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Summary: A Haunting Tale of Parental Heartbreak
Review: Buy This Book! I recently finished this book and cannot stop thinking about it. Ben -- the toddler that is kidnapped and forever changes the lives of his "family". Beth -- a mother who is taking a lot a critism for being too real. Vincent/Reese -- the older brother who carries so much pain in his own guilt. Pat -- my least favorite character -- is so out of touch with family that he, too, is sadly believable. The only thing that would have made it a better read would have been if more of the storytelling had come from Vincent/Reese's viewpoint. This book is so convincingly real that I cannot believe that the author has not lived this story.
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Summary: The Deep End just got shallower
Review: The plot was inventive and addressed every parent's worst fear. The characters, though, were too flat and predictable after the first few pages. Patrick, the do-no-wrong husband; Vincent, the guilty child, the nagging in-laws, . .and Beth--just too self-involved. On a positive note, the prose was beautiful in many places and conveyed the sense of loss that anyone in this situation would feel.
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Summary: I could never recommend this book........
Review: There was nothing in this book that I liked. The mother was a wholly unlikeable character. She had no regard for her other two children or her husband before the baby disappered. I must be obtuse because I could not figure out what the author's intent was. I do not enjoy reading a book that leaves me feeling so depressed at the end. I think I may never read another "Oprah" book again.
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Summary: Exhaustive reading -- I was relieved to finish the book
Review: The Deep End of the Ocean started out with a bang -- the kidnapping of Ben, but went down hill from there. Once he was discovered, I felt page after page of monotony, and could have put the book down anytime. Spend your money on other books. R.STROUD U.S.
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Summary: Stinked, Stank, Stunk
Review: Tabloid Tearjerker. Can't find motivation to finish the last 100 or so pages. The story is silly, unbelievable and mind-numbing. Beth is a character I can find no sympathy or connection with. A wretched story, tabloid writing at its best.
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Summary: I was mesmerized, but disappointed with the ending.
Review: Although I agree with most that the book was riveting, there were two major disappointments. First, the main character's (Beth's) paralysis in the face of her son's kidnapping was overwhelming and unrealistic. Second, with several major plot twists, I expected a major payoff with the ending. It was neat, but not satisfying.
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Summary: This book isn't worth anyone's time.
Review: How can anyone read such an infitile book. The only plot there is, was the insanity of the mother. The rest of the book was basically a mumbled mess, which seemed to be thrown together in minutes. My neighbor had recommended me this book. She has three kids, one of which is three. She said that she would never go off "the deep end" because she would still have the responsibility of her other two children. I don't see where Ms. Mitchard came up with this idea nor do I care. This book is not only confusing, but it has little or basically no plot. I work at the local library, and not once have I recommended this book to anyone. I have told people not to read it however.
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Summary: Such a poor, sad family!
Review: As a parent, I knew that this book would be unsettling. Most parents, if asked to give up their lives for their youngsters, would do so. Being in limbo for years as your abducted son is being searched for would be worse than death!I appreciated the realism of no one person being the *bad guy* or *good guy*. Everyone is trying to cope the best they can through the trauma. I appreciated the author looking from the viewpoint of family members as they coped, and the slow revealing of why each member of the family felt he/she was guilty for the abduction. It was a feeling book. Several times I looked away from the printed page as tears blurred my vision. While it may not be the traditional *happy ending*, I felt that, at least, there was the possibility.
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Summary: Readable but not great
Review: How come the professional reviewers are in such a hurry to call a book a masterpiece? This book is well written. By that I mean the writing is grammatical and not clunky, but it isn't beautifully written. Try reading E.M. Forster, D.H . Lawrence or Margaret Atwood for really expert writing, plotting etc. Mitchard's characters never change or grow and aren't likable. I can't figure out why I kept reading except to find out what happened to Ben (nothing much). Oh well. At least I didn't buy it. I took it out of the library.
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Summary: Patience, a must
Review: All I wanted was to know what happened to Ben. Once I found out that he had been living practically next door for years, I could have easily put the book down. Then I kept reading ad discovered I wanted Ben to go back to his "father" Frank. But, honestly I could have put it down anytime. Not a very good sign
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