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Speak Softly, She Can Hear
Book by Lewis, Pam
Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
57 people are currently reading
1590 people want to read
About the author
Pam Lewis
16 books40 followersI was a city girl, born in Burbank California to a pair of ambitious parents who moved the family every few years as my father sought greater responsibilities in the then-bourgeoning aviation industry.
We finally settled in New York City long enough for me to attend high school. I was shy, too tall too soon, and only excelled at school when I finally set my sights on Stanford University and squeaked in on so-so grades.
I married immediately after college, and went to work as a programmer until the birth of my sons Lukas and Joshua Casey, who are now well into their adulthoods. While they grew I worked at a motley assortment of jobs including Welcome Wagon lady, treasurer to a small corporation, reporter, freelance writer and swim instructor. When more serious money was required, I put my head down, gritted my teeth and wrote marketing copy for insurance companies in which the objective was to make readers see their diminishing health and retirement benefits as a welcome change. For this I apologize. As an antidote, I wrote fiction furiously every morning, more as pleasure and therapy than with an eye to publication, which, at that point in my life, seemed unlikely. On the cusp of my 59th year, however, Speak Softly, She Can Hear was taken by Simon and Schuster, then Perfect Family and now, with the publication of A Young Wife, a third.
A Young Wife is something of a departure from my earlier books. It’s a more sweeping story, told on a grander scale than the others. It also has some of its roots in family history.
During our many moves, my California grandmother’s rare visits were highlights. She told me stories of a disaster at sea, a burning ship, circling sharks and a husband’s heroism. She spoke of her life as a very young bride in a place called Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. She recalled handsome gauchos who rode into town on fabulous horses decked in turquoise and silver, and of their thunderous races down the dusty main street.
I had many questions. Why had she and her husband gone there? Who was this husband? Why did my mother refuse to speak of him, not even to give me his name?
Much later in my life, I learned that at age fifteen my grandmother was hired to tend a dying relative in the home of my then thirty-five-year old grandfather, that he took her to South America to start a store there, and that he ultimately abandoned her in New York City with four young daughters and few skills. Most astonishingly, that she continued to love him until she died.
This scant but rich information was a rare gift for a fiction writer. The exotic settings, the passion, and his devastating betrayal became the bones on which to build a story. I was glad not to know everything—virtually nothing of my grandfather—so that my imagination was free to make up the rest.
I married immediately after college, and went to work as a programmer until the birth of my sons Lukas and Joshua Casey, who are now well into their adulthoods. While they grew I worked at a motley assortment of jobs including Welcome Wagon lady, treasurer to a small corporation, reporter, freelance writer and swim instructor. When more serious money was required, I put my head down, gritted my teeth and wrote marketing copy for insurance companies in which the objective was to make readers see their diminishing health and retirement benefits as a welcome change. For this I apologize. As an antidote, I wrote fiction furiously every morning, more as pleasure and therapy than with an eye to publication, which, at that point in my life, seemed unlikely. On the cusp of my 59th year, however, Speak Softly, She Can Hear was taken by Simon and Schuster, then Perfect Family and now, with the publication of A Young Wife, a third.
A Young Wife is something of a departure from my earlier books. It’s a more sweeping story, told on a grander scale than the others. It also has some of its roots in family history.
During our many moves, my California grandmother’s rare visits were highlights. She told me stories of a disaster at sea, a burning ship, circling sharks and a husband’s heroism. She spoke of her life as a very young bride in a place called Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. She recalled handsome gauchos who rode into town on fabulous horses decked in turquoise and silver, and of their thunderous races down the dusty main street.
I had many questions. Why had she and her husband gone there? Who was this husband? Why did my mother refuse to speak of him, not even to give me his name?
Much later in my life, I learned that at age fifteen my grandmother was hired to tend a dying relative in the home of my then thirty-five-year old grandfather, that he took her to South America to start a store there, and that he ultimately abandoned her in New York City with four young daughters and few skills. Most astonishingly, that she continued to love him until she died.
This scant but rich information was a rare gift for a fiction writer. The exotic settings, the passion, and his devastating betrayal became the bones on which to build a story. I was glad not to know everything—virtually nothing of my grandfather—so that my imagination was free to make up the rest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 303 reviews
May 25, 2021
"It was pitch-black. Black above and below. The only way to know up from down was by the pinprick stars".
Speak Softly, She Can Hear by Pam Lewis
I am surprised to see low ratings for this one. I enjoyed it. thought this was interesting, nowhere near bad but I did like another book I read by this writer, "Perfect Family" a bit better.
I liked the whole family interaction in that book and with this one we have a kind of "woman on the run"..from herself as well as anyone else.But I still enjoyed the book. I really do enjoy this writer's style of writing.
I enjoyed reading it, would read it again and think many Mystery fans would like it. It has a female lead, filled with angst, shame and regret and it has a dark and moody quality that stays strong through the whole book. This one is for Winter reading.
I also adore the title although I thought it would be a bit creepier then it ultimately wound up being. The title ranks up there as one of the coolest.
If you choose to read "Speak Softly, She can hear" be prepared for some disturbing stuff and also be prepared to absolutely LOATH one of the male characters in this book. OK..I will shut up now before I give anything away!
I thought parts of it dragged a tiny bit but at the time I was craving an "out there" sort mystery and this book gave me that so 3.5 stars it is.
Speak Softly, She Can Hear by Pam Lewis
I am surprised to see low ratings for this one. I enjoyed it. thought this was interesting, nowhere near bad but I did like another book I read by this writer, "Perfect Family" a bit better.
I liked the whole family interaction in that book and with this one we have a kind of "woman on the run"..from herself as well as anyone else.But I still enjoyed the book. I really do enjoy this writer's style of writing.
I enjoyed reading it, would read it again and think many Mystery fans would like it. It has a female lead, filled with angst, shame and regret and it has a dark and moody quality that stays strong through the whole book. This one is for Winter reading.
I also adore the title although I thought it would be a bit creepier then it ultimately wound up being. The title ranks up there as one of the coolest.
If you choose to read "Speak Softly, She can hear" be prepared for some disturbing stuff and also be prepared to absolutely LOATH one of the male characters in this book. OK..I will shut up now before I give anything away!
I thought parts of it dragged a tiny bit but at the time I was craving an "out there" sort mystery and this book gave me that so 3.5 stars it is.
June 18, 2010
Probably one of the worst first chapters I've ever read which turned me off the whole book completely...
December 27, 2007
Highway accident type of book. You don't want to look, but you can't un-glue your eyes. Nothing to write home about.
June 4, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It was dark, depressing, stifling and interesting. It is always hard to enjoy a book when the majority of the characters are the types you dislike but I managed to find redeeming quality with the author’s objective. The author, Pam Lewis, clearly has no problem starting the dark drama off immediately. She leaves nothing to the imagination and throughout the book I truly felt the anxiety and desperation “Carole” experienced. It is amazing how desperate one can become to hide their past and actions; even if they don’t know if they are truly guilty. My only complaint is that the epiphany of the “truth” needed to happen earlier and Carole could have grasped it with full fury. I enjoy watching sociopaths fall and sadly, my taste was not satiated as it should. For the majority of the book to be so binding with a certain characters “control” the final thrust for independence was short.
August 9, 2012
Initially, I didn't care for the way the author began the story. I was put off by what seemed to be a cavalier account of a sixteen year old girl losing her virginity, resulting in another woman's death. As I continued reading, I realized that the story needed to begin exactly as the author had written it.
It's important, when reading the book, to keep in mind the time period in which the crime takes place. It's 1965. Clueless, innocent, sheltered sixteen year old girls were common. The story extends into 1976. The fear and secrecy upon which the story is built, is perfectly understandable within these chronological parameters. Even so, I was frustrated by the lack of courage and confidence displayed by the central character. I had to keep reminding myself that she was raised in a financially comfortable home. She did well in school. She was not into partying. She had no 'street smarts'. And being overweight, she had no self-esteem. Only by keeping this in mind, was I able to truly appreciate the story.
The characters are easy to recognize. The author does a fine job of describing them, both physically and mentally. The tale focuses on the shattering results of deceit and violence. Set in the mid-sixties, into the 70's, the story begins in Stowe, Vermont, and takes the reader to NYC, Haight-Asbury, and finally back to Vermont. Families collapse, teenagers flounder, the country makes it out of Vietnam, and hippies relocate 'back to nature'. And amidst all of this, one innocent young woman is haunted by her memory of that fateful evening in Vermont when her entire world changed. The events that follow make for a good, suspenseful story, incorporating morality and evil in a thrilling manner. I almost rated this book a '3', which is still a good rating from me. I chose to rate it a '4' because the book did grab my attention quickly, and I especially liked how the author created a real understanding of the characters.
It's important, when reading the book, to keep in mind the time period in which the crime takes place. It's 1965. Clueless, innocent, sheltered sixteen year old girls were common. The story extends into 1976. The fear and secrecy upon which the story is built, is perfectly understandable within these chronological parameters. Even so, I was frustrated by the lack of courage and confidence displayed by the central character. I had to keep reminding myself that she was raised in a financially comfortable home. She did well in school. She was not into partying. She had no 'street smarts'. And being overweight, she had no self-esteem. Only by keeping this in mind, was I able to truly appreciate the story.
The characters are easy to recognize. The author does a fine job of describing them, both physically and mentally. The tale focuses on the shattering results of deceit and violence. Set in the mid-sixties, into the 70's, the story begins in Stowe, Vermont, and takes the reader to NYC, Haight-Asbury, and finally back to Vermont. Families collapse, teenagers flounder, the country makes it out of Vietnam, and hippies relocate 'back to nature'. And amidst all of this, one innocent young woman is haunted by her memory of that fateful evening in Vermont when her entire world changed. The events that follow make for a good, suspenseful story, incorporating morality and evil in a thrilling manner. I almost rated this book a '3', which is still a good rating from me. I chose to rate it a '4' because the book did grab my attention quickly, and I especially liked how the author created a real understanding of the characters.
September 6, 2011
I read this book start to finish. And that's the best thing that I can say about it: I finished it. And I finished it not because it was enthralling and I had to know what happens, but because I hoped that it would get better. It does get better. Just a little better. And only in the last twenty pages so it's not worth reading the 310 pages that come before the part where it gets better. A little better.
The problem is the plot. That the main character is so taken by a cruel man so that she lives her whole life in fear is never explained in a plausible way. The rest of the plot then flows from this basic, implausible 'fact' and so doesn't make much sense either. This book was also not a good fit for me because, personally, I like my protagonists to be active agents of the plot. Carole is not an agent: she is simply the receiver of other people's actions. And I know that's on purpose in this book, but it just not how I like my main characters.
The problem is the plot. That the main character is so taken by a cruel man so that she lives her whole life in fear is never explained in a plausible way. The rest of the plot then flows from this basic, implausible 'fact' and so doesn't make much sense either. This book was also not a good fit for me because, personally, I like my protagonists to be active agents of the plot. Carole is not an agent: she is simply the receiver of other people's actions. And I know that's on purpose in this book, but it just not how I like my main characters.
December 4, 2013
This book was bad, so bad. But yet, I couldn't stop reading it! It was like overhearing a private conversation held in a public place - yes, you shouldn't listen in but they're the ones embarrassing themselves by having the conversation in public. The characters were one-dimensional cliches, the settings weren't descriptive and the plot was outrageously unbelievable. I couldn't wait to read more just to see what else I could roll my eyes and shake my head at.
The premise of the book sounded great and the fact that Wally Lamb (an exceptional writer IMO) endorsed it drew me into the 50 cent yard sale pile. The author must be a close friend of Lamb's or maybe he didn't even read the book, because I'd be embarrassed to endorse this. If you read the first chapter and think "really?! I mean seriously?! but why?! but how?!" then you might enjoy the ridiculousness of the whole book.
The premise of the book sounded great and the fact that Wally Lamb (an exceptional writer IMO) endorsed it drew me into the 50 cent yard sale pile. The author must be a close friend of Lamb's or maybe he didn't even read the book, because I'd be embarrassed to endorse this. If you read the first chapter and think "really?! I mean seriously?! but why?! but how?!" then you might enjoy the ridiculousness of the whole book.
November 25, 2022
When I saw the title of this book I expected something spooky, horror, or psychological thriller. I got none of those things. Basically everything happens in the first chapter and then it’s just bland. I was bored throughout basically the entire thing until the last maybe 5 chapters. Was very Hard to make myself finish this book.
June 13, 2016
When Carole, a upper class high school girl, decides to lose her virginity with her friend Naomi she has no idea how it will change every aspect of her life forever.
Meeting Eddie,wanna-be actor, through Naomi and winning a bet to 'do him first', Carole meets Eddie alone, and after a few drinks goes ahead and loses her virginity to him.
When Carole is left accused of killing a girl. The once sweet Eddie turns into a narcissistic psychopath, belittling and humiliating her into getting rid of the body with Naomi, and go about their lives, oathing to never speak of it again.
Although Carole can't, she keeps doing things she shouldn't, and when all hell breaks loose she makes a run for her parents preplanned life setting out to forget her past and build a new future herself.
But Eddie keeps popping into her life, even when noones meant to know where she is, and he won't let her forget what she did.
To be completely honest only the first few chapters and the last few were amazing in my opinion, the writing had so much visualization, and i guess that's why a lot of other reviews said they couldn't stand the first few chapters . Yes , it's very sexual and graphic but isn't a good writer meant to make you feel things? whether those things are disgusting or disturbing to you or not? I for one felt like i was there, seeing it, feeling how the character felt and that makes good reading.
Even if it is about a 16 year old chubby girl losing her virginity for the first time.
Personally, the middle was soo boring and there was a lot of Carole's life i thought was pointless to even add into the novel. It didn't captivate me at all and i really expected more after those first few chapters, hence my rating.
I only finished it because i wanted to know how it would end, i hate hate hate leaving books unfinished.
June 16, 2008
this book was remarkably terrible, or at least as much as i read b/c i had to shelf it after about a 100 or so pages. there's only so much time i can devote to a book that's just not doing it, what with there being so many worthy books out there. the whole things was uber-cliched--mean, skinny prep school girl with rich parents, nice, fat, naive newbie to the school from the wrong side of the tracks, a guy that's trouble, some well meaning but clueless parents. honestly, i kept thinking of that "mean girls" movie, that or an after school special, circa later 80s. the dead hooker in the snow was a twist i guess really it gave it a law and order feeling, without the things i like about law and order. the book made me rethink something i've often said and thought--better to read bad books then watch good television. at least law and order only takes up one hour of my time...okay, well, i guess that's a savage enough review :)
April 10, 2011
The first quarter or so of the book is interesting enough: girl goes with her friend and a devastatingly handsome stranger on an illicit getaway in order to lose her virginity, only to inadvertently kill someone, then spends the next several weeks/months riddled with guilt and paranoia or what she believes herself to have done and get caught for it. But it gets less and less interesting until, at the end of the book, I really didn't give a damn over who did what and what happens to who. Likewise, the main character starts out strongly enough as a smart but naive 16/17 year old girl, insecure over her weight, with loving but sometimes overbearing parents. She was relatable and sympathetic in how she tried to find her own identity outside of what others imposed upon her. And it wasn't that she necessarily grew up into a bad or unlikable person... just boring and overly predictable. I never bought into her friendship with her high school friend (who might have been interesting if she wasn't so caricaturized pigeon-holed as an antagonist) and , and I really disliked her hippie friend who, in her own way, was also smug and overbearing.
I struggled to finish this book and only got through it in the vain hope that the story would pick up again. The last chapter or two I ended up reading during commercial breaks of a TV show, and I was tempted not to bother picking it back up after each time I set it down-- for me, the commercials were a lot more interesting than the climax.
I struggled to finish this book and only got through it in the vain hope that the story would pick up again. The last chapter or two I ended up reading during commercial breaks of a TV show, and I was tempted not to bother picking it back up after each time I set it down-- for me, the commercials were a lot more interesting than the climax.
April 11, 2011
This book is touted as a thriller, but I call bullshit. It's the story of two girls who make a pact to lose their virginity to this guy. Something awful happens and the girls are forced to cover it up with the guy. Over the years the girls grow apart, but the secret doesn't die. This was a very good, creepy read, but it wasn't the thriller it promised. The insecurities and little jealousies that plague teenagers ring very true here, and as the years go by and the girls grow up, it's cool to see what kind of women they'll become but I was disappointed that Naomi (the best friend) sortof became a cartoon character by the end of the book. Really she was a cliche of the worst kind and I felt the author was capable of better considering what a good job she did with Carol (the lead). I kept reading it but a lot of the middle bits that didn't involve the three core characters was a little trying because it didn't seem to further the plot, ti was just place holder until something interesting could happen. Read this book if you like tv-movie-mysteries, but don't expect a page turner.
February 27, 2013
Good girl Carole makes a pact with her best friend Naomi to lose their virginity before high school graduation. On Carole's chosen night, things go horribly wrong, altering the course of her future.
Loved it. Pam Lewis threads a captivating thriller. I didn't want to put it down. My mom disliked Carole because she felt that Carole runs from her problems, but I felt Lewis did a great job of explaining Carole's rationale. Most of the novel seemed plausible to me.
I do wish that Lewis had spent more time discussing Pepper. He seemed like an interesting character. Lewis would drop interesting little tidbits about him and then move on, so I felt like he was more of a plot device than a character. Would like to have understood the relationship between Carole and Pepper a little better.
Loved it. Pam Lewis threads a captivating thriller. I didn't want to put it down. My mom disliked Carole because she felt that Carole runs from her problems, but I felt Lewis did a great job of explaining Carole's rationale. Most of the novel seemed plausible to me.
I do wish that Lewis had spent more time discussing Pepper. He seemed like an interesting character. Lewis would drop interesting little tidbits about him and then move on, so I felt like he was more of a plot device than a character. Would like to have understood the relationship between Carole and Pepper a little better.
July 4, 2011
I absolutely hated this book and almost did not finish reading it (I have a hard time not finishing a book on principal, but this book really tested my resolve.) I did persevere and finish it. I disliked the situation that starts off the book and all of the characters presented in the beginning of the book. The circumstances that began the novel were violent and gruesome and the characters were either wishy-washy, reprehensible or non-entities. There really was nothing to propel me forward in the book. The last few chapters did capture my interest and made the book a little more interesting but definitely too little too late.
January 27, 2014
Not the best literary writing, not too much thinking involved...just an ok mystery novel that will keep you entertained. dont expect too much from this...even the character development is a little weak (maybe she doesn't have teenagers around her), but overall a story well told. If you like the genre (as I do) and psychological thrillers intrigue you, then give it a try but not when you are in the mood for something really exciting...you wont be excited that you read it nor will you feel that you wasted your time. Just in between. Nothing to write home about.
August 5, 2008
Um...well, the first few chapters literally shocked me into almost not finishing it! It had a VERY graphic scene of two girls setting out to lose their virginty...and while I reading all I could think was.."This isn't something I would want my husband to come read." But I skipped ahead and saw it didn't continue that way so I trudged ahead and finished it. I'm not saying it was terrible, but it's something I could've lived without!
January 31, 2014
This book was absolutely FANTASTIC! I felt every single emotion that the author sought out to evoke. I had to calm myself down after reading it because I was so angry at the antagonist and what was happening to the protagonist. I highly recommend this psychological thriller because that's exactly what it was.
July 19, 2007
This book was strange. There were times I found in interesting and other times it was frustating. The ending is silly and the whole relationship with the two main female characters unbelievable. I did read it fairly quickly though, I'm not sure what that means.
January 31, 2009
This is a good thriller. It's not a great piece of literature or anything, but it's fun. There are parts that sound Wally Lamb-ish, and there are also a couple of mentions of him in the book by the author, so I think she was aiming for that style, but it fell far, far short of Lamb's insight.
November 4, 2009
Ok, so the beginning was a bit over the top...but the story itself-- WOW! Disturbing to say the least. Looking forward to the book club's discussion of this one.
July 7, 2012
well, quite a page turner, but I must be stupid coz I don't understand what the title means!
September 24, 2022
This is a first time read for me with this author, this is also her debut novel as well. I have to say not too shabby.
I chose to read this book, even with it's pretty low rating, since it has been on my shelves FOREVER. All I can say is that this was really an odd story (at least in the beginning), but weirdly enough I enjoyed the story. It says it is a thriller, and there are parts of the story that push it towards thriller. But to me though it screams more 'coming of age' than anything. The story was very fluid, the writing flowed well and if anything, kept me intrigued. I had to know how the story was going to go.
I have to say that during the whole time I was reading it, I felt somewhat apprehensive because of one of one of the characters, who was written quite well, as a psycho, playing a friend to Carole. Carole of course was my favorite character. Always that timid girl, blamed for everything and hiding a secret on top of it. I could only imagine being that timid girl, just trying to make your way through life, baring a secret so terrible, and then being threatened at the same time, if you were ever to tell. Hard to put yourself in that position. I have to say kudos to Carole.
I would have given this a higher rating had Carole made a different choice at the end. But it is what it is. However, I do understand why it ended as it did though. Well done!
I chose to read this book, even with it's pretty low rating, since it has been on my shelves FOREVER. All I can say is that this was really an odd story (at least in the beginning), but weirdly enough I enjoyed the story. It says it is a thriller, and there are parts of the story that push it towards thriller. But to me though it screams more 'coming of age' than anything. The story was very fluid, the writing flowed well and if anything, kept me intrigued. I had to know how the story was going to go.
I have to say that during the whole time I was reading it, I felt somewhat apprehensive because of one of one of the characters, who was written quite well, as a psycho, playing a friend to Carole. Carole of course was my favorite character. Always that timid girl, blamed for everything and hiding a secret on top of it. I could only imagine being that timid girl, just trying to make your way through life, baring a secret so terrible, and then being threatened at the same time, if you were ever to tell. Hard to put yourself in that position. I have to say kudos to Carole.
I would have given this a higher rating had Carole made a different choice at the end. But it is what it is. However, I do understand why it ended as it did though. Well done!
January 25, 2019
Oh my god.
I picked this book from the crowded shelves of a used bookstore. Don't ask me why--it was probably the cover, which had that matte, smooth, suede-like feel to it, and it had clearly been read several times; I could have rolled it up like a newspaper. (Not that I did. I'm not a monster.)
I scanned, I think, through the first paragraph of the back summary--I didn't even read to the second half. I just saw something about two teenage girls making a pact to lose their virginity, them finding a guy willing to have sex with them both (separately), and then something going wrong, and I slipped the book onto the stack of paperbacks I was accumulating in my arms.
I assumed the book was a mystery/suspense thriller novel. I was wrong.
This book is a psychological thriller, of sorts. And I'm marking Pam Lewis as a newfound author to keep an eye out for because it was amazing. I promised myself that, for the first night this whole week, I would be in bed, falling asleep by 9:30. I did not. I stayed up until 10:30--and thank god I had finished it by then because I definitely would have stayed up far, far later to finish it if I had to.
First off, let's talk about how this book is not a mystery. You know, from the very beginning, exactly what happened--but the narrator doesn't. As a reader, I guessed the truth, or some version of it, from the get-go. But that wasn't a let down or a deterrent. That was kind of the point of the whole thing. The narrator so completely and wholly believes in this lie that it changes the course of her entire life. And because she so completely believes it, the readers end up second-guessing and doubting their own knowledge of the truth.
I had a visceral reaction to Eddie's character every time he showed up. My skin crawled. I tensed up. I grit my teeth. I shifted and twisted on my bed, uncomfortable. He was despicable, and you'll spend 90% of the novel thinking "dear god, why won't you just die?"
The characters in this novel reminded me of Joe Hill's characters--every single one of them was developed and unique. Naomi's character, in particular, is fantastic because she seems so vapid and flat--she doesn't seem to develop or change at all throughout the novel, and then suddenly you start analyzing her and thinking back through the novel and you realize that she's an incredible character designed to appear flat.
And goodness--this book was not, except for the one scene--frightening in the traditional sense, but the entire book is tinged with tension and suspense and the feeling of waiting, of something being just around the corner. The entire book reads like a ball placed on the very edge of a high shelf, and all it would take is someone slamming the front door a bit too hard to make it fall off.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
I picked this book from the crowded shelves of a used bookstore. Don't ask me why--it was probably the cover, which had that matte, smooth, suede-like feel to it, and it had clearly been read several times; I could have rolled it up like a newspaper. (Not that I did. I'm not a monster.)
I scanned, I think, through the first paragraph of the back summary--I didn't even read to the second half. I just saw something about two teenage girls making a pact to lose their virginity, them finding a guy willing to have sex with them both (separately), and then something going wrong, and I slipped the book onto the stack of paperbacks I was accumulating in my arms.
I assumed the book was a mystery/suspense thriller novel. I was wrong.
This book is a psychological thriller, of sorts. And I'm marking Pam Lewis as a newfound author to keep an eye out for because it was amazing. I promised myself that, for the first night this whole week, I would be in bed, falling asleep by 9:30. I did not. I stayed up until 10:30--and thank god I had finished it by then because I definitely would have stayed up far, far later to finish it if I had to.
First off, let's talk about how this book is not a mystery. You know, from the very beginning, exactly what happened--but the narrator doesn't. As a reader, I guessed the truth, or some version of it, from the get-go. But that wasn't a let down or a deterrent. That was kind of the point of the whole thing. The narrator so completely and wholly believes in this lie that it changes the course of her entire life. And because she so completely believes it, the readers end up second-guessing and doubting their own knowledge of the truth.
I had a visceral reaction to Eddie's character every time he showed up. My skin crawled. I tensed up. I grit my teeth. I shifted and twisted on my bed, uncomfortable. He was despicable, and you'll spend 90% of the novel thinking "dear god, why won't you just die?"
The characters in this novel reminded me of Joe Hill's characters--every single one of them was developed and unique. Naomi's character, in particular, is fantastic because she seems so vapid and flat--she doesn't seem to develop or change at all throughout the novel, and then suddenly you start analyzing her and thinking back through the novel and you realize that she's an incredible character designed to appear flat.
And goodness--this book was not, except for the one scene--frightening in the traditional sense, but the entire book is tinged with tension and suspense and the feeling of waiting, of something being just around the corner. The entire book reads like a ball placed on the very edge of a high shelf, and all it would take is someone slamming the front door a bit too hard to make it fall off.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
March 1, 2021
Ik heb dit boek gelezen toen ik te jong was hiervoor. Het is een enorm confronterend boek. Het is een boek waarbij het geweten van de personage zich achtervolgt. Zeker eens lezen!
February 1, 2011
This was quite the book. First off, this was one of those books where if your Mother happened to come over you quickly shove it under the couch for fear that she opens it and sees how horrific the first couple of pages are. It is extremely graphic and I thought of closing it numerous times. Unfortunately it was intriguing.
This book is a tragedy. It deals with a young teenager and one decision that in turns ruins her life. One lie turns into another and another to the point where she has alienated herself from those she loves the most. This book is graphic and there are few that I would recommend it to. I was amazed however at how one single act can completely devastate not only one persons life but all those around her.
The book was easy to read through but I was extremely disappointed with the ending. After all the years of hardache and lying the main character gets off easy. She was involved with a murder and instead of owning up to the part that she played in it she is able to cut all ties to this event and in the end she will never have to be held responsible for the decision she made that night.
This book is not a winner but it does help you to take a step back and think about the importance of your daily actions and decisions.
This book is a tragedy. It deals with a young teenager and one decision that in turns ruins her life. One lie turns into another and another to the point where she has alienated herself from those she loves the most. This book is graphic and there are few that I would recommend it to. I was amazed however at how one single act can completely devastate not only one persons life but all those around her.
The book was easy to read through but I was extremely disappointed with the ending. After all the years of hardache and lying the main character gets off easy. She was involved with a murder and instead of owning up to the part that she played in it she is able to cut all ties to this event and in the end she will never have to be held responsible for the decision she made that night.
This book is not a winner but it does help you to take a step back and think about the importance of your daily actions and decisions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2009
If you survive the first few chapters of this book, you will be rewarded with a suspenseful tale of survival as you follow a young woman from New York City to Vermont to the land of hippies in California in 1965 and back to Vermont.
Carole is a clueless 16 year old in 1965 who falls victim to peer pressure and an evil 26 year old guy named Eddie. What happens is statutory rape and an accidental death, but Eddie convinces Carole that she is responsible for a murder. He pursues her for the next 10 years, attempting to blackmail her and interfering with her life. It's hard in 2009 to watch a young woman being manipulated this way, but the author evokes the time quite well. There was no one in her life to safely tell, which would have been her salvation.
I liked this book, but not quite as much as her second, Perfect Family.
Carole is a clueless 16 year old in 1965 who falls victim to peer pressure and an evil 26 year old guy named Eddie. What happens is statutory rape and an accidental death, but Eddie convinces Carole that she is responsible for a murder. He pursues her for the next 10 years, attempting to blackmail her and interfering with her life. It's hard in 2009 to watch a young woman being manipulated this way, but the author evokes the time quite well. There was no one in her life to safely tell, which would have been her salvation.
I liked this book, but not quite as much as her second, Perfect Family.
May 28, 2019
Very good book, and a quick read because I just couldn’t put it down. If you can get past the disturbing adventure that takes place in the first chapter, the rest of the book is worth it. Pam Lewis had to carefully detail so not to spoil the journey of this tale, and I was impressed that there were only a few hiccups that fortunately were more editing mistakes than flaws (twice in one brief encounter her father rose and stood before her, wait, didn’t that happen a couple sentences ago, isn’t he already standing before her?). I did enjoy the book. I was happy with the outcome. But for the life of me I can’t understand the title🤷🏼♀️
November 29, 2019
Let me start by saying I have no idea what the title means and lots of other reviewers don't either. Something bad goes down in a hotel room and Carole wants to distance herself from it and from the other two people involved. She graduates high school, goes to college, drops out, and starts a new life in Vermont. She lives under the threat of Eddie revealing their secret. She can't escape him and he shows up a few times over the years to harass her and ask for money. Eddie's a terrible character, truly a bad seed, one you want to die off as soon as possible. I'd have liked some background on him.
The story was fairly interesting but I have more questions that comments about the story. Why did Carole leave college and want nothing to do with her parents? Where'd she get money to open a restaurant? Why would she contact Naomi after all these years when she wanted nothing to do with her past? Why did she tell her boyfriend what happened? He didn't need to know.
December 8, 2023
First, I don't understand the title of this novel...I wasn't able to make the connection. The main thing that puzzled and somewhat irritated me about the story line is how the protagonist - Carole - being described as intelligent and independent, did nothing but make dumb-dumb decisions throughout the entire novel. It is a very original and different story with a couple of interesting plot twists...so if stupid decisions don't aggrevate you, this could be a really refreshing change of pace for the avid fiction reader.
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