Members with This Book
Most Helpful Reviews
see all reviews
Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Kittle takes on a very difficult topic here -- the incestuous sexual abuse of children -- and does a fairly good job with it The story itself was compelling, and, for hte most part, the main characters were well drawn, although I would have liked to read more about Danny's character and...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
see all reviews-
“Read it in two nights; couldn't put it down!”
Elizabeth L wrote this review Wednesday, January 16, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“good book”
Shari wrote this review Thursday, December 27, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book was a good read. It's dark and heavy at times, and may even turn your stomach, but the characters (most of them) are likeable, and the story is good. I like that each chapter is told from one of four of the main characters perspectives, so the narrator changes each chapter. Would recommend to anyone who isn't too sensitive, as sexual abuse isn't the lightest topic to choose when selecting your fiction. ”
Jessica Pulse wrote this review Tuesday, September 11, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is by no means a cheerful book, and will stay with you long after you've finished it. It has a heavy, disturbing subject matter, woven into a story that you will not want to put down. The title, The Kindness of Strangers, was perfect...kindness helped a very abused boy in more ways than one. ”
Christina7s7 wrote this review Thursday, August 23, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“She is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Wonderfully written.”
Robyn S-W wrote this review Monday, August 13, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I am absolutely in love with Katrina Kittle now! I love her books. The first one I read was the Blessing of the Animals, and now this one. OMG! So good! Kept me reading all the way through, never got boring, read almost overnight. Great book about family and coming together. Love love LOVE [3 ”
Janelle O'Mara wrote this review Friday, June 8, 2012. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This books deals with a subject matter that is not something you like to read about. Jordan,11 years old, has been through much abuse and comes to live with Sarah, a widower of 2 years. Her teenage son has been acting out since his father died and he has a connection with Jordan. He asks his mom to take Jordan in. Sarah also has another son, Danny, who is Jordan's age and was his best friend at one point but no longer. The focus of the book is helping Jordan deal with what he's been through and to come out as healthy as he can. The book dealt head on with issues and was very direct in explaining exactly what happened. All the small questions in your mind that you feel you shouldn't ask about are answered. The psychology of dealing with this subject was extremely interesting and gave hope for kids in this situation. I really liked this book and read it in 3 days. ”
Marian S wrote this review Monday, February 27, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a book that will stay with me. I read it in about a day and the story itself resonated with me for many reasons. This is not a cheerful book and it depicts the absolute worst kind of individuals that exist in this world. But it also shows how goodness and compassion can overcome the darkest of evils. In a strange way it reminded me of my favorite "My Little Pony" video when I was growing up and how the rainbow of goodness overcame the king of darkness (something to that effect). Anyway, not a light read by any means but I won't soon forget this story or these characters. I would recommend it for those reasons. ”
Karissa C wrote this review Saturday, February 18, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“So I liked a lot of things about this book. I loved the fact that Katrina Kittle was able to make me feel exactly how Sarah was feeling when she was narrating, how Jordan was feeling when he was narrating and how Nate was feeling when he was narrating. To be able to do that with three COMPLETELY different characters is remarkable.
Suad M. Shamma wrote this review Tuesday, January 31, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Sarah is a single mom trying to raise her two sons who have lost their dad and are going through a difficult time at school. Nate is a teenager that is going through so much emotional turmoil, and Jordan is a child that's been sexually abused by his parents for years and he is only eleven!
And yet Kittle narrated the story using three very different voices and skillfully allowed us to connect with each one of them as the story unfolded and they slowly became one. For that, I have every respect for her as a writer.
At the very beginning, when Jordan is first introduced and Sarah picks him up and has that small conversation with him, with little snippets of flashbacks, I felt extremely claustrophobic. So much so, that I had to skim through the entire hospital part because the idea of what this child has been through was abominable. And Kittle illustrated it in a way that was not too explicit, yet still detailed enough for us to get the whole picture. I loved that, the fact that it actually got to me this much is a sign of great writing, especially with a topic of this importance.
I also liked that Jordan had spunk. I liked that he was sarcastic, and mean, and defiant. That he had this hard shell to protect his vulnerability. I liked that she made him loyal to his mom, even though it annoyed the crap out of me! Jordan was definitely a surprise as a character, he was not the typical weak, devastated victim that I had thought (hoped?) I'd be getting when I started reading this book. He was difficult, and he fought his way through this book. I liked the prologue and epilogue and that they were narrated by Danny. I liked that Kittle gave us closure somehow, and I especially liked hearing about Jordan's life growing up.
This was a good solid book about child abuse that pretty much covered all the bases. I don't think anyone can know what it really feels like to be abused outside of those victims, but Kittle did a fair job, and I commend her for that. ”
