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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In a hot July night, a shot rings out in the quiet, peaceful cul-de-sac, and somebody is dead.
There are five houses on a cul-de-sac. The residents have been there for years, but do not really know each other well until this sultry summer. But something is different this year. Maggie and Craig have been recently separated and are trying to adjust to a new reality along with their teenage daughter, Erin, and son, Leo. Nick, a respected oncologist, and Dani, his dentist wife, and their two sons have the house on the corner. Julia is an 84 year old whose son is trying to encourage her to sell and move to a senior community facility. Olivia has recently reinterred the workforce while her husband, Sean, is an unemployed, 50 year old advertising executive. Aiden and Heidi are relative newlyweds struggling to separate themselves from his overpowering mother who is providing most of their financial support.
Secrets, fears, and and pain begin to seep in and each house is soon sitting on a powder keg. I liked most of the characters, especially Julia and Maggie. The younger boys likable and grew on me. The two teenagers were annoying and troublesome. There were a lot of characters in this story and so some of them were not as in depth as I usually want. But it all came together in the end.
This is a fascinating read that begins a little slow but quickly picks momentum and then continues to escalate to a breaking point and kept me engaged the whole time.
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was very readable and really hit the spot. Why have I note read this author's other work? Must remedy ASAP. I love books about how effed up suburbia is, and this really delivered. Incredibly relatable and also entertaining.
Aaaah! I binged this book in a day. I could NOT put it down. Sometimes when a story is told through multiple perspectives it makes the plot murky but Fielding executed this perfectly. There were a lot of characters but I had no issue keeping up due to how interesting ALL of their stories were! The plot was tied together with strong points supported by tiny details that brought every character together. And the end of every chapter had me wanting more...from every character...the entire time. This thriller is so well executed and thorough that I can't see how anyone wouldn't enjoy it. Wow wow wow this is my first of Fielding's works but because of this I'm definitely going to check out more!
The buildup has been so boring and I don’t care enough about any of these characters. Almost 20% and still no main conflict? No one dead? Boringggggg. Just a bunch of middle class Florida people with guns. A little too domestic for my taste.
The story of families who all live in an assemblance of the same cookie cutter house that surround a Cul-de-sac. The five non-intersecting families begin to intertwine as the group begins to see each other. Tragedies from a veteran with PTSD to an abused wife to a seemingly self-absorbed grandson living off of his grandmother all come together significantly on the Fourth of July as a gunshot rings out in the dark of night. They all are affected by this event, but who of them all does not survive? This was my first read of this author and it did not disappoint.
Years ago I read PUPPET by Joy Fielding. I was hooked from then on. I've read every book she's written since then including this one. To me each one is better than the last. The first one, Puppet, I found in a condo in FL when on vacation.
This book is not a thriller but it will keep you on the edge in many parts. It's the story of five neighbors. Each with their own lives. Their own secrets. Their own problems. And their own lies. From the outside it seems like a quiet and peaceful neighborhood. From the outside you would never think anyone had the problems these people have.
Five neighbors. One will end up dead. There are four couples and one elderly lady who live on this Cul-de-Sac. One family is dealing with a lying husband, Sean. He lost his job and then makes his wife, Olivia, think everything is one way when it's not at all. Can she forgive him for the cost of their trust? They have three children. One, Nick, is a wife beater and at times rapes her in sadistic ways. They have two sons. The oldest one he treats horribly. Always pushing him. Everyone thinks Nick is so a good looking, nice, and great doctor. Dani, his wife, is a dentist. How much more can she take before he kills her? Maggie's husband, Craig, decided he could not live with her any longer and leaves. She's terrified and buys a gun. For protection. They have two children. The young couple, Heidi and Aiden. Aiden is a big mama's boy and puts her above his wife in every way. Heidi is so tired of competing with Lisa, Aiden's mom. She can't possibly win. But can she? The older woman of the neighborhood, Julia, has her grandson, Mark, staying with her. He's a bit of a pot head and tends to steal from his grandmother. Julia's son wants her to sell the big house and move into a living assisted facility.
This book is so good. You get to know each of these families. Some you will like. They may even give you a chuckle. Some you will hate. They get under your skin. Anytime abuse is present it seems people want to say the woman is weak. I disagree. The women for the most part are pretty strong. They have jobs, pay bills, take care of their homes, husbands and children. It's the men who are truly weak. If not they would not do the horrible things they are doing. Put the blame where it belongs please. Also sometimes a woman has no choice. Sometimes they feel trapped.
Who will end up with a bullet in their head? Who will be responsible? Will it be the lying husband who is ashamed of things he has done? The abuser who should be ashamed? His wife? The mama's boy? The mama? An innocent child? On the night the shot rings out who will be the victim? Who will fire the fateful shot? Will these neighbors be able to pick up the pieces and move on?
I throughly enjoyed this book. I always look forward to a new book by this author.
Thank you #NetGalley, #JoyFielding, #RandomHouseBallantinePublishing for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.
5/5 stars and a huge recommendation.
This book is not a thriller but it will keep you on the edge in many parts. It's the story of five neighbors. Each with their own lives. Their own secrets. Their own problems. And their own lies. From the outside it seems like a quiet and peaceful neighborhood. From the outside you would never think anyone had the problems these people have.
Five neighbors. One will end up dead. There are four couples and one elderly lady who live on this Cul-de-Sac. One family is dealing with a lying husband, Sean. He lost his job and then makes his wife, Olivia, think everything is one way when it's not at all. Can she forgive him for the cost of their trust? They have three children. One, Nick, is a wife beater and at times rapes her in sadistic ways. They have two sons. The oldest one he treats horribly. Always pushing him. Everyone thinks Nick is so a good looking, nice, and great doctor. Dani, his wife, is a dentist. How much more can she take before he kills her? Maggie's husband, Craig, decided he could not live with her any longer and leaves. She's terrified and buys a gun. For protection. They have two children. The young couple, Heidi and Aiden. Aiden is a big mama's boy and puts her above his wife in every way. Heidi is so tired of competing with Lisa, Aiden's mom. She can't possibly win. But can she? The older woman of the neighborhood, Julia, has her grandson, Mark, staying with her. He's a bit of a pot head and tends to steal from his grandmother. Julia's son wants her to sell the big house and move into a living assisted facility.
This book is so good. You get to know each of these families. Some you will like. They may even give you a chuckle. Some you will hate. They get under your skin. Anytime abuse is present it seems people want to say the woman is weak. I disagree. The women for the most part are pretty strong. They have jobs, pay bills, take care of their homes, husbands and children. It's the men who are truly weak. If not they would not do the horrible things they are doing. Put the blame where it belongs please. Also sometimes a woman has no choice. Sometimes they feel trapped.
Who will end up with a bullet in their head? Who will be responsible? Will it be the lying husband who is ashamed of things he has done? The abuser who should be ashamed? His wife? The mama's boy? The mama? An innocent child? On the night the shot rings out who will be the victim? Who will fire the fateful shot? Will these neighbors be able to pick up the pieces and move on?
I throughly enjoyed this book. I always look forward to a new book by this author.
Thank you #NetGalley, #JoyFielding, #RandomHouseBallantinePublishing for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.
5/5 stars and a huge recommendation.
challenging
dark
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced