Saturday, January 10, 2009

Testimony by Anita Shreve

I actually didn't pick anything up for two days after finishing off The Abortionist's Daughter. I grabbed a Jackie Collins' book and put it in my purse for work but I have been very busy week and just didn't make the time to read it. I went to my library and saw Testimony and I remembered reading so many reviews about it, so I grabbed it. I am not sure what to say about the book, except that I liked it. I give it a B.

From Amazon:
At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellinglyexplores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

I really enjoyed how the book was written and how the story was told. You get to meet so many characters who all have a different perception of what happened and how it happened, which I think was a very creative way of setting the book up. I will admit that I had a bit of difficultly keeping everyone straight, but the more I read, the easier it was. This was a page turner and a pretty easy read. I feel like anything else I have to say about the book may be considered a spoiler, and I would not want to ruin the book for anyone. This was my first novel authored by Ms. Shreve and I probably will not go and seek out more books by her. I wasn't overly impressed and I have so many other books and authors I love and so little time.

Up next is one of the other library books I picked up on my last run. Why is it when I feel like I can never decide from my own library of 600+ books to read I always find a ton at the library? Oh well, it is better than having nothing to read! Happy Reading everyone and stay warm!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

600+ books? Holy Cow! I really loved this book. I wished I'd waited for audio. Bet that would be awesome!

Kristie said...

And I keep adding more and more to the pile! It probably would have been a great audio, especially with an excellent reader.

Literary Feline said...

I am glad you enjoyed this one. It's one I hope to read one of these days. Thank you for the great review!