Scan barcode
ppmarkgraf's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVE this author!!! What a great book--sad--but soooo good. Just found out from a friend at work the day before I finished it that it was also made into a movie in '07; I had no idea, but I will have to watch it. Looking forward to more of his writing.
garleighc's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
martyfried's review against another edition
5.0
This was a sad book with a sad ending for all. It illustrates the old saying "No good deed goes unpunished."
It's also a good book for a group read, I think. There are issues that make for good discussions, like whether it's right to break the law for a good cause, and whether it's right to take a child away from his/her mother if the mother is deemed to be unfit. We would like to think our infallible government is qualified and willing to decide this issue, but according to this book, they very rarely ever actually do this. But can we allow some arbitrary private citizen to decide? Of course not, because there are a lot of invalid reasons that this citizen might think protects the child, such as a gay parent, a Muslim parent, etc.
But aside from the dark issues, it was hard to put down, and the plot was not at all straight-forward.
It's also a good book for a group read, I think. There are issues that make for good discussions, like whether it's right to break the law for a good cause, and whether it's right to take a child away from his/her mother if the mother is deemed to be unfit. We would like to think our infallible government is qualified and willing to decide this issue, but according to this book, they very rarely ever actually do this. But can we allow some arbitrary private citizen to decide? Of course not, because there are a lot of invalid reasons that this citizen might think protects the child, such as a gay parent, a Muslim parent, etc.
But aside from the dark issues, it was hard to put down, and the plot was not at all straight-forward.
tinabaich's review against another edition
4.0
Gone, Baby, Gone is the third installment in Dennis Lehane's Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro series. This is the first of the series I've read so I can say with confidence that you don't have to read the previous titles in the series to understand or enjoy Gone, Baby, Gone. It's the story of a missing child. Amanda McCready has been missing for three days when private detectives Patrick and Angie come onto the case. They are reluctant to take it on, but the child's aunt won't take no for an answer. Patrick and Angie, who are also partners in life, quickly find themselves working with a pair of Boston police detectives and dealing with a less than terrific mother.
There are a number of twists and turns that make me loathe to say any more about the story. Suffice it to say, this story has wow factor. Lehane has constructed a tight plot that keeps you guessing but never has you disbelieving. In addition to being a great mystery, Gone, Baby, Gone is a powerful tale of choosing between right and wrong and the sometimes difficulty in deciding which is which. Lehane lightens the mood with wonderful and funny banter between his main characters, Patrick and Angie, and between them and the police detectives working the case.
I picked up Gone, Baby, Gone because of its relationship to the newest installment in this series, Moonlight Mile, which I received an advanced reading copy of. I'm glad I did. I may even go back and read the other titles featuring Patrick and Angie. I'm definitely going to be adding the film version of Gone, Baby, Gone to my Netflix queue. If you enjoy a good mystery, I definitely recommend Gone, Baby, Gone.
http://iubookgirl.blogspot.com/2010/11/review-gone-baby-gone.html
There are a number of twists and turns that make me loathe to say any more about the story. Suffice it to say, this story has wow factor. Lehane has constructed a tight plot that keeps you guessing but never has you disbelieving. In addition to being a great mystery, Gone, Baby, Gone is a powerful tale of choosing between right and wrong and the sometimes difficulty in deciding which is which. Lehane lightens the mood with wonderful and funny banter between his main characters, Patrick and Angie, and between them and the police detectives working the case.
I picked up Gone, Baby, Gone because of its relationship to the newest installment in this series, Moonlight Mile, which I received an advanced reading copy of. I'm glad I did. I may even go back and read the other titles featuring Patrick and Angie. I'm definitely going to be adding the film version of Gone, Baby, Gone to my Netflix queue. If you enjoy a good mystery, I definitely recommend Gone, Baby, Gone.
http://iubookgirl.blogspot.com/2010/11/review-gone-baby-gone.html
lareads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
sharptoe's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. I didn't want to put this book down. I'm glad I didn't remember the movie. This book is not for the squeamish as it has uber violent chapters that deal with abuse and killing of children. But, best book in this series (so far)
lilias's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to William Morrow for the copy!
It goes without saying, but the book is better than the movie.
I know movie makers have to make certain choices that whittle away some details of a book to make the story fit a feature length movie, but most of those choices for this film were centered around Angie’s character. They all but whittled her away for the movie. She’s just as much a private investigator as Patrick in the book, and when I watched the movie again just before finishing this book, I thought to myself, I swear, “Harvey Weinstein probably had something to do with this movie.” And lo, there on the Wikipedia page: Miramax. Gross. No wonder the strong and capable Angela from the book is a weepy second thought in B.Affleck’s directorial debut.
Anyway. This review is for the book, not the movie, right?
I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. This is a solid pager turner of a thriller. I’ve never read anything by Lehane before this, but I respect the choices he makes in this book, keeping the reader in a gray area under the gray sky of Boston. Plus I like wallowing in despair, and this was chock full of it.
I waffled between giving this three stars (solid and enjoyable) and four star (really gd good), and what it comes down to is I don’t need to read another of his books. I think I got it? And it was good.
It goes without saying, but the book is better than the movie.
I know movie makers have to make certain choices that whittle away some details of a book to make the story fit a feature length movie, but most of those choices for this film were centered around Angie’s character. They all but whittled her away for the movie. She’s just as much a private investigator as Patrick in the book, and when I watched the movie again just before finishing this book, I thought to myself, I swear, “Harvey Weinstein probably had something to do with this movie.” And lo, there on the Wikipedia page: Miramax. Gross. No wonder the strong and capable Angela from the book is a weepy second thought in B.Affleck’s directorial debut.
Anyway. This review is for the book, not the movie, right?
I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. This is a solid pager turner of a thriller. I’ve never read anything by Lehane before this, but I respect the choices he makes in this book, keeping the reader in a gray area under the gray sky of Boston. Plus I like wallowing in despair, and this was chock full of it.
I waffled between giving this three stars (solid and enjoyable) and four star (really gd good), and what it comes down to is I don’t need to read another of his books. I think I got it? And it was good.
rmarcelita08's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, and Violence
whitneyborup's review against another edition
4.0
I just watched the movie and wanted to see the comparison. Interesting that the movie moves Kenzie so far forward at the expense of Angie's autonomy. Though I can understand it because he is far more compelling in this story.