Retribution

Rating:
Summary: Unfortunately, I've read it all before
Review: I have a confession to make; I really did not like this book. I couldn't finish reading past about a quarter of the way through - but because I ALWAYS read to the end I forced myself to skim read the rest. I can't understand such great accolades for stereotypical characters and a plot that, beyond the chilling rape scene at the beginning, failed to impress me.

I didn't like the style of writing from the beginning. Chloe Larson came across as irritating as hell in the first couple of chapters. I wanted to shout "Okay, I understand that she has perfect blond hair, a perfect size 4 body, a perfect life - enough already!' The plot was spoilt by over-the-top physical descriptions that sounded as though they came from notes on a Hollywood movie. Seriously though, the fact that the heroine had blond hair was mentioned far too many times in the first twenty pages, why didn't the editors notice this?

The book seemed to plod by, with paragraphs that went on forever and led nowhere. So much of it was predictable: Young blond woman is brutally attacked, she changes her looks and comes out the other side 'tough' but vulnerable, falls for brooding, dark-haired Italian Detective...and so on. I don't mean to sound patronising, it's just that I read a huge number of books and I've read this type of thing so many times before. What's more, I've seen the movie so many times before.

Overall I could not recommend this book because it was so hackneyed and stereotypical. The scariest and best-written scene was near the beginning and it all went downhill from there.

JoAnne

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining, although predictable, beach read
Review: This is a good book to curl up with on the beach this summer. A real page turner! It wasn't without it's flaws, but I argue that it is much better than some of the tripe that is being pawned off as "thrillers" these days. While the characters were in large unlikeable, it is also the case with MYSTIC RIVER by Lehane, yet everyone upholds him to be a fantastic author. The plot wasn't any less surprising as DA VINCHI CODE, yet people seem to think that was the best book ever written. In other words, it's amazing that the criticism applied to this book turns a blind eye to other books that suffer the same flaws. I wouldn't pick this book up to be intellectually stimulated, but for an entertaining read on the beach, this is perfect.

That being said, I was somewhat confused by the ending. The therapist confesses to the crimes, but nothing becomes of it, and the villian's guilty verdict is upheld by appeals. So was he actually framed, or was the therapist just crazy and saying things to mess with C.J.? I can't tell. It was probably the biggest chunk of plot development, yet it was rushed at the end. C.J.'s ethical transgressions were pretty much excused in the epilogue. It would have been fascinating to see how she dealt with her wrong doings, as well as the defense attorney, who seemed to be torn apart regarding her ethics at one point. So there are ways this book could have been made better, but take it as it is - a book for the masses to enjoy. I would be happy to read Hoffman again, which is more than I can say for other authors, such as Lehane and Brown, who people have touted over Hoffman in their reviews.

Rating:
Summary: Ho Hum??? They're kidding right?
Review: Wow I can never get over the negative descriptions of really good books. Some people have to read and analyze the story's various parts without actually "reading" the story. If you're a reader and not an analyzer, read this one. C.J. Townsend is prosecuting another suspected mass killer and loses her ability to speak upon hearing the voice of the accused as he berates his attorney. It was a voice she'd heard years before in her bedroom, coming from her rapist/torturer wearing a clown's mask. C.J. then was a young law student with a bright future, attractive, dating a soon to be partner in a prestigious firm. But after her attack her life is changed. There are alot of legal issues at battle here in the plot of this great book, but there are alot of humane issues falling about too. After reading Retribution I felt entertained by the story because it was so horrific but also educated as to just how damaging such an event can be in one life. I think I have a better empathy for rape victums now after reading this novel than before. If any of the women in my life, and I pray that it never happens, should become a victum, I now have a better understanding of how to react as a friend, or father, or husband. This book is good on alot of different levels. It's a thriller that'll have you turning the page, it's a courtroom drama, that'll really suck you in, and it's got some twists and surprises that make it worth the effort all alone. For the reviewers previously that say this one's been written before, I'd like a list; because this one was new territory for me and I enjoyed it. If you're a "reader" too, I believe you'll like it as well.