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3.18 AVERAGE
3.18 AVERAGE
Okay so, I have very mixed feelings about this book. While I did enjoy the writing and found the storyline quite compelling, my main issues were about the opinions expressed in the book. The book - narrated from the perspective of 13-year-old Meredith and her mother, Claire- follows Meredith's life leading to and after the abduction of Lisa Bellow, a popular girl Meredith hates. Meredith and Claire's thoughts are interesting, unique, offering a wonderful view of the events. Meredith is a typical 13-year-old; a bit insecure, a bit too angry at everyone, definitely not a heroine that stands out. Claire, on the other hand, is often cold, mean, calculating and even cunning, ready to defend her children at all costs. Reesembling characters like Cersei Lannister, she was definitely the most interesting character in the book for me.
However, i can not look past the slut-shaming of the book. Meredith, her friends, even her older brother and parents regularly refer to Lisa and her group of friends as 'sluts', 'slutty' and 'bitches'. And the thing is, their view never changes, it never gets challenged. No one ever tells you - as a reader- that they are wrong, the slut-shaming occurs and the author never bothers to say "it's wrong". When Meredith is thinking about Lisa and what she may be going through, she is certain Lisa is getting r*ped. She comes to the conclusion though, that whatever happens is not "actual r*pe" because it's not happening randomly behind bushes and she even wonders if Lisa could be somehow enjoying this. Again, this view, this opinion is just stated and never challenged.
Overall the book was quite original, with its interesting ending and compelling writing making it an enjoyable read, despite its various issues.
However, i can not look past the slut-shaming of the book. Meredith, her friends, even her older brother and parents regularly refer to Lisa and her group of friends as 'sluts', 'slutty' and 'bitches'. And the thing is, their view never changes, it never gets challenged. No one ever tells you - as a reader- that they are wrong, the slut-shaming occurs and the author never bothers to say "it's wrong". When Meredith is thinking about Lisa and what she may be going through, she is certain Lisa is getting r*ped. She comes to the conclusion though, that whatever happens is not "actual r*pe" because it's not happening randomly behind bushes and she even wonders if Lisa could be somehow enjoying this. Again, this view, this opinion is just stated and never challenged.
Overall the book was quite original, with its interesting ending and compelling writing making it an enjoyable read, despite its various issues.
This sucked me right in from page one. I loved so many of the characters. The writing really spoke to me. It is rare that I flag passages or mark pages and this book found me doing that multiple times. This is a book that will stick with me for quite some time.
I had such high hopes for this novel after hearing several readers that I trust say that they enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work for me. I understand why some people did enjoy it but I didn't connect with it. It's definitely readable. I was never bored, it's a good story. However, I was hoping for more given the hype. It felt as if the story never really went anywhere. It just explored the aftermath of the main event but never really provided any closure for me. I'm sure that was the author's intention and it seemed to work for many. It just didn't work for me in this case. I kept waiting for something to happen that I would care about and it just never happened. In fact, the one aspect of the story that I did want to know more about ... never came to a conclusion. Ugh. All in all, it just didn't work for me. But, know that MANY readers have really loved this one so you should give it a shot if it sounds interesting to you.
This book was definitely a tough one to get through. I felt the pace was just too slow for me and I didn't quite understand why some of the characters were developed but didn't fully tie in to the story. There was a point where I wanted to DNF the book but ended up pushing through to see how it would all wrap up in the end. Another part the left me frustrated was that some of the scenes didn't make sense or feel like it belonged as part of the story altogether. The concept of the novel was one that had me intrigued but I found I was disappointed at the end result unfortunately. This book was just not really for me despite being a thriller which is my typical genre to read.
Three stars only bec I was confused listen to it in audio. Only after reading reviews 3/4 of
the way did I make sense of the parallel storylines. Outside of that, it was a well-written story. The ending was not what I expected. I was hoping for a resolution to the major event.
the way did I make sense of the parallel storylines. Outside of that, it was a well-written story. The ending was not what I expected. I was hoping for a resolution to the major event.
I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from [b:The Fall of Lisa Bellow|30753832|The Fall of Lisa Bellow|Susan Perabo|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1467551841s/30753832.jpg|51302246]. I’d never heard of Susan Perabo, but the blurb grabbed me with its promise of similarities to [b:Everything I Never Told You|18693763|Everything I Never Told You|Celeste Ng|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386795198s/18693763.jpg|26542311] and [b:Room|7937843|Room|Emma Donoghue|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344265419s/7937843.jpg|9585076], two of the best books I’ve read so far in 2016. This can be a double edged sword, going into a book with such high expectations. Fortunately, Lisa Bellow lived up to this tall order.
This is the story of Meredith Oliver, an insecure eighth grade girl who goes into the local deli for a root beer after school, only to witness a robbery and the kidnapping of Lisa Bellow, the pretty, popular girl who Meredith had always disdained. This summary may make it sound like a thriller, but it’s not. This is a quiet character study of a novel, and a careful examination into the psychology of those affected by trauma. In the aftermath of the event, Meredith grapples with the guilt of being the one left behind, and feels a closeness to Lisa that she’s unable to understand. While the obvious choice would have been to center this story around Lisa’s abduction, Susan Perabo opts for the often unexamined perspective: the story of the girl who didn’t get taken, whose life was changed by the event in less ostensible, less quantifiable ways.
This novel weaves between Meredith’s point of view and that of her mother, Claire, whose older son has also recently undergone a severe ordeal. While I thought Meredith was a compelling narrator - insecure, scared, and vulnerable - I found it difficult to sympathize with Claire. I wouldn’t say that I prefer characters to be likable, necessarily - with female characters especially, I think it’s important to let them be flawed and honest, even if it means sacrificing more ‘desirable' characteristics. But for some reason, I never found Claire compelling in her imperfection: I never wanted to dig to the root of her flaws, to really understand her. It didn’t matter so much that I didn’t like her; the problem was that I found myself completely unable to care.
My indifference toward Claire’s character is my main criticism. Otherwise I thought this was a very impressive debut novel. Perabo’s prose was both incisive and compelling; she creates a captivating, page-turning read which both stimulates and challenges the reader. Finally, it bears repeating: don’t go into this novel expecting a thriller. Sure, you’ll want to know what happened to Lisa, but don’t expect that to be the point. This is Meredith’s story, in all its messiness and tension and fragility. Perabo bypasses any temptation to sanitize or sensationalize this story, and deftly cuts to the heart of the drama in a way which is admirably real. A very thought-provoking read.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from [b:The Fall of Lisa Bellow|30753832|The Fall of Lisa Bellow|Susan Perabo|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1467551841s/30753832.jpg|51302246]. I’d never heard of Susan Perabo, but the blurb grabbed me with its promise of similarities to [b:Everything I Never Told You|18693763|Everything I Never Told You|Celeste Ng|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386795198s/18693763.jpg|26542311] and [b:Room|7937843|Room|Emma Donoghue|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344265419s/7937843.jpg|9585076], two of the best books I’ve read so far in 2016. This can be a double edged sword, going into a book with such high expectations. Fortunately, Lisa Bellow lived up to this tall order.
This is the story of Meredith Oliver, an insecure eighth grade girl who goes into the local deli for a root beer after school, only to witness a robbery and the kidnapping of Lisa Bellow, the pretty, popular girl who Meredith had always disdained. This summary may make it sound like a thriller, but it’s not. This is a quiet character study of a novel, and a careful examination into the psychology of those affected by trauma. In the aftermath of the event, Meredith grapples with the guilt of being the one left behind, and feels a closeness to Lisa that she’s unable to understand. While the obvious choice would have been to center this story around Lisa’s abduction, Susan Perabo opts for the often unexamined perspective: the story of the girl who didn’t get taken, whose life was changed by the event in less ostensible, less quantifiable ways.
This novel weaves between Meredith’s point of view and that of her mother, Claire, whose older son has also recently undergone a severe ordeal. While I thought Meredith was a compelling narrator - insecure, scared, and vulnerable - I found it difficult to sympathize with Claire. I wouldn’t say that I prefer characters to be likable, necessarily - with female characters especially, I think it’s important to let them be flawed and honest, even if it means sacrificing more ‘desirable' characteristics. But for some reason, I never found Claire compelling in her imperfection: I never wanted to dig to the root of her flaws, to really understand her. It didn’t matter so much that I didn’t like her; the problem was that I found myself completely unable to care.
My indifference toward Claire’s character is my main criticism. Otherwise I thought this was a very impressive debut novel. Perabo’s prose was both incisive and compelling; she creates a captivating, page-turning read which both stimulates and challenges the reader. Finally, it bears repeating: don’t go into this novel expecting a thriller. Sure, you’ll want to know what happened to Lisa, but don’t expect that to be the point. This is Meredith’s story, in all its messiness and tension and fragility. Perabo bypasses any temptation to sanitize or sensationalize this story, and deftly cuts to the heart of the drama in a way which is admirably real. A very thought-provoking read.
This littel unknown gem of a book has sat on my kindle for waaaay too long! It was one of those that I really wanted to read, but for whatever reason never actually picked up. I'm so happy I finally read it! It follows the stress and aftermath of a robbery and kidnapping. The author left a lot of space for interpretation on certain things which I really liked. The characters were beautifully developed. I'm glad I finally read it, and can promote and recommend this book today.
Originally Published On Books In Her Head
Before picking this book up I had seen the The Fall of Lisa Bellow floating around Goodreads for awhile–due to my interest in the thriller/mystery the title had come up. I was intrigued. The premise, particularly the focus on middle school girls, was one I anticipated to be fascinating. Most literary fiction with non adult characters focus at least on high schoolers, where as the 12-14 range seems a little ignored. I went on to pick up The Fall of Lisa Bellow at my school's library at the end of last school year and brought it home with me for the summer (at my high school you are allowed to check out books from the school library for the summer).
Quickly into the novel Perabo asserts the fact that the protagonist Meredith is not your average 8th grade girl. She's calmer, more mature almost, and is very much in tune with the happenings of her household. "Shallow" interests or not, Meredith consciously hides them from her family in her effort to be almost as unnoticeable as possible. At the start of the novel the Meredith's entire family remains haunted my the injury of Meredith's brother, Evan. Although this moment occurs before the start of the novel it remains critical to the story in that the ramifications of the event marked the ending of the seemingly happy bliss the family experienced before the injury and the events that followed.
One of the most fascinating aspects of The Fall of Lisa Bellow was that despite the focus on Meredith's character Meredith's mother was another character who Perabo chose to dial in on. Claire (the mother) is strangely unstable throughout the novel, heavily affected by the late-in-life dissolution of her childhood family. With the loss of childhood familiarity Claire has moments in which she reverts into a more childlike state–to the point in fact that there were scenes in which Meredith was the mature person in the room. Claire and Meredith's relationship aside, Clarie's relationship with her husband remained another point of particular interest for me. Meredith's father (and Claire's husband) remained a boring character throughout the entire novel. I can't decide whether he was just boringly written or if he was boring because his character was simple (probably a combination of both). Nevertheless, the husband's boringness certainly caused fascinating marital issues between Claire and her husband. In fact, their relationship was truly the most telling in terms of Claire's instability and the lengths that she would un-regretfully go.
As facinating as the relationships were between Meredith and her family, I adored Meredith's personal arch over the course of the novel. Very quickly after the opening Meredith witnesses the kidnapping of her popular classmate Lisa Bellow and remains paralyzied in fear for the majority of the event. In the aftermath of the kidnapping Meredith proves to be a particularly mature 13 year old girl in that she remains spookily calm and rational about the painful realities of Lisa's assumed situation. In reality, she retreats to an internal fantasy that creates an awesome alternate timeline dynamic for the novel–Meredith's mental processing of the trauma serves as a alternate situation for the reader to consider. Time and time again I was compelled with the maturity Perabo had Meredith show; one moment stood out particularly:
"Sometimes she felt like her mother would be happier if there were no actual people in her life, but rather just a series of tasks to complete" (Perabo 295).
Final Thoughts:
The Fall of Lisa Bellow was one of the reads from this summer that sticks out in my mind. The narration was compelling, but more so were the fascinating lives of the characters Perabo examines. She dives into them so psychologically that I left the novel feeling more affected by the character's decisions than I did by the plot. The novel most certainly focused on Meredith and her mother–but I found their unconventional mother daughter relationship to be utterly captivating and was not disappointed with their stronger depiction (knowing that other characters were focused on less). It should be noted that The Fall of Lisa Bellow is much more of a slow build, character driven psychological mystery than a traditional mystery thriller. I kinda dig it–but I'd keep that in mind when considering this novel.
Before picking this book up I had seen the The Fall of Lisa Bellow floating around Goodreads for awhile–due to my interest in the thriller/mystery the title had come up. I was intrigued. The premise, particularly the focus on middle school girls, was one I anticipated to be fascinating. Most literary fiction with non adult characters focus at least on high schoolers, where as the 12-14 range seems a little ignored. I went on to pick up The Fall of Lisa Bellow at my school's library at the end of last school year and brought it home with me for the summer (at my high school you are allowed to check out books from the school library for the summer).
Quickly into the novel Perabo asserts the fact that the protagonist Meredith is not your average 8th grade girl. She's calmer, more mature almost, and is very much in tune with the happenings of her household. "Shallow" interests or not, Meredith consciously hides them from her family in her effort to be almost as unnoticeable as possible. At the start of the novel the Meredith's entire family remains haunted my the injury of Meredith's brother, Evan. Although this moment occurs before the start of the novel it remains critical to the story in that the ramifications of the event marked the ending of the seemingly happy bliss the family experienced before the injury and the events that followed.
One of the most fascinating aspects of The Fall of Lisa Bellow was that despite the focus on Meredith's character Meredith's mother was another character who Perabo chose to dial in on. Claire (the mother) is strangely unstable throughout the novel, heavily affected by the late-in-life dissolution of her childhood family. With the loss of childhood familiarity Claire has moments in which she reverts into a more childlike state–to the point in fact that there were scenes in which Meredith was the mature person in the room. Claire and Meredith's relationship aside, Clarie's relationship with her husband remained another point of particular interest for me. Meredith's father (and Claire's husband) remained a boring character throughout the entire novel. I can't decide whether he was just boringly written or if he was boring because his character was simple (probably a combination of both). Nevertheless, the husband's boringness certainly caused fascinating marital issues between Claire and her husband. In fact, their relationship was truly the most telling in terms of Claire's instability and the lengths that she would un-regretfully go.
As facinating as the relationships were between Meredith and her family, I adored Meredith's personal arch over the course of the novel. Very quickly after the opening Meredith witnesses the kidnapping of her popular classmate Lisa Bellow and remains paralyzied in fear for the majority of the event. In the aftermath of the kidnapping Meredith proves to be a particularly mature 13 year old girl in that she remains spookily calm and rational about the painful realities of Lisa's assumed situation. In reality, she retreats to an internal fantasy that creates an awesome alternate timeline dynamic for the novel–Meredith's mental processing of the trauma serves as a alternate situation for the reader to consider. Time and time again I was compelled with the maturity Perabo had Meredith show; one moment stood out particularly:
"Sometimes she felt like her mother would be happier if there were no actual people in her life, but rather just a series of tasks to complete" (Perabo 295).
Final Thoughts:
The Fall of Lisa Bellow was one of the reads from this summer that sticks out in my mind. The narration was compelling, but more so were the fascinating lives of the characters Perabo examines. She dives into them so psychologically that I left the novel feeling more affected by the character's decisions than I did by the plot. The novel most certainly focused on Meredith and her mother–but I found their unconventional mother daughter relationship to be utterly captivating and was not disappointed with their stronger depiction (knowing that other characters were focused on less). It should be noted that The Fall of Lisa Bellow is much more of a slow build, character driven psychological mystery than a traditional mystery thriller. I kinda dig it–but I'd keep that in mind when considering this novel.
Honestly, I was horribly disappointed by this book. I was led to expect suspense, but there was little to no suspense. I tend to enjoy multiple perspectives, but found myself less interested in the characters the author focused on (Meredith and her mother, Claire) and more interested in Lisa Bellow, her mother, and Meredith's brother, Evan. Overall, I feel like this book dragged on for too long and lacked momentum.
I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really strangely written book. The ending was good. The rest of the time it was difficult to tell what was actually happening and what Meredith was imagining. There was way too much of the mother's thoughts and life. Not to mention she was written so awkwardly. The things she said and did could be so horrible. It's hard for me to understand or feel interested in these characters. They weren't as fleshed out as they could have been.
There's also the fact that at one point Meredith is contemplating Lisa being raped, and how maybe it wouldn't really be rape because maybe she kind of wanted it and the r word being used elsewhere in the book - these things really turned me off. overall, I feel like this book has potential but it reminded me a lot of The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, as far as a girl being obsessed with the disappearance of a popular girl from school that she hardly knew that thought was mean, and I also gave that book 2 stars.
There's also the fact that at one point Meredith is contemplating Lisa being raped, and how maybe it wouldn't really be rape because maybe she kind of wanted it and the r word being used elsewhere in the book - these things really turned me off. overall, I feel like this book has potential but it reminded me a lot of The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, as far as a girl being obsessed with the disappearance of a popular girl from school that she hardly knew that thought was mean, and I also gave that book 2 stars.