I chose this book because of the subject matter, not having read much about Cuba in the 1960's. For me, weaving the heavy romance aspect into the plot took away some of the historical part of the story, but perhaps made for more interesting reading for others. The characters were interesting and the writing style made for an easy read. The Castro plot would have been better with more historical significance written into the story. The family dynamics and love affair were the backbone of the book, more so than the history. Overall it was a good read and I learned some possible interesting and thought provoking historical information. The book made me want to read more about this era.

The book was readable, but predictable in the storytelling. You knew what was going to happen, just not when. The story was drawn out, fewer words would have been better. A lot of family dynamics, a story of a very dysfunctional family. Ben, the dad, didn't seem real with his I'll be good now" persona. The meddling parents of Ben & Maddy were the most realistic. The ending seemed abrupt.

Nathan Filer's book demonstrates a powerful writing style with a lot of nuances in the chapter titles, drawings and typeface. The author takes every opportunity to draw the reader into the tragic story of mental illness. This topic is certainly one being debated in the news and the way the author takes you inside the mind of a mentally ill Matthew to experience his troubles first hand makes for some heavy soul searching on the part of the reader. Filer grabs you from the first page when he lets Matthew speak directly to the reader who is immediately drawn into this family story. This is definitely a tough read, but an eye opening one too. I'll be waiting to see what he writes about next.

I haven't read such a good psychological thriller in a long time. The reader is hooked from the first page. The author keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next shoe to drop, the next twist in the plot. The characters walk right off the page. It was a book I couldn't put down, wanting to know what happens next and the author keeps you guessing. There were lots of characters, but the writing style of the author made them easy to keep track of. The use of real people that experienced a similar kidnapping gave credence to the the author's plot, letting the reader identify with what they have read in the news. Maybe there is another story to come about a more adult Reeve and her future career as a professional working with victims. Can't wait for the movie!

A book that keeps you guessing all the way through. There were so many facets to keep you intrigued with figuring out "who done it" and the author twists and turns the story at every opportunity. The characters were interesting and well developed. The author descriptions were vivid so that I had a mental picture of each character. I had to go back and re-read some of the parts after I finished to fill in the blanks of the side story. Certainly, there will be a lot of comparisons to the dark story in Gone Girl. I would certainly recommend this book to others that like a lot of intrigue in their fiction.

Many of us discovered Alan Brennert thru Moloka'i and he has become an author that makes you want to read whatever book he may write. Palisades Park grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. The characters are beautifully developed and the writing style gives you wonderful images that immerse you in the lives of the characters. Each nuance can bring back memories of times past, like the song about Palisades Park yet the book is a great read for any age. The book is extremely well researched and would make an excellent youth book for the way it sneaks in discussion points about important moments in history. This book shows the depth of the authors' writing, in that the story of Palisades Park is so far removed from his previous books. He just seems to be able to tell a great story, bringing the reader into the lives of the characters and keeps the reader intrigued via his writing craft. A book I will highly recommend to others.

Beautifully written, hard to put down, but an extremely tough story to read about. Many may be turned off about the subject matter, but we need to know about the bad things that go on in the world too. It is authors like Ms Ruta that make us aware of family dynamics that might not be a part of our world. This would be a good book for teen groups as well as professionals, as it could draw out discussions of personal experiences.

Lehane does it again! Having read most of his books I wanted to know if his quality was going up or if, like other multiple book authors, the writing lost some of the spark. There is a reason for the publication time span between books, his effort shows in the writing and research. The writing style was smoother, more poetic and he showed us that his research continues to be on target. The characters were very interesting and well developed; you found yourself sympathetic to Joe, the "outlaw/gangster" as he figures out who he really is. Lehane excels in describing locations, the descriptions created pictures in your mind. I can't wait for the movie, already wondering who will play Joe and Graciela.

This was an easy read and the historical aspect added to my interest in the story. I was intrigued by some of the points of history and looked at some historical research myself. I really enjoy fiction based on historical fact since I get to enjoy the story and characters as well as learn something about a time period or locale that I did not know.

I enjoyed the read, wished I had noted the Glossary at the end. I was thinking half way through, all the ABC terms were hard to keep track of, kind of dragged down the reading, he needed to give us a dictionary of terms. I felt bad when I got to the end and found the Glossary, just what I was looking for. The beginning was intriguing, the second half was the best. I'd read something else by this author.

A well written story on a topic that might not be that interesting to many people except for the expertise of the author. The characters were well developed and the book was compelling enough to read in one sitting, you can't wait to find out what happens. Being from the South, I have certainly heard of these religious practices, but the author made you want to know more even with such a difficult topic. The book was definitely something different than so many of the book topics today. I would love to read another book by this author.

I liked the concept of the book, although the elements were depressing. I had a hard time keeping track of the characters from chapter to chapter, having to make sure I read the chapter heading, character name, city and the changing time frames. Other readers may enjoy reading a story of details better than I did.

Initially I found the back & forth between the current story and the play confusing. It caused the reading to be a chore at the beginning. The current story was well written and interesting, it made me want to go to Folly Beach. The character development & interaction was great. At the end I went back and read the beginning and the light bulb came on.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The style of writing was easy to follow, the characters interesting, the twists & turns of the plot kept my attention. The book is a mix of history & fiction & I appreciated the author's clarification of this at the end of the story. I'm not normally a fan of this time period, but really enjoyed the story. I would read another book by this author in the future. I'll certainly share my copy with friends along with my positive recommendation.

The story starts with a hidden friendship between 2 boys of different races in the Old South and twists its way into adulthood. The adult characters and their interactions did not seem believable in present day rural Mississippi. The "mystery" was a little transparent. The abrupt time shifts between past & present interfered with the flow of the story. Loved the title.