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illidia316's review against another edition
5.0
This book grabbed me from the very first sentence, and kept my attention throughout the entire ride. I love how the story was told from different points of view - my favorite was that of Jack, a 3rd grader obsessed with superheroes. The story itself was phenomenal. I found myself clocking in late from lunch on several occasions because I could just not put it down. Can't wait to read more by this author!
lianamathias's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. I read this in about 5 hours, couldn't put it down. Predictable, but still gives you the chills.
sjj169's review against another edition
5.0
I guess it's fitting that this book is my 1000th review here on Goodreads. It's a personal one so if you don't like that kind of thing don't read my review. I'm not attention whoring on it. This review is for me. I thought I had no triggers when reading, this book proved to me that I'm wrong.
Ava is married to Mitchell Carson. We see that he is a bit controlling over her when the book begins. She has a new baby (Sam) and has recently adopted Jack who is from a previous marriage of Mitchell's. She knows that Mitchell doesn't care as much for the new baby since he really wasn't ready for a new child but she pushes onward. Even after Mitchell sends in her resignation to her job as a school guidance counselor.
They end up getting in a big argument over the fact that Ava can't seem to do anything right. She doesn't manage the couple of hundred dollars a month that he gives her for groceries, gas and other household duties, she spends too much time with the boys, so many things that she just doesn't measure up with. She in a fit of anger asks if they need time apart.
Mitchell reacts to this by moving out. He gets even more aggressive towards Ava. Then he calls and wants the boys for a few hours. Ava agrees and then when the boys aren't returned she calls him. He is not giving the boys back. He files for divorce and total custody.
Then a whole new side of Mitchell starts to emerge. He calls every lawyer in the area so that Ava can't use them. Except for the one new guy Graham who has some demons of his own.
Mitchell is a big wig at the college so he has lots of pull. The judge automatically sides with him and his lawyer (who happens to be the judge's buddy) Ava is excluded from her boys.
It escalates even more when Mitchell starts telling people including Jack that his mom is having an affair and that she is a drunk. He even does things to set her up to make her look even more unstable.
Ava at first will come off as weak to some readers. I however, have been in her position so I felt for this character the entire story. She does not bad mouth her soon to be ex-husband. She just wants her boys to have a stable happy life.
There are multiple viewpoints that the story is told from Ava, Mitchell (you get inside the monster of this man-even to the fact that he believes his behavior is completely fine), Graham (her attorney), The psychiatrist that the court appointed to help decide on custody arrangements and eight year old Jack. Jack's point of view did read much older than his years but in cases of divorce and child custody children age faster than normal so it didn't take away from the book for me. His thoughts revolve around his younger brother Sam and how to save the world and fix everything as one of his heroes. The superheroes found in his comic books.
Whenever I'd get mad or upset, she'd give me a stick of gum instead of a lecture. Like, to say, instead of freaking out, wait five minutes, think about things. Whatever's wrong might not seem so bad then.
Now if you follow my reviews you know I can read just about anything. Serial killers? Piece of cake. Gory horror, doesn't even give me pause.
This book? It gutted me. I had to actually stop reading so many times because tears blurred my vision. Last night my husband asked me why I was punishing myself by reading this book.
I wanted someone even if it was a book character to get their happily ever after even if it was fictional.
It's been over two years since I've spoken or been able to see my daughter. It's been the hardest years of my entire life. My ex-husband also painted a tainted picture of me. Did I have a clue? Not at all.
Don't think it can't happen to you.
We had been divorced for over ten years. We had attended extensive parenting classes that told us to never talk badly about the other parent that it would come back to bite you in the end.
I never did. I can honestly sit here and type this with a completely clear conscience of that. He on the other hand. Every time one of my children and I would have an argument and he found out about it he would make sure they knew he was the "cooler" parent and that they could move in with him at anytime.
Two years ago my daughter got mad because I freaked out about something that she was doing. I thought that we had worked everything out. Little did I know that he was picking her up at school and working to gain custody of her.
We went to court several times and I was painted horribly. I had always been very close with her and I admit that I was so crushed during that time period that I wasn't completely thinking straight. That's what this woman in this book went through also.
You never imagine that you can be manipulated by the courts and a lawyer that is friendly with the judges. Guess again people.
My story is long and drawn out and I'm not going into particulars. I do think that parental alienation should be a crime. I think the courts should investigate further when these cases come up. Not just for the parent with the most money or connections. Love can't be bought.
Anyways. This book. I hope to everything that this author is not writing from experience. She does an amazing job of it if she's not. She writes like she knows this pain. She gets five stars from me. Not because I liked the book-Like I said it was painful for me and I had nightmares last night. But BECAUSE SOMEONE NEEDS TO KNOW THEY AREN'T THE ONLY ONE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
Source: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for review.
Ava is married to Mitchell Carson. We see that he is a bit controlling over her when the book begins. She has a new baby (Sam) and has recently adopted Jack who is from a previous marriage of Mitchell's. She knows that Mitchell doesn't care as much for the new baby since he really wasn't ready for a new child but she pushes onward. Even after Mitchell sends in her resignation to her job as a school guidance counselor.
They end up getting in a big argument over the fact that Ava can't seem to do anything right. She doesn't manage the couple of hundred dollars a month that he gives her for groceries, gas and other household duties, she spends too much time with the boys, so many things that she just doesn't measure up with. She in a fit of anger asks if they need time apart.
Mitchell reacts to this by moving out. He gets even more aggressive towards Ava. Then he calls and wants the boys for a few hours. Ava agrees and then when the boys aren't returned she calls him. He is not giving the boys back. He files for divorce and total custody.
Then a whole new side of Mitchell starts to emerge. He calls every lawyer in the area so that Ava can't use them. Except for the one new guy Graham who has some demons of his own.
Mitchell is a big wig at the college so he has lots of pull. The judge automatically sides with him and his lawyer (who happens to be the judge's buddy) Ava is excluded from her boys.
It escalates even more when Mitchell starts telling people including Jack that his mom is having an affair and that she is a drunk. He even does things to set her up to make her look even more unstable.
Ava at first will come off as weak to some readers. I however, have been in her position so I felt for this character the entire story. She does not bad mouth her soon to be ex-husband. She just wants her boys to have a stable happy life.
There are multiple viewpoints that the story is told from Ava, Mitchell (you get inside the monster of this man-even to the fact that he believes his behavior is completely fine), Graham (her attorney), The psychiatrist that the court appointed to help decide on custody arrangements and eight year old Jack. Jack's point of view did read much older than his years but in cases of divorce and child custody children age faster than normal so it didn't take away from the book for me. His thoughts revolve around his younger brother Sam and how to save the world and fix everything as one of his heroes. The superheroes found in his comic books.
Whenever I'd get mad or upset, she'd give me a stick of gum instead of a lecture. Like, to say, instead of freaking out, wait five minutes, think about things. Whatever's wrong might not seem so bad then.
Now if you follow my reviews you know I can read just about anything. Serial killers? Piece of cake. Gory horror, doesn't even give me pause.
This book? It gutted me. I had to actually stop reading so many times because tears blurred my vision. Last night my husband asked me why I was punishing myself by reading this book.
I wanted someone even if it was a book character to get their happily ever after even if it was fictional.
It's been over two years since I've spoken or been able to see my daughter. It's been the hardest years of my entire life. My ex-husband also painted a tainted picture of me. Did I have a clue? Not at all.
Don't think it can't happen to you.
We had been divorced for over ten years. We had attended extensive parenting classes that told us to never talk badly about the other parent that it would come back to bite you in the end.
I never did. I can honestly sit here and type this with a completely clear conscience of that. He on the other hand. Every time one of my children and I would have an argument and he found out about it he would make sure they knew he was the "cooler" parent and that they could move in with him at anytime.
Two years ago my daughter got mad because I freaked out about something that she was doing. I thought that we had worked everything out. Little did I know that he was picking her up at school and working to gain custody of her.
We went to court several times and I was painted horribly. I had always been very close with her and I admit that I was so crushed during that time period that I wasn't completely thinking straight. That's what this woman in this book went through also.
You never imagine that you can be manipulated by the courts and a lawyer that is friendly with the judges. Guess again people.
My story is long and drawn out and I'm not going into particulars. I do think that parental alienation should be a crime. I think the courts should investigate further when these cases come up. Not just for the parent with the most money or connections. Love can't be bought.
Anyways. This book. I hope to everything that this author is not writing from experience. She does an amazing job of it if she's not. She writes like she knows this pain. She gets five stars from me. Not because I liked the book-Like I said it was painful for me and I had nightmares last night. But BECAUSE SOMEONE NEEDS TO KNOW THEY AREN'T THE ONLY ONE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
Source: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for review.
highladyofthenightcourt21's review against another edition
4.0
This book had an amazing storyline! It's one of those thrillers that makes you think how terrifying it'd be to be in a situation like Ava's.
My only issue was that Jack, the 8 year old of the story, speaks as though he's 16 years old. Sometimes it worked for me, and others it didn't. Still a great book though!
My only issue was that Jack, the 8 year old of the story, speaks as though he's 16 years old. Sometimes it worked for me, and others it didn't. Still a great book though!
nicolethomp's review against another edition
4.0
Audiobook review. Couldn't stop listening to this one. I enjoyed the inclusion of various perspectives and voices, especially that of Jack, the 8 year old boy caught in the middle of the battle between his parents. The end was slightly disappointing, which kept me from giving a full five stars.
readinggrrl's review against another edition
4.0
This book keeps you on edge, switching back and forth between different characters you get to see each persons point of view, their feelings and motivations. The hardest ones to read were written as if Jack, Mitchell's son from his first marriage, were talking. The struggle between loving his dad but knowing he is a monster and loving his mother Ava but not wanting to get in trouble for caring about her made my heart ache for him. I felt like the photo on the cover hanging on by a thread cheering for Ava and hoping that Mitchell gets his due.
The manipulations and insanity are terrifying because you can see how easily it could happen to someone. There were a few times I wanted to scream at Ava to wake up and realize how dangerous Mitchell is. The same could be said for some of the other characters in the book, but sociopaths are such likable people most of the time and rarely show their true colors in public. It is super frustrating watching Mitchell mold his world to his whim and have people fall in line believing his every word but it happens all the time.
I found myself super invested in these characters which kept me turning the pages when I really should have been doing other things. Great read, fabulous beach read (just remember to turn over every now and then).
The manipulations and insanity are terrifying because you can see how easily it could happen to someone. There were a few times I wanted to scream at Ava to wake up and realize how dangerous Mitchell is. The same could be said for some of the other characters in the book, but sociopaths are such likable people most of the time and rarely show their true colors in public. It is super frustrating watching Mitchell mold his world to his whim and have people fall in line believing his every word but it happens all the time.
I found myself super invested in these characters which kept me turning the pages when I really should have been doing other things. Great read, fabulous beach read (just remember to turn over every now and then).
jordantheune's review against another edition
3.0
I experienced a lot of emotions during this book. Most of the writing was fine, but Jack's parts were absolutely dreadful. The author was not prepared to write from a child's POV. So many of the comments, details and descriptions were out of line with what one would experience with a true 8-year-old. As for the plot, it was interesting but not exactly original. I think we all knew how the story would play out. The idea that someone could completely control public opinion the way that Mitchell was able to with Ava is truly terrifying. The way he was able to manipulate situations and plant evidence against her made me ask, "What really stops people from being able to get away with something like this in real life?" It's a scary thought, and I'm kind of surprised I don't hear of something like this (a milder version, of course) happening more often.
listenandread's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ericadamore's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cora273's review against another edition
2.0
This book is about a wife, husband and their two children. The wife soon finds out that the husband has quite a dark side to him and she begins to question everything that she knew to be true about him and their marriage. She ends up hiring a lawyer and the book description says he has a "secret past" and that everything changes after he stumbles into her life. I just finished reading the book today and don't remember anything about a secret past that he had.
In some ways, this book loosely reminds me of Gone Girl except that this book involves children - which makes it much more sad than Gone Girl. The children are placed in bad situations that really take away from the suspense/thriller aspect of the book if you feel sorry for the kids (like I did) which is easy to do since part of it takes place from the 8 years old's perspective. Two odd things about this book - the 8 year old gives his perspective but it definitely seems to be the perspective of a much older child, I'd say around 11 or 12; and would a lawyer ever tell a client that she should do investigating and questioning on her own? That seemed weird to me.
Anyways, this book is published by Thomas Nelson which I think is a Christian publishing company but this book did have one description of a sex scene that goes into more detail than a Christian book normally would and also has a few (about three) bad words thrown in which Christian books normally do not have. For a non-Christian book, both the sex scene description and bad words are not even noticeable, but for a Christian book - basically unheard of. There is a reason that some people read Christian books and they would expect the book to not contain descriptions or words such as those. Neither was really necessary anyways.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend it. Christian or non-Christian, there are better books out there.
*Read in August 2015
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
In some ways, this book loosely reminds me of Gone Girl except that this book involves children - which makes it much more sad than Gone Girl. The children are placed in bad situations that really take away from the suspense/thriller aspect of the book if you feel sorry for the kids (like I did) which is easy to do since part of it takes place from the 8 years old's perspective. Two odd things about this book - the 8 year old gives his perspective but it definitely seems to be the perspective of a much older child, I'd say around 11 or 12; and would a lawyer ever tell a client that she should do investigating and questioning on her own? That seemed weird to me.
Anyways, this book is published by Thomas Nelson which I think is a Christian publishing company but this book did have one description of a sex scene that goes into more detail than a Christian book normally would and also has a few (about three) bad words thrown in which Christian books normally do not have. For a non-Christian book, both the sex scene description and bad words are not even noticeable, but for a Christian book - basically unheard of. There is a reason that some people read Christian books and they would expect the book to not contain descriptions or words such as those. Neither was really necessary anyways.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend it. Christian or non-Christian, there are better books out there.
*Read in August 2015
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers