Publishing Date: January 18th, 2011
ISBN: 9780778328797
Pages: 352 pgs
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Summary from GoodReads:
When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls' golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It's Brynn—shy, quiet Brynn—who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her.
But then Allison is released to a halfway house, and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister.
Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.
My Review:
I got this book from NetGalley for review and I am so glad that I did. This book was amazing! Gudenkauf has a writing style that draws you in and you end up not being able to put the book down. The book is told in the viewpoint of many different people including Allison and Brynn who are two sisters who share a horrible secret. At the beginning of the novel Allison is being released from prison for infanticide. I have to admit from the very moment I first met Allison I had a hard time believing that she would do anything like this. I didn't think that she was necessarily the nicest girl in high school but I felt sympathy for her when we first meet her and it lasted throughout the novel. I had a hard time feeling the same sympathy for Brynn, her sister or the sisters' parents. They were quick to dismiss Allison completely from their lives and while their reason may have been valid I still can't believe people could be so dismissive. Gudenkauf was able to keep the mystery going for the entire length of the novel. I was constantly guessing as to what was going to happen and in the end I was still surprised. I was blown away by the ending of this book. I do not want to give away the ending because it is so much better when you read it for yourself but if you are anything like me you may just have to pick you jaw up off the floor. Overall I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5 and I couldn't recommend it enough.
I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable or interesting, and the story line seemed like it was written by a teenager, full of predictable events and circumstances and ridiculous twists and turns.
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