Reviews by Kenan R. (Liberty, MO)

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A Good Family
A Good Family
by Erik Fassnacht
A Finely Drawn Character Study (5/26/2015)
The Brunson family has imploded. Told from the perspective of the 4 adult members of the family this story starts as a slow burn. The characters are all drowning in the minutia of their own existences and cannot seem to figure out how to move forward. Corporate downsizing, …more
The Well
The Well
by Catherine Chanter
Why Didn't I Like this More? (4/29/2015)
The concept is sound - a single farm with rain in the midst of a drought, and a murder surrounded by religious zealots, angry neighbors, travelers and a marriage on the brink - but it never really went anywhere. The characters were all so sparsely drawn I couldn't get a …more
A Fireproof Home for the Bride
A Fireproof Home for the Bride
by Amy Scheibe
3, 3, 3 books in one (1/8/2015)
OK so the first 3rd of the book was a plodding and bleak description of sexism in a stoic North Dakota Protestant family in the 50s. The middle of the book was an interesting and entertaining story of a young girl chaffing against those restraints, questioning societal …more
The Quick
The Quick
by Lauren Owen
Meh (5/9/2014)
I am not a huge fan of this particular genre. That being said- I can enjoy and devour any story with engaging characters, vivid locations, and an intriguing plot. Sadly this story not only slogged through the 500 plus pages, it was bogged down by an over large cast of …more
The Deepest Secret
The Deepest Secret
by Carla Buckley
Couldn't put it down. (1/2/2014)
I read The Deepest Secret voraciously. Buckley knows how to draw characters who feel authentic. They are flawed human beings who remain sympathetic. The Cul-de-sac becomes a microcosm of society and a mirror that reminds us how very little we know about the inner lives of …more
A Man of His Own
A Man of His Own
by Susan Wilson
A Man of His Own (10/11/2013)
This was a fast, unobjectionable read. I like stories that have multiple points of view - with distinct voices for each of the main characters - and I felt that this was handled nicely, but the human protagonists remained rather flat to me. I didn't actually feel terribly …more
Lookaway, Lookaway
Lookaway, Lookaway
by Wilton Barnhardt
A Great Vacation read (7/10/2013)
I can't decide if this is a novel disguised as character studies or a series of point of view short stories. Either way I devoured this on the plane.

Multiple members of a large Southern Family share a part of their backgrounds and lives, and somehow these disparate pieces …more
Where You Can Find Me
Where You Can Find Me: A Novel
by Sheri Joseph
Well - I Finished It (3/21/2013)
I was an English major. I like slice of life fiction that meanders with no discernible beginning or ending. I consider not finishing a book a personal failure. This book was almost my Waterloo. The description intrigued me, but the actual book was an abject let down. The …more
The Imposter Bride
The Imposter Bride
by Nancy Richler
A Solid Read But... (12/18/2012)
It kept me too much at arms length. While the author did a great job of interesting me in Lily, her past, and her new family in Canada, I was left feeling distinctly unsatisfied by the answers I received. The characters were interesting, but not as vivid or textured as I …more
The Art Forger
The Art Forger
by B. A. Shapiro
Excellent Read (9/25/2012)
This book came to me as I was plodding through a tedious library book. How great to go from barely-getting-through-it to a book that I almost couldn't put down! Not only does Shapiro offer us a glimpse into the world struggling artists, but we get a fascinating look at the …more
Things We Didn't Say
Things We Didn't Say: A Novel
by Kristina Riggle
Things We Didn't Say (5/31/2011)
An engaging train wreck. This book is gray and cold, and keeps the readers oddly at a distance while drawing us into one family’s crisis as casual observers. The dialog driven story piques and holds your interest as the household implodes, and our characters are cast adrift …more
Outside Wonderland
Outside Wonderland: A Novel
by Lorna Jane Cook
Outside Wonderland (2/3/2011)
As I grow older I become increasingly less tolerant of self centered characters making “rookie mistakes”. So I have to say that while I liked Outside Wonderland - I did not particularly like any of the Stenen children, and felt their woe-is-me attitudes that offered them …more
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