Was ok

Well I did finish the book but it didn’t jump out at me .. got confusing at times

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A Great Book, A Definite Listen

It’s unusual to find an intelligently written book and one that is beautifully narrated, but this is one of those rare finds. The story is written from the perspective of three women, each of whom finds herself looking at the same situation but from a very different angle. As a mother of boys and a girl I’ve watched them go through those painful years, am still doing so to an extent, so this book made my heart ache for both mothers in the story. I would definitely recommend this book without any hesitation (and I’m quite difficult to please).

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3 people found this helpful

Beautifully crafted moving story of terrible loss

What would you be left with if your only child was the first killed in a college massacre? and how would you feel if you were the mother of the killer? This is the central theme of this very moving story. Each woman's narrative is held together by the narrative of the detective responsible for trying to answer the question why? My favourite book ever is "We need to talk about Kevin" which covers the same subject of teenage mass murder and at first I was disappointed that this book appeared to fall short of the narrative of Lionel Shriver. However a quarter of the through I could appreciate the different way in which this horrific subject had been handled and I began to enjoy Claire Askew's total empathy with the extreme emotions that each woman had been left with. Two shattered women looking for an answer whilst dealing with the loss of a child in their own ways. The only downside to this book was the depiction of the journalist, essentially I did not feel he added much to the story and his role could have been played down without affecting the overall outcome. I also liked the narration of Sarah Baron.

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1 person found this helpful

Outstanding

An excellent book on a difficult subject. There is a killing spree at a college 13 dead and suicide of the gunman. This is not a spoiler alert as the book deals with the fall out after the event. It is dealt with sensitively. Beautifully written and observed with an excellent narration. This has to be one of my top books this year.

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In my Top 5 this year

Difficult subject matter sensitively handled makes this a book to remember. The way the story is told, through the very ordinariness of three women, makes it all seem so possible. The characters are well drawn and believable. Here is an author who can plot and pace, write sensitively and sustain interest throughout.
The narration is brilliant and the narrator has a real talent for different accents and clear diction.
Can’t recommend highly enough.

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7 people found this helpful

Brilliantly enabling empathy for all characters

Well done to the narrator. Every single one of the characters evoked a strong feeling of sadness - even the perpetrator. The construction of the tale was masterly and only towards the end did I understand the beginning. How does a parent live with the repercussions of such an act? A very good and thoughtful book. Highly recommended

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2 people found this helpful

OK but didn't really go anywhere

Story OK but didn't really develop much and was a bit thin. Thankfully , Angus King's involvement was little which didn't give him much opportunity to ruin the book.

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a story that will make your heart hurt.

I couldn't say I loved this story as it was really hard to listen to on times, not because the teller but because it seemed only too plausible. a really human side to such sad events

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good narration. disappointing story

a bit disappointed. I liked the narrator doing her best to bring out the characters of the story. Its just a bit too formulaic. I think i gave it enough of a listen, i made it to 4th chapter before quitting.

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An excellent crime novel.

A fantastic police procedural, full of well-written characters, plausible scenarios and plenty of twists and turns.

Absolutely addictive.

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