Reviews

Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts

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aliciab85's review against another edition

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5.0

My all time favorite book. The emotional turmoil almost did me in but damn if I could stop.

victoriaqhoward's review against another edition

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3.0

Beautifully written story about surviving trauma and learning to open up your heart, with an undercurrent of trying to catch a killer. But that’s not the main focal point. There’s no suspense or real plot twists so going into the story thinking it’s a romantic suspense isn’t a good idea because you’ll be let down in that regard.

renpuspita's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

From all Nora Roberts's standalone titles that I'd read (which is..not that many), Shelter in Place might hold the top position. It's not often I read La Nora's book that already punched me in the gut from the get go. Nora Roberts tackle a very heavy and sensitive issue for Shelter in Place, a mass shooting. A problem that I know very well still happen in America despite I don't live there. Sometimes I'm grateful that in Indonesia there's a law that prohibited the citizen to have gun. I can't imagine the chaos, the nightmare and how my country already in chaos right when I write this review. But I don't want to talk about that and instead will review this book.

The start of Shelter in Place is chilled me to the bone, literally give me shiver. The mass shooting happen in DownEast Mall in a fiction city called RockPoint and located in Maine, make everybody's life change especially for the survivor. This book mainly focus to two main characters, Simone Knox, the first 911 caller who lost her best friend and try to forget the shooting event but decide to use art for her escapism. The other is Reed Quartermaine, then a college boy that decide to be a cop after he meet an officer that put down the shooter. Said officer, Essie McVee also one of the main characters although not the main focus and become detective of her own right. All those characters life and fate will intertwined when one of the mass shooting conspirator start to target the life of the survivors.

I like that Roberts didn't hide the identity of the conspirator. The conspirator, Patricia Hobart was a psychopath but what make it disturbing is Patricia just one year below Simone, so in the time of shooting she was barely fifteen (Simone was 16 and Reed was 19). Patricia is a minor, come from abusive father and meek mother but she love her brother dearly, a same brother that become one of the mass shooter. All the mass shooting plan come from Patricia with her genius mind but sick personality. I like that Roberts didn't hold a punch when its come to write a villain. Often I read about morally grey villain or charismatic antihero. Patricia is just PLAIN.BAD.EVIL. There's no redemption for her. Not only psychopath but I believe Patricia have narcissistic personality disorder, shown from the way she taunting Reed with her murder spree and her interview with a journalist in order to show that she was the mastermind of the shooting and killing. I think Roberts successfully make me to not have any sympathy for Patricia because I believe people like her did exist. If there's any pity maybe because it's a waste for Patricia genius mind to be used to kill people, but what do I know?

I like that while Simone and Reed was destined for each other, Roberts give them time to grow and mature. They are also didn't intertwined and interact for almost half of the book although Reed know about Simone because he still keep contact and information about the survivor of DownEast Mall mass shooting. I like that Shelter in Place is pretty much female-centric despite the book focused more to Reed rather than Simone, because the thriller aspect come from the cat and mouse game between Reed and Patricia. Reed become a cop (later Chief in Tranquility Island) because of Essie's influence. He also find himself after almost become one of Patricia's victim (therefore make she obsessed to taunting Reed) after meeting CiCi Lennon, Simone's grandmother. The romance start slow but sure. While Simone might be start as commitment phobic as much like any Robert's heroine and Reed is a hero with charms, Simone didn't play hard to get. I like the way Roberts describe Simone's process in art, especially clay. How Simone try to process her grief in her own way by sculpting clay and also to memorize those who died including her best friend. That part still bring me a little tears.

The end and the fate of Patricia might be a little too rushed for my taste, especially after all that suspense but I guess we can't have it all. While I praise that the romance didn't start as fast, the joke between Reed and CiCi just come close to comfort, not mention can be too icky, lel, I mean, CiCi basically is Simone's grandma and I know Reed is an easy going man and he feel grateful because CiCi is the one that pulled him from his brooding moment but the joke can be too much sometimes. Aside from that, I don't have complaint. Shelter in Place is pretty much book written for the survivors, although there some dark cloud (named Patricia) that threatened the peace, but the survivors triumph their predicaments. Come back stronger but still memorize those who fall just because some of the teenager have issue with their hatred to the world. A hatred that can be manage if only the adult around them can understand, instead they choose violence that end so many lives.

I will recommend Shelter in Place, if you just dip into Nora Roberts's work (since she have so many of her back list), but I also want you to read this book because of its message. How Roberts can write about grief, survivor guilt and trauma but also manage to write it positively through the end and still try to honor those who had died.

Content Warnings

haylsbookshelf's review against another edition

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It has been a little bit since reading a Nora Roberts novel for me, but I am definitely a big fan! And this book confirmed that fact even more.

There was no way this book could’ve been any better than it already was. It was so well written, and given the tragic events that the story surrounds, they were handled extraordinarily well.

I loved the characters, and their backstories only made that stronger. The horrific event that ties them all together effects then all so differently, and leads them all on their own paths to figuring out their futures. Every decision they make comes as a result of past events, and the way they all come together is so strong. There really is no other way to describe it for me, I was in complete awe while reading this and it exceeded any and all expectations I had going into it.

The way both thriller and romance were blended together throughout was great! Sometimes I find this can be difficult to do, but Nora Roberts always does it so well. And in a way that makes it feel so realistic. She has away of creating suspense that keeps you so engaged, on top of creating such compelling characters is beyond words.

If you are already a Nora Roberts fan, then you will not be disappointed. This book was part of spooky season (October reads) for me, and I think I picked a great one!

pixie_swirl's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

bookishxobsession's review against another edition

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5.0

This book broke my heart into a million tiny pieces and then ground them to dust. Even the upper feel good moments still just sent me spiraling. I've reread this book multiple times and it gets me every single time.