debi_g's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of thoughts about this book:
If you read this book, prepare to devote thought to the intriguing angles presented on the following topics: parenting/family dynamics, idealism vs. ideology, life as an instrument of change, innocence and vigilante justice, and attitude as opposed to fact.
The splintered narrative, complete with documents, interviews, and fractured chronology demand patience at the beginning, but the plot and characters emerge and take hold.
I can't help but think it's intentional that the line from which the title is drawn is uttered on page 111.
Most chapters close with incredibly strong lines that produce a lump in the throat and a new train of thought.
The circus trope is used deftly and serves more than one purpose.
Having lived in a rural area outside a small town, I appreciated the portrait of how exclusionary, secretive, and sinister such places can be.
Most every character, however briefly noted, rings true. Especially Dale's mother.
I do and do not want to know more about who was involved in what happened, and how it came about...just like the reporter in the story (who is a great character).
Finally, an interesting author bio that doesn't try too hard.
3.5 stars
If you read this book, prepare to devote thought to the intriguing angles presented on the following topics: parenting/family dynamics, idealism vs. ideology, life as an instrument of change, innocence and vigilante justice, and attitude as opposed to fact.
The splintered narrative, complete with documents, interviews, and fractured chronology demand patience at the beginning, but the plot and characters emerge and take hold.
I can't help but think it's intentional that the line from which the title is drawn is uttered on page 111.
Most chapters close with incredibly strong lines that produce a lump in the throat and a new train of thought.
The circus trope is used deftly and serves more than one purpose.
Having lived in a rural area outside a small town, I appreciated the portrait of how exclusionary, secretive, and sinister such places can be.
Most every character, however briefly noted, rings true. Especially Dale's mother.
I do and do not want to know more about who was involved in what happened, and how it came about...just like the reporter in the story (who is a great character).
Finally, an interesting author bio that doesn't try too hard.
3.5 stars
ablotial's review
3.0
This book had SO MUCH potential to be amazing, but just didn't cut it. First of all, the author kept doing that thing that I hate where they mention things cryptically but don't give you enough information about it because they don't want you to know about it yet. But if they don't want you to know about it, they shouldn't mention it at all! I guess they try to get you curious... which works well the first, and MAYBE the second time the cryptic thing comes up. But after more than that, it just gets annoying. And when they are doing it about 10 different cryptic things instead of just one, like this author did, it is even worse.
Finally, about 3/4 of the way into the book, Hoffman finally decides to let you in on all the secrets that she's been keeping throughout the book. Things come together, you have that "oohhhh" moment, and then the book ends, rather abruptly. And it wasn't about what you thought it was about at all.
I still think this book could have been amazing. The subject matter it covers is a great one for a book -- it makes you think a lot about personal accountability and people you think you know well and crimes against women. Coming from a small town, I related a lot to the characters. I especially liked Alice and related a lot to the way she thought about the world.
I gave away my copy of this book through PaperbackSwap, but I'd like to revisit it again someday.
Finally, about 3/4 of the way into the book, Hoffman finally decides to let you in on all the secrets that she's been keeping throughout the book. Things come together, you have that "oohhhh" moment, and then the book ends, rather abruptly. And it wasn't about what you thought it was about at all.
I still think this book could have been amazing. The subject matter it covers is a great one for a book -- it makes you think a lot about personal accountability and people you think you know well and crimes against women. Coming from a small town, I related a lot to the characters. I especially liked Alice and related a lot to the way she thought about the world.
I gave away my copy of this book through PaperbackSwap, but I'd like to revisit it again someday.
kgee19's review against another edition
3.0
Overall I liked it. Ended up having too much backstory, which made me lose interest at times. Wish there was more beef, less bread.
jconfess's review against another edition
2.0
This just didn't do it for me. Too many points of view. The prose is to flowery and meandering. Get to the point!
stefanilw's review against another edition
3.0
Anothger book that was quite slow to start out, but the second half was much better. I enjoyed this book, but it was one I had no trouble putting down. It is written out of order and while it did not confuse me, it did frustrate me. The outcome was somewhat predictable and certains scenes I found to be quite disturbing. Not sure that I would really recommend it though.
anneb42's review against another edition
4.0
Dark, but not unpredictable. Some of the narrative voices bothered me a bit, but they also helped me keep the multiple narrators straight, so it worked out. I was hooked by the suspense and got through this pretty quickly.
I do have to say - the satisfaction I feel with what Alice did is one of the more complex parts of it, and I appreciate that. A lot of the descriptions of rape culture as a whole really resonated. I don't think some of the plot points or characters were very realistic, but I don't mind that too much either.
I do have to say - the satisfaction I feel with what Alice did is one of the more complex parts of it, and I appreciate that. A lot of the descriptions of rape culture as a whole really resonated. I don't think some of the plot points or characters were very realistic, but I don't mind that too much either.
dilldaise's review against another edition
1.0
I tried and tried to like this book. By page 117 I just scanned the rest. It is so discombobulated to me just didn't flow at all.
kblincoln's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe more like 3.5 stars. This one lost me partway through, although the last third of the book, when everything comes together in a quite horrific way, did pick up the pace enough for me to start getting into it again.
The story of Wendy White's disappearance, and the impact that disappearance has on another girl her same age in their small town is told through shifting POV's and documents (evidence in the cases) at shifting points in the timeline . While this creates a textured, multi-layered feeling to the truth of the matter (and in some cases, as in the perpetrator's mother's POV, a horrifying willful blindness) it also kept me scrambling to remember details of who knew who, and who had done what to whom at certain points in the story.
So I got a bit lost/frustrated about midway and put the book down. Luckily, finishing a book I've gotten at least 1/3 of the way through is like a geas on me, so I picked it back up. There is a pay off in the end, as you slowly realize what happened (and then are graphically shown what happened-- yikes) to Wendy, and what Annie, the other girl plans to do about it.
This book grapples with the loss of innocence, and naivety vs idealism, and misogyny and classism-- all in the context of a small, struggling poor town. It's not pretty. Nor does it leave you with very much hope at the end. However, it does deliver an impact, and a question, that I, as a woman, want to ignore.
Why do we, as a society, blindly allow violence and abuse against women?
It's not a comfortable question or read.
The story of Wendy White's disappearance, and the impact that disappearance has on another girl her same age in their small town is told through shifting POV's and documents (evidence in the cases) at shifting points in the timeline . While this creates a textured, multi-layered feeling to the truth of the matter (and in some cases, as in the perpetrator's mother's POV, a horrifying willful blindness) it also kept me scrambling to remember details of who knew who, and who had done what to whom at certain points in the story.
So I got a bit lost/frustrated about midway and put the book down. Luckily, finishing a book I've gotten at least 1/3 of the way through is like a geas on me, so I picked it back up. There is a pay off in the end, as you slowly realize what happened (and then are graphically shown what happened-- yikes) to Wendy, and what Annie, the other girl plans to do about it.
This book grapples with the loss of innocence, and naivety vs idealism, and misogyny and classism-- all in the context of a small, struggling poor town. It's not pretty. Nor does it leave you with very much hope at the end. However, it does deliver an impact, and a question, that I, as a woman, want to ignore.
Why do we, as a society, blindly allow violence and abuse against women?
It's not a comfortable question or read.
tag1125's review
3.0
Just okay. I was recced this book by a friend who told me it stayed with her.' Certainly the discussion of morality and the cultural common place of violence against women is fascinating. But something about this novel felt unfinished to me.