frankly awful. Abandoned by her mother she lives in a series of foster homes. It’s a heartbreaking tale of getting in with the wrong crowd and losing your way. Except Beth’s life never seems to really start.

I don’t want to give away the bad thing that Beth does because I really want people to read this book. I thought I had guessed what it was but I hadn’t. I don’t think you can help but feel for Beth, especially as her mental health issues are revealed.

It’s really not the kind of book I ever thought I would read but it is so well written and I’m glad I did. I admit to crying through the last few chapters. Life is just so unfair for many people. People fall through gaps in a system which doesn’t give enough support. I can’t help but compare this book to another one I’ve read recently, Take Courage about the life of Anne Bronte. Two books about two women who didn’t have many opportunities. Yet despite their hard lives there are moments of hope. Both experienced poverty and had little formal education. Yet there were still good moments. Anne was a writer and wrote books which are still read years after her death. You’re probably wondering how I can compare Beth to Anne Bronte without giving the ending away. Because she had courage, I believe she was able to turn her life around, re-building it and creating something good despite the bad.

The book makes you question if people who have done bad things deserve a second chance. I know Beth isn’t real but I believe she could so easily be. It’s a thought-provoking read, desperately sad but there is hope.

I can’t believe this is the author’s debut novel and look forward to what she writes next. All the Good Things by Clare Fisher which is published by Viking on the 1st June. Lots of bloggers are taking part in the blog book tour. Take a look at the list below or look for #AlltheGoodThings.