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Pamela F. (Grants Pass, OR)
Wish I had read this before Gone Girl
This book drove me crazy. I did not like the main character or the narrative style. The craziness of the "friendship" drove me crazy. I, however, kept reading for all the plot twists and turns. Gone Girl is a read alike I am pretty sure. But it is a better book. Maybe I would have liked this one better had I read it first. Although I had a hard time finishing this, I did want to know how it ended and there is something to be said for that.
Jessica D. (Bemidji, MN)
Precious Thing
I was not particularly fond of this book. It started well but didn't necessarily end that way. I'm not sure if it was the writing style or the story itself, or possibly both, that created some negative vibes for me. Not one of my favorite reads.
Carol R. (Foster City, CA)
Saw This Coming
I wanted to love this book; the premise was intriguing. About midway through "Precious Thing," I thought I'd figured out the ending. I was right. The plot twists were numerous. In the beginning of the story, they made the story interesting. After a while, the never ending twists just became tiresome and predictable. I started the book twice; I found the author's writing style difficult. Rather than focusing on the story throughout the book, I was distracted by the cadence of the writing. In a beautifully written book, I love being aware of the writing, Sadly, this was not the case with "Precious Thing."
Betty B. (Irving, TX)
Friendship is a Precious Thing Or Is It
I liked that Precious Thing kept me turning pages wanting to know what happened next. And while there are a few clues along the way, the ending was a surprise to me. So I think the book is well written from that standpoint. However, I never felt as connected to either of the two friends as I would have liked so for me it was an average book.
Michelle (Hillsdale, NJ)
Just So-So
You would think from the premise that this book would be exciting - the storyline sounds promising, but the book was very hard to get into. Rachel and Clara become friends in high school; fast forward to years later when Rachel becomes a successful t.v. reporter and learns of the disappearance of Clara. At first, it seems difficult to like Clara - in one instance, Rachel describes how Clara convinces her that they should smash each other's wrists with a rock in order to break them so they don't have to take gym class. If ever one of my friends suggested that, I would run far, far away. However, Rachel actually
…more does it. Throughout the course of the story, Rachel goes back and forth from past to present. It seems Clara is not the nicest person, then as the story goes on... it seems Rachel isn't that nice either. It's very hard to like a story where you don't like either of the main characters! The story gets a little far-fetched (in an unbelievable way) at the end and all in all, it just isn't a very satisfying read. (less)This book started out with great promise. The premise was so intriguing and initially I was hooked. The twists and turns within the story held a lot of promise and the writer had a wry sense of irony. As the story unfolded, however, the characters seemed to become diluted. I did not "get" or feel the relationship between Rachel and Jake and the dialogue became cliche. It also seemed that the series of events in the last of the book were just confusing rather than suspenseful or clarifying. It seemed to me that the storyline got lost in an effort to create big "Wow" moments. In a nutshell, it was a story of
…more friendship and betrayal that lost character development and then lost direction all together. It is a shame really as it started out strong and I was expecting a great read. (less)
Betty T. (Warner Robins, GA)
Do You Really Know Someone?
"You can be so close to someone for a lifetime and not know who they really are."
This book is a long letter from Rachel to Clara, lifelong friends. On Rachel's first day in a new school she sits next to Clara thus starting this seeming innocent friendship. Each would do anything for the other. Now the girls are in their late 20s and things have changed. Clara and Rachel had an argument that got out of hand. Rachel, as a successful news editor, is sent to cover the story of a missing woman. The woman turns out to be Clara. Rachel was supposed to have met up with Clara the previous evening but Clara did not show.
…more What has happened to Clara and why? There are secrets the two friends held from and about each other. Will those secrets destroy their friendship? Rachel must try to determine what happened to Clara -- murder? suicide? Or was she kidnapped, and why? Can you be a lifelong friend with someone - be soulmates - and really not know that person?
I gave this book only three stars in spite of a good storyline. It seemed a bit predictable in several places. Some of the story dragged along, and at times there was excessive descriptions. The book is written in first person and at times just did not really flow easily. However, the first person narrative did keep you only withing Rachel's head, thus not knowing what was happening in Clara's head. (less)If I had the option I would give this 2.5 stars. It is slightly more deserving than a 2 if for no other reason it held my interest to the end. This book is so full of twists and turns that I was never sure what was real or imagined and felt rather off-kilter until the end. I kept comparing it to The Other Typist as I was reading it except I found the characters in Precious Thing to be fairly contrived and unbelievable overall.
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