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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I enjoyed reading this a lottttt but there were just a few flaws.
Didn’t LOVE Andrea, she (and Jane) made some stupid mistakes along the way that could’ve prevented some of the things that happened later but whatever it was stressful I might’ve made the same mistakes. Except probably not bc sometimes she was really dumb. I don’t really want to get into specifics bc it will spoil some things but you get it.
It was insane reading about Nick and seeing just how manipulative he was on every single page. I liked the Jane/nick/Andrew story so much more than anything involving Andrea.
Overall it was a page turner for sure and I would recommend it.
Didn’t LOVE Andrea, she (and Jane) made some stupid mistakes along the way that could’ve prevented some of the things that happened later but whatever it was stressful I might’ve made the same mistakes. Except probably not bc sometimes she was really dumb. I don’t really want to get into specifics bc it will spoil some things but you get it.
It was insane reading about Nick and seeing just how manipulative he was on every single page. I liked the Jane/nick/Andrew story so much more than anything involving Andrea.
Overall it was a page turner for sure and I would recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood
Moderate: Violence, Abortion
Minor: Incest, Sexual assault
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is my first time reading this author, and it seems like fans of hers find this book somewhat disappointing and boring. I, however, was not at all disappointed or bored (and am slightly concerned for those who were bored while reading this).
There is an immense amount of detail, creativity, and care that went into writing this book. The only things keeping it from a 5-star rating are 1) there was one detail I read that didn't make sense and wasn't addressed again and 2) Andy and Laura made some really dumb decisions that made me want to scream. These decisions make the characters human though. We all say stupid things and make mistakes that, in hindsight, we should have known would backfire. Although it wasn't terribly easy to relate to the characters in many ways due to the unique storyline, they were very well-developed.
I am usually someone who can predict everything that will happen. While I did predict quite a few things in this book, there was one point where my jaw literally fell open and I verbalized my disbelief aloud. I think that a majority of readers will find this story to be a rollercoaster with surprises at every turn! I also appreciated that, although this book addresses very dark topics, it does so in a way that (at least for me) does not create a trauma reaction for the reader.
As usual, my review is an aimless rambling. Long story short: I highly recommend this book!
There is an immense amount of detail, creativity, and care that went into writing this book. The only things keeping it from a 5-star rating are 1) there was one detail I read that didn't make sense and wasn't addressed again and 2) Andy and Laura made some really dumb decisions that made me want to scream. These decisions make the characters human though. We all say stupid things and make mistakes that, in hindsight, we should have known would backfire. Although it wasn't terribly easy to relate to the characters in many ways due to the unique storyline, they were very well-developed.
I am usually someone who can predict everything that will happen. While I did predict quite a few things in this book, there was one point where my jaw literally fell open and I verbalized my disbelief aloud. I think that a majority of readers will find this story to be a rollercoaster with surprises at every turn! I also appreciated that, although this book addresses very dark topics, it does so in a way that (at least for me) does not create a trauma reaction for the reader.
As usual, my review is an aimless rambling. Long story short: I highly recommend this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Stalking, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Drug abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Excrement, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn’t love this one like I was hoping I would. I thought the chapters were very long and the dual perspective didn’t work for me. I wanted to know what happened but I also felt like I suspected everything, there wasn’t a shocking moment.
I read for book club and a couple others thought it was slow too, but majority of everyone loved it. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for a thriller at the time.
I read for book club and a couple others thought it was slow too, but majority of everyone loved it. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for a thriller at the time.
To say I found this book to be awful is an understatement. Karin Slaughter seems to only know one phrase for crying and she used it so many times throughout this travesty I lost count.
Andrea and Laura are mother and daughter, both leading rather bland lives. Andrea is 31, a 911 dispatcher, and is living in the apartment above her mother’s garage. Laura is a speech therapist. One morning while they are at breakfast Laura stops a madman on a shooting spree and ends up killing him. Andrea soon learns about her mother’s sordid past and goes on a cross country trip to find out who her mother actually is.
This is told in third person from Andrea’s point of view current day and in the past from her mother’s point of view.
I hated both Laura and Andrea for no other reason than how weak Ms. Slaughter made them. I was annoyed from the beginning when Andrea would completely shut down and not talk. We could read her thoughts, but she couldn’t seem to get them to come out of her mouth. If it was during a time when she might be scared or shocked I could see that being valid, but it was during conversations with her parents, friends of her parents, and random people.
The amount of crying that took place throughout this book was absurd. It got to the point where I started cringing every time I read the phrase “tears were streaming down her face” and “she wiped her nose with the back of her hand”. I think it’s fine if an author wants to convey emotion, but this was just so over the top it took away from everything else.
This was one book I really wish I had put down since I hated it by about 25% in, but I kept going (FOMO maybe?) and I’m really sorry I wasted time on this.
Andrea and Laura are mother and daughter, both leading rather bland lives. Andrea is 31, a 911 dispatcher, and is living in the apartment above her mother’s garage. Laura is a speech therapist. One morning while they are at breakfast Laura stops a madman on a shooting spree and ends up killing him. Andrea soon learns about her mother’s sordid past and goes on a cross country trip to find out who her mother actually is.
This is told in third person from Andrea’s point of view current day and in the past from her mother’s point of view.
I hated both Laura and Andrea for no other reason than how weak Ms. Slaughter made them. I was annoyed from the beginning when Andrea would completely shut down and not talk. We could read her thoughts, but she couldn’t seem to get them to come out of her mouth. If it was during a time when she might be scared or shocked I could see that being valid, but it was during conversations with her parents, friends of her parents, and random people.
The amount of crying that took place throughout this book was absurd. It got to the point where I started cringing every time I read the phrase “tears were streaming down her face” and “she wiped her nose with the back of her hand”. I think it’s fine if an author wants to convey emotion, but this was just so over the top it took away from everything else.
This was one book I really wish I had put down since I hated it by about 25% in, but I kept going (FOMO maybe?) and I’m really sorry I wasted time on this.
I bought this book because I saw that it was going to be a show on Netflix and I thought it would be interesting to read first and then watch it. I loved it in the beginning, but then it just got too confusing and it was way too long. I started to skip pages in the middle. I can’t understand how Andy just couldn’t get her life together regardless that her mom was not who she said she was. All of the characters and there different names was to confusing.
This book was a little bit slower, but I did find that I was invested in finding out who Laura really was.
The other thing that bothered me was that if Laura was in the witness protection program, wouldn't the US Marshall have stepped in sooner when it came to the police and the media? It seems like they wouldn't have allowed a video to be aired nationally clearly showing her face for all to see. He followed Andy everywhere and was there when Laura went to the hospital for her hand, so it's not like he wasn't present.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and thought it was well written.
Spoiler
There are a few things that bother me. The first one being Andy. I get that we don't know how we would react in situations until we are in them, but she does nothing. She doesn't move, she doesn't talk. It drove me insane. Then all of a sudden she becomes this detective and beats up a US Marshall just a few days later? Sure, Jan.The other thing that bothered me was that if Laura was in the witness protection program, wouldn't the US Marshall have stepped in sooner when it came to the police and the media? It seems like they wouldn't have allowed a video to be aired nationally clearly showing her face for all to see. He followed Andy everywhere and was there when Laura went to the hospital for her hand, so it's not like he wasn't present.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and thought it was well written.
Pieces of Her kept me gripped from start to finish, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and I loved the continual mystery throughout. I enjoyed the way the book changed between past and present, uncovering more the deeper you went. Slaughter’s style of writing was gripping and interesting, I am looking forward to reading more of her work.
I liked the 1980s story line quite a lot. Twisty and intriguing that was. The other one though with Andy? Couldn't stand her and only started enjoying her part towards the end at the final showdown.