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annafrinzi's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Very emotional-couldn’t put book down
erinmp's review
3.0
Rachel Jensen has an almost perfect life: two beautiful children, a terrific husband, a nice house in a small town, and a job that she enjoys. Although she is often a worrier and pessimistic, it still takes her by surprise when her entire world crashes around. Her daughter has turned into a sullen, angry, volatile teenager practically overnight. And then when Kate is left alone with her baby brother, a horrific accident occurs that threatens to tear the family apart.
The book was pretty good and kept my attention longer than most of the recent bad books I've read, but it wasn't terrific. Shapiro seemed to drag things out and by the time I read about the incidents that she had been alluding to throughout the book, they were not only not a surprise, but completely anticlimactic. It could have been better, but it wasn't a horrible book. So-so.
The book was pretty good and kept my attention longer than most of the recent bad books I've read, but it wasn't terrific. Shapiro seemed to drag things out and by the time I read about the incidents that she had been alluding to throughout the book, they were not only not a surprise, but completely anticlimactic. It could have been better, but it wasn't a horrible book. So-so.
rovwade's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
melissakuzma's review
2.0
I didn't care for the way the author tried to build suspense by alternating chapters between the past and present, and not letting the reader know what the big family crisis was until more than halfway through the book. Because when you finally find out what it is, it's not even that interesting. And I thought the end left things too unresolved and unexplained.
cjsjellybean's review
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. It had a few twists and turns that were definitely unexpected. I think one of the main reasons I really liked this book is that everything in it was totally believable and not overly fake. Really enjoyable!!
nursenell's review
4.0
After reading the author's memoir, which I did not like at all, I found this book very good. It's the story of a family in crisis and it begs the question, why do some happy, seemingly well adjusted children become severely disturbed during adolescence? I have known 2-3 families this has happened to and it tears the family apart.
Ned and Rachel are a happily married couple with 1 daughter Kate, who has always been the apple of her parents' eyes. She returns from summer camp a changed child, sullen and withdrawn, and increasingly very oppositional deviant. Meanwhile Rachel has become pregnant after several miscarriages and they have a second child. Kate seems to be reverting to the old, happy Kate during her mother's pregnancy but the change is short lived. Soon there is an accident while Kate is watching her baby brother, and then she makes allegations against her teacher father, causing him to be fired. Against their better judgement they agree to place Kate in a residential treatment facility but will they leave her there? Will she improve?
We never learn what happened at the summer camp, and I don't understand the author's reason for not revealing that. It would seem something happened. Ned and Rachel's love for each other is severely tested but in the end it survives but will Kate? We don't know, the reader is left to decide how the story ends because the author doesn't tell us.
Ned and Rachel are a happily married couple with 1 daughter Kate, who has always been the apple of her parents' eyes. She returns from summer camp a changed child, sullen and withdrawn, and increasingly very oppositional deviant. Meanwhile Rachel has become pregnant after several miscarriages and they have a second child. Kate seems to be reverting to the old, happy Kate during her mother's pregnancy but the change is short lived. Soon there is an accident while Kate is watching her baby brother, and then she makes allegations against her teacher father, causing him to be fired. Against their better judgement they agree to place Kate in a residential treatment facility but will they leave her there? Will she improve?
We never learn what happened at the summer camp, and I don't understand the author's reason for not revealing that. It would seem something happened. Ned and Rachel's love for each other is severely tested but in the end it survives but will Kate? We don't know, the reader is left to decide how the story ends because the author doesn't tell us.
camilleward's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
kdtoverbooked's review
2.0
I felt like this story had such promise but just felt lack luster. What happened at camp to make her lose herself? Was she so self-centered that she really couldn't adapt to change that having a new sibling. Is it that she really does have a mental defect? I kept waiting for the past story to take more shape and it just never happened. Not one I would recommend to friends.
minvanwin's review against another edition
3.0
For some reason I thought it would be more of a thriller. It was not, but it was a perfectly fine, tense domestic drama. A note on the audio: the narrator's voice often warbles and scratches in such a way as to make her sound like a very elderly grandma, rather than a 40-year-old mother of a troubled teen and baby. The voice is particularly scratchy and screechy when she reads the dialog for the husband, Ned. Perhaps this one would work better in print?