4 member(s) found this review helpful.
And now for a dissenting review. Most readers have loved this book and praised it endlessly. I didn't care for this book at all. It is incredibly slow moving. You have to read more than 250 pages for anything interesting to happen. The book could have benefited from a few more rewrites and better editing. The novel is way too long, boring and the weak willed mother's sudden awakening at the end was a ridiculous wrap up to the story. I still have two of her other books to read. They will probably go to the end of my endless TBR pile.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
A little boring in the beginning but it does pick up. Actually I was quite surprised that it turned out as good as it did.

Marianne S. (
sfc95) - Decatur, IL wrote on 12/19/2008...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book is a slow start, but a little before half way through it is impossible to put down. It is well written starting almost at the end, going back through the past and then coming back to present time to tell the "real" story. I am not normally a fan of the end starting a book, but it is not exactly the end. I know that sounds confusing, I say pick up this book and read it for your self and you will completely understand and enjoy a good read!
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was alot different than I thought it would be. I liked it alot. You got to know the children and felt for them having to live day to day scared that their step dad was
going to kill them. Then they had to deal with the mom that was too wrapped up in having a
baby for her new husband that she was in her own little world. The girl that they wonder
about that is in a hospital for the insane keeps escaping and she finds herself becoming
curious about the brother that writes to her. Very interesting turns and twists till the
end.

MaryAnn R. (
MaryAnn) wrote on 5/16/2007...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. Very interesting.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
oddly written but a quick read

BARBARA D. (
TINKER) wrote on 9/7/2006...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
GREAT READ I'VE READ IT TWICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Diane M. (
Diane) wrote on 3/19/2005...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I only have read this one book by this author and I will look for other books by her. It was a very good book.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
It was an entertaining read with some nice plot twists and a solid story.
It starts in the present and then takes you back to the beginning of the story when the stepfather enters their lives and the reader does not know what happens next until the end (which added to the suspense for me).
It was one of those books that was hard to put down, but was frustrating because you wanted to jump into the book and shake some sense into some of the characters.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was a gift, it is in like new condition because I could just not get into it...An 11 year old girl in East texas want to get rid of her stepfather, it appears to be a "real" thriller