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Precious Thing by Colette McBeth

Precious Thing

by Colette McBeth

  • Critics' Consensus (11):
  • Published:
  • Mar 2014, 304 pages
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  • Julie R. (Woodland, CA)
    Precious Thing
    Do you really know your best friend? That is the million dollar question in Precious Thing by Colette McBeth. Rachel, a non-social teenage girl, is befriended by the popular Clara in high school and life changes for her dramatically. Now, in the present day, Rachel is the successful one and Clara is not.

    Rachel, a TV reporter, is called to cover a news story of a missing girl. Little did she know that that missing girl is her best friend Clara. Here is where the author captures you, drags you through so many twists and turns that she makes it impossible for you to put down the book. The whole time I was reading Precious Thing the same question kept coming up "How well did Rachel know Clara or even her own boyfriend?" Does anyone really know the people in their lives?

    The ending leaves you so surprised that you feel like reading it all over again just to see if you missed a clue.

    I loved this book and will be mentioning it to my book club group as a possible future book club read.

    Thank you again for allowing me to read and review this fantastic book.
  • Christine D. (Closter, NJ)
    Brilliantly Dark and Chilling
    Colette McBeth's Precious Thing is a brilliantly dark and chilling story. It grips you from the very start, wondering how two women (Rachel and Clara) got to this place after being friends for so long. Page by page, chapter by chapter, it all comes together in such a way that will have you looking at your own friendships, wondering if such a thing is possible in your own life. The format for the book, a long letter written by Rachel, is ingenious. It gives great insight into her mind while she recounts different events and reminds the reader that not everyone sees or experiences things the same way. A wonderful debut novel from an author whose work I will be looking out for in the future!
  • Darlene C. (Simpsonville, SC)
    Precious Thing by Colette McBeth
    The book begin with an intensity that you can't believe she can maintain. Told in the first person, a newspaper reporter is thrust in front of the camera, unknowingly covering the story of her best friend's disappearance. And then her boyfriend is found dead after being seen on tape with her friend. Seems so simple on the surface, but the twists and turns kept me reading, and the itensity continued to grow. Do I recommend this? WOW, oh yes, and I'm rereading it because it was that good. Lots of discussion points for book clubs. Loved this book.
  • Elizabeth Klein (Dallas, TX)
    Edge of Seat Suspense!
    I inhaled this book, just couldn't stop reading once I started. It explores an adolescent friendship that borders on extreme codependency and begins to fall apart in adulthood. Or did it fall apart long before then? Is it friendship or something much darker? I loved the book and will read everything the author writes in the future.
  • Barbara B. (Holbrook, NY)
    Precious Thing
    This book has it all. Female friendships and their complexities. Do we ever know everything about our friends? It is suspenseful and compelling to read. The author was a BBC crime reporter and if the storyline of this novel is any indication, she knows her stuff. I highly recommend this book.
  • Book Lover (Burlingame, CA)
    Wow!
    I could not put this book down once I started it. The author did a fantastic job of keeping the reader on the edge of his/her seat. If you enjoyed Sister by Rosamund Lupton you will love this book!
  • Mary Beth S. (Mequon, WI)
    Precious Things
    Precious Things by Colette McBeth grabs you at the onset and doesn't let you go at the end. McBeth draws you into the story and makes you care about the characters, only to have this empathy flipped over and over as you delve further into the book. Plot lines that you are certain you have solved take credible twists and turns that you cannot see coming. Reminiscent of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Precious Things is a very satisfying read that would provide great discussions for book clubs.

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