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piercedpetals's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
justlily's review against another edition
2.0
This started off poorly with a writing style that I just could not figure out or get behind. The sentences were short and choppy. There was no emotion whatsoever for something that's incredibly emotional. It was just awkward and bland.
About 15% in until about 50%, the book was actually good. Secrets were revealed, the alternating character voices were great. It was like it was written by a completely different author than the beginning.
Then that first author kicked back in and it became an absolute chore to finish this book. At the end, I still don't feel like I cared about any of the characters or the situation. It was a decent story, despite a predictable outcome, but it was just poorly written.
About 15% in until about 50%, the book was actually good. Secrets were revealed, the alternating character voices were great. It was like it was written by a completely different author than the beginning.
Then that first author kicked back in and it became an absolute chore to finish this book. At the end, I still don't feel like I cared about any of the characters or the situation. It was a decent story, despite a predictable outcome, but it was just poorly written.
apriltwilights's review against another edition
3.0
This book was not as good as I was hoping/expecting it to be. She seems to be a Jodi Picoult type author, except her characters are no as developed. It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a great one either.
hyzenthlay76's review against another edition
2.0
A page-turner, but a few clumsy spots kept it from being great.
belle505's review against another edition
2.0
Poorly written, unbelievable story line, characters unrelatable.
claudiaswisher's review against another edition
4.0
A beautifully written book about secrets and lies, and how they never hold. Teens in a small town drink, party, have sex, and a girl is raped. She can't remember who did it, but her boyfriend at the time, Crow, is put on trial. Parents have secrets, kids have secrets. And we wait. This will make a good book to recommend to my students...for its content and its writing.
butcept's review against another edition
1.0
I went on a quick reading rampage, after finishing Tree of Smoke, and devoured a book over the weekend.
It started off intriguing: two teenagers, off to "do it" for the first time, only to have a violent gang rape occur to the girl as the boyfriend leaves her alone for a few minutes to get a rubber. And then it happens: the boyfriend is accused and the girl can't remember a thing.
And all along it is known that he didn't do it with other boys. And throughout the story, it is pretty much revealed who were the culprits...even though the young girl cannot remember.
A lot of other story lines are entwined about several characters, including the parents of all mentioned in the book. I wasn't really captured by any of the characters. There were flaws in all of them but they were also made out to be better than the people they were. For instance, the young rape victim finally remembers and feels sorry for the men who did this to her. She faces them and they are all sorry for what they did.
And throughout, we are lead to believe that it was an act of randomness, due to drinking and pot. They really aren't those kinds of boys.
And successful parents are also flawed. But also very good. The boyfriend who was accused, well his parents were madly in love with one another, yet the father has been having an affair with his wife's sister for years...and is madly in love with her.
So I really couldn't feel for the characters and there were just too many ugly sides to each one that just made me feel nothing for them, the story, or the book. I couldn't comprehend why the title? And what was, if any, the moral to the story? I'm not saying every book needs a moral, but it needs a story and I couldn't figure out what this story and/or moral was about.
And at the back of the book, there is a section for "Questions for the Reader"...apparently, a book for Book Club selections. And one of the questions was something like, Why do you think the author quoted Alfred Lord Tennyson to open the story? And I thought, I have no earthly idea...
It started off intriguing: two teenagers, off to "do it" for the first time, only to have a violent gang rape occur to the girl as the boyfriend leaves her alone for a few minutes to get a rubber. And then it happens: the boyfriend is accused and the girl can't remember a thing.
And all along it is known that he didn't do it with other boys. And throughout the story, it is pretty much revealed who were the culprits...even though the young girl cannot remember.
A lot of other story lines are entwined about several characters, including the parents of all mentioned in the book. I wasn't really captured by any of the characters. There were flaws in all of them but they were also made out to be better than the people they were. For instance, the young rape victim finally remembers and feels sorry for the men who did this to her. She faces them and they are all sorry for what they did.
And throughout, we are lead to believe that it was an act of randomness, due to drinking and pot. They really aren't those kinds of boys.
And successful parents are also flawed. But also very good. The boyfriend who was accused, well his parents were madly in love with one another, yet the father has been having an affair with his wife's sister for years...and is madly in love with her.
So I really couldn't feel for the characters and there were just too many ugly sides to each one that just made me feel nothing for them, the story, or the book. I couldn't comprehend why the title? And what was, if any, the moral to the story? I'm not saying every book needs a moral, but it needs a story and I couldn't figure out what this story and/or moral was about.
And at the back of the book, there is a section for "Questions for the Reader"...apparently, a book for Book Club selections. And one of the questions was something like, Why do you think the author quoted Alfred Lord Tennyson to open the story? And I thought, I have no earthly idea...
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