#BookReview: Goody One Shoe by Julie Frayn

I just loved this book. When I first heard about it, I was intrigued by the title which is unique. Eager to checkout this book which promised memorable entertainment, I was not let down by the blurb either. It is interesting, arresting and leaves the reader eager to read the book.


Looking like a superhero story, this book is unlike any other book that I have read so far. It has a physically challenged heroine who, despite her disability is even better than the average people who have all their body parts intact. She can do all her work, is athletic and energetic even with only one leg!


The plot has novelty and is beautifully executed by the author who has an engrossing and fluid style of writing. She was able to take me inside the story and feel everything that Billie felt as if it was happening right in front of me. The story moves at a moderate pace and switches from the past to the present effortlessly.


The suspense and mystery is maintained and the thriller element keeps us on the edge of our seats throughout. The heartfelt emotions, insecurities, dilemmas and troubles of Billie are so normal that they felt right at home for me. I could empathize with her troubles at work with a jealous and biased boss, an irritating co-worker and the hassle of riding the tube to work with its many elements of distress and smells {Ugh!}.

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I loved how she coped with bullies through her imaginary red pen making the people who teased her a caricature! I hated such people who torment and tease people like Billie. It is so heartless and never justified!


The romance and love angle when it came into Billie’s life had me smiling and thinking that it was high time she got someone who truly cared about her. Bruce is a nice man who accepts her with her “stump leg” and still loves her. His feelings for her had me going misty eyed and rooting for a happily-ever-after for them.


The world building is very finely done and the author takes us to a shady and dark city that reminded me of Batman’s Gotham city with its abundance of corruption, crime and a downward trend of humanity. Bruce, with his name, was again a reminder of the superhero. The vigilante element who believes in “an eye for an eye” and the ineptness and corruption prevalent all remained an stark reminder of this dark superhero. But all this is just the base. This story is completely different and a unique experience.


The only things that had me feeling discontented with the story were
– Not much is told about Bruce’s life before he met Billie and I really wanted to know more about him. A bit more background on him would have helped add depth to his character and make him more relatable.
– The end is good but still doesn’t satisfy all my queries. What happened to Billie’s dreams? Did she get better? Did Bruce suspect her? Did they get married? Did Billie continue her secret journey? and so on.


All in all, Goody One Shoe by Julie Frayn is an entertaining story full of dark overtones, a vigilante superhero, a headstrong heroine, a strong plot and an engaging narration that will hook you till the end. 4 out of 5 to it and recommended to all lovers of suspense and thrillers. Had the loose threads been more crisp this would have been a 5 star rated book from me. Anyhow, despite this, I loved reading this book. Julie Frayn is a talented writer and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I received the book in exchange for my honest opinion. The above review is my unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.


Buy From:
Amazon IN: Kindle Book 
Amazon US: Kindle Book