Watching You Fall by Dreda Say Mitchell & Ryan Carter

Watching You Fall is about Josie and Megan, two sisters with a deeply complicated and toxic relationship. They went down very different paths in life, but no matter what Megan did to her over the years, Josie always stood by her. I was so sick of their relationship.

When Megan is found dead from a drug overdose, Josie is forced to keep her promise to take care of Megan’s son, Sunny. The autopsy says Megan injected herself, but Josie refuses to believe it. Megan was terrified of needles because of a traumatic event in her past, so Josie becomes convinced that someone killed her.

She has two prime suspects in mind, but the truth is far more complicated than it first appears.

Things become even more tense when Sunny moves in with Josie’s family. He constantly stirs up trouble, and Trevor wants nothing to do with him because he despised Megan. Josie keeps making excuses for Sunny’s behavior until she finally reaches her limit.

I have to say, this story had a lot of potential. I liked how it touched on PTSD, trauma, and narcissistic behavior, and the writing itself was decent. Still, something felt a little off. The storyline set thirty years earlier and the overall execution did not feel as tightly developed as I had hoped.

Thank you to @netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the review copy. This book will be published on 15 May

Dendam Putera Melaut by Nami Cob Nobbler

Mengisahkan era sebelum dan selepas kemerdekaan sebuah kerajaan bernama Gelanggayu. Salah satu tanah jajahannya ialah Melaut, namun hubungan antara kedua-duanya sentiasa tegang akibat penindasan yang telah berlaku sejak sekian lama. Ironinya, Melaut merupakan wilayah yang sangat kaya dengan tanah subur, hasil laut, emas dan pelbagai sumber galian.

Melaut ditadbir oleh Tunku Kasim bersama adindanya, Tunku Atan. Dalam menghadapi pergolakan politik, mereka berusaha mempertahankan kedaulatan negeri dan enggan tunduk kepada pengaruh kuasa asing dan juga Wijayapura.

Putera Tunku Atan, Tunku Yahya, pula mempunyai cita-cita yang jauh berbeza daripada ayahandanya. Demi kuasa dan kekayaan, dia mempelajari pelbagai strategi untuk menguasai ekonomi serta politik antarabangsa, sehingga sanggup menggadaikan tanah air sendiri.

Di sinilah muncul hero yang dinanti-nantikan, Tunku Muhammad Niat yang digelar Mamat, putera kepada Tunku Kasim. Walaupun masih kecil, Mamat ialah seorang kanak-kanak genius. Dia menjadi mata-mata kecil untuk ayahandanya. Dan sekelip mata juga dia menjadi orang yang dipercayai Yahya. Sebijak-bijak Yahya, bijak lagi Mamat. Dengan wajah kecilnya yang naif, dia belajar kelicikan Yahya.

Itu saja snippet yang dapat saya tuliskan. Kalau boleh banyak yang saya nak ulas tapi nanti jadi spoiler pulak. Tapi apa yang boleh saya cakap, tulisan Nami tak sama macam ACT tu. Lain weiiii!!! Berubah 180°. Saya suka dan puas hati dengan evolusi ini. Walaupun kisah ini berlatar zaman dulu, Nami tetap mengekalkan lenggok bahasa dia sendiri.

Sejarah alternatif yang diketengahkan terasa segar, terutamanya untuk generasi muda. Lebih-lebih lagi ketika kita semakin menghampiri musim pilihan raya, novel ini mengingatkan bahawa strategi politik memerlukan kebijaksanaan, pengalaman, kesabaran dan pengaruh yang digunakan demi membantu golongan yang tertindas. Itulah mesej utama yang paling saya hargai dalam DPM.

Nipah Nightmares by Ismim Putera

Another story inspired by a real event that once sent fear across Malaysia and almost brought the local pig farming industry down. The real outbreak behind it infected hundreds and killed over a hundred people, which makes the story feel even more alarming right from the start.

The story is about Kiew Seng Boo, a sixteen year old boy living in a pig farmhouse deep in Kampung Sungai Nipah. He spends his days helping his parents manage an overcrowded farm that is poorly maintained and far from hygienic. At the same time, dengue cases are rising. A long drought followed by heavy rains only makes things worse, creating the perfect conditions for an outbreak that refuses to slow down.

The situation grows more distressing when pigs on the farm start dying suddenly. There are also hunters nearby who have been killing pigs that wander off, which raises suspicion. Seng Boo feels the urge to investigate, but fear holds him back. His family believes someone might be trying to sabotage them, and that tension quietly builds throughout the story.

As the number of deaths increases, most victims are linked to the farm workers and villagers who consumed pork from the area. When Dr Kaw, a health officer, and his team step in, they are shocked by the filthy conditions. The farm is eventually shut down, triggering anger among villagers especially after pig carcasses are discovered dumped in rivers and surrounding areas. Seng Boo’s family denies responsibility, adding more uncertainty to what is really happening.

I cannot say much about the story since parts of it are fictional, but the added plot helps move things along. It is simple and direct, yet still manages to capture the chaos of that time. Knowing that over a hundred people died and many cases were initially mistaken for another disease makes the story feel even more unsettling. It was not just chaos, it was a dangerous delay in understanding what was really happening.