1 to 10 of 10
Review Date: 9/30/2011
I was going to read this book until they tried to sell it to me with Obama. Not going to read it now.
Review Date: 10/16/2022
This book was very good up until the end. It's disgusting. I'm throwing it away so no one can read my copy. It is explicit in details about mother son incest. Do not recommend.
Review Date: 8/4/2012
Better book: Who Stole Feminism?: How Women Have Betrayed Women by Christina Hoff-Sommers
Review Date: 11/21/2011
Helpful Score: 3
This book was one of the most informative, horrifying, yet inspirational books I have ever read. Ayaan Hirsi Ali takes us through her childhood and teen years in war ravaged, Islamo-fascist Kenya & Somalia. She shares stories about the strict rules placed on Muslim women and the prohibitions on freedom found in Islam. I thoroughly enjoyed the first hand descriptions of what Islam actually teaches. With the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Libyia in the last couple of month (2011) an understanding of what these religious/political groups believe is essential.
THe writing style of Ali is beautiful. I did not even realize that her style changes throughout the book. She created the voice of an uneducated, scared young girl that eventually changes into the confusion of a teen who wants to rebel against strict standards. Finally, after finding her freedom, Ali writes with the authority of a woman who is confident in herself and her place in society. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
THe writing style of Ali is beautiful. I did not even realize that her style changes throughout the book. She created the voice of an uneducated, scared young girl that eventually changes into the confusion of a teen who wants to rebel against strict standards. Finally, after finding her freedom, Ali writes with the authority of a woman who is confident in herself and her place in society. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
Review Date: 3/2/2012
I've owned this book for almost a year and I kept putting it off and putting it off. The blurb on the back made it sound interesting, but I thought other books were MORE interesting. I wish I had read it sooner.
This book was one of the best psychological thrillers that I've ever read. It was gripping. I started the book and could not set it down. I kept finding ways to sneak in a page or two while at work. I'd read it sitting at red lights. My stomach turned with excitement with each new twist and turn. References to Stanley Milgram's obedience study and Kitty Genovese by-stander effect just added to the suspense for this psychology major.
I kept guessing at what was really going on and several times I guessed correctly, but each new clue caused me to second guess my guesses. By the end I had given up trying to figure out the mystery and just let it unfold on its own. And it was genius.
Lavender's writing style is simple and easy to read. Although the writing itself was not great, Lavender does an excellent job building suspense. Some parts of the book seemed unnecessary, such as the relationship between Dennis & Elizabeth. It was as though he needed something to tie things in to the finale to make it more plausible, but it would have made more sense to leave the relationship out of the plot.
This book was one of the best psychological thrillers that I've ever read. It was gripping. I started the book and could not set it down. I kept finding ways to sneak in a page or two while at work. I'd read it sitting at red lights. My stomach turned with excitement with each new twist and turn. References to Stanley Milgram's obedience study and Kitty Genovese by-stander effect just added to the suspense for this psychology major.
I kept guessing at what was really going on and several times I guessed correctly, but each new clue caused me to second guess my guesses. By the end I had given up trying to figure out the mystery and just let it unfold on its own. And it was genius.
Lavender's writing style is simple and easy to read. Although the writing itself was not great, Lavender does an excellent job building suspense. Some parts of the book seemed unnecessary, such as the relationship between Dennis & Elizabeth. It was as though he needed something to tie things in to the finale to make it more plausible, but it would have made more sense to leave the relationship out of the plot.
Review Date: 12/26/2011
Helpful Score: 1
After reading Shriver's We Need to Talk About KEvin, I was highly disappointed in this book.
I did not connect at all with any of the characters. They all came across as spoiled, immature, selfish upper class adults who should know better. They held a digusting contempt for their dead parents. The first half of the book seemed like a scathing critical judgment against their mother. Quite frankly, it made me mad, but I contineud through the book. Not once did any of the characters show grief or sadness over the death of their parents. Instead it seemed as if they were relived and glad that their parents were gone.
I was also very confused about the sexual chemistry between Corlis and her two brothers. She made several references to jealousy of not being able to sleep with her brother. The referene to the mother rubbing it in that Corlis could not sleep with her father was also disturbing.
Overall, I disliked this book simply based on the characters. It was not a realistic picture of even the most dysfunctional family.
I did not connect at all with any of the characters. They all came across as spoiled, immature, selfish upper class adults who should know better. They held a digusting contempt for their dead parents. The first half of the book seemed like a scathing critical judgment against their mother. Quite frankly, it made me mad, but I contineud through the book. Not once did any of the characters show grief or sadness over the death of their parents. Instead it seemed as if they were relived and glad that their parents were gone.
I was also very confused about the sexual chemistry between Corlis and her two brothers. She made several references to jealousy of not being able to sleep with her brother. The referene to the mother rubbing it in that Corlis could not sleep with her father was also disturbing.
Overall, I disliked this book simply based on the characters. It was not a realistic picture of even the most dysfunctional family.
Review Date: 8/19/2011
Helpful Score: 1
The premise of this book was very intriguing and part of the reason I didnt stop reading it. The story starts with a BBQ and a bratty child who is hit by someone who is not his parent. The rest of the story continues in the voice of various characters and how that moment became a part of each of their lives.
The characters in the story were completely unlikable. They were all selfish, indecisive, weak willed, and worst of all immoral. The books seems to have been written from the perspective of a man who wants women to engage in one-sided sex and who believes that love a woman will continue to love her man solely because he looks good. The author use of profanity throughout the book seems as if the author wanted to use vulgar words for no other reason than just because I can. His description of a womans emotions and a womans sexual thoughts are completely inaccurate. As an American, I did not know what a lot of the slang terms used throughout the book meant.
Surprisingly for all of its vulgarity and for being anticlimactic, I didnt hate the book, but I definitely didnt like it.
The characters in the story were completely unlikable. They were all selfish, indecisive, weak willed, and worst of all immoral. The books seems to have been written from the perspective of a man who wants women to engage in one-sided sex and who believes that love a woman will continue to love her man solely because he looks good. The author use of profanity throughout the book seems as if the author wanted to use vulgar words for no other reason than just because I can. His description of a womans emotions and a womans sexual thoughts are completely inaccurate. As an American, I did not know what a lot of the slang terms used throughout the book meant.
Surprisingly for all of its vulgarity and for being anticlimactic, I didnt hate the book, but I definitely didnt like it.
Review Date: 8/9/2012
Helpful Score: 7
The premise of this book was very intriguing and part of the reason I didnt stop reading it. The story starts with a BBQ and a bratty child who is hit by someone who is not his parent. The rest of the story continues in the voice of various characters and how that moment became a part of each of their lives.
The characters in the story were completely unlikable. They were all selfish, indecisive, weak willed, and worst of all immoral. The books seems to have been written from the perspective of a man who wants women to engage in one-sided sex and who believes that a woman will continue to love her man solely because he looks good. The author's use of profanity throughout the book seems as if the author wanted to use vulgar words for no other reason than just because I can. His descriptions of a womans emotions and a womans sexual thoughts are completely inaccurate. As an American, I did not know what a lot of the slang terms used throughout the book meant.
Surprisingly for all of its vulgarity and for being anticlimactic, I didnt hate the book, but I definitely didnt like it.
The characters in the story were completely unlikable. They were all selfish, indecisive, weak willed, and worst of all immoral. The books seems to have been written from the perspective of a man who wants women to engage in one-sided sex and who believes that a woman will continue to love her man solely because he looks good. The author's use of profanity throughout the book seems as if the author wanted to use vulgar words for no other reason than just because I can. His descriptions of a womans emotions and a womans sexual thoughts are completely inaccurate. As an American, I did not know what a lot of the slang terms used throughout the book meant.
Surprisingly for all of its vulgarity and for being anticlimactic, I didnt hate the book, but I definitely didnt like it.
Review Date: 12/3/2011
Helpful Score: 1
If you are looking for a psychologically accurate portrayal of someone with multiple personality disorder, this is not the book for you. Holly, the main character, has several personalities living her head, but she did not suffer the extreme sexual abuse that most people with DID experience. Her parents were physically abusive, but not to the extreme that causes DID. She is also able to hear and have conversations with each of the voices in her head.
This story is actually a funny, often suspenseful, story of Holly learning about who she is and how her voices came to be. I enjoyed the story line and it is a very quick read. The personality of the personalities comes out clearly and you can easily form opinions on who you like and who you do not like. This is a very enjoyable, quirky book.
There are several parts of the plot that confused me. OFten times the images the author tries to portray jumble together in the dialouge between the different personalities. Also, the relationship between Holly & her boyfriend confused me. She seemed apathetic to him in her thinking, yet she behaved needy when they would argue. The book tried to make the boyfriend sound like a bad guy, but I just didn't pick up on that at all. The author also leaves out information in the plot and expects the reader to be able to fill in the blanks. This left an unfinished, abrupt feeling to the story.
The author of this book also lives in some kind of weird commune.
This story is actually a funny, often suspenseful, story of Holly learning about who she is and how her voices came to be. I enjoyed the story line and it is a very quick read. The personality of the personalities comes out clearly and you can easily form opinions on who you like and who you do not like. This is a very enjoyable, quirky book.
There are several parts of the plot that confused me. OFten times the images the author tries to portray jumble together in the dialouge between the different personalities. Also, the relationship between Holly & her boyfriend confused me. She seemed apathetic to him in her thinking, yet she behaved needy when they would argue. The book tried to make the boyfriend sound like a bad guy, but I just didn't pick up on that at all. The author also leaves out information in the plot and expects the reader to be able to fill in the blanks. This left an unfinished, abrupt feeling to the story.
The author of this book also lives in some kind of weird commune.
Review Date: 9/25/2010
Helpful Score: 2
I was awed, shocked, and horrified by We Need to Talk About Kevin. The book reads as letters from a mother to her former husband. She recalls events of her life that led her to believe to believe that her child, who recently killed several classmates in a violent and inhumane manner, was evil from the beginning.
This book is extremely difficult to read as you hear account after account of a mother who never really "liked" her son. You hear about her selfishness through her pregnancy with him, her jealousy of the relationship of father and son, and her favortism for her daughter. You questoin her sanity and wonder if perhaps she is too biased against her son, but at the same time the evidence points to her recount of the stories. You recoil is disgust as she sympathizes and jokes coarsely with her incarcerated son, wondering how you would react were you in the same situation.
The final chapters of the book are chilling. They leave you gasping for breath and send chills through your blood. It's been over 2 months since I finished this book, and even as I write about it now, my heart still skips and my stomach still turns to just recount the emotionalism this book awakened in me. I loved it and I hated it, but I could not put it down.
This book is extremely difficult to read as you hear account after account of a mother who never really "liked" her son. You hear about her selfishness through her pregnancy with him, her jealousy of the relationship of father and son, and her favortism for her daughter. You questoin her sanity and wonder if perhaps she is too biased against her son, but at the same time the evidence points to her recount of the stories. You recoil is disgust as she sympathizes and jokes coarsely with her incarcerated son, wondering how you would react were you in the same situation.
The final chapters of the book are chilling. They leave you gasping for breath and send chills through your blood. It's been over 2 months since I finished this book, and even as I write about it now, my heart still skips and my stomach still turns to just recount the emotionalism this book awakened in me. I loved it and I hated it, but I could not put it down.
1 to 10 of 10
