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olagronski's review
4.0
Read this entire book in three hours without stopping. I didn't know it was going to be that intense towards the end.
ladytiara's review
2.0
From the description of Blood Wounds, which makes it seem like it's the story of a family torn apart by secrets and a terrible tragedy, I was excited to read it. But the description is a bit misleading. Yes, there's a terrible tragedy, but there are a lot of other things going on. I felt like this book was trying to be three different things: the story of a teenage girl who cuts herself when life gets to be too much, a tale of how people cope in the aftermath of horrific violence, and the story of the ups and downs of a blended family trying to make things work. That's a lot of ground to cover in just 250 pages, and I don't think any of the three themes were really covered in enough depth.
Willa is 16 and part of a blended family. Although everyone gets along reasonably well, there are some minor cracks. But after Willa's estranged father kills his new family and heads toward Willa's home, the cracks widen. Willa is always one to keep the peace. She doesn't want to rock the boat, but as things get messy, she finds it's not always possible to keep things together.
Willa is a well-written character, and I felt a lot of sympathy for her. Unfortunately, most of the other characters in the book came across as rather one-dimensional, particularly all the people that Willa meets when she returns to her hometown in Texas. These characters all seemed like walking stereotypes to me.
There's just so much going on in this book, and I felt that none of the elements really came together. There was a lot of potential, but it just didn't work for me. Blood Wounds had some good moments, but I wish that the author had stuck to just one story and told it in more depth. She tried to cover so much ground that the story was stretched too thin.
I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.
Willa is 16 and part of a blended family. Although everyone gets along reasonably well, there are some minor cracks. But after Willa's estranged father kills his new family and heads toward Willa's home, the cracks widen. Willa is always one to keep the peace. She doesn't want to rock the boat, but as things get messy, she finds it's not always possible to keep things together.
Willa is a well-written character, and I felt a lot of sympathy for her. Unfortunately, most of the other characters in the book came across as rather one-dimensional, particularly all the people that Willa meets when she returns to her hometown in Texas. These characters all seemed like walking stereotypes to me.
There's just so much going on in this book, and I felt that none of the elements really came together. There was a lot of potential, but it just didn't work for me. Blood Wounds had some good moments, but I wish that the author had stuck to just one story and told it in more depth. She tried to cover so much ground that the story was stretched too thin.
I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.
haleyelisereads's review
4.0
Because that's the kinda family I come from. We're very polite. Even when people die on our doorstep, we remember to say please and thank you and excuse me.
This book completely threw me off guard, when I received this book for review I had a feeling I was gonna like it, I had no idea though that I was totally gonna love it and be completely moved by it.
Willa has a perfect family, she lives with her mother, her stepfather Jack, and her two step sisters. Willa has never known her real father due to her mom running away from him with Willa when she was only a child, not that Willa cares, she has Jack who has always been a wonderful dad to her. Everyone would say Willa has the perfect family...but as they say...nothing is ever as it seems.
Willa is bottling up a lot inside and she is about to boil over, her mother hardly pays attention to her, her two step sisters get everything they want from there real mom, and even though Willa would love to ask for money to get a singing coach like her choir teacher suggested, she would never dare ask..she doesn't want to upset anyone with asking..so to relieve the constant stress of staying quiet-doesn't bother anyone Willa, she cuts her skin..not often..just enough to remember she's living.
As if Willa wasn't having enough stress going on with family issues, and her constant need to cut lately...her dad, her real dad is all over the news..he just murdered his wife and daughters..the cops can't find him..and now they suspect..he's on his way over to Willa, to kill her, and her mother also.
There was no point starving to death before I got to meet my father, who apparently was on his way over to kill me.
Blood Wounds was an amazing read, although this book seems like it's going to be a thriller/suspense it is more about Willa finding herself, finding out about her sisters she never got to meet, and finding out about the father who killed them.
Threw out this novel I found myself feeling sorry for Willa, she was going threw so much, and no one gave her the comfort she needed. I also found myself feeling sorry for Willa because she could never speak her mind to her family, and while the rest of them were to busy trying to look like the perfect family..Willa was alone, always feeling alone and no one noticed. It was heart wrenching.
I found this book very easy to read, the way Susan has written this was beautiful, I found myself just flowing threw the pages. All the emotions that Willa is feeling come off so raw and real, not a single moment did I feel things felt forced or fake, everything was just perfect as if this book were a true story threw Willa's eyes.
This book is emotionally a tough book, if your looking for cute and fluffy read, you need to go else where, this book is much deeper and much more meaningful then that. After reading this book I have become a huge fan of Susan Beth Pfeffer writing, and I look forward to reading all of her past and future projects.
This book completely threw me off guard, when I received this book for review I had a feeling I was gonna like it, I had no idea though that I was totally gonna love it and be completely moved by it.
Willa has a perfect family, she lives with her mother, her stepfather Jack, and her two step sisters. Willa has never known her real father due to her mom running away from him with Willa when she was only a child, not that Willa cares, she has Jack who has always been a wonderful dad to her. Everyone would say Willa has the perfect family...but as they say...nothing is ever as it seems.
Willa is bottling up a lot inside and she is about to boil over, her mother hardly pays attention to her, her two step sisters get everything they want from there real mom, and even though Willa would love to ask for money to get a singing coach like her choir teacher suggested, she would never dare ask..she doesn't want to upset anyone with asking..so to relieve the constant stress of staying quiet-doesn't bother anyone Willa, she cuts her skin..not often..just enough to remember she's living.
As if Willa wasn't having enough stress going on with family issues, and her constant need to cut lately...her dad, her real dad is all over the news..he just murdered his wife and daughters..the cops can't find him..and now they suspect..he's on his way over to Willa, to kill her, and her mother also.
There was no point starving to death before I got to meet my father, who apparently was on his way over to kill me.
Blood Wounds was an amazing read, although this book seems like it's going to be a thriller/suspense it is more about Willa finding herself, finding out about her sisters she never got to meet, and finding out about the father who killed them.
Threw out this novel I found myself feeling sorry for Willa, she was going threw so much, and no one gave her the comfort she needed. I also found myself feeling sorry for Willa because she could never speak her mind to her family, and while the rest of them were to busy trying to look like the perfect family..Willa was alone, always feeling alone and no one noticed. It was heart wrenching.
I found this book very easy to read, the way Susan has written this was beautiful, I found myself just flowing threw the pages. All the emotions that Willa is feeling come off so raw and real, not a single moment did I feel things felt forced or fake, everything was just perfect as if this book were a true story threw Willa's eyes.
This book is emotionally a tough book, if your looking for cute and fluffy read, you need to go else where, this book is much deeper and much more meaningful then that. After reading this book I have become a huge fan of Susan Beth Pfeffer writing, and I look forward to reading all of her past and future projects.
audreychamaine's review
4.0
Willa has always felt like she needed to do her best and stay under the radar. Living with her mother in a house paid for by her step-father's ex-wife for Willa's step-sisters, she's always done without while her step-sisters had whatever they wanted. Willa never knew her father, and so it comes as a surprise when she learns that he has just killed the half-sisters and step-mother she never knew she had. Now the country is scandalized by the horror he has brought down upon his family, and Willa feels the urge to understand. She wants to know who her father was, her mother's secrets, and if she has any of his bad blood inside of herself.
Blood Wounds is a really terrifying and touching story because it is the kind of thing that happens all the time, yet we all think it could not happen to us. Murder-suicides are a sad fact of life in 20th and 21st century America. This book takes a look at those who are left behind to pick up the pieces after one of these terrible events occurs. It also shows the way that some people want to blame the family of the murderer, although they aren't the ones at fault. Willa never even knew her father, yet the townsfolk look down on her just for having been his daughter. It's a good lesson to remember when we read about these kinds of crimes in the newspaper.
Reading through the story, you really feel for Willa and her situation. Things weren't great for her even before her father went on his murder spree, with her being the poor daughter next to two spoiled step-sisters. Things are even worse now: her school views her as the daughter of some hick killer, while her father's hometown sees her as the rich daughter who left and never looked back. There's a lot of family drama at play, and most readers will be able to relate to a relationship at some level, even if you didn't grow up in a household like the one presented. The conflicts are universal.
This book is heartbreaking, so don't go into it looking for laughs. I was really glad that the storyline wasn't complicated by some romance, which would have cheapened the drama. Blood Wounds was a heartbreaking book to read, but still drew me in and made me think.
Blood Wounds is a really terrifying and touching story because it is the kind of thing that happens all the time, yet we all think it could not happen to us. Murder-suicides are a sad fact of life in 20th and 21st century America. This book takes a look at those who are left behind to pick up the pieces after one of these terrible events occurs. It also shows the way that some people want to blame the family of the murderer, although they aren't the ones at fault. Willa never even knew her father, yet the townsfolk look down on her just for having been his daughter. It's a good lesson to remember when we read about these kinds of crimes in the newspaper.
Reading through the story, you really feel for Willa and her situation. Things weren't great for her even before her father went on his murder spree, with her being the poor daughter next to two spoiled step-sisters. Things are even worse now: her school views her as the daughter of some hick killer, while her father's hometown sees her as the rich daughter who left and never looked back. There's a lot of family drama at play, and most readers will be able to relate to a relationship at some level, even if you didn't grow up in a household like the one presented. The conflicts are universal.
This book is heartbreaking, so don't go into it looking for laughs. I was really glad that the storyline wasn't complicated by some romance, which would have cheapened the drama. Blood Wounds was a heartbreaking book to read, but still drew me in and made me think.
kelleemoye's review
3.0
Such an intense novel. I found myself holding my breath at certain points because I truly felt the emotions that Willa was feeling.
However, sometimes I felt like I didn't know what I was supposed to be feeling. The beginning made it seem like Willa's family was such a perfect blended family and I thought that when the drama started, her family would be there for her. Also, Willa's cutting was introduced. Then the murdering dad was introduced. And later physical abuse was introduced. And the blended family wasn't so happy. Just lots of stuff. Now, I know that book was about secrets and the family definitely had a ton, but I just wish that Susan Beth had focused just on the secret of Budge and built it up without adding the rest.
Even still, I ended up enjoying the book. Liked how Willa evolved in the book and found it interesting throughout.
However, sometimes I felt like I didn't know what I was supposed to be feeling. The beginning made it seem like Willa's family was such a perfect blended family and I thought that when the drama started, her family would be there for her. Also, Willa's cutting was introduced. Then the murdering dad was introduced. And later physical abuse was introduced. And the blended family wasn't so happy. Just lots of stuff. Now, I know that book was about secrets and the family definitely had a ton, but I just wish that Susan Beth had focused just on the secret of Budge and built it up without adding the rest.
Even still, I ended up enjoying the book. Liked how Willa evolved in the book and found it interesting throughout.
yuuto's review
3.0
I wanted to like this book. It started out well, but I feel like it sputtered out from the thriller/mystery label into more of a family drama. It was a little jarring, honestly. None of the characters were super likable. It was an ok read but nothing I’d go out of my way to recommend.
ckausch's review
2.0
I was excited to read Blood Wounds as I am such a fan of Pfeffer’s “Moon” books. I found the set-up of Blood Wounds unique: dealing with a murder that impacts a character’s life even though said character does not know the victims. There is a lot going on in this book, though, and I don’t think that is good...All the different plot points come fast as a rolling boil, yet never blend together to form a solid story. And like a rolling boil, the heat is quickly turned off and things are resolved in a way that feels too sudden.
Because there are so many issues, the characters suffer and are rendered weak with little dimension...
I think some readers will enjoy the book, especially because it is fast-paced and a quick read. I can see the possibility of using it to engage reluctant readers because there is so much going on. I think readers who appreciate a book with depth and three-dimensional characters will be left unsatisfied.
I see on Susan Beth Pfeffer’s blog that she is contemplating a 4th Moon book, and I do look forward to returning to that world.
Longer review at http://dogearedandwellread.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/blood-wounds-by-susan-beth-pfeffer/
Because there are so many issues, the characters suffer and are rendered weak with little dimension...
I think some readers will enjoy the book, especially because it is fast-paced and a quick read. I can see the possibility of using it to engage reluctant readers because there is so much going on. I think readers who appreciate a book with depth and three-dimensional characters will be left unsatisfied.
I see on Susan Beth Pfeffer’s blog that she is contemplating a 4th Moon book, and I do look forward to returning to that world.
Longer review at http://dogearedandwellread.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/blood-wounds-by-susan-beth-pfeffer/
kathleenww's review
2.0
I loved Life As We Knew it (and also enjoyed the accompanying novels), so I found this book to be somewhat of a disappointment. Pfeffer is dealing with several heavy emotional themes here--blended families, adolescent angst, "cutting" and murder (specifically, infanticide). Willa (love the name) is a nice girl a junior in high school, who gets good grades and is very respectful. She lives with her mom and her husband and his two daughters who are very priviledged (thanks to their high-dollar earning mom). One day, Willa's father, a man she really has little memory of, is on the run (from Texas; Willa lives in Pennsylvania), accused of killing his wife and two of his children and kidnapping one other.
I feel like the story could have been more filled out, and we could have gotten to know some of the characters better. Brooke and Alyssa, the stepsisters are very stereo-typically "stepsisters," Willa's older brother from texas, Trace is drawn much the same way. Willa is just too godd to be true, and even when she starts to "let loose" she is immediately reigned in by either an adult character or her own conscience. The discussions on self harm or "cutting" are just too superficial. I felt like there could be so much more to this story, especially coming from a writer as talented as Pfeffer. The length of the book is a testament to this. My copy (an advanced reader copy) was large type and double spaced adn came in at 248 pages! Perhaps feedback will change the editing on this one before the book is actually released, or maybe Pfeffer feels her target audince (teens 14/9th grade and up)won't be interested in reading a longer book,which is really a shame, because I think most readers would love the story to be longer or continue past the present ending, with the excellent story line Pfeffer has created. It just didn't ring true, with myself or my 14 yo daughter who read it before me. We were both easily able to read the book over the course of a day. However, all that being said, this might be a great book fro a teen who isn't a big reader and who has some issues similar to the ones here. Not a bad book, just not Ms.Pfeffer at her finest.
I feel like the story could have been more filled out, and we could have gotten to know some of the characters better. Brooke and Alyssa, the stepsisters are very stereo-typically "stepsisters," Willa's older brother from texas, Trace is drawn much the same way. Willa is just too godd to be true, and even when she starts to "let loose" she is immediately reigned in by either an adult character or her own conscience. The discussions on self harm or "cutting" are just too superficial. I felt like there could be so much more to this story, especially coming from a writer as talented as Pfeffer. The length of the book is a testament to this. My copy (an advanced reader copy) was large type and double spaced adn came in at 248 pages! Perhaps feedback will change the editing on this one before the book is actually released, or maybe Pfeffer feels her target audince (teens 14/9th grade and up)won't be interested in reading a longer book,which is really a shame, because I think most readers would love the story to be longer or continue past the present ending, with the excellent story line Pfeffer has created. It just didn't ring true, with myself or my 14 yo daughter who read it before me. We were both easily able to read the book over the course of a day. However, all that being said, this might be a great book fro a teen who isn't a big reader and who has some issues similar to the ones here. Not a bad book, just not Ms.Pfeffer at her finest.
joyousreads132's review
4.0
This book was such a disturbing read. It starts off with a picture of seemingly perfect nuclear family – each one supportive of each other. At one point, you couldn’t really foresee anything will go wrong to destroy Willa’s somewhat unusual family set up. She lives with her mother, her stepfather Jack, and his two daughters from another marriage. Everyone gets along - but like all other families, resentments and bitterness bubble close to the surface.
One blow was all it took for this house of cards to come tumbling down.
Right off the bat, we learned about Willa’s secret. What she does to escape the pressure of always wanting and never having. That secret alone was disturbing. I try to stay away from stories involving but I was glad that in this book, it wasn’t really the main focus. It was about Willa’s biological father’s murdering spree. He killed his entire family – his wife and his three children. The murders were gory, violent and hard to comprehend. This was the catalyst for Willa’s awakening, to find out who she was and to stop ignoring the potent blood that gurgles through her veins.
I have read Life As We Know It by this author and I’ve enjoyed it as much as a book about an Armageddon scenario could be enjoyed. So I wasn’t really surprised when I felt the same way about this after reading. Ms. Pfeffer has a way with words – dark and gloom seem to be her area of expertise.
Honestly, it took a lot to convince myself that Willa will not end up like her father. The author did a good job of planting that seed in my head. That because, Willa likes to, she’ll somehow ended up like her father, one who has a penchant for blood and knives. I kept waiting for her to finally snap, and really who could blame her? I would’ve if I’d been in her shoes. Living with her stepsisters alone should’ve been cause enough to kill them in their sleeps, but hey, that’s just me. They’re really not that bad, if a little spoiled and privileged. They have their moments of decency. I can’t really fault them for having lived their advantageous lives.
I love Willa’s relationship with her stepbrother, Trace – brief, sad but tender just the same.
My heart was beating out of my chest when Willa was imagining how her father’s family met their demise. All the blood, all the violence and the disturbing way he cradled the youngest’ severed head in his arms. It was truly a scene out of a psycho thriller flick.
Blood Wounds had me from page one. Its disturbing and visceral writing make for a terrifying and realistic read. If a change of pace is what you want, I suggest trying this one on for size. Definitely not to be missed.
One blow was all it took for this house of cards to come tumbling down.
Right off the bat, we learned about Willa’s secret. What she does to escape the pressure of always wanting and never having. That secret alone was disturbing. I try to stay away from stories involving
Spoiler
cuttingI have read Life As We Know It by this author and I’ve enjoyed it as much as a book about an Armageddon scenario could be enjoyed. So I wasn’t really surprised when I felt the same way about this after reading. Ms. Pfeffer has a way with words – dark and gloom seem to be her area of expertise.
Honestly, it took a lot to convince myself that Willa will not end up like her father. The author did a good job of planting that seed in my head. That because, Willa likes to
Spoiler
cut herselfI love Willa’s relationship with her stepbrother, Trace – brief, sad but tender just the same.
My heart was beating out of my chest when Willa was imagining how her father’s family met their demise. All the blood, all the violence and the disturbing way he cradled the youngest’ severed head in his arms. It was truly a scene out of a psycho thriller flick.
Blood Wounds had me from page one. Its disturbing and visceral writing make for a terrifying and realistic read. If a change of pace is what you want, I suggest trying this one on for size. Definitely not to be missed.
onceuponasarah's review
2.0
Well written, but very, very depressing and even horrific. Not for the faint of heart.