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taliatalksbooks's review
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
House on Fire by Bonnie Kistler was a fast-paced novel that didn’t hold back. While there were a few convenient moments, it was overall a really enjoyable read. The complications between the characters felt real and dynamic, though I do feel as though there were a few too many characters that felt hard to keep track of. The different cases didn’t seem to fit together and I found quite a number of grammatical mistakes in my copy of the book. Admittedly, I did pick this up at a used book store, so it’s possible it was an early print run, however, the mistakes in some instances were distracting and caused me to have to re-read sections to make sure I understood what was happening. The concept here was incredibly interesting, but it had a lot of (to me) unnecessary complications from characters who didn’t need to be a part of the narrative. If you’re looking for a new crime/courtroom suspense, you should add this to your TBR.
bryanfarmer's review
5.0
I found this book to be twisty and "what the hell happened during that car accident" the entire time. HOWEVER, I'll stick with the five star review, but I will say that whole side story (aka, the one not associated with the car accident) was totally crazy. It's a good ride, and I came to really like all the characters.
bookjedi98's review
2.0
A mystery/thriller that started out intriguing, but went downhill quickly. For more, check out my review at: https://www.projectbooklist.com/2019/06/book-review-house-on-fire-by-bonnie.html
m_d00lz's review against another edition
5.0
This one was an unexpected page turner! I thought about it all day at work today waiting till I had time to finish it! You don't know till the end who to believe and its heart breaking and intriguing. Very well written and the family and characters are so loving and wonderful. 10/10 I recommend you read this!
ajessiboyle's review against another edition
4.0
Going into this book, you know there will be crisis and tragedy. While taking us through that story, Kistler also provides us with plenty of twists and turns and suspense. While at times, I felt like some of the side stories were too predictable, I enjoyed how everything tied together in the end. I would recommend picking this book up, and you may not want to put it down! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
chelleivancic's review
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
tracybmc's review
4.0
How close can a perfectly blended step-family really be? Testing those limits of parenthood and childhood. Peter and Leigh have the seemingly perfect one with two left at home, 18 year old Kip and 14 year old Chrissy. For the first time Peter and Leigh leave Chrissy and Kip home alone for a weekend, and even though Kip is a straight A student, he does get into his share of trouble, and this night it means going to a party where this is alcohol served, and he takes the car, driving on a suspended license. But the parents are coming home early, Chrissy finds out, and she bikes to the party to tell Kip to come home fast. What happens next is a question and a tragedy and an accident. A dog in the road, a swerve, a tree in a tree, a trip to the police station, questions answered. Since Kip has more than a few infractions in his young life he is looking at a little more serious punishment, but just how serious? Serious enough to say that he wasn't the one driving, that his step-sister Chrissy was? Serious enough to tear this tight family apart, drawing lines in blood? Nobody should have to make those decisions. A good book with a little bit of a wonky side plot that does play out but, all in all, a good drama that reaches a satisfying conclusion.
keeperofthesea's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0