Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Hadley and Grace by Suzanne Redfearn

3 reviews

soobooksalot's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

The book Hadley & Grace has been compared to the movie Thelma & Louise, and with reason.
 Two women, practically strangers at the beginning, end up on the road together, on the run. Circumstances from their damaged lives have driven them away from their homes, and into running from the law. Add in their mix of children and it's quite a travelling road show. 
 This character-driven drama will grab you early on and keep you entertained throughout. It's sad, funny, hopeful, and secrets from each other's pasts keep the action moving. 
 Hadley & Grace by Suzanne Redfearn is rather unlike most books I've read and I was pulled in - by not only the characters (Skipper!) and the morphing friendships, but also the empowerment resulting through the journey. 
It's a story of women navigating lives they never intended, and being stronger together because of it.
 Recommended!

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serendipitysbooks's review

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adventurous fast-paced

3.5

 Hadley and Grace features a fast-paced, fun road trip where two women - virtual strangers - along with their three kids, inadvertently find themselves on the run from the FBI. It’s plot is highly implausible and you have to be able to suspend belief - realism is not the point of this one - but if you can you’ll find yourself cheering for Hadley and Grace, despite their imperfections. I did have some very complicated feelings about one character but I haven’t seen anyone else with the same feelings, so I’ll chalk it up as one of my personal quirks. Content warnings for domestic abuse and gambling so take care if these are triggers for you. Otherwise this is a good pick if you are in the mood for a real escapist read. 

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

 Title: Hadley & Grace
Author: Suzanne Redfearn
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: February 1st 2021

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing an e-ARC from via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

T H R E E • W O R D S

Fun • Chaotic • Delightful

📖 S Y N O P S I S

In the traditions of Thelma & Louise (without as much violence), Hadley and Grace is a modern day tale of two women escaping their lives, children in tow, to start anew. When they coincidentally find their fates intertwined, they will plot and race to stay ahead of the trouble chasing them. A tale packed with misfortune, chaos and danger, it is a story of motherhood, unlikely friendships, self-discovery and what it means to be a family.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Let me just start out my saying what a fun and wild ride! Hadley and Grace are both such loveable characters, as are the kids, and I couldn't help but root for them in their dramatic, and often times hilarious, roller-coaster ride. I particularly loved the theme centering around what it means to be a family. The author also did a wonderful job keeping me engaged, although at time the plot was highly unbelievable. The added touches of kindness as they run from the law, were a beautiful touch.

If you're looking for a fun, fast-paced story similar to Thelma & Louise, or an escape from everyday life definitely check this book out. It would also make for many interesting discussions within a book club, sure to offer a lot of laughs.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Thelma & Louise
• anyone longing for a roadtrip

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Time is a thief, she thinks. You believe you have an infinite amount of it, but then you blink and everything that was has been replaced with something else entirely."

"'No. Like there's this really great person buried deep inside, and she really wants to get out, but she can't because you're already this other person, and I don't know, it's like she's in the way or something, blocking the better you from getting out.'"

"She wants to tell her it's okay. Smiling doesn't mean she doesn't care. It's only a symptom of life carrying on, which inevitably it does. No matter how cataclysmic the events, and even in light of the worst tragedies, hearts continue to beat, lungs continue to draw air, and something things continue to be funny.
Some pain changes you, alters you permanently and tattoos your soul. 'Forever pain,' her grandmother called it, but amazingly you still live through it. And eventually, even forever pain recedes and grows less sharp. You wake up one day to discover it no longer fills every corner of your mind. It's still there, lurking in the background, but it's less present and pronounced [...]" 

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