After reading Idle Hands by Cassondra Windwalker I had to sigh heavy and let out the breath I’d been holding. Do you ever play devils advocate? Do you ever wonder “what if”? That’s exactly what Perdie is doing when tragedy strikes her family. Which path would have been the best? Would you change anything in your life to spend more time with you family? Highly recommend!

What to say about this book without ruining the plot?

This is a book of two halves. Perdie lives with her abusive husband, Matt, and her three children, Hannah, Rachel and Tad. While Perdie puts up with the beatings and the abuse she lives in fear of Matt turning his anger on his children. He idolises the girls but feels that Tad is a threat to him. As Perdie embarks on a path that will lead her towards making a difficult choice we are joined by a narrator who is omniscient and just waiting for Perdie to walk into their web.

I really can't say much else about this without spoiling the story. Be prepared to keep coming back to it over and over again throughout the day as it just draws you in and makes you want to get to the end. Think of it as walking down a dark tunnel with a torch that is only throwing light a few feet in front of you.

Enjoy

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I knew from page 1 that this was going to be something special! This is an incredible book, the writing is sublime and I loved it! A really refreshing take and a story written with its own voice.

This book is amazing, I read it holding my breath, scared to miss a single word, gripped from start to finish.

Perdie and her husband Matt have three children Hannah, Rachel and Tod. Matt is abusive towards her, but she is now worried that he will turn his aggression to their son Tod. She has to make a decision whether to leave her husband and start life again, but it would be a hard life leaving her children home alone whilst she tries to earn enough to keep them fed and clothed.

Watching from the sidelines Ella, the adversary or in layman’s terms the devil, is always watching, seeing what decisions she makes, tempting her with alternative choices. Whatever option she takes there seems to be a high pay to pay.

The story is told from Perdie’s and Ella’s points of view. There are some heartbreaking moments and impossible decisions to make along the way, but a mother will do anything to protect her children.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

This is a fantastic “what if” story, can one decision you make literally change everything?

The story follows Perdie, mother of 3 children and wife to an abusive husband. She makes the hard decision to leave her husband and run thousands of miles away with the children, in an attempt at a better life.

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘄, 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹.

She is torn because of the worry that if she leaves they will live in poverty and she will be absent from their lives, always working attempting to provide.

If she stays the children will have a present mother, a good education and everything they could ask for. But they will also bear witness to abuse and live in quiet fear. Which is worse?

Years later in a dark moment when something terrible happens, Perdie wishes she could go back and change her decision to leave, believing her children would have been safer if they had just stayed put.

Be careful what you wish for!

What makes this story interesting is that it is part narrated by the devil, Ella. She is there to tempt you at your darkest moments, part of her game.

I found Ella’s commentary the most interesting aspect and found myself highlighting a lot of it. Most of her observations on human kind made me nod along in agreement, I don’t know what that says about me but there we go!

𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘇𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗻-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁.

It’s quite dark with some tragic moments so don’t be expecting any fairytale endings, but a fantastic thought provoking read nonetheless. A solid 4 stars from me.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Agora Books and the author for letting me read and review an advance copy of this book.

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧 𝘲𝘶𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦.

TW: Domestic abuse

Wow. This is one of those very rare books: You get it, you devour it and as soon as you've finished the last page you feel the urge to contact everyone you know to get them to read it and even encourage strangers on the journey to work to read it. That's because you just want the chance to talk to someone about it.
On the surface it's nothing really out of the ordinary. The story centres around Perdie, a woman with a very violent husband, who is forced into making a decision to leave after he nearly turns his violence on one of their three children. This decision is no easy one as it will inevitably send them into poverty and harm the children's emotional well-being and potential life chances. However, what makes this very different is that Perdie's life and decisions are commentated upon by Ella -the adversary - or the devil as we may know her better. Ella watches the lives of the family and offers insights into Perdie's choices but also into the human condition. When tragedy strikes Perdie gets the chance to wish she'd never left her husband in the first place and the situation plays out as if that decision had never been made.
This is NOT about making a pact with the devil. Instead it is much more subtle. Although I found Perdie's story engaging, it was Ella's insights that I was engrossed by. Instead of being repulsed by her, she was charismatic and compelling and had some thoughtful insights on why or how we act. It also raised questions of who is really with us in our darkest moments!!
Overall, this is thought-provoking, heart-breaking and utterly brilliant.

The storyline of this novel follows Perdie and her children who are trapped within an abusive marriage, and plays with the idea of fate and Higher Powers effect on the lives of humans. This was a strange read for me, but I ultimately ended up loving it. It took me a while to understand the format as it is narrated by a figure playing the Devil, but this hooked me in very quickly as I knew it was going to be something a little different.

I was at first dubious of the dual narrative, but quickly found myself anticipating The Devils interludes that were lyrically written. As well as this, the character of The Devil provided comic relief from a deep subject matter in the form of cynicism and matter of fact attitude which I really enjoyed. As this was quite a short read I felt it lacked depth in places (especially due to centring on the subject of abuse). The first section of this book felt slightly rushed and as a result I did find it hard to follow at times due to the storyline jumping around, however the short chapters really added the the pace and made me want to keep reading.

The nature of this book consistantly foreshadows ominous future events which means it is at times predictable, though I felt it provided some great twists that I didn't anticipate. Perdie as a character is often infuriating in her choices (just when you think things might work out for the better..) but even the Narrator points this out, so is clearly intentional.

I found the overall concept of this book very clever and I was reminded of the works of Neil Gaiman!

Idle Hands is unlike any book I’ve ever read before. It’s by far one of the best books I’ve read this year, possibly ever. I do not know how to do it justice trying to explain why.

The story pertains to Perdie, a woman who manages to escapes her abusive marriage with her three children to find the safety and love they deserve in a new life. However 10 years later tragedy strikes and Perdie is left wondering if the choice she made to leave led them to this moment.
If she was given the opportunity to take it all back and stay, would she?

The most fascinating thing about this novel is that the devil herself, going by the name Ella is the stories narrator. Her role is to present us other alternatives, hoping to tempt us with “what-ifs”. Ella continuously breaks the fourth wall to the reader, seemingly annotating and ad-libbing observations on humanity throughout Perdie’s story.

This explores so many interesting themes, fate, destiny, predetermination, also ethics, selfishness, questioning actions, different motivations, just to brush the surface.

My heart is crushed and my mind in a spin. I will be thinking about this for a very long time. I can not recommend this book more.

4.5 Rounding Up
AHHH BUY THIS BOOK!
I'll admit, when I started Idle Hands, I was not expecting much. I was very pleasantly surprised.
Idle Hands follows Perdie and her three children as they fight to get out from underneath the thumb of an abusive husband/father. Enter Ella (aka the devil). Ella's goal is less to steer and more to nudge you down the path to destruction by presenting options (and making that "what if" possible).

<i>“I’m not the teacher. I’m the test. I have nothing to teach you. No judgment to hand down”</i>

I thoroughly enjoyed this and would definitely purchase a copy for my bookshelf! The only drawback to Idle Hands was that I didn't feel like Hannah had the space to connect fully with the reader.

What would happen to you if you got the chance to change your destiny .... would you do it and what would the consequences be? This book is clever but it took me a while to understand the part the devil played until the moment things changed for Perdie. Really clever and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Idle Hands is a wholly interesting read that grips the reader with an original plot and makes them really examine why we do the things we do and make the choices we make.

4.5/5 stars

"... there is no happiness. There is only fleeting pleasure. And pain. So choose pleasure when you can."

Therein lies an intriguing question set forth in this spectacular novel. Will you choose between brutal emotional, psychological, and physical abuse or will you choose happiness... with a catch? I love the dichotomy in tone of this narration. It is sunshine and happiness until the devil asks one single question of our protagonist. Then darkness envelopes the lives of the characters. Said narrator is literally the devil. It is a philosophical puppet master pulling the strings that reveal just how defective and ignorant humans can be. The devil is the most fascinating character in a book that develops its characters so well they feel like flesh and blood. However, I felt absolutely no emotional connection to any of them. And the ending this strange and wonderful story was more a whimper than a bang. But that did not make me enjoy the experience any less.

Thank you so much to Agora Books for allowing me an advanced reading copy of this great novel.

Wow! Thank you so much NetGalley. This book was brilliant. That ending, my goodness.
The twists had me hooked and this book is a definite must read.

An interesting and unusual story using the devil as a commentator. I wasn’t sure about it when I started it and did find the musings of the devil a bit overlong but it was a quick read that I’m glad I’ve read. Different and interesting - I don’t think it’ll be everyone’s cup of tea but recommended for a different kind of novel.

What a novel! We’ve all been down the road of “what ifs” and daydreamed about alternate realities if we had made different choices, but for one woman, the opportunity to go back and make things “right” suddenly becomes very real.

When tragedy strikes Perdie’s little family, it leaves her questioning one crucial decision she made many years ago: what if she hadn’t taken her children and left her violent husband to start a new life?

The story is told by the narrator who introduces HERself as the devil, which lends the book a dark and often chilling element that sometimes made me uncomfortable. Having said that, it was ultimately an interesting way to pepper the story with existential truths that really pack a punch! I loved those nuggets of reflection and how the text became more unpredictable. It’s better not to reveal anymore, though there were definitely twists I didn’t see coming!

I found this book so emotionally raw and revealing of the human psyche. It’s also probably the first time I’ve read something that deals with domestic abuse in such an honest and insightful way without being morbid! Despite not being a very long read, I think Windwalker has successfully created a plot, storytelling method and characters that stay with you a long time after you’ve finished reading.

A powerful story, narrated by the devil herself, of a mother learning to navigate her abusive relationship and protect her three children. I only wish it was longer!

I do not think I have ever read a book that has been this heart-wrenching and emotional. The way in which Windwalker writes is so beautiful and powerful that it is hard to disconnect yourself from the book and the events that are taking place for the characters.

This novel follows Perdie and her three children and their journey through life after leaving her abusive husband. She is constantly plagued with thoughts of regret and doubt that affect the way she has lived her life and the decisions she makes. She, much like many people, are tormented by thoughts that their decisions have negatively impacted those around them. Ella, who some would call the devil, uses Perdie’s life and experiences to express the way in which bad things occur and how they are impossible to stop. This was the most interesting aspect of the novel for me as I loved the way in which the narrator, Ella, involved themself with the lives of this family and truly went into depth with the emotions, feelings, and decisions that were chosen.

The topics that this novel showcased were so powerful and left me both shocked but so invested in the lives of these characters. I was rooting for them all the way and when they were hurt, I was too. There were times that I felt the dialogue in the novel to be a bit bland but this was on and off and only with certain minor characters so it did not affect the reading experience as a whole.

This was such a dark book, both with its topics but the way in which it was written, but this is the way it should have been. These topics of domestic abuse, grief, and loss are so significant and need to be told, and I felt that this novel did those stories justice and whilst it was not the happiest of endings, I was almost left with a sense of hope at the end that I still can’t get out of my mind. This was a beautifully written novel with such eye-opening topics, that still held a sense of uniqueness that I have never witnessed in another novel. I can’t stop thinking about it.

I loved this book. |The story is very simple on the face of it; a woman trapped in an abusive marriage decides to escape with her three children. But the narrator Ella is actually playing with the characters, and we are left to consider whether our choices and actions influence our futures, and if they don't, then why don't we do just what we want? This book is very well-written, and I loved the characters, especially Perdie, who is always trying to do the right thing for her children. Idle Hands is a very clever book, which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Oh the ways of the Devil! I liked this book! It was a quick solid read. It lacked some content but overall it was a great lesson. It definitely makes you think about the choices you made and God's plan for your life!

After making the courageous decision to leave her abusive husband, Perdie and her three young children start over and finally find the safety and love they deserve. But years later, when tragedy strikes, Perdie is left wondering if the choice she made to leave has led them to this moment.

If she were given the opportunity to take it all back and stay, would she?

How do I even begin to describe it? This book took me on one hell of an emotional journey, one that I don’t think I will ever forget. So much so I sobbed during one part, I was that connected to the characters that I felt their grief and anger. I haven’t cried reading a book for a long long time.

I’ll admit I didn’t know what to expect from the story, but I think going in unknown helped even more. Perdie is in an abusive relationship and leaves. The first half of the book covers her escape and how she rebuilt her life. But as everyone knows, we all have doubts, especially when it comes to our children. Did we do what was right for them or was it a selfish decision? This is where ‘Ella’ comes in. The book is split between the story of Perdie and her family, and ‘Ella’ who is there to feed those doubts, or ‘the devil’ as she has been called.

Ella’s parts of the book I really enjoyed although did go quite deep at times, but everything she discussed we can all relate too. All the thought’s Perdie had, I’ve had in some capacity… ‘but what if I’d done that differently!’

This book is beautifully written and one that makes you question so much.