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Mini Reviews (13)

 


I have to say that I really enjoy Heather Gudenkauf's books and have read them all.  I was pleased to find that this one was just as good as the rest of her books.  It was super creepy and I spent most of the book unsure of who to trust because everyone was suspicious.  I felt bad for the main character, Sarah, because she had to deal with so much new information about her husband while also trying to figure out who the killer was.  I, for one, had no clue until it was revealed at the end and I loved that it was such a surprise.  Definitely a page turner!  3 stars.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier 

I have really loved Tracy Chevalier's books and was really excited to read this one.  It was totally different that what I expected but still so good.  I will say that the beginning of the book was difficult to read; Sadie and James Goodenough were not likable characters.  I felt bad for them but a hard, unfulfilling life had made them really unpleasant.  James was actually more palatable then Sadie by far but it's hard to sympathize with someone who hits their wife regularly.  I will say that it was kind of fascinating to watch their relationship play out.  I found Robert's story much easier to like.  

I think my favorite aspect of the book was the descriptions of the Sequoia trees in Northern California and all the plants that Robert encountered, studied and transported.  Chevalier did a fantastic job of describing the flora of the region!  I loved the character of Robert and was so happy with how things turned out for him in the end.  Overall, an excellent read.  4 stars.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 
 Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf
This was a tough read for me.  The big incident that occurred in the story (I won't give it away here) is seriously one of my biggest fears as a parent.  There were definitely several parts of the story that had me in tears because of that.  I thought Gudenkauf handled the topic really well and did a great job of exploring how such things affect an entire family and how the town reacted to it.  While it was a difficult subject, I found it to be a really interesting and well-written story.  I actually think it's my new favorite by this author.  4 stars.

 
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