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A review by samanthamoyer
The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo
5.0
What a fantastic read! Eighth grader Meredith Oliver witnesses the kidnapping of her classmate, mean girl Lisa Bellow, at the Deli Barn (a local sub shop). The premise, a daytime abduction of a middle school girl, drew me in immediately, but Perabo's book takes on a scope so much wider than that of the typical crime story. This character-driven novel is an exploration of the way we relate to others: our enemies, strangers, and our own family.
As the story progresses, we see Meredith and her family trying to cope with what has happened (and equally important, not happened) to her. Meredith begins to recede into her own thoughts, at times losing touch with reality, as she tries to come to terms with the connection that has been forged between herself and Lisa, her longtime bully. Meanwhile, her family struggles to reconcile post-Deli Barn Meredith with the daughter they thought they knew.
Perabo's superb charactercraft is such that the people we get to know in the novel, especially Meredith's mother, Claire, feel like they could walk right off the page and into real life. I loved Claire and the way she was developed throughout the novel. She is far from a perfect mother or wife, and her thoughts and actions (though they could be off-putting) were honest and relatable, and to me, she is all the more likeable for them.
The Fall of Lisa Bellow kept me turning pages from start to finish, and although the subject matter is serious, Perabo's humorous prose still had me laughing out loud at times. The careful layering of detail (everything from the route Meredith walks to school to the ping! sounds of Evan's baseball routine to the comings and goings of the tolerant and intolerant family cats) made this story and world feel very real to me. This is an exceptionally well written novel, a great family drama and story of healing, and one that will leave you thinking about its characters long after you reach the final page. I would absolutely recommend this book!
As the story progresses, we see Meredith and her family trying to cope with what has happened (and equally important, not happened) to her. Meredith begins to recede into her own thoughts, at times losing touch with reality, as she tries to come to terms with the connection that has been forged between herself and Lisa, her longtime bully. Meanwhile, her family struggles to reconcile post-Deli Barn Meredith with the daughter they thought they knew.
Perabo's superb charactercraft is such that the people we get to know in the novel, especially Meredith's mother, Claire, feel like they could walk right off the page and into real life. I loved Claire and the way she was developed throughout the novel. She is far from a perfect mother or wife, and her thoughts and actions (though they could be off-putting) were honest and relatable, and to me, she is all the more likeable for them.
The Fall of Lisa Bellow kept me turning pages from start to finish, and although the subject matter is serious, Perabo's humorous prose still had me laughing out loud at times. The careful layering of detail (everything from the route Meredith walks to school to the ping! sounds of Evan's baseball routine to the comings and goings of the tolerant and intolerant family cats) made this story and world feel very real to me. This is an exceptionally well written novel, a great family drama and story of healing, and one that will leave you thinking about its characters long after you reach the final page. I would absolutely recommend this book!