Not since "The Silent Patient" have I been caught so off guard by an ending. This book has more twist and turns than a roller-coaster! Who hasn't thought about killing somebody on a family road trip? This family is completely despicable but so much fun

I loved, loved, loved this book! The characters were fun, lovable and well developed. I can only hope that I'm that sharp and spunky when I'm that age. I hope that there's a sequel down the road.....

Two weeks ago I adopted a little boy from the foster care system after a 3 1/2 year rollercoaster ride. On one hand the book was very relatable, family visits, siblings, judgement as a single woman adopting a son. How and when do you teach a boy to pee standing up?!! On the other hand I had no idea what extra hurdles I would have had to jump through if I weren't white. The point of the book in a nutshell! I have so much respect for the author, not only for taking these beautiful children, into her home but for opening a dialogue on the experience of adopting as a single black woman. My heart breaks for all of the hard "lessons" she has to teach her children about being black in America. Something my little blue eyed blond haired boy will never deal with.
Not all babies in the foster care system are "crack babies" my son is not "lucky" or blessed to be in my home. He is my son as much as the child I gave birth to. I am not a saint or a superhero, nor am I getting rich or in it for the money. It is not an easy ride but parenthood never is. That's what we are at the end of the day "PARENT" no matter how we got there. We need to lift one another up without judgement. We're doing the best that we can, it takes a village.

If you've been looking for an entertaining beach read that you can't put down this is out. Make sure you put on plenty of sunscreen because you'll quickly forget about everything. The characters are quirky, well developed and engaging. The plot is fast-moving, enveloping and just different enough to keep you guessing and involved. Definitely worth reading!

I had high hopes for this book starting out. I love historical novels. Maybe that's part of the problem, I felt like I had already read this one. At the middle of the book I wished they would just get it over with already! While the ending was a bit of a surprise it wasn't enough to make all of endless chapters worth it. It's not a bad book It just went on much longer than necessary.

Just like the story within this book is not what I thought it would be. On the surface Harry Tabor seems to have it all and have it all together. I was expecting the book to be about the "man who has it all" and his releationships with his family.

Harry is a very flawed individual and his adult children are all dealing with issues of their own. Nothing is what it seems to be on the surface.

The one thing I kept asking myself was if I could have hidden actions with such deep and multi-layered actions so completely that I was literally unaware that they had occurred. I'm still pondering this days after the book is finished.

This is definitely one of those stories that sticks with you.

Not since "Room" have I read a book that was so different from anything that I had ever read nor stuck with me so long as "Only Child." If I could have given this book a 10 instead of a 5, I would have. The fact that this is a debut novel blows me away! I cannot recommend it highly enough. Read it!!!!

Tucked in to the Appalachian Mountains, the people of Baines Creek live a hard luck, hard scrabble life. Tied together by tradition, misfortune, and a distrust of outsiders they make their way by whatever means necessary.
A product of that environment, without formal education, a family support system and self-esteem, Sadie Blue does what many girls in her situation are prone to. Sadie falls for the first smooth talking man that looks her way and jumps from a bad situation to a horrible one.
An outsider, with a story of her own to tell, befriends Sadie and gives her the strength to do what needs to be done. With help with some of the creek’s residents, some strange and some downright otherworldly Sadie begins to climb out of the situation she’s found herself in.
The area and its inhabitants and so well written and deeply explored that you can almost visualize them. I could not put this book down and its inhabitants have stayed with me in the days afterward.

In the interest of full disclosure I have to say that I love Joshilyn Jackson books! I've read every one. My only complaint is that she doesn't write faster. If you haven't read her previous novels, get to it! Both "Gods in Alabama," and "The Girl Who Stopped Swimming" grabbed me and didn't let go. I couldn't wait to finish and I didn't want it to end!
That being said, this story didn't quite have the same effect. Almost, but not quite. Maybe, there was one too many story lines that grabbed my interest? I wanted to read more about Leia and Batman, delve into the relationship between Jake and Rachel. Learn more about the town and it's inhabitants, Leia's and Rachel's parents and their childhood.

Still and all a very good read that I would definitely recommend. Hopefully this is just the beginning, I need more!

I don't what it says about me that I loved this book as much as I did. On the face of it, dystopian society, murder, terrorism, persecution. Having fun yet?
Haven't we all had that one person in our lives at one time who made us think "justifiable homicide?"
Julian Jacobson is the poster child for justifiable homicide. "Thou shall not kill" be damned!
Dark, disturbing, quirky, fun - this book has it all.

From the opening passages the story of the Aster family draws you in and engages all of your senses. The characters are written with depth and nuance. The sights and sounds of Old Buckram leap off the page to the point that you feel like you are experiencing them as you read. The house is a foreboding presence that lords over the family within and seems to change their personalities and their destinies.
While the ending surprised me at first at the end, in hindsight, it seems like a foregone conclusion, a repetition of history, a debt owed by its' inhabitants.

Henry Aster Sr. is a damaged soul, who never fit in, never fulfilled his potential and never forgave himself for it. He passed that pain on to his loved ones. The man that the family saw and the man that the community saw were two sides of the coin. Do we ever really know what goes on behind closed doors? Can we ever escape our childhood and shed the identity given to us by our family histories, loved ones and the opinions of others to become who we are truly meant to be? I'm hoping there will be a sequel that explores these things and shows us the future of Henry and Threnody and who they become.

All I can say is wow! I can't even get my kids to clean their rooms and Cara gets hers to build a house? I can't imagine undertaking a task like that. What were they thinking? She's either one of the strongest, fearless and determined women on the planet, or out of her damn mind! I haven't decided. It was fascinating "watching' the family work together to get this done. Their struggles with Adam highlight the failings of our mental health system. I can't imagine being in that situation, trying to protect yourself and your children while having empathy for the person with the illness. I guess next to that building a house is child's play

This is one of those books that grabs you on the first page and doesn't let go. What makes a family? Who are we to judge when someone finds love and happiness? This is the story of people born in to the worst of circumstances, judged by society who find one another and build the family they've always longed for. Surrounded by chaos and abuse, severely damaged by past experiences Wavy and Kellen take care of one another. I'll admit to feeling uncomfortable with the turn their relationship takes and the consequences that result but in the end love conquers all, fences are mended and they find the family they longed for. Definitely a book to read if you're looking for a happy ending

This is a good book with a lot of intertwining characters. I give it a 3 because none of those characters struck a particular chord with me and I didn't get emotionally involved. It might have been better if a few of the auxiliary figures had been left out and the main characters more developed. I don't regret reading it, if anything I came away without a strong impression one way or the other. I feel bad as I say this because I can only imagine the blood, sweat and tears that an author puts in to a book. I come from a family of firefighters so I know what kind of characters they truly are, that was missing from this. If the premise was to show how strong the women of the family are I get it but I would have like to have gotten to know them better

If it's true that "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger," the kids in this family must be a mix between Superman and the Hulk.
Without an adult in their lives who was able to protect them, they were forced to take on that role for themselves and one another.
The resilience of the author in particular amazes me!
I highly recommend this book but only if you're prepared to disappear for a while. I didn't want to go to work, sleep, church or anywhere else until the book was finished.
Kudos to the author for a life well-lived, and a book well-written.

I found the book to be rather depressing. It was hard to follow at first with each chapter being written from a different point of view but it became easier as I got further into the story. Definitely explored the seedy side of Vegas and the selfishness of human nature. if you're looking for a light beach read this isn't it

This is the first book written by Paula Brackston that I've read and not the type I would expect to enjoy. After the Twilight and True Blood phenomena saturated the airwaves and bookstores I was suffering from supernatural burnout! The combination of historical fact and well written prose lifts this book beyond the stereotypical storyline and one dimensional characters that I've come to expect from this genre. The characters are well-developed and intelligent allowing the reader to enjoy the history and story without losing interest and to feel like they're experiencing something new.

I wasn't sure what I would think of this book when I started it, war stories aren't my favorite. I also found it difficult to keep all of the characters straight. However, once I got past the first few chapters none of that mattered.
This book is so beautifully written that it was almost like I was taken to another time and place where the events were happening. The imagery that her words evoke is amazing! It opened my heart and gave me a great deal of empathy for those living in war torn countries. I highly recommend it.....

This could have been a really good book; it grabbed my attention right away and drew me in, but there were glaring implausibility that ruined it for me. The events that led to Maddy being in the car at the time of the accident would not have happened, and the fact that the other driver was drunk would not have negated Ben's culpability especially with so many witnesses in a high profile case. If you want to read a really well researched book that deals with brain injury in a realistic way I suggest "Left Neglected," Lisa Genova .

Maybe because I'm a bibliophile this book just reached out and drew me right in. Who wouldn't want to live above a bookstore? The characters are well-developed and lovable. Reading about the lives the build and the changes they go through took me right into their world. I couldn't put it down. Don't you love when that happens?
Maybe it doesn't have the stereotypical happy ending but that's ok, life seldom does.
A must read for book lovers!