Rating: 
Summary: This book was uncohesive; unsatisfying.
Review: Was this supposed to be a mystery novel, with clues duly planted? A harlequin romance, with that former lover/classmate thing? And what's with the random Vincent chapters? (Didn't work.) Were Mom and Vincent the only ones with feelings? Regardless, I couldn't feel sympathy for ANY character. Her writing style meandered irrationally, her plot twists were unbelievable (a quick photo shoot for Life Magazine, right.) I wanted to quit after the first 100 pages or so, but hoped it would get better. Take my advice, don't even start reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: The color on the jacket cover is the best part of this book!
Review: The best part of this book is the color on the jacket cover!! It matches beautifully with the colors in my living room. However when I paint my living room, the book goes. I may move up the date on that project. I can't even bring myself to give this book away!! It was awful, the book, not the color of my living room! I am not a mother, however I wonder if a mother in Beth's situation could really have such a lack of compassion and blatant disregard for her childern, her family, her marriage, her friends and herself!! Enough chapters about how long she sleeps!! Was anyone else wishing that maybe she would just sleep herself to death to put us all out of our misery??!! I am embarrased to admit I read the whole thing, just trying to justify the $30.00 I spent on the book! Don't cry for Beth, et al, cry for me, I actually finished this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Stuck in between
Review: I liked the book. But the problem is I think the author didn't accomplished what she wanted to do. She obviously wanted to use a "best-seller" theme, but write the book in a literary fashion. She got confused. This is forgivable because she is a first time novelist. My advice for her would be: If you want to use various characters to show the emotions of the family during Ben's dissappearance, use all the members of the family. Otherwise, you would have to come up with melodramatic scenes, as you did.
Rating:
Summary: Oprah Must Have Suffered from Temporary Insanity
Review: God almighty, what bad writing. I'm not talking about plot or characterization or landscape. I'm talking about sentence structure. Paragraphs. Grammar. The fundamentals. I couldn't find my way through half the sentences, they were so clunky and burdensome. She uses dashes with abandon, and parenthetical clauses that go completely off track. I couldn't get past page 29; it was too painful. Oprah did readers a grave disservice.
Rating: 
Summary: A great book that explores the mysteries of plot and psyche.
Review: When I first started to read this incredible book, I just wanted to resolve the mystery of Ben's disappearance. However, when that was solved, a whole Pandora's box of emotions flooded the story. Rich in texture, pacing, and so very believable, this is a book that you fall in love with. The characters are so real and flawed that your heart aches for each one of them. In the end, you care for every one in the story so much, it is hard to turn that last page and say goodbye. What a great read!
Rating: 
Summary: poorly written, unbelievable story
Review: I continued to read the book because I was wondering when the good part would happen to redeem the rest of the book. How could Oprah have such bad taste? As a reader one wants to identify/like some of the characters. From Candy Bliss to Beth, it would be hard to find more stereotyped or unlikeable figures. The writing was such trash.
Rating:
Summary: Not worthy of the "rave" reviews the media has bestowed
Review: There was not a single enduring character in the story. The mother, Beth, infatuated me with her irresponsible attitude towards the rest of the family. The story was extremely choppy and hard to follow. I didn't waste my time finishing the book as I didn't care what happened to any of the characters. I cannot understand what all the fuss was in reguard to this book.
Rating:
Summary: What was Oprah thinking?
Review: I wanted so much to like this book. A friend visiting on vacation spent more time reading this book than sight-seeing. I was anxious to start reading after she expressed such delight. She laughed out loud & she cried. This made the book more & more appealing. Once I began, I couldn't for the life of me, figure out what the fuss was about. I couldn't bring myself to finish the book, no matter how much I tried or how much my friend pushed me. I found I disliked the mother from the beginning. She was clearly "in love" with her precious baby, to the point of disliking her older son, the one she held responsible for the precious one's disappearance. I found it incredibly hard to feel sorry for her once the baby was gone. I almost felt like saying, "Ha! You got what you deserved!" I finally put the book down, mad at Oprah and myself for spending money on this book. I had hoped Oprah was suggesting a novel which would move me, as some of her shows do. The only way I was moved was to the bookstore to find another book. Maybe one day, when I am out of books and money, I will pick this one up again and give it another chance. Until then, I am not letting Oprah influence any more of my book buying choices! I leave it, along with "Songs In Ordinary Time" (another let down), on my coffee table so I can look as though I am on the cutting edge with Oprah. I'm afraid I wasn't as bright as I had let Oprah make me think I am. I know others love this book, and I am glad they found something in it I didn't.
Rating: 
Summary: Not much to speak of...
Review: The reading was easy enough, but the characters were not engaging and hardly believable. True, the loss of a child can wreak havoc on a family but I did not feel their pain, nor did I care about their outcome. I had the most trouble identifying with Vincent and Beth was a bit of a struggle as well. I wouldn't suggest this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: A realistic depiction of a horrifying tragedy
Review: The main character of Beth has taken a lot of unfair criticism for her emotional state after the kidnapping. Paralysis is common with traumatic experiences. We can only imagine how we would react if faced with such an overwhelming circumstance. Mitchard, a mother of five, has created a realistic, flawed, occasionally unlikable character. In a word: human. The book is filled with other interesting characters as well such as Candy Bliss, the head detective on the case. Mitchard paints her character in multi-dimensions and doesn't just put her in there to help the case. We learn about her life, relationships, and yearnings. All in all I found this a gripping and tragic story not to mention thought-provoking. I eagerly await Ms. Mitchard's next novel.
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