BookBrowse | Book Reviews and Recommendations

Girl Falling: A Novel
by Hayley Scrivenor

Relationships can be deadly (8/22/2024)

This book pulls you in right from the beginning with the relationships and growth of some of the characters and the suspenseful plot. The ending was one that some people may figure out way before it is revealed but it took me a bit longer and then it was like a light bulb went off. I voluntarily reviewed an advance readers copy of this book.

Far From True: A Promise Falls Novel
by Linwood Barclay

Watch Out: Cliffhanger (1/10/2016)

A continuation of the rollercoaster ride I read in his first book of this series "The Broken Promise" and ends with a cliffhanger. The characters came alive in my mind with the pictures dancing around in my head of the small town sheriff and cops trying to solve this case while their suspects are hiding secrets from them with a straight face. I can't wait for the third book in this series to come out but I have a while to wait.

Trust No One: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave

Quite the journey (6/7/2015)

This is the first book that I have read by Paul Cleave and I will definitely be looking into more of his work. I was sucked in from the beginning by his dynamic main character and had a hard time putting down the book because I wanted to find out if I was right in how it would end and I never would have guessed the ending it had.

House of Echoes: A Novel
by Brendan Duffy

Characters are the story. (3/22/2015)

Not my usual genre of story that I read but the promise of chills and secrets in the description got my attention. I found that the beginning is a bit dragged out and it almost made me stop reading. The characters are who kept me going and I was disappointed as the secrets of their dream house are revealed and end up being a nightmare.

Five
by Ursula Archer

Follow that twisty road! (10/20/2014)

I received this book in exchange for an honest review! This book grabbed my attention from the beginning and caused me a couple of sleepless nights because I didn't want to put it down. The storyline was full of twists and turns and the characters were reminiscent of people you may have met in life. I had heard of geocaching before but never knew what it was so I like how the author explained what it was through the characters having to research it. I am hoping that this debut novel ends up becoming a series and I will be keeping an eye out for other books by this author.

The Laws of Gravity
by Liz Rosenberg

Family Ties (4/21/2013)

Family is extremely important but how far do you go to save someone when it could mean that your child might not be able to be saved in the future? This story calls into question the issue of saved cord blood and can a court force someone to give it to save someone in their family. The characters came alive for me and there were tears in my eyes almost through the whole book so be sure to keep a box of tissues nearby.

Close My Eyes
by Sophie McKenzie

Crazy or not? (4/8/2013)

Is Gen crazy for thinking that those around her are keeping secret ? It has been a rough few years for Gen since losing her baby and she is starting to feel like she is ready to start living again until she is given information that her baby might still be alive.

This story kept me on the edge of my seat with fully developed characters and a great story line. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book to keep you up at night because it is too good to put down.

Golden Boy
by Abigail Tarttelin

Just when you think you had it hard (1/23/2013)

This story took me for a ride right from the first page. Most of us think we have hard lives for one reason or another but not too many of us can imagine how hard it must be for those in the world who struggle with trying to figure out who they are just like Max did in "Golden Boy". Max's parents also had trouble during his struggle because they had made the initial decision for him when he was born which is what caused his "problem". Imagine being in their place having to make the choice for your child. I can't imagine being in any of these positions and I think that Abigail Tarttelin tells a great story from many different perspectives and calls into question the motives of those around Max and the struggles they must have gone through.

Have Mother, Will Travel: A Mother and Daughter Discover Themselves, Each Other, and the World
by Claire & Mia Fontaine

Ups and downs (7/14/2012)

Every relationship has its ups and downs especially those of mothers and daughters. "Have Mother, Will Travel" explores the relationship between a mother and daughter as they travel in Europe. Also, it explores the different parenting characteristics between European and American cultures. It was such a great read that before I even finished Chapter 1, I went and ordered the prequel to this book which is titled "Comeback: A Mother and Daughters Journey Through Hell"

Afterwards: A Novel
by Rosamund Lupton

Wow! (4/26/2012)

"Afterwards" was captivating from the beginning with lots of suspense. I loved this book because it never once gave away who did it and it told another story within that story of just how far a mother is willing to go to save her daughter.

The Face Thief: A Novel
by Eli Gottlieb

A bit confusing (1/2/2012)

I was a little bit confused at the beginning of the story but figured out how it tied in together towards the middle. It had some great characters and good storyline.

A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery
by Charles Todd

Not usually my cup of tea (8/24/2011)

I am a true lover of mysteries and not a lover of history but Charles Todd has managed to make me forget that there is historical background in this mystery by using a great main character of Bess Crawford whose loving and nurturing character just makes you want to see how things turn out when she gets involved in messes around her. I am going to go find the books preceding this in the series and read them too.

Turn of Mind
by Alice LaPlante

Rollercoaster... (5/13/2011)

Turn of the mind took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. It combines the sadness of having the family member perspective of watching a loved one become a shell of themselves, the couple of perspectives, when they are lucid and when they are not, from the family member with Alzheimer's in many different situations, as well as a murder mystery all wrapped up into one. A Great read.

The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Novel
by Laura Lippman

Mole hill to mountain while still mole hill (11/23/2010)

This book starts out with Tessa noticing a girl walking in the park with her dog and then the girl goes missing and while everyone else thinks that Tessa is making a mountain out of a mole hill in this girl's disappearance she is certain something is wrong. This book captivated me from the beginning for it starts with such a simple premise and the whole story stays simple though the ending is a bit of a surprise.

Man in the Woods
by Scott Spencer

Slow to capture (7/25/2010)

The slow start to "Man in the Woods" really disappointed me and made it hard for me to keep on reading though I am glad I did because it got better as the book went on.
To me the idea of Paul standing up for the dog who was being beaten kind of makes one think about today's society and how many people turn their backs on someone who may need their help because they don't want to get involved. Paul may have taken things a bit too far but that then calls into question how far is far enough?

The Map of True Places
by Brunonia Barry

Real life imitation of fairy tales? (4/20/2010)

This book captured me from the very first page all the way up until the last especially since quite a bit of the story is set near where I live in Massachusetts. Boston and the other places aren't that far from me so it was great reading about some of the things I have seen firsthand. I think that this book would appeal to anyone from around the Massachusetts area if for no other reason than they might be familiar with the places mentioned. Another group of people who I think may enjoy this book are those that are interested in how people work, what they believe in and how it shapes us as humans and if we can change how we are later in life.

Arcadia Falls
by Carol Goodman

Secrets of the Past Haunt the Present (1/22/2010)

"Arcadia Falls" is an amazing story that explores the idea that the past can hold secrets that affect those in the present day when discovered in many different ways. The strong characters and strong plot kept me from wanting to put it down even to sleep. I will be on the lookout for more books from Carol Goodman when I visit my library.

The Air Between Us
by Deborah Johnson

Thumbs up (2/25/2009)

If you are looking for a novel where you can try to solve a mystery while learning about things that happened in the past then this is the one for you. The Air Between Us takes you along for the ride of racial tension between blacks and whites in the 60's and what happens when you try to provide equal education for the first time in the south. It allows you to see how relationships may have been between blacks and white folks then and how each thought about what was happening to their world.

Findings: Faye Longchamp Mysteries, No. 4
by Mary Anna Evans

Treasure hunting (5/26/2008)

This book is a treasure in itself. I am not someone who normally finds history interesting but the way history is presented as a way of solving a mystery captured my interest. I think this book would appeal to those who enjoy solving mysteries, both history lovers and non history lovers alike.

Desert Cut: A Lena Jones Mystery
by Betty Webb

Serious Issue using Fiction (1/5/2008)

This book called attention to a serious issue, female genital amputation,happening around the world using fiction as a way of drawing people into the story. It had many moments where my breath just left my body or tears were close to spilling over. I love how the author has a note at the end of the book about the facts of this issue and other media sources as well.

Reviews by Kristen H. (Lowell, MA)

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Reviews by Kristen H. (Lowell, MA)

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