Reviews

Serena by Ron Rash

jenniferstringer's review against another edition

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3.0

surprised they are making a movie of this...not much of a plot.

angeli04's review against another edition

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5.0

This is by far the best book I have read all year. I am a little late to the party, but man, this book. It grabbed me by the lapels and did not let go. The story is set in the 1930’s, during the height of the lumber and logging industry in North Carolina. This book is not for the faint of heart. It shows you man’s capability for extreme exploitation, cruelty and heartlessness. Yet I could not look away.

erincataldi's review against another edition

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3.0

Wow, all I can say is... what a stone cold bitch! Serena is like a magestic, powerful panther that will gobble you up first chance she gets! I can hardly imagine how Jennifer Lawrence is going to play such a vile and twisted woman later this year on the big screen, so obviously I'll have to go see the movie version as well.

This award winning novel takes place in the North Carolina mountains amidst the Great Depression and follows newlyweds Serena and George Pemberton as they build focus on building and improving their timber empire in the mountains. Serena has decided that nothing or no one will get in their way, she is a resourceful woman and all men lay in awe of her, even her husband. When she discovers that she can bear no children she decides that if she can't have an heir then neither can her husband and she uses her one handed servant to track down and kill the illegitimate son that George sired before they had met.

This is a dark and twisting tale that explores just how deep greed and lust can go. Violence ensues.

Great book, but not a light read.

mmc6661's review against another edition

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3.0

what a wicked lady ! Enjoyed the setting being that I live in NC and love the Asheville area. This book is not for one who enjoys a light read but delivers a hard edgy story.

tamdot's review against another edition

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3.0

Well written but the main characters have no redeeming qualities.

lady_darkpelican's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

ammbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

I loved the glimpses into the creation of the Smokey Mountain National Park.....but never quite warmed up to the main characters. But not sure we are suppose to.

missy_evanko's review against another edition

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2.0

A little weird. Slow going to get to the plot that the back cover describes.

hatrireads's review against another edition

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4.0

I'm so glad to discover Ron Rash, thanks to Richard Howorth of Square Books. This was an engrossing read and a great story!

jessicatempleton's review against another edition

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4.0

I watched the movie and was confused by the plot, so I did what I always do in cases like that, find the book. The book was way better than the movie, a good read.