Yesterday's Child

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Summary: A riviting tale of murder and intrigue.
Review: Obviously inspired by the real life case involving a mystery writer, this adventure packed journey of discovery will keep readers turning the pages as layer by layer a hideous past is exposed. Some of the things that happen are absurd but then again absurd happens.

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Summary: GREAT BOOK!
Review: Oh, if you only read one English Book in this world, let it be this one! It's mystery, adventure, romance and its great for everyone! This girl Laura scoops through her moms stuff and finds this letter that changes her life, because Laura finds out things about her mother that makes her seem like some person Laura never knew. Laura is definetely someone that teens can relate to not in the way of their moms being that secretive but in the way of being curious about their parents. Its a must-read!

Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: Please don't read the Horn Books review of this book which gives away half the mystery! Even if you have, though, this is a great book that shouldn't be missed. The characters are utterly believable, which makes their struggles intense, and every surprising twist is both unpredictable and logical. Don't start this book unless you have time to finish it -- I started it late at night and ended up going to sleep early in the morning.

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Summary: Interesting beginning; disappointing conclusion
Review: Sonia Levitin's book begins with an interesting premise: a daughter, haunted by her mother's death, seeks to discover why she kept her distance from everyone, including her own child. The suspense is heightened when Laura, the daughter, finds and mails a letter addressed to her mother's childhood friend, and it is returned, "address unknown." However, early on in the novel, the plot unravels as coincidences abound to help Laura in her quest. She is conveniently about to embark on a trip to Washington, D. C., which is only an hour's bus ride away from her mother's hometown of Birch Bend. She arrives to find her mother's peers in the town park, conveniently attending a class reunion. Her trip to Canada to find Megan is conveniently helped along by a beleagured young mother who inadvertently gives her a way to cross the border without benefit of a passport, birth certificate, or other identifying papers. She then conveniently meets (and falls in love with) Megan's teenage son who conveniently gives her a clue to solve the mystery. Nancy Drew should have been so lucky! While the main character has surprising depth, it is rather implausible that Laura would experience the "inner memories" of her mother and Megan and "see" events as they happened so long ago. Laura also slips dangerously into her mother's strange world throughout the book. Though understandably Laura is having psychological issues to deal with upon discovering that her mother was a murderer, Levitin tries too hard to draw parallels between mother and daughter. The love story subplot between Laura and Thomas is too hurried and too ridiculous to lend credence to the story. In fact, it neither adds nor detracts from the main plot, except to serve as a setup for the rather unbelievable ending. I felt a bit cheated by the easy answers and lack of subtlety of the novel, and wouldn't recommend it to my students.

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Summary: THIS BOOK IS GREAT!
Review: The book had a pretty good story to it. I loved the part where she was looking at the newspapers and discovering her mothers past. At one point I was thinking, 'wow, this book is really, really good'. Right after that, though, it wasn't. The whole chapter was her thinking about how awful her mother was. Very annoying! The ending was okay, but not the best. And it was obvious an older person wrote this book. A pretty okay book overall.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good, but could of been better
Review: The book had a pretty good story to it. I loved the part where she was looking at the newspapers and discovering her mothers past. At one point I was thinking, 'wow, this book is really, really good'. Right after that, though, it wasn't. The whole chapter was her thinking about how awful her mother was. Very annoying! The ending was okay, but not the best. And it was obvious an older person wrote this book. A pretty okay book overall.

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Summary: Wonderful!!!
Review: This book captivated me from beginning to end! It was written in a way that let me into the minds of the characters. It is full of suspense, and unlike several books, the ending is satisfactory, seeming like it belongs. I'd definately recommend it to others.

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Summary: How far should one go in the name of friendship?
Review: This book is not only a murder mystery, but it explores how far one should go in the name of friendship. In life there are many trade-offs. I am very interested in relationships, how they develop, which are enhancing and which can destroy. In Laura's life, her various relationships all shape her self image and enable her to grow in independence and, incidentally, solve a very intriguing and personal mystery. I hope you enjoy the story. I love hearing from my readers!

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Summary: THIS BOOK WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL BOOK THAT I HAVE EVER READ
Review: THIS BOOK WAS ALMOST AS GOOD AS AN AGATHA CHRISTY MYSTERY. THERE WERE TWISTS AND TURNS EVERYWHERE IN THE BOOK. IN ONE SENTENCE, I WOULD SAY THAT THIS BOOK HAD LOVE, HAPPINESS, SADNESS AND MYSTERY AND IT WAS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ!

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Summary: Very compelling novel.
Review: This was a very good book. I enjoied reading it because it was something that I can relate to. At the end of each chapter, you always want to keep reading so you can never put it down. Books try to trigger at that but they never really achieve it. I suggest you to read it.