Sometimes, what looks like a picture perfect family is really a portrait of dysfunction. Violet is your typical rebellious teenager. As the middle child, she is stuck between an older sister who fled to freedom, and a younger brother who is diagnosed with autism. And controlling the whole family situation is Mother. What lengths will Mother go to, in order to keep the family in order?
This book is, in a word, explosive. For anyone who has encountered a controlling, and mentally ill person, this book rings very true. Particularly if you have encountered someone with borderline personality disorder. I thought the mother, Josephine, was an incredibly character, the kind you love to hate. And my heart just ached for Violet. Yes, she is troubled, and yes, she does some things that are wrong, but the hurt and manipulation that she endures in unbelievable.
I thought the storyline was well developed. There were several plot twists that I did not anticipate. The author writes with a very honest style, one that speaks from places of deep pain and healing. That is what lends so much depth to this book; you are certain there are parts of the author imbedded in the story. Fans of psychological thrillers, suspense, and drama will all find something to love in this book.
I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. See the rest of the tour here.
Over the years, countless books have discussed various aspects of the Holocaust and World War II. Yet a large portion of the story is continuously overlooked: the women involved. Some women were involved at a low level, such as teachers and secretaries. Others were more complicit, such as the nurses ordered to kill patients, or the wives of high ranking Nazi officers. This book dissects the various ways women were involved with the Nazi killing machine, and why it was so rare that female transgressors were brought to justice.
Brooke is forever haunted by the murder of her roommate sixteen years ago. She has made it her goal to help teach women how to protect themselves. After one of her classes, she hears a scream, and upon investigation she finds a woman being attacked. She saves the girl, but the attacker decides to target Brooke next. Luckily, a friend of the family, Luke, can help keep an eye on Brooke. But perhaps he wants to do more than just keep an eye on her.
Nat and Archy are best friends and proprietors of a record story in the an area known as Brokeland, where Oakland and Berkley meet. When an ex-NFL star announces plans to open a mega store nearby, the friends begin to worry that it will ruin their business. At the same time, their wives are navigating rough waters with their midwife practice. Add to that the fact that Nat's son Julie is in love with Archy's long lost lovechild, Titus, and you see that lives intersect in ways you never considered.
Avery hopes that by moving from Texas to West Virginia for college, she will be escaping her troubled past. She quickly makes a few close friends, including her handsome neighbor Cam, who persistently asks her out. Avery is not ready to deal with her past, and as a result, she cannot form a relationship with Cam. As time goes by, Avery is forced to face up to the truth of what she has been through, and what direction she wants her life to take.
Anne has an interesting job; she helps children from wealthy families get into college. She helps groom them, polish their essays, and match them with suitable and realistic college choices. She makes sure all applications are submitted on time, and then waits for the praise when the acceptance letters roll in. But this can be a very delicate business, balancing the desires of the child with the desires of the bill paying parents. Along the way, Anne realizes she had provided guidance to everyone but herself.
Annabel lives a quiet life, but not one she would particularly call lonely. Lonely would be more like her neighbor, whose decaying body Annabel discovers. This prompts Annabel to lead an investigation into similar cases of deceased people who have gone undiscovered for some time, a phenomena which had taken a disturbing uptick in her part of town. When she suffers a tremendous personal loss, her life feels empty, and she becomes a perfect target for monster prowling on these lonely people.
Sam finds himself in a pit of failure- his marriage, his job, his writing. In an attempt to win back his wife, and perhaps some self respect, he takes a job as an assistant detective, following around a mysterious woman. He begins to finds himself not just intrigued, but also a bit enamored with the woman, and as a result gets pulled into a bizarre world.
Lucia was born in Naples, to a serving girl named Teresa. As Lucian grew, she came to realize that her mother had terrible fits of anger. During one of these fits, Teresa does something that causes the pair of them to need to hide. Lucia suggests they travel to America. Once in their new country, Teresa transforms herself into a vaudeville singer, while Lucia studies in an American high school. But Teresa's episodes continue to get worse, and eventually Lucia's life is changed once again by her mother.