What do you think?
Rate this book
Strange but True: A Novel
Soon to be a Major Motion Picture starring Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, and Blythe Danner.
“Sinister and complex.... You’ll race right through it.”—New York Times
After a mysterious fall from his New York City apartment, Philip Chase has moved back home with his mother, Charlene, a bitter woman who has never fully accepted the death of her younger son, Ronnie, five years earlier. Surrounded by memories of the family he no longer has, and trying to forget the reasons he left New York, Philip is in stasis.
But everything changes late one windy February night when Ronnie's high school girlfriend shows up on their doorstep. A sad young woman who still bears the scars of the accident that took Ronnie's life, Melissa is nine months pregnant. The father, she claims, is Ronnie.
Now Philip and his mother must confront not only Melissa's past but also their the secrets each has buried and the lies each has told. But not everyone wants the past exposed…. At once a moving story of redemption and a heart-stopping work of suspense, Strange but True “will hold you transfixed” (Salon.com).
“Sinister and complex.... You’ll race right through it.”—New York Times
After a mysterious fall from his New York City apartment, Philip Chase has moved back home with his mother, Charlene, a bitter woman who has never fully accepted the death of her younger son, Ronnie, five years earlier. Surrounded by memories of the family he no longer has, and trying to forget the reasons he left New York, Philip is in stasis.
But everything changes late one windy February night when Ronnie's high school girlfriend shows up on their doorstep. A sad young woman who still bears the scars of the accident that took Ronnie's life, Melissa is nine months pregnant. The father, she claims, is Ronnie.
Now Philip and his mother must confront not only Melissa's past but also their the secrets each has buried and the lies each has told. But not everyone wants the past exposed…. At once a moving story of redemption and a heart-stopping work of suspense, Strange but True “will hold you transfixed” (Salon.com).
330 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2004
246 people are currently reading
3345 people want to read
About the author
John Searles
16 books577 followersJohn Searles is the best-selling author of the novels Her Last Affair, Help for the Haunted, Strange but True and Boy Still Missing.
Hailed as “riveting” by The New York Times and “hypnotic” by Entertainment Weekly, Boy Still Missing, inspired Time magazine to name him a “Person to Watch,” and the New York Daily News to name him a “New Yorker to Watch.” His second novel, Strange but True was praised as “sinister and complex” by Janet Maslin of The New York Times, “extraordinary” by Publishers Weekly, and was named best novel of the year by Salon. John’s most recent novel, Help for the Haunted, was named a Boston Globe Best Crime Novel of the Year, an Entertainment Weekly Top 10 Must List, and won the American Library Association’s Alex Award.
In 2019, Strange But True was adapted for film by the producers of La La Land and released in theaters nationwide by Lionsgate. Now streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime, the film stars the award-winning ensemble cast of Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Brian Cox, Blythe Danner, Nick Robinson and Margaret Qualley. The movie was praised as “suspenseful and haunting” by The Hollywood Reporter and “a twisty tale of tragic secrets” by the Los Angeles Times.
John has appeared regularly on morning programs like NBC’s Today Show, CBS This Morning, Live! With Regis & Kelly, NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and CNN to discuss his books.
The longtime books editor of Cosmopolitan, John also served as the magazine’s brand director, executive editor, and editor-at-large. His personal and travel essays, book and restaurant reviews have been published in the New York Times, Washington Post and numerous other magazines, newspapers and websites. He has a master's degree in creative writing from New York University and lives in New York.
Hailed as “riveting” by The New York Times and “hypnotic” by Entertainment Weekly, Boy Still Missing, inspired Time magazine to name him a “Person to Watch,” and the New York Daily News to name him a “New Yorker to Watch.” His second novel, Strange but True was praised as “sinister and complex” by Janet Maslin of The New York Times, “extraordinary” by Publishers Weekly, and was named best novel of the year by Salon. John’s most recent novel, Help for the Haunted, was named a Boston Globe Best Crime Novel of the Year, an Entertainment Weekly Top 10 Must List, and won the American Library Association’s Alex Award.
In 2019, Strange But True was adapted for film by the producers of La La Land and released in theaters nationwide by Lionsgate. Now streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime, the film stars the award-winning ensemble cast of Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Brian Cox, Blythe Danner, Nick Robinson and Margaret Qualley. The movie was praised as “suspenseful and haunting” by The Hollywood Reporter and “a twisty tale of tragic secrets” by the Los Angeles Times.
John has appeared regularly on morning programs like NBC’s Today Show, CBS This Morning, Live! With Regis & Kelly, NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and CNN to discuss his books.
The longtime books editor of Cosmopolitan, John also served as the magazine’s brand director, executive editor, and editor-at-large. His personal and travel essays, book and restaurant reviews have been published in the New York Times, Washington Post and numerous other magazines, newspapers and websites. He has a master's degree in creative writing from New York University and lives in New York.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
August 2, 2019
I read
Strange but True
because I saw it was picked up by a movie studio to be turned into a film.
After reading it, I can see the filmic possibilities but I hope they make the characters a lot less unlikeable and more interesting.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Philip has returned to his hometown in PA to live with his mother after surviving a near fatal fall at his apartment in New York.
Five years ago, his brother, Ronnie, was killed in a horrific car crash and his mother is still mourning his loss, the good one, the handsome one, the sporty one, the not-weird one.
As a result of his tragic loss, her marriage fell apart, her ex-husband Richard has moved away with his much younger wife and suddenly, the dead son's old girlfriend, Melissa, shows up to make a profound and startling announcement: she is pregnant with Ronnie's child.
That can't be. Well, its not.
There's a rational explanation for it and unfortunately, it has a lot to do with sexual violence against women and the reliance on using sexual predators as a literary device that seem to make an appearance in so many books as of late, although this book was written over ten years ago so its not fair for me to lump it in with all the books I've read recently.
The writing isn't bad but it is slow. There's a lot of exposition that would sound fascinating if not for the blandness and hate-ability of the main characters, namely the mother.
I get it, you lost your golden son, but you still have another child. Shame on you for treating him that way.
Philip isn't his brother and that's his problem.
He loves poetry, he doesn't have any friends, he loves to read and he's conflicted about his sexual identity.
That doesn't make him a bad person but the author's sketch of him as an individual is poor and portrays him as a bumbling, weak crybaby because that's the vibe I get from Philip. He's a whiner.
Melissa is a sad excuse for a female character.
Aside from the judgmental bitch of a mother, Melissa is portrayed as a Miss Havisham type; pathetic, miserable and wallowing in what could have been.
Unable to let go of Ronnie's memory, her face terribly scarred from the accident that claimed his life, she keeps her bloodied prom dress as a memento, has cut off communication with her parents and twin sister, threw away her chance to attend a good college and lives in the past in a derelict cottage among old newspapers that feature the accident on its front page.
She is a sad sack that you can't help but not feel sorry for.
But what makes me really upset is not just this poor characterization of a woman, but her reaction when she suspects who the father of her baby really is. Resignation.
At least, that's how I read it. And I don't like it.
The POVs jumps back and forth from Philip, his mother, his father and Melissa's landlords, a sick excuse for a man and his equally pitiable excuse for a wife who is one of those women with not just terrible judgment in men, but who never get a break in life, because that's just who they are.
You don't sympathize or empathize with her. You just don't care either way.
That's how I felt about the characters and the story wasn't bad but the prose was just so...slow...about...boring...people..even the serial killer...was...a whiner.
But at least you see Philip step up for once.
Also, don't you just hate it when people call a book literary just because it features quotes from well known poets and authors?
I hate it when lines from a renowned poet and/or author is featured on the pages because I consider it filler because the author had to meet his word count.
I hope the movie is better.
After reading it, I can see the filmic possibilities but I hope they make the characters a lot less unlikeable and more interesting.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Philip has returned to his hometown in PA to live with his mother after surviving a near fatal fall at his apartment in New York.
Five years ago, his brother, Ronnie, was killed in a horrific car crash and his mother is still mourning his loss, the good one, the handsome one, the sporty one, the not-weird one.
As a result of his tragic loss, her marriage fell apart, her ex-husband Richard has moved away with his much younger wife and suddenly, the dead son's old girlfriend, Melissa, shows up to make a profound and startling announcement: she is pregnant with Ronnie's child.
That can't be. Well, its not.
There's a rational explanation for it and unfortunately, it has a lot to do with sexual violence against women and the reliance on using sexual predators as a literary device that seem to make an appearance in so many books as of late, although this book was written over ten years ago so its not fair for me to lump it in with all the books I've read recently.
The writing isn't bad but it is slow. There's a lot of exposition that would sound fascinating if not for the blandness and hate-ability of the main characters, namely the mother.
I get it, you lost your golden son, but you still have another child. Shame on you for treating him that way.
Philip isn't his brother and that's his problem.
He loves poetry, he doesn't have any friends, he loves to read and he's conflicted about his sexual identity.
That doesn't make him a bad person but the author's sketch of him as an individual is poor and portrays him as a bumbling, weak crybaby because that's the vibe I get from Philip. He's a whiner.
Melissa is a sad excuse for a female character.
Aside from the judgmental bitch of a mother, Melissa is portrayed as a Miss Havisham type; pathetic, miserable and wallowing in what could have been.
Unable to let go of Ronnie's memory, her face terribly scarred from the accident that claimed his life, she keeps her bloodied prom dress as a memento, has cut off communication with her parents and twin sister, threw away her chance to attend a good college and lives in the past in a derelict cottage among old newspapers that feature the accident on its front page.
She is a sad sack that you can't help but not feel sorry for.
But what makes me really upset is not just this poor characterization of a woman, but her reaction when she suspects who the father of her baby really is. Resignation.
At least, that's how I read it. And I don't like it.
The POVs jumps back and forth from Philip, his mother, his father and Melissa's landlords, a sick excuse for a man and his equally pitiable excuse for a wife who is one of those women with not just terrible judgment in men, but who never get a break in life, because that's just who they are.
You don't sympathize or empathize with her. You just don't care either way.
That's how I felt about the characters and the story wasn't bad but the prose was just so...slow...about...boring...people..even the serial killer...was...a whiner.
But at least you see Philip step up for once.
Also, don't you just hate it when people call a book literary just because it features quotes from well known poets and authors?
I hate it when lines from a renowned poet and/or author is featured on the pages because I consider it filler because the author had to meet his word count.
I hope the movie is better.
November 1, 2012
Sometimes I read a book and think "I know exactly where this is going." This is not one of those times. I refuse to be spoilery in my reviews, so I'll say this: I love when characters who start out flawed seem to work things out. I need closure in a novel and I got it here. Not one bit of this book left me hanging. Just wish I would have read it sooner!
December 6, 2017
Onvan : Strange but True - Nevisande : John Searles - ISBN : 60721790 - ISBN13 : 9780060721794 - Dar 336 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 1997
Read
November 16, 2009The part I enjoyed most about Strange but True by John Searles was that it was more mysterious then perceived from reading the caption at the back of the book. There were various places in the book that left you hanging and made you want to read on; that “there’s one more think you’ll want to see, far more disturbing then anything so far, behind the bathroom door. But as Melissa said to the baby on the car ride home: Not yet.” Searles just gave an absolutely intriguing line that makes you want to find out what that disturbing thing is, but all you’re left with is “Not yet.” Also, near the beginning of the book it is always mentioned that there was an argument with Philip and his mother, that has forever been a spear in his heart, but this conversation was never told until they go back in time when Philip quits his job because of all the people in his life always judging him, especially his mother.
Another thing I liked about this book was that the series of events weren’t written in sequential order, like because I’m the type that would read the beginning and forget about the small details until I refer back to it, to understand what’s going on. But in Strange but True, everything is taking place in the present but the characters are talking about stuff that has happened in the past, so when they’re talking about those past experiences, Searles refers to those experiences by telling you then what had happened before. Everything that is told in the past has a reason to be told because of whatever the characters are talking about then, so there’s none of the useless past encounters. Which I’d prefer when looking for a book, so everything you’re reading is to the point and also because I ask questions to myself when I read, so if there’s some of that unless encounters it makes me really confused, like what does this have to do with what’s going on? Why did the author add it in if it didn’t mean anything?
One other reason I enjoyed reading this book was because when it was describing a certain setting, it would give you never ending descriptions as to what’s in that certain setting. “Closest to the street is her cottage, which consists of nothing more than a ten-by-ten living room with a kitchenette along one wall, a bedroom barely big enough for her single bed, and a minuscule bathroom with a mildew-stained shower stall instead of a tub.” (42) This description gave me a clear image in my mind what her little cottage contained and looked like, so while reading this book I was able to envision what was going on, like when reading it was translated into a little movie in my head.
Something I’d like to point out that made me most intrigued by this book was that when reading it was able to give you a different idea of what would happen next. It always kept me guessing with what was about to happen or how the book would end. Also because of the caption at the back of the book was mostly based on how Missy was pregnant and she thought Ronnie was the father, but Ronnie had died 5 years ago, when really there was so much more to the book that just finding out who the father was. It catches you off guard because of all the drama that goes on when Philip and his mother go to find out the truth about Missy’s baby.
Another thing I liked about this book was that the series of events weren’t written in sequential order, like because I’m the type that would read the beginning and forget about the small details until I refer back to it, to understand what’s going on. But in Strange but True, everything is taking place in the present but the characters are talking about stuff that has happened in the past, so when they’re talking about those past experiences, Searles refers to those experiences by telling you then what had happened before. Everything that is told in the past has a reason to be told because of whatever the characters are talking about then, so there’s none of the useless past encounters. Which I’d prefer when looking for a book, so everything you’re reading is to the point and also because I ask questions to myself when I read, so if there’s some of that unless encounters it makes me really confused, like what does this have to do with what’s going on? Why did the author add it in if it didn’t mean anything?
One other reason I enjoyed reading this book was because when it was describing a certain setting, it would give you never ending descriptions as to what’s in that certain setting. “Closest to the street is her cottage, which consists of nothing more than a ten-by-ten living room with a kitchenette along one wall, a bedroom barely big enough for her single bed, and a minuscule bathroom with a mildew-stained shower stall instead of a tub.” (42) This description gave me a clear image in my mind what her little cottage contained and looked like, so while reading this book I was able to envision what was going on, like when reading it was translated into a little movie in my head.
Something I’d like to point out that made me most intrigued by this book was that when reading it was able to give you a different idea of what would happen next. It always kept me guessing with what was about to happen or how the book would end. Also because of the caption at the back of the book was mostly based on how Missy was pregnant and she thought Ronnie was the father, but Ronnie had died 5 years ago, when really there was so much more to the book that just finding out who the father was. It catches you off guard because of all the drama that goes on when Philip and his mother go to find out the truth about Missy’s baby.
March 11, 2010
Definitely one of the best novels I’ve ever read, ‘Strange but True’ by John Searles is a thrillingly eerie story shrouded in mysteries. It is full of beautiful malice and truthful criticism played out by real characters in situations that will wrench your heart out. Melissa Moody has become impregnated by, she believes, her dead boyfriend, Ronnie, although he has been gone for 5 years now. When she contacts Ronnie’s ever so critical mother and empathetic brother, they are all thrown into a journey through their scarring pasts, facing the haunting memories, which lead towards their own discoveries of themselves. “Maybe she deserved such a lonely fate.” (245)
The pace at which you will be moved along at is extremely intriguing and captivating, through unexpected and exciting turns. These choices all seem so logical and possible, yet unthought-of until after we are made to question the intricacy of the intertwined plots. It is definitely an extremely well-written piece because of the realistic depth put into each character’s development. It is thrilling when each mystery is uncovered, as you will see the unique connections between their lives through various events and each other.
In this part thriller, part mystery, and part family relationship story, everything that happens has a meaning, a contribution to the big picture. As you are taken in to see the little details which have led up to the current predicament and future possibilities, then back out where you can see the full effect, you will love the powerful imagery that is displayed for you by the narrator. “Philip looks away from those demons in the trees...” This book is really something that cannot be easily put down, something that will capture your heart and keep you hooked until the very end, always leaving you anticipating the next surprise.
The pace at which you will be moved along at is extremely intriguing and captivating, through unexpected and exciting turns. These choices all seem so logical and possible, yet unthought-of until after we are made to question the intricacy of the intertwined plots. It is definitely an extremely well-written piece because of the realistic depth put into each character’s development. It is thrilling when each mystery is uncovered, as you will see the unique connections between their lives through various events and each other.
In this part thriller, part mystery, and part family relationship story, everything that happens has a meaning, a contribution to the big picture. As you are taken in to see the little details which have led up to the current predicament and future possibilities, then back out where you can see the full effect, you will love the powerful imagery that is displayed for you by the narrator. “Philip looks away from those demons in the trees...” This book is really something that cannot be easily put down, something that will capture your heart and keep you hooked until the very end, always leaving you anticipating the next surprise.
June 21, 2012
Losing a child is the most unimaginably horrible thing that can happen to any parent and my heart goes out to anyone unfortunate enough to have gone through that ordeal. But man, I am really sick of seeing movies and reading books about it. From Ordinary People to In The Bedroom to Rabbit Hole which isn't even out yet, kids are dying left and right. Reading this book, it just knocked me over the head what a lazy, cheap narrative crutch it is. Dead kids now are what the Holocaust was in the 90's and I hope I'm not offending anyone with fictitious dead kids of their own. This book is not poorly written as much as it drags its feet and wallows and wallows and wallows in its own misery. Thusly, it was miserable to read. Aside from the umpteenth dead kid and the family that is torn apart by the tragedy, there's a thriller here. Actually, there is about twenty pages of a thriller that could've been interesting but gets Ashley Judd real fast. I realize there is a lot of vitriol in this review but the novels I'm reading are getting worse and worse. This is what I get for branching out. No more literature. Tell me a story. It doesn't have to have a tidy ending but it needs to go somewhere. Anywhere.
August 25, 2019
A thrilling ride
This is a hard book to describe without spoiling stuff. Suffice it say that Strange But True starts off as a melancholy examination of grief and slowly builds into a page-turning thriller. It is a gripping read.
This is a hard book to describe without spoiling stuff. Suffice it say that Strange But True starts off as a melancholy examination of grief and slowly builds into a page-turning thriller. It is a gripping read.
November 16, 2009
Strange but true is a tragic teen romance part mystery. John Searles combines great writing, story, and plot to create a good read. Being a well written novel in the same threshold as James Patterson you will find yourself immersed in the book, looking for details and clues to try to solve for the mystery yourself. A key point in this book is that it uses many unexpected plot twists, that actually makes sense to the overall story line and does not seem forced or clichéd. One mystery forms into another, each relating and building off each other, making an intricately connected and interesting story line.
The book has a noticeable ebb and flow to it, one moment exploding with action and revelation, the next drowning in remorse and lethargy. This type of writing form contrasts and compliments each other as it lulls you into a sense of hopelessness and calm, only to transform into a storm or intrigue and action. Every character in this book somehow relates to one another, each interaction and influences another to produce and unique series of events, if one person does not play their part, the event would not happen. It seems almost too coincidental that everything falls together so well yet it is perfectly plausible and realistic for the events to happen the way they do.
Searles includes many poetic elements in his book which may pique the interest of any romantic. In parts where he takes Anne Sexton’s morbid suicidal poems it adds a whole new depressing and heavy atmosphere to the novel.
“The woman wonders why he murdered their love, But the killer in him has gotten loose she knows she should run while there is still time. But she paused here. Soon to be dragged into darkness” (47).
The ending of the book just seemed just a bit too clean and tidy comparatively to the rest of the story and leaves you expecting more but falls short of the complicated plot twists revealed earlier in the novel. A great read in general and offers a different atmosphere than the upbeat novels of today.
The book has a noticeable ebb and flow to it, one moment exploding with action and revelation, the next drowning in remorse and lethargy. This type of writing form contrasts and compliments each other as it lulls you into a sense of hopelessness and calm, only to transform into a storm or intrigue and action. Every character in this book somehow relates to one another, each interaction and influences another to produce and unique series of events, if one person does not play their part, the event would not happen. It seems almost too coincidental that everything falls together so well yet it is perfectly plausible and realistic for the events to happen the way they do.
Searles includes many poetic elements in his book which may pique the interest of any romantic. In parts where he takes Anne Sexton’s morbid suicidal poems it adds a whole new depressing and heavy atmosphere to the novel.
“The woman wonders why he murdered their love, But the killer in him has gotten loose she knows she should run while there is still time. But she paused here. Soon to be dragged into darkness” (47).
The ending of the book just seemed just a bit too clean and tidy comparatively to the rest of the story and leaves you expecting more but falls short of the complicated plot twists revealed earlier in the novel. A great read in general and offers a different atmosphere than the upbeat novels of today.
May 17, 2012
Salon.com gave this their novel of the year for 2004. It is a book of stereotyped characters that never escape their stereotypes:
Angry Mother Dealing With Loss
Closeted, Introverted Gay Son Who Runs Away From It All
All-Star Who Leaves The Family Stranded
Head Of The Family With A Terrible Secret
Good Girl Gone Bad
After 116 pages of what was still bland exposition interspersed with a few salacious passages put in, presumably, to keep the attention of the reader ("Oh, the author talked about the condition of the character's panties!"), I came to the conclusion that this was a college short story project that someone had stretched out to a couple hundred pages. After flipping forward through the rest, I can say this would be better told as a 3-page short in a literary publication.
I waited for something to happen, for a character to gain depth, do something outside of their assigned stereotypical role, for some movement in the story. By this I mean that we "learned" more about the character, but it was within the framework of what we already knew. It was like dipping back into a vignette of Julia Child's life to discover her at a restaurant, enjoying some exotic foods. Well! Julia Child is a foodie! Who knew!
*Edited for "recommended to"
Angry Mother Dealing With Loss
Closeted, Introverted Gay Son Who Runs Away From It All
All-Star Who Leaves The Family Stranded
Head Of The Family With A Terrible Secret
Good Girl Gone Bad
After 116 pages of what was still bland exposition interspersed with a few salacious passages put in, presumably, to keep the attention of the reader ("Oh, the author talked about the condition of the character's panties!"), I came to the conclusion that this was a college short story project that someone had stretched out to a couple hundred pages. After flipping forward through the rest, I can say this would be better told as a 3-page short in a literary publication.
I waited for something to happen, for a character to gain depth, do something outside of their assigned stereotypical role, for some movement in the story. By this I mean that we "learned" more about the character, but it was within the framework of what we already knew. It was like dipping back into a vignette of Julia Child's life to discover her at a restaurant, enjoying some exotic foods. Well! Julia Child is a foodie! Who knew!
*Edited for "recommended to"
February 19, 2024
This book has been collecting dust on my TBR shelf for years and I’m thrilled I picked it up because it was mind blowing. There is so much to unpack here, so let’s start with Philip. He has moved back into his childhood home with his mom Charlene after he fell from his fourth floor NYC fire escape. His younger brother Ronnie, died in a car accident 5 years ago and their mom had never gotten over it. Charlene is filled with vitriol and consumed by hate. Then Ronnie’s high school sweetheart Missy drops by claiming she’s pregnant with Ronnie’s baby. But the craziness really starts when we meet Missy’s landlords. How everything comes together is so brilliantly executed, I can’t even…
I loved how the story was told anecdotally, with shifting perspectives, present and past narratives, and all the while a sinister undercurrent is lurking. I thought it was great how I was led to feel one way towards a character, then something profound happens to swing my opinion. Is Philip really a sympathetic loser? Has Missy become completely unhinged? Is Charlene really a raving harpy? And I know you’re probably wondering what’s up with the landlords? Whelp, you’ll just have to read this insanely addicting novel for yourself.
I loved how the story was told anecdotally, with shifting perspectives, present and past narratives, and all the while a sinister undercurrent is lurking. I thought it was great how I was led to feel one way towards a character, then something profound happens to swing my opinion. Is Philip really a sympathetic loser? Has Missy become completely unhinged? Is Charlene really a raving harpy? And I know you’re probably wondering what’s up with the landlords? Whelp, you’ll just have to read this insanely addicting novel for yourself.
July 4, 2021
Over 600+ books on my TBR, but this has the honor of being the book with the ugliest cover for my 2021 Popsugar reading challenge. Ronnie died five years ago, so imagine the shock when his girlfriend shows up pregnant claiming the baby is Ronnie's. This book was a page-turner, and just when I thought I knew where things were headed, the plot went sideways. This is a coming of age thriller that really took me by surprise!
September 14, 2007
Kind of a creepy book until the ending...not really what I expected b/c description made the book sound more interesting than it was. Shallow reveals of all the characters...I wish the author delved into the surviving brother and the ex-girlfriend a little more- there was something interesting with both these characters.
February 13, 2009
I picked this up as a bargain book, and I guess I got what I paid for. It doesn't take much to keep me reading, but at the end I was dissatisfied. A girl shows up on a woman's doorstep claiming she is pregnant with the woman's son's baby, but the son died five years ago. Not sci-fi, and not really engaging characters, nor an interesting setting.
May 23, 2019
Surprised at how much I liked this suspenseful mystery. Very fast read.
May 27, 2022
Dark and twisty. From the onset this book made you question things. I was immediately invested
Now to watch the screen adaptation.
Now to watch the screen adaptation.
February 19, 2019
Published years ago, this novel is going to become a movie. It's a family story that is part drama, part mystery, part serial killer in action. 5 years ago, Ronnie, the Chases' second son and golden child, and his high school girlfriend, Melissa Moody, are in a car accident after the high school prom. Ronnie is killed and Melissa is severely injured. Now, five years later, the eldest son, Philip Chase, a poetry-writing lost soul, has returned home to Pennsylvania as he recovers from an accident. As has been true since his brother died, he and his mother are at odds. The mother is a disaster, still mired in her grief, eating whole loaves of Wonder Bread, wishing ill on everyone, and divorced from Richard Chase, her doctor-husband who is now living in Florida with his second wife. And then Ronnie's girlfriend, Melissa Moody, shows up, believing she's pregnant with Ronnie's child. Family drama and trauma devolves into serial killer in action, but how Melissa could be pregnant 5 years later when she's never had sex with anyone else since that one time at the prom with Ronnie is explained. Sometimes compelling, sometimes not, the ending is truncated and though it ties things up, isn't particularly satisfying.
June 13, 2018
All right so I did try to finish the book and was successful in doing so in a matter of 5 days, that in itself is an achievement. The mystery about how a young girl in her 20s could become pregnant after 5 years at the time she had an intercourse, which, she claims to be the only time, would keep you from turning the pages to get to the end of the book. There's enough twists and turns on the book, to keep one from reading, but the build up on the pacing is rather slow.
The author is OC about including even the minute details, perhaps in his intent to paint a more vivid picture of the scenes, only thing is, it did bore me eventually. There has been a lot of times when I spaced out from reading because there's too much details in between before the exchange of words between the characters.
The book is something that I got from a second-hand booksale store, for only ten pesos. If it had been any higher, I would feel disappointed. Not something I'd recommend in case you're buying it first hand.
The author is OC about including even the minute details, perhaps in his intent to paint a more vivid picture of the scenes, only thing is, it did bore me eventually. There has been a lot of times when I spaced out from reading because there's too much details in between before the exchange of words between the characters.
The book is something that I got from a second-hand booksale store, for only ten pesos. If it had been any higher, I would feel disappointed. Not something I'd recommend in case you're buying it first hand.
January 28, 2014
This was a very compelling book from the start. We have a wide array of characters, and all of them come through incredibly clearly. Their voices are each unique, even though the POV is 3rd person.
I loved the flowing of the story. We knew things were happening and we wanted to know why. I was a bit disappointed with the ending. It felt a bit abrupt. I would have liked to have seen more, but that is typical of my reading personality.
I did feel like I kept waiting for the story to really start. I guess I didn't feel super rushed to find out what happened. I am still unsure about how I feel about making the big discovery about the baby's father. I think I would have liked it to be more climactic, but still good overall.
Not as good as Help for the Haunted, but still a solid read! John Searles for the win!
I loved the flowing of the story. We knew things were happening and we wanted to know why. I was a bit disappointed with the ending. It felt a bit abrupt. I would have liked to have seen more, but that is typical of my reading personality.
I did feel like I kept waiting for the story to really start. I guess I didn't feel super rushed to find out what happened. I am still unsure about how I feel about making the big discovery about the baby's father. I think I would have liked it to be more climactic, but still good overall.
Not as good as Help for the Haunted, but still a solid read! John Searles for the win!
March 10, 2021
The Chases have had a hard life, their son Ronnie was killed in an automobile accident which severely injured his date/girlfriend Melissa. One night Melissa shows up on their door step claiming she is pregnant with Ronnie’s baby though Ronnie has been dead for 5 years. So begins this very interesting mystery about a family wracked with grief, trying to get through life and absorbing this new information. Is the baby really Ronnie’s? Is Melissa trying to scam them?
February 3, 2009
read like it was for a freshman lit class
August 12, 2019
An interesting but twisted plot - not at all like I thought it would be...
February 26, 2024
I’m sooooo mad about this stupid ending. I soldiered through a “just ok” book only to be left irritated and frustrated. Uggggghhh!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2022
More precisely 3.75/5 stars
July 1, 2023
I really liked it, but 2 stats because it just ends. There's no closing chapter. That frustrated me more than I thought it would, honestly. Aside from that, I liked it for the most part
May 1, 2025
Story is told from multiple points of view
All the main characters seem to have secrets – Philip fell off a fire escape in New York City. Why and how did that happen? Melissa is pregnant. She claims the father is her boyfriend who has been dead for five years. Who is really the father? Richard left his wife and son and went to live in FL with his new girlfriend, who is now his wife. What secrets is Richard keeping?
Five years after his brother Ronnie’s death, Philip returns to home to live with his mother. He has a cast on his leg, bruises on his toes, stitches in his neck, and a story he doesn’t want to share. But, after a surprise visit from Melissa, who was Ronnie’s girlfriend when he died, things change for everyone. Melissa is pregnant and living in a dumpy little house, relying on the grace of her landlord because she is currently out of work. Charlene, Ronnie’s mom, is living by herself after her son died and her husband left her. She is filled with bitterness and rage about her life.
As the story unfolds, more and more bits of the back story are revealed, creating an ever-changing picture, depending on who is telling the story at any particular time. The story is a work of suspense, as the reader is never sure what will happen next.
The author touches on the subjects of drinking, failed marriages, cancer, psychics, religion, gay relationships, and so much more.
All the main characters seem to have secrets – Philip fell off a fire escape in New York City. Why and how did that happen? Melissa is pregnant. She claims the father is her boyfriend who has been dead for five years. Who is really the father? Richard left his wife and son and went to live in FL with his new girlfriend, who is now his wife. What secrets is Richard keeping?
Five years after his brother Ronnie’s death, Philip returns to home to live with his mother. He has a cast on his leg, bruises on his toes, stitches in his neck, and a story he doesn’t want to share. But, after a surprise visit from Melissa, who was Ronnie’s girlfriend when he died, things change for everyone. Melissa is pregnant and living in a dumpy little house, relying on the grace of her landlord because she is currently out of work. Charlene, Ronnie’s mom, is living by herself after her son died and her husband left her. She is filled with bitterness and rage about her life.
As the story unfolds, more and more bits of the back story are revealed, creating an ever-changing picture, depending on who is telling the story at any particular time. The story is a work of suspense, as the reader is never sure what will happen next.
The author touches on the subjects of drinking, failed marriages, cancer, psychics, religion, gay relationships, and so much more.
November 18, 2019
Prom night, Ronnie and Melissa have been planning this night. They will sneak off for a dream weekend until Ronnie ruins it by bragging to his buddy. Chaz of course tells his girlfriend who is also Melissa sister. She puts a stop their plans. On their way back from prom in a crazy move they are all in horrible accident. Ronnie is killed. Melissa is horribly disfigured. Ronnies death has destroyed what marriage was left of his parents. His brother escapes to New York. Five years later, dad is remarried and living in Florida. Mom is far gone into her depression, she is bitter and mean. Phillip is living back home due to a incident that happened in New York. Melissa, still disfigured, shows up to announce she is pregnant, with Ronnies child! As the story jumps back and forth between time, and characters (mom, Phillip and Melissa) you learn a lot about each of their lives. How they have come to this place, this day!
It really took me a while to get into the book, but once I was 3/4 of the way in, I wanted to find out how it would end. Glad I stuck it out.
It really took me a while to get into the book, but once I was 3/4 of the way in, I wanted to find out how it would end. Glad I stuck it out.
April 15, 2016
Last year I had the chance to speak with John Searles about his new book. After that, he sent my book club a selection of his favorite books along with his two previous books. I finally decided to read one of those that he sent and I am so glad I did. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the book. It was interesting how it went back in forth in time and with different characters, yet it all flowed very nicely. I loved seeing how the characters grew and changed, especially Charlene. I would recommend this one for sure.
February 16, 2020
Strange But True certainly drew me in with its premise; a good bit of misdirection and a hard turn from what I thought it was about kept me interested and curious to know more, but there were parts that meandered/dragged a bit too much for my liking. Certain parts were built up in such a way that really piqued my curiosity but I sometimes felt let down by how anticlimactic some of the resolutions were. The book ended too abruptly for me, so I didn’t feel completely satisfied, but I still enjoyed it. My rating hovers around 3 stars (maybe 3.5)
August 14, 2011
If i had the option of awarding this self important little twit negative five stars i would have done so. No imagination, no character development beyond what was easy to write, and no grasp of what strange is. It is NOT strange to me that this is was a National Bestseller. Our Nation is full of people who will go out and buy this book. Which is why i stay in my house. Reading books that don't piss me off. Or, if they do its for very different reasons than "strange but true" did.
November 19, 2019
Well, they were right about one thing. It WAS strange. True? Not really. I have mixed feelings about it. It's filled with pretty unredeemable characters and it has a depressing tone throughout. What I can say (from an editor's perspective, which I can't help noticing) is that it's pretty well written and edited, which is a nice change. The end left me unsatisfied, however. Not really sure I would recommend it, but it filled a gap between book club selections.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews