What do readers think of Things We Didn't Say by Kristina Riggle? Write your own review.

This book is good at conveying the struggles of a family in crisis. The characters are well defined and easy to associate with. The plot and language is simple and could appeal to young adults who struggle with divorce and family issues.

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.

The story begins with Casey moving in with Michael and his three children. Her sudden role as mother is daunting since Casey's ex-wife, Mallory, the children's birth mother, is a highly dysfunctional woman who is determined to undermine Casey. As with many patched together families there are many problems. Angel, the oldest daughter, remembers how bad life was with her mother but resents the new woman in her father's life and suspects Casey has secrets. Dylan has a good relationship with Casey and Jewel has made an adjustment. A family crisis brings Mallory into the house and the friction causes all the problems to rush to the surface. Each chapter is written by one of the main characters, a device to gain insight into the thoughts and actions of each. Though I became involved with the characters, their apparent inability to make good choices frustrated me . This is a book in need of someone with a cool head.

This novel was a quick read. It is the type of book that you want to read after you have finished a difficult or particularly thought provoking novel. It doesn't require much thought on the reader's part. The story outcome and characters are predictable. It has enough of a plot to keep the reader going until the end but the characters are not as developed as they could be which is a disappointment. I started the book with the expectation that I would encounter complex characters who were grappling with unsettling life changes. The making of such characters is possible within the story but the author fails to do so which makes what could be a very good book only an average book. I wouldn't recommend it to patrons as a bookclub choice.

Where to begin... This book left me feeling like the author thinks the average reader is fourteen and afraid of big thoughts! It is so over explained, over simplified and over indulged. The charachers are exactly what one would expect... overly evil as the mother portrays, overly nerotic and unobservant as the father portrays and the kids seem to have more sense than anyone. The story could have been powerful if the main plot left the reader with something to think about. Perhaps the characters could have been more complicated, not so clearly the bad mother, the confused and struggling girlfriend and the father more tuned in and less reactive. Why not explore the run-a-way son his internet contact instead of having it be such a straight forward explanation. There too, the girl"s father is the typical bad "doesn't understand" sort. I did not find any of the characters compelling. Sorry.

I was looking forward to this book. I hoped that it would pick up and become more interesting and exciting, but it never did do that for me. I did finish it in hopes that there would be a great surprise or a great ending, again to no avail. Just not enough character or plot building for me.