This was a page-turner from the opening of the book until the ending. It is nice to read about good people doing good things for each other. Wrecker is a little boy whose adults have failed him. He is lucky enough to be taken in by some of the most engrossing, kind-hearted people there could possibly be. This book follows him as he, and others, learn to trust again... and eventually learn that hope really isn't a bad thing. One of the most "happy" books I have read in a long time. Highly recommend it to anyone who needs a burst of brightness in their day!

I'm sure there is a great story inside of David Klein (the author); however, this book moved along ever so slowly and then, BAM! it was over. The ride to the end was all over the place. The dual story lines did not work well in this particular book and neither story was consistent. I would hesitate to read another book by this author.

Remember as a child you had that one favorite fairy tale that you had your mom read to you over and over again??? This book is in that class.
I loved this book. It flowed from the first sentence to the very last word. The two main characters, Buckley and Becca, are not only captivating characters, they are real people that you can relate to. I like that the good guys always stayed good guys and the bad guys got their own in the end, just like fairy tales are supposed to be.

I loved this book! And why, because it was simple, well-written with extraordinary language, and just one of those books you hate to finish. The main characters are strong, real women who face day to day in regular ways. There is no super powers or descriptions of snide out of this word antics, just regular women trying their best to survive the lemons life gives. I loved that.

I loved that Tanya, a heavy-set girl, kept her head in the clouds even when the earth threatened to bring her back down. Olga, an older mom, kept her wits about her as her life continues to spiral out of her control. Which is the way it is. How many of us have full control?

So many books written show the women as either a control-freak or shy and afraid. This book shows women and men as they are in a situation they did not choose (the downturn of the Russian economy) and how they, like us, live everyday by getting up doing our thing and going home. Very Good Book, Highly recommend it! One of those books you continue to revisit long after the book covers are closed.

So, yeah. This book started off reallllly slow. Then just when you thought, hey something is going to happen... nothing happens. But if you suffer from insomnia this is the book to take to bed. Or if you are locked up for a really long time and have read everything else in the library..give this book a gander. I did not much care for the lead in this story or for that matter his friends. I found the depiction of the "savages" to be average and basically the same old text I have read a million times. Oh how the savages wait for the young soldiers to show them the right way. Oh how relationships are made then thrown away with distrust. Oh how I have read this book and seen the "Very Special Brady" version of it. Even after reading the book, I am not quite sure what the plot was for certain. However, as a fan of WWII books and fast paced fction, I was disappointed. May I recommend Dark Places, Shanghai Girls, or Sarah's Key instead... much better reads as the winter days start on us!

I, like many of the other reviewers, was unsure about this novel. I read to forget and achieve a sense of calm... and this book did not do that for me. It was fast-paced and the language kept me intrigued. I was horrified by the slums and constant warfare, but also felt it was described to help the story not bring shame to a country. I enjoyed this author and the many twists and turns his story afforded. I would highly recommend it to even the non-adventure espionage reader... sometimes escaping from your comfort zone can be rewarding! And this is a perfect example...try to read the first chapter and walk away!

If you are looking for a book about a strong woman who sacrificed everything to take care of her daughter alone... this is not the book for you. If you are a single mother and looking for a person to relate to that has struggled like you have and survived.. this is not the book for you.

If you are looking for a book about a whiny victim who put her own self into this position and wants to use the race and sexism card and act like she is the only one who has ever raised a child.. then sure waste a few days. I AM a single mother and I can say I have never wanted to slap a person more then this person. I have struggled to raise my child because raising a child is a struggle. Things have not been easier for me because I am white. Things have not come more easily because I have a boy.

Have I looked at my child and thought what if... yeah of course. But I didn't need loads of therapy to be reminded to pull up my big girl panties and just deal with it. She created the shark pit she was in ... and just sitting still isn't going to save her!!!

I have always heard of those people that read a book in two days or stayed up all night to finish a book, and I always thought what show-offs. But now I know what they mean. After receiving this book on Thursday I could not put it down. I seriously considered calling in sick to work to finish it. This book takes place after WWII with people, regular people, just trying to put their lives back together. I have read many WWII books, but this one captivated me and let me believe that it was going to be okay for all of them.... for all of them. And that my friends is how a book is supposed to make you feel. In the end you are supposed to think everything is going to be okay... even for yourself. So thank you Ms. Shaffer and Ms. Barrows for letting me think that things are going to be okay! I needed that.

Let me start out with the words every book reader wants to hear... Great Ending!! The author keeps the reader enthralled throughout the book throwing in clues here and there towards her finale. The last 15 pages are by far the best I have read in a long time. The only negative is the history she shares about New York may leave some non blue-blooded New Yorkers yawning a little. Killer Heat was a great read with a killer ending (get it killer ending because it is a book about a killer... get-it)..... oh well would definitely read the author again!

Magical. The words,the actions, the emotions, transforms you into the author's world in a blink of an eye. And what a world it is...the characters are well written and the story catches you from the first word and keeps you hanging until the last. I read this book as I traveled on my treadmill (it is a blustery Minnesota winter) and ended up walking further then usual in order to finish the book and figure out the mysteries. Thank you for the opportunity to read something I might otherwise have passed up in the store. It was well worth it.