Painful. Honest. Utterly heartbreaking. You’ll read every page of Get Me to 21– all 436 of them – with your heart in your mouth. It’s Gabi Lowe’s agonising, courageous story about trying to save her daughter’s life. Jenna – who became the face of organ donors in South Africa with her #GetMeTo21 campaign – was young, bright, articulate … and had a rare, degenerative lung disease. Pulmonary arterial hypertension finally took her life in June 2015 … four months before her 21st birthday. An extraordinary tribute to an extraordinary young girl, written by a brave mother who hopes the book will help others facing loss, pain, challenges and adversity. MFBooks/Jacana, R265
Jessica Pan was an unhappy introvert. She wasn’t, she’s quick to point out, unhappy because she was an introvert. But she needed to do something about the depression she was sinking into. When she found herself in a sauna – weeping, clutching a copy of Men’s Health, ‘dressed as an assassin, reading a guide to 8-minute abs’ and screaming profanities at a spa employee, all to win a free gym contract, she knew something had to change. What would it be like if, for one year, she lived as an extrovert? Knowingly, willingly putting herself in perilous social situations …. those she’d usually avoid at all costs. Sorry I’m Late – I Didn’t Want to Come is Jess’s story of this painful, hilarious year. Penguin, R320
Steph is a federal agent … one who knows her job. She knows how to interview people, and how to tell when they’re lying. So when she finds a gun in Zachary, her teenage son’s room, and finds out he’s been in contact with a terrorist group via email, she questions him, and is convinced he’s telling the truth that he has no idea about what’s going on. But who, then, is setting up her son? And why? Or is she just being a typical mum and not seeing the truth about her son? Keep You Close will keep you guessing … a chilling read by Karen Cleveland. Penguin, R290
Another thriller for October …
Megan Miranda’s The Last House Guest keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very first page. Alternating between two summers of 2017 – when a young woman is found dead on the beach while her friends are celebrating at an end-of-summer house party; – and 2019, when her best friend is still not convinced the death was an accident, this is a chilling thriller – with a wicked twist! Corvus, R313
Also well worth reading …
Having two autistic children is every parent’s nightmare. Saving My Sons is Ilana Gerschlowitz’s story, told with Marion Scher, of her determination to find a way to help her sons. Her tenacity bore fruit in the form of answers from international experts and she has gone on to greatly improve the lives of her own two boys as well as to help countless children facing learning challenges. Essentially, she discovered that autism is a treatable illness and that early intervention is vital. BookStorm, R320
