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sabrah112's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
laughlinesandliterature's review against another edition
4.0
This book left me taken aback. I've never read anything by Bryn Greenwood but this book kind of left me stymied. I wasn't sure what to think, and honestly I still don't know what I think. I just know that if a book sticks with me that long and leaves me thinking about it, it has to be good. 4 out of 5 stars.
sim_96's review against another edition
4.0
THe story starts like this, one minute Jennifer is happy carefree, checking out her new shoes she just spent an enormous amount of money on. The next, she's on the floor making a promise to a dying woman that she will help her daughter. These chain of events leads to the story of Lie Lay Lain.
Olivia still lives at home with her parents and her brother. Not happy in her life, she meets a paramedic that would change everything.
The story was amazingly moving, slow in all the right places, quick in all the other. The two women are unflinchingly honest, not always with others but always with themselves and it brings a breath of fresh air to the novel.
As Jennifer begins to look for the little girl she promised to help and Olivia manages to keep a relationship, the woman face many twists and turns that force them to choose a path. Lie or tell the truth. And this novel will make you question everything about what the truth is and where your moral comppas lies.
My only complaint was that it ended way too soon, all these questions left unanswered will haunt me.
Olivia still lives at home with her parents and her brother. Not happy in her life, she meets a paramedic that would change everything.
The story was amazingly moving, slow in all the right places, quick in all the other. The two women are unflinchingly honest, not always with others but always with themselves and it brings a breath of fresh air to the novel.
As Jennifer begins to look for the little girl she promised to help and Olivia manages to keep a relationship, the woman face many twists and turns that force them to choose a path. Lie or tell the truth. And this novel will make you question everything about what the truth is and where your moral comppas lies.
My only complaint was that it ended way too soon, all these questions left unanswered will haunt me.
rodeorocks13's review against another edition
3.0
I received lie lay lain through goodreads firsts.
I actually enjoyed this book a lot. I got into it right away and couldn't put it down through the first quarter and then I got a little lost. The author seemed to have a lot of great ideas but she stuffed them into one book. The mixed themes got a little confusing at times. The characters however were well described and realistic and there is a lot of background so you feel like you know them and understand the lives they live. Bryn Greenwood is a very good writer and she has a good style of writing. She also has a lot of ideas and imagination. I will definitely check out her future books.
I actually enjoyed this book a lot. I got into it right away and couldn't put it down through the first quarter and then I got a little lost. The author seemed to have a lot of great ideas but she stuffed them into one book. The mixed themes got a little confusing at times. The characters however were well described and realistic and there is a lot of background so you feel like you know them and understand the lives they live. Bryn Greenwood is a very good writer and she has a good style of writing. She also has a lot of ideas and imagination. I will definitely check out her future books.
ruthenator's review against another edition
4.0
This is a well-written story with well-developed characters who are real people who are transformed over the course of the book due to various events and people they meet. It's not packed with action or thrills but there's something so compelling about it that I had a hard time putting it down at night and I ended up staying up much later than intended, reading one more chapter, one more chapter. I would have done better to sit and read larger chunks of it on the weekend and get more rest during the week. Anyway, I am not going to get into specifics about the plot but I don't understand why people are confused about this book. Some reviewers found the POV confusing, because it switched between "so many" characters. TWO. Not difficult to keep track of. Also people seem confused about the church part of it because the characters spend so much time at church yet it's not a religious book. What is confusing about that? Because it is set in a church, is it expected to have a bunch of moralizing and preaching?
Anyway, I am terrible at writing reviews but this is a very good book.
Anyway, I am terrible at writing reviews but this is a very good book.
debsd's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
sixpence1978's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
katsmiao's review against another edition
1.0
This was a DNF for me. I got about halfway through the book and then called it quits.
The story moves extremely slow, and the POV changes between Olivia and Jennifer with each chapter.
Their lives are extremely different, but they intersect and from there intertwine.
The book was just too slow for me, so it never did catch my full attention despite it's great premise
The story moves extremely slow, and the POV changes between Olivia and Jennifer with each chapter.
Their lives are extremely different, but they intersect and from there intertwine.
The book was just too slow for me, so it never did catch my full attention despite it's great premise