stitchykitch's review against another edition
4.0
This is a haunting story of a girl who witnesses a robbery and abduction in broad daylight in the Deli Barn where she was trying to get a root beer. The unfortunate one, Lisa Bellow, is led to her kidnapper's car, and our girl Meredith is left in shock. While Meredith Oliver, an eighth grader with her fair share of middle school woes, is home safe with her loving family, she doesn't feel much like the 'survivor' in this ordeal.
Susan Perabo does a fabulous job spinning of web of ordinary family tensions, teenage angst, enduring love, with the occasional strand of 'strange.' The farther you travel along this web, the less certain you become of what is real and what is imagined.
I thoroughly enjoyed this journey from normal to 'somewhere else,' as much as I enjoyed the down-to -earth style of writing about a typical family and their everyday struggles. Reading this debut novel, I found myself turning the pages faster and faster as the intensity built. Approaching grotesque, this novel had me from Chapter One.
Susan Perabo does a fabulous job spinning of web of ordinary family tensions, teenage angst, enduring love, with the occasional strand of 'strange.' The farther you travel along this web, the less certain you become of what is real and what is imagined.
I thoroughly enjoyed this journey from normal to 'somewhere else,' as much as I enjoyed the down-to -earth style of writing about a typical family and their everyday struggles. Reading this debut novel, I found myself turning the pages faster and faster as the intensity built. Approaching grotesque, this novel had me from Chapter One.
kelseywaters's review against another edition
4.0
This book completely kept me turning pages and wanting to come home from work to read. I actually woke up in the middle of the night to finish it—the ending let me down because there is literally no resolution and I was dying to know what happened. I gave it four stars because the excitement of figuring it out was what made it so good to me.
thegeekybibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley and Simon & Schuster.
Meredith Oliver and Lisa Bellow aren’t friends. In fact, Lisa’s mockery of Meredith has made her miserable. One day after school Meredith stops off for a treat at the sandwich shop before heading home, and nearly leaves when she sees Lisa is inside, but decides to go in and make her purchase as planned. This is how both Lisa and Meredith find themselves in the wrong place at the worst possible time. A disguised man with a gun comes in to rob the place and, when there’s little money to be taken, he forces Lisa to go with him, leaving Meredith behind. Physically, she’s unharmed, but mentally and emotionally, Meredith is traumatized by Lisa’s abduction and struggles with the grief and guilt she feels in the aftermath of the crime. How are you supposed to feel when you’re the lone witness to the kidnapping of someone you don’t even like?
Meredith is full of conflicted feelings. Though she is relieved to be safe with her family, she feels like she should have been taken instead of Lisa. Other times, she feels they both should have been taken. She spends her days imagining what Lisa must be going though, and slowly withdraws from her family and friends.
Meredith isn’t alone in her suffering. Her mother feels relieved (and guilty for feeling it) that her daughter wasn’t the one taken. Lisa’s mother clings to the belief that her daughter will be found, despite the lack of leads in the case. And Lisa—wherever she is—is likely the one suffering the most.
Perabo did a great job of showing the confusion felt by everyone involved, and draws the reader into that confusion, as well. The resolution wasn’t quite what I expected, but it worked. All in all, this was a good read, and I enjoyed it.
Meredith Oliver and Lisa Bellow aren’t friends. In fact, Lisa’s mockery of Meredith has made her miserable. One day after school Meredith stops off for a treat at the sandwich shop before heading home, and nearly leaves when she sees Lisa is inside, but decides to go in and make her purchase as planned. This is how both Lisa and Meredith find themselves in the wrong place at the worst possible time. A disguised man with a gun comes in to rob the place and, when there’s little money to be taken, he forces Lisa to go with him, leaving Meredith behind. Physically, she’s unharmed, but mentally and emotionally, Meredith is traumatized by Lisa’s abduction and struggles with the grief and guilt she feels in the aftermath of the crime. How are you supposed to feel when you’re the lone witness to the kidnapping of someone you don’t even like?
Meredith is full of conflicted feelings. Though she is relieved to be safe with her family, she feels like she should have been taken instead of Lisa. Other times, she feels they both should have been taken. She spends her days imagining what Lisa must be going though, and slowly withdraws from her family and friends.
Meredith isn’t alone in her suffering. Her mother feels relieved (and guilty for feeling it) that her daughter wasn’t the one taken. Lisa’s mother clings to the belief that her daughter will be found, despite the lack of leads in the case. And Lisa—wherever she is—is likely the one suffering the most.
Perabo did a great job of showing the confusion felt by everyone involved, and draws the reader into that confusion, as well. The resolution wasn’t quite what I expected, but it worked. All in all, this was a good read, and I enjoyed it.
kmmi_booklover's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kbranfield's review against another edition
3.0
The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo is a family drama that delves into the aftereffects of a traumatic event.
Meredith Oliver and Lisa Bellows are classmates but that is about all they have in common until a fateful day in a local deli. An armed gunman robs the deli then inexplicably kidnaps Lisa, leaving Meredith to try to understand why she was left behind and try to cope with the lingering trauma. This life-altering event also reverberates throughout the Oliver family and the rest of the community with very different reactions from many of people whose lives are touched by the tragedy. Lisa's mom Colleen is lost and desperate for answers about her daughter. The incident seems to have an adverse effect on Meredith's mom Claire, who grows increasingly dissatisfied with her life. Meredith's older brother Evan finally snaps out of the depression that has plagued him since a baseball accident months earlier irrevocably changed his life. Meredith is understandably distraught about the events that transpired in the deli and she becomes obsessed with Lisa and what happened to her after the kidnapping.
Until that day in the deli, Meredith is a typical eighth grader who is fairly average in just about every way. After Lisa's kidnapping, she gains a certain notoriety at school and quickly becomes part of Lisa's circle of friends. Meredith is present in the physical sense, but emotionally, she is just sort of drifting away. She builds a rather elaborate fantasy about what is happening to Lisa and her imaginings soon take on a life of their own.
Meredith's mother Claire is not a particularly likable or sympathetic character. She has sort of coasted into the life she has and her musings do not paint her in a flattering light at all. She is somewhat self-centered and rather unkind in her reflections about her husband, her chosen career and to some degree, her children.
On the other hand, Meredith's brother Evan and her father Mark are kind-hearted and quite likable. Mark is unceasingly upbeat and cheerful and although he sometimes looks at life through rose-colored glasses, his heart is always in the right place. Evan has been through a difficult ordeal but he is finally finding his way back. Despite the four year age difference between them, the siblings are rather close and Evan makes a concerted effort to draw Meredith back into the family's day to day life.
The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo is a character-driven novel that is somewhat slow paced and very introspective. The plot is certainly imaginative but a little disjointed with no clear resolutions to many of the story arcs. All in all, an interesting story that has very little suspense and leaves a lot of unanswered questions.
Meredith Oliver and Lisa Bellows are classmates but that is about all they have in common until a fateful day in a local deli. An armed gunman robs the deli then inexplicably kidnaps Lisa, leaving Meredith to try to understand why she was left behind and try to cope with the lingering trauma. This life-altering event also reverberates throughout the Oliver family and the rest of the community with very different reactions from many of people whose lives are touched by the tragedy. Lisa's mom Colleen is lost and desperate for answers about her daughter. The incident seems to have an adverse effect on Meredith's mom Claire, who grows increasingly dissatisfied with her life. Meredith's older brother Evan finally snaps out of the depression that has plagued him since a baseball accident months earlier irrevocably changed his life. Meredith is understandably distraught about the events that transpired in the deli and she becomes obsessed with Lisa and what happened to her after the kidnapping.
Until that day in the deli, Meredith is a typical eighth grader who is fairly average in just about every way. After Lisa's kidnapping, she gains a certain notoriety at school and quickly becomes part of Lisa's circle of friends. Meredith is present in the physical sense, but emotionally, she is just sort of drifting away. She builds a rather elaborate fantasy about what is happening to Lisa and her imaginings soon take on a life of their own.
Meredith's mother Claire is not a particularly likable or sympathetic character. She has sort of coasted into the life she has and her musings do not paint her in a flattering light at all. She is somewhat self-centered and rather unkind in her reflections about her husband, her chosen career and to some degree, her children.
On the other hand, Meredith's brother Evan and her father Mark are kind-hearted and quite likable. Mark is unceasingly upbeat and cheerful and although he sometimes looks at life through rose-colored glasses, his heart is always in the right place. Evan has been through a difficult ordeal but he is finally finding his way back. Despite the four year age difference between them, the siblings are rather close and Evan makes a concerted effort to draw Meredith back into the family's day to day life.
The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo is a character-driven novel that is somewhat slow paced and very introspective. The plot is certainly imaginative but a little disjointed with no clear resolutions to many of the story arcs. All in all, an interesting story that has very little suspense and leaves a lot of unanswered questions.
starness's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the beginning of this book and thought it was well set up but then it sort of just fell flat. My main problem was some of the writing felt a little off for me, I can't even describe what it was but it didn't always click with me. The author does do an outstanding job at getting the voice of the teenager down pat with all their nuances with her words feeling authentic and real. I also did enjoy the mother's point of view and thought her turmoil was plausible and she was layered and not altogether nice which made her interesting but the daughter was very vague which I understand is part of the plot but it was her part of the story that felt unfinished and underdeveloped for me. I thought there was some promise but it didn't quite deliver as the story didn't go where I was expecting it to. I was expecting more of a mystery or maybe even a twist but it was more about the characters left behind after the robbery and abduction takes place. There is survival guilt and trauma, it shows the other side of the crime for those who are affected indirectly but also the what ifs. On the plus side the narrator was engaging and kept my interest throughout the book, it was easy to follow which I appreciate very much in an audiobook.
jadior's review against another edition
2.0
This is a story about a kidnapping of a young girl and what happens to the girl who was with her who was left behind. While it's listed as suspenseful and a thriller, I found myself waiting for something exciting to happen. I was disappointed because I felt the a lot of loose ends were not tied up. It just felt very flat with a boring ending.
themartinmama's review against another edition
4.0
Reminiscent of Everything I Never Told You but with a weaker ending. Really a vignette into the life of two families.
hilaryistired's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.
Stories about missing children or missing people are fairly common these days. We’re all fairly familiar with them, and have experienced them in multiple formats, from television to books to films. But these films always focus on the child that’s missing, the immediate family of the missing person, and the investigation. But what happens to the other people who are present, but who were left behind?
I never really gave the bystanders in the abduction stories a second thought until I picked up Perabo’s novel. Lisa Bellow is the girl who was taken in this book, but the story is about Meredith instead – the girl who was there, but who was left behind. It’s a beautiful story of survivor’s guilt, and how a missing person’s case can affect more than just the immediate family and those who know them well. Meredith and Lisa hated each other, and yet, Lisa going missing has a huge effect on Meredith.
This book alternates between two perspectives, Meredith and her mother, Claire. It’s absolutely fascinating to read about how both of these people struggle with what has happened, and try to come to terms with the whole thing.
The Good Points of The Fall of Lisa Bellow:
All of the characters, no matter how major or minor they may be, are incredibly well developed. You could write a full character sketch on each one, and still have more that you could talk about. It makes them feel so real, and makes it so easy to connect with them, even if you’re not a parent or a teenager.
For such a heavy, serious topic, this book is incredibly easy to read. Perabo’s writing flows so well, and you’ll fly through dozens of pages before you even realize it. But it’s easy flow doesn’t take away from the heavy, serious topic either. It’s really the perfect balance of each.
I loved the way that Perabo portrayed her teenagers. So many authors like to make their teens older and more mature than they should be, but Perabo doesn’t do this. She creates real teens, who like to pretend they’re all grown up, but sometimes still pull out their old animal figurines, who can’t see things the way adults might, and who don’t have half a clue what’s going on most of the time without realizing it. It’s refreshing to get such an honest portrayal for a change.
The Downsides of The Fall of Lisa Bellow:
Maybe it’s because so many stories that are focused on the person gone missing, I wanted more information on Lisa and what happened to her. Even if it were something as simple as a news article about it here and there, maybe an epilogue saying what happened next. I know this book focused on Meredith, but I wanted a little more on the other side too.
There were a few run-on paragraphs throughout this novel, and quite a few times where Perabo seemed to get off topic. Some parts of the story, especially when we were getting lots of inner thoughts of one character or another, where it just went everywhere before getting to the point. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it didn’t add to the story either.
All in all, this book was great. It was something I had never even thought to look for, but now I’m fascinated by the people who were ‘left behind’ after a crime. It’s an easy read, but don’t think that you’re aren’t getting into heavy stuff. If you’re a fan of Jodi Picoult, crime and/or abduction stories, or reading about nightmare situations for teenagers, you should definitely give this book a go.
Stories about missing children or missing people are fairly common these days. We’re all fairly familiar with them, and have experienced them in multiple formats, from television to books to films. But these films always focus on the child that’s missing, the immediate family of the missing person, and the investigation. But what happens to the other people who are present, but who were left behind?
I never really gave the bystanders in the abduction stories a second thought until I picked up Perabo’s novel. Lisa Bellow is the girl who was taken in this book, but the story is about Meredith instead – the girl who was there, but who was left behind. It’s a beautiful story of survivor’s guilt, and how a missing person’s case can affect more than just the immediate family and those who know them well. Meredith and Lisa hated each other, and yet, Lisa going missing has a huge effect on Meredith.
This book alternates between two perspectives, Meredith and her mother, Claire. It’s absolutely fascinating to read about how both of these people struggle with what has happened, and try to come to terms with the whole thing.
The Good Points of The Fall of Lisa Bellow:
All of the characters, no matter how major or minor they may be, are incredibly well developed. You could write a full character sketch on each one, and still have more that you could talk about. It makes them feel so real, and makes it so easy to connect with them, even if you’re not a parent or a teenager.
For such a heavy, serious topic, this book is incredibly easy to read. Perabo’s writing flows so well, and you’ll fly through dozens of pages before you even realize it. But it’s easy flow doesn’t take away from the heavy, serious topic either. It’s really the perfect balance of each.
I loved the way that Perabo portrayed her teenagers. So many authors like to make their teens older and more mature than they should be, but Perabo doesn’t do this. She creates real teens, who like to pretend they’re all grown up, but sometimes still pull out their old animal figurines, who can’t see things the way adults might, and who don’t have half a clue what’s going on most of the time without realizing it. It’s refreshing to get such an honest portrayal for a change.
The Downsides of The Fall of Lisa Bellow:
Maybe it’s because so many stories that are focused on the person gone missing, I wanted more information on Lisa and what happened to her. Even if it were something as simple as a news article about it here and there, maybe an epilogue saying what happened next. I know this book focused on Meredith, but I wanted a little more on the other side too.
There were a few run-on paragraphs throughout this novel, and quite a few times where Perabo seemed to get off topic. Some parts of the story, especially when we were getting lots of inner thoughts of one character or another, where it just went everywhere before getting to the point. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it didn’t add to the story either.
All in all, this book was great. It was something I had never even thought to look for, but now I’m fascinated by the people who were ‘left behind’ after a crime. It’s an easy read, but don’t think that you’re aren’t getting into heavy stuff. If you’re a fan of Jodi Picoult, crime and/or abduction stories, or reading about nightmare situations for teenagers, you should definitely give this book a go.
sarahrita's review against another edition
5.0
I received a copy of this book free from the publisher via netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
Full reviews available at www.coffeeandtrainspotting.wordpress.com.
Full reviews available at www.coffeeandtrainspotting.wordpress.com.