Heart Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne

[amazon_link id=”0755393058″ target=”_blank”]‘[/amazon_link]Heart Shaped Bruise’ is Young Adult author, Tanya Byrne’s debut novel.

When Archway Young Offender Institution is closed down, a notebook is found in one of the rooms. The notebook belongs to Emily Koll, one of the institute’s most notorious inmate and reveals her dark and troubled mind.

So I have spent the last twenty hours with my head in a book, becoming the social recluse that I usually become when a story consumes me. I bought ‘Heart Shaped Bruise’ just before Christmas with the intention of reading it immediately but with New Year releases, I had to put it aside and I finally started it yesterday.

From the beginning of the story, we are thrown into the spoilt world of Emily Koll, currently a resident in the Archway Young Offenders Institute where she attends regular sessions with her doctor, Dr Gilyard, who through her sessions and narrative we discover Emily’s history and reason why she is in the institute.

I really enjoyed Emily as the lead character, obviously she had issues that left you wondering if she was evil or bad, but as the story develops, you occasionally see a softer side to her, as she begins to feel regret for her actions. Regularly she throws in some sarcasm, that made me smirk, one line in particular was excellent. The chapters to the story were short, snappy and made for easy reading, set in such a bleak setting, it was surprising how light I found reading the story.

I loved this book, I found it compelling and interesting from the start. The sessions with Dr Gilyard make for especially intense reading and the occasional humour in the story also make for surprise reading as her fellow inmates in the institution deal with their odemons. I think another reason why I particularly enjoyed this book, is because it is reminiscent of one of my favourite teenage books ‘Girl Interrupted’, also set in an institution and focusing on girls
with mental issues.

Darkly written and filled with intrigue,’Heart Shaped Bruise’ is a thoroughly creepy story that will have you captivated as we enter into Emily’s troubled mind and reveals her true herself. A stunning debut from Tanya Byrne, who clearly has a wonderful talent for writing raw and emotional material.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”0755393058″ target=”_blank”]Heart-shaped Bruise on Amazon [/amazon_link]and is available from good bookshops.