1 to 20 of 59 -
Page:
Review Date: 7/16/2009
Helpful Score: 1
I really, really enjoyed this book. There wasn't an attempt at the end to tie things up in a neat little bow, which makes it more real. The prose is flawless and the dialogue is incredibly crisp. Most of the characters are sensitively drawn and multi-dimensional--especially the males. Perrotta does a wonderful and sensitive job of exploring difficult relationship and community issues without making anyone out to be the villain.
Review Date: 6/9/2009
Helpful Score: 1
This book is older, from 1992, so it's kind of dated, but I found that I still enjoyed it. A great way to spend a saturday afternoon. I basically liked this book because there's some sneaky twists in the story. Exactly what I was looking for in a good thriller. I loved the exploration of a person suffering with MPD...it added so much suspense and depth to the story!
As with all of her books, once you get remotely close to the conclusion, it is near impossible to put the book down.
As with all of her books, once you get remotely close to the conclusion, it is near impossible to put the book down.
Review Date: 7/22/2010
This was an excellently twisted tale that really kept my attention, but had some flaws. The writing style was very difficult to read. While the author had a good grasp of developing a story, the delivery needs some work. The author does not write conversation well, this caused me to stumble over parts of the dialogue. It just wasn't natural and that detracted from the book. I would also have loved to have seen some more solid character development.
Review Date: 9/9/2009
Helpful Score: 1
Eh?!? It was okay. The flashback part of the story was very interesting and kept me turning pages. But the main story was just okay. I found the emphasis on empathy and the parallels she drew based on that to be contrived.
Review Date: 12/9/2009
Helpful Score: 3
This book was disturbing and complex, but worth reading. How do you forgive betrayal? Such a hard subject matter to wrap my mind around, but definitely worth reading. This a complex exploration of human emotions.
Review Date: 5/10/2009
Helpful Score: 2
I really enjoyed this book, it was hard not to look ahead to see what was going to happen. It starts with a little girl being kidnapped, but it's about so much more. Great writing with a poignant look at relationships and the choices we make.
Review Date: 7/25/2009
This was a good fast read, but I found it to be predictable. I finished it fast, mostly because I just wanted to be done with it once I felt I had figured most of the plot twists out. I liked The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by this author so much better.
Review Date: 5/14/2009
Helpful Score: 1
Not your typical mystery!!
This is the first book by Atkinson to feature PI Jackson Brodie, but this is no standard mystery. Told non-linearly, a number of case histories from various dates in the past are presented and Jackson, in the present, ends up investigating or following up on most of them. There's the challenge for the reader to see how they all might intersect or connect, from the murder of an 18-year-old woman to the disappearance of a 5-year-old girl, to the woman who killed her husband while her infant daughter watched. Atkinson feeds the reader information in her own due time, revealing only what she feels important at the time she wants the reader to know it. In some ways, and in lesser hands, this can feel manipulative, but Atkinson is a marvelous writer who pulled me
This is the first book by Atkinson to feature PI Jackson Brodie, but this is no standard mystery. Told non-linearly, a number of case histories from various dates in the past are presented and Jackson, in the present, ends up investigating or following up on most of them. There's the challenge for the reader to see how they all might intersect or connect, from the murder of an 18-year-old woman to the disappearance of a 5-year-old girl, to the woman who killed her husband while her infant daughter watched. Atkinson feeds the reader information in her own due time, revealing only what she feels important at the time she wants the reader to know it. In some ways, and in lesser hands, this can feel manipulative, but Atkinson is a marvelous writer who pulled me
Review Date: 9/24/2009
The premise of the story was decent. I read the first book and did not love it, but just had to know who the killer was. So I guess it pulled me in a bit. The typos, grammatical errors and overuse of certain phrases made it a bit more difficult to get into the story. Parts of the ending were down right cheesy and contrived.
Review Date: 7/2/2009
Helpful Score: 1
I liked this book, it was a good quick read. I liked the main character, she was flawed and realistic. It won't set the literary world on fire, but a good engaging read that was easy to get into. I am looking forward to reading this author's first book now.
Review Date: 1/25/2011
The opinions on this book are so vastly different, it's amazing. I wondered if I was reading the same book. I love Rebecca Wells and the other books she has written. I desperately wanted to like this book, and tried so hard.
The story suffers from a total lack of story and character development. The dialogue is so badly written, it's painful. I saw online that someone said Rebecca Wells was suffering from Lyme disease while writing this novel. If that's the reason this book is so poorly written, then it's the fault of the publisher and/or editor. This is a surface story. There is no depth to the characters, plot, storyline, etc. Several characters are introduced for absolutely no reason. Cally Lily didn't really need two brothers, they did nothing to move the story line forward.
The editing is non-existent. She puts her drunken best friend to bed to sleep it off and then she wraps her in a quilt to sleep on the floor. The story is confusing and frustrating, it was impossible to get into. No development, no depth.
Major incidents are thrown into the storyline, allowing you to believe that, for example, racism is a huge part of the story. However, racism never discussed again. The story is told, not shown, and the reader has a difficult time getting through the book. I struggled to finish this book, before finally giving up more than halfway through.
The story suffers from a total lack of story and character development. The dialogue is so badly written, it's painful. I saw online that someone said Rebecca Wells was suffering from Lyme disease while writing this novel. If that's the reason this book is so poorly written, then it's the fault of the publisher and/or editor. This is a surface story. There is no depth to the characters, plot, storyline, etc. Several characters are introduced for absolutely no reason. Cally Lily didn't really need two brothers, they did nothing to move the story line forward.
The editing is non-existent. She puts her drunken best friend to bed to sleep it off and then she wraps her in a quilt to sleep on the floor. The story is confusing and frustrating, it was impossible to get into. No development, no depth.
Major incidents are thrown into the storyline, allowing you to believe that, for example, racism is a huge part of the story. However, racism never discussed again. The story is told, not shown, and the reader has a difficult time getting through the book. I struggled to finish this book, before finally giving up more than halfway through.
Review Date: 5/13/2009
This book kept me hooked from the first page!
As a child Frank Kohler learned of his mothers brutal murder. Now, years later, he yearns for some affirmation that remains elusive. As a state trooper on the night shift, Russell Boyd cruises the highways of Vermont constantly reminded of the true depths of human misery. The lives of these two men will intersect only tangentially, until fate catches up with them.
As a child Frank Kohler learned of his mothers brutal murder. Now, years later, he yearns for some affirmation that remains elusive. As a state trooper on the night shift, Russell Boyd cruises the highways of Vermont constantly reminded of the true depths of human misery. The lives of these two men will intersect only tangentially, until fate catches up with them.
Review Date: 1/10/2011
Helpful Score: 4
I was completely drawn in by Gillian Flynn's writing style when I read her first book, Sharp Objects. Dark Places doesn't disappoint. This story line pulled me in from the first page. The way the author writes gritty, real, female characters is absolutely spell-binding. It's dark, it's disturbing, and it's impossible to put down!!!
Review Date: 6/30/2010
I did not love this book, but I'm willing to see if the series gets stronger as it goes. The author can be long winded and at times overly descriptive, which can take away from the flow of the story. It was a nice, easy read but at times uninteresting.
Review Date: 7/31/2009
Helpful Score: 1
I liked this book, it was a good psychological thriller. I felt the characters were multi-layered and complex. Lots of controversial issues. If you liked The Abstinence Teacher, you would enjoy this as it deals with controversial subjects with good character development. It also reminded me a little bit of Little Children, with issues surrounding infidelity and emotional upheaval.
Review Date: 5/13/2009
Helpful Score: 1
This book is a very intense and heartfelt look at loss and the search for answers. Not a light read, but good from beginning to end. I can't believe how much I enjoyed this. The premise sounded so ludicrious and, to be honest, still does, but there is something so much more to this book than the silly-sounding plot. It is a story of love and loss, of understanding and confusion, of masks and bare truth. At times I laughed out loud and at least once I felt my eyes prick with the hint of tears. Excellent, indeed
Review Date: 12/21/2010
It took me a bit to get into this story line. Unlike this author's other books, which I devoured! The premise got me from the beginning, but I stumbled through at first. I think I just didn't care for the main character, I found her annoying. Several things I figured out well in advance of the end. But overall a good story line.
Review Date: 5/15/2010
Extremely well written, but this may be the most disturbing book I have ever read. I didn't know if I would be able to finish it. The description on the back cover does not even begin to describe what this story is about. The depth of the depravity was unsettling. I have never been so glad to be done with a book.
Review Date: 7/9/2009
I really enjoyed this book, it was definitely a page turner. The insights into special needs and autistic children were good. The affects of those challenges on a family were very well done as well.
Review Date: 8/31/2009
What a good book. I loved the music and historical events references. But for me this book was not a page turner, once I knew how it was going to end I had trouble finishing. It was so sad that I had trouble making myself finish.
1 to 20 of 59 -
Page:
