This book is actually two stories in one: a coming of age story and a story of a Czech man who lives through World War II in an interesting and unusual way. Poxl West's story is presented as a book within a book, interrupted at intervals by the young man who idolizes him. I found both of these characters to be interesting, and if I tell you more, it will ruin the story for you. Read it for yourself. It's worth it.

If you're looking to read the usual nail-biting thriller, don't pick up this book. However, if you want to read a well-written story about a family that has something awful happen to them and watch them react, each in their own way, then whatever you do, don't pass up this book. It's a page-turner, and much of it had me racing to find out what would happen next. The writing is absolutely beautiful, and its beauty is almost jarring, considering the subject matter. Each character stays true to him or herself throughout the book, and the end is as satisfying as the rest. This is not what you'd expect from a thriller, but so much more. I look forward to Johnston's next book with great anticipation.

What a wonderful read this book is. The characters are well fleshed out, and the story is believable. Reading it feels like you're getting a glimpse into the lives of real people in an average family, gradually learning their secrets and watching them find out who they really are. I've said in past reviews that a book has made me want to read the author's other work. I'll be digging into Lisa Jewell's earlier novels immediately after reading this one.

The Deepest Secret is the story of a family, actually of an entire neighborhood, and how those in the family and neighborhood interact with one another. It brings home to us the fact that everyone has secrets and how jarring it can be when we learn the secrets those we think we know work so hard to hide. The fact that the story revolves around a young man with a rare disease adds an extra dimension to the tale. Buckley has done an excellent job of getting into people's heads. She has given us a cast of real people who do real things. I found this novel difficult to put down and a very satisfying read.

Why return to a place when there is nothing left? Why not return? "When can a good person do a bad thing?" These are the primary questions dealt with in this very well-written novel about the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust. The story follows two young Jews who have had very different war experiences but are both broken in their own ways. The reader learns who they were and who they have become and watches them struggle with making a new life while still dealing with what happened to the old one. This book will make you think. It made me want to read more by this author.

I loved this book. When I learned that Amy Falls Down is about the same character, Amy Gallup, as Jincy Willett's earlier novel, The Writing Class, I read The Writing Class first. You don't have to read it before you read Amy falls down, but I'm glad I did. I felt I knew Amy already and liked her. She's a normal person, with a normal person's faults, and she's not afraid to tell the reader about them. This book is smart and fun and a great read. I wanted it to go on forever. I hope Ms. Willett writes more about Amy. I want to know what happens to her next.

I am a big fan of coming-of-age stories, and this book does a wonderful job of combining the coming of age of not only the main character, but also of the rest of his family. The characters are well fleshed out, and the situations, although they have been dealt with many times before by other novels, are new and interesting in this unusual context. Most of the characters are sympathetic, and because the story is told from the viewpoints of all of those characters, the reader gets a complete picture of the conflict that goes on in each person's mind. "Golden Boy" is a great read. I look forward to more from this author.

I haven't read any of Dee's other books, but I was expecting something stellar based on his previous success. I wouldn't say I found this book stellar, but it is a compelling read. The characters are, for the most part, ordinary people (albeit ordinary people who have jobs, a house in the suburbs, and plenty to eat). I found the subject of male midlife crisis interesting because of things that are happening in my life currently. There are some characters I felt could have been fleshed out a bit more to make the story more well rounded, but all in all I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a relatively quick, entertaining read about a family dealing with major life changes.

Once again, Laura Lippman has written a wonderful character study. She really makes you think as you read about the five main characters and how an incident in their childhoods affects the rest of their lives and the lives of those around them. She has used an unusual technique here in that she has written the book in the first person plural. It took me awhile to get used to this as I started out wanting to know who the narrator was, but I quickly became acclimated as my attention was grabbed by wanting to know what happened next. This is a great read!

Things we didn't say deals with themes of alcoholism, divorce, step-parenting, runaway teens and keeping secrets. However, none of these themes is presented in a new or interesting way. The characters are one-dimensional, without enough background to fully flesh them out. The reader never gets to know any of these characters well enough to like them. I was disappointed in this book since I am a step-parent and was hoping to find characters and stories to connect with in some way, but this was not the case. The book is readable but definitely not a page-turner. It left me wanting a better story with more interesting people.

At the beginning of "The Tenth Song" I thought it was just going to be another formulaic story about an upper middle class Jewish family and their relationships in today's changing world. That is what this book is to some degree, but it is also much more. Here you will find unexpected choices and reactions along with an unusual but satisfying ending. As usual, Naomi Ragen's books are well worth the read.