Member Reviews

3.5/5 This book is about the psychological breakdown of a thirteen year old girl after watching another girl in her school (Lisa Bellow) get kidnapped after a robbery. It goes without saying that it is an extremely depressing book. On top of that, the protagonist's brother looses his eye in an unrelated incident and their parents' marriage begins to unravel. We never really learn much about Lisa other than what other people think of her or what the protagonist envisions is happening to her after her kidnapping. It's a strange little book that explores a lot of different kinds of pain, but never offers up any solutions.

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A novel about getting through life altering tragedies, the Olivers are a family of four; Mom, Dad, big brother Evan, and his younger sister Meredith. The Olivers have had not one, but two traumas to endure. It’s the story of how the whole family copes, but it’s told mostly through the perspective of Meredith and her mother, Claire. We see them warts and all, and sometimes it’s not so pretty, but it does seem very realistic. The book does a great job of showing that everyone handles tragedy in their own way, and that the support of family, friends and community can go a long way in helping to heal.

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A page turning debut by Susan Perabo! I enjoyed the story!

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Amazing book, for many different reasons. This author has an amazing writing style and is able to make you know the characters and love, hate, and every single emotion with them. The character development and writing style allowed for the reader to become ecaptured in the story and able to feel the emotions, which can be very emotional at times. This book was also able to let you see grief and perseverance in many different points of view. Would definitely have my teen read if they're were going through a tragedy!

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I had a hard time getting into this book at first, and it took me a good amount of time to really connect with the characters, but overall, it was an entertaining book.

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Here is a review by Jennifer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1891907979

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This story is every mother's nightmare. I knew when I started reading this, I would have a constant sinking feeling in my stomach, simply because I knew the synopsis of a young girl getting kidnapped, and this always plays with my heartstrings, as I couldn't ever imagine this happening to my own daughter. This story also resonated with me, because my daughter is in 8th grade, and I fully understand the struggles she is going through with bullies.
This book certainly carried enough emotions for me as well as made me think as to what I would do if I was in Claire's position.
I am excited to check out more work by Susan Perabo, as I really enjoyed this story.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest opinion. My thanks to Susan Perabo and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity.

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Honestly, I was horribly disappointed by this book. I was led to expect suspense, but there was little to no suspense. I tend to enjoy multiple perspectives, but found myself less interested in the characters the author focused on (Meredith and her mother, Claire) and more interested in Lisa Bellow, her mother, and Meredith's brother, Evan. Overall, I feel like this book dragged on for too long and lacked momentum.

I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Ultimately, I could not get into "Lisa Bellow". Though dubbed as a psychological thriller, it was anything but. I was hoping for dark, twisty suspense, but this book failed to deliver. Maybe if this book is marketed differently, there won't be that let down. Oh, and the book is about Meredith and quite literally, not Lisa Bellow.

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The Fall of Lisa Bellow is a quiet, thoughtful examination of family members trying to find their place and meaning after going through events beyond their control. and outside of their safe family realm.

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Meredith is stuck in the middle of the popularity pyramid of her junior high, veritably nonexistent to the likes of Lisa Bellow, the popular girl who has a locker just next to Meredith's. But in just moments of time, everything changes for both young women when Lisa is abducted by a masked man while just inches away from Meredith. Over time, Meredith must come to grips both with the abduction and with the cruelties of teen life.

Susan Perabo shines as an author by revealing the layers and intricacies of childhood and teenage rivalries for both children and their parents in this novel. The story line was compelling, and I maintained interest throughout the book. I found the characters to be quite well-developed and I found myself empathizing with them. Overall, the author manages to paint a believable portrait of how trauma and grief affects a whole family and community. Recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a complementary eARC of this novel.

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Years ago, I read "The Payoff" by Susan Perabo and marveled at how she captured the lives of middle school girls--how she could transport me so clearly back to that time I've mostly blocked out with a few sharp lines and a few well-crafted scenes.

The Fall of Lisa Bellow fulfills the promise for those of us who loved "The Payoff". Here, I was so deeply ensconced in the lives of the characters that every time I was forced to put the book down, I had a hard time distinguishing reality from fiction. (Who was that boy I used to know who was injured by the foul ball? Oh, right. He was a conjuring of Bellow's imagination.) Bellow's characters feel so real, it's simply impossible not to get sucked into their lives.

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Meredith Oliver is a typical eight grader. Not the most popular girl, but Meredith is secure enough in herself to know that she doesn't even want to be in the "in crowd". Then one random afternoon Meredith walks to the local deli on her way home from school and upon arrival notices the only other patron is Lisa Bellow, queen of the mean girls. After initially having the urge to leave to avoid Lisa, Meredith pushes through and waits in line for a sandwich. Then the unthinkable happens, a man in a ski mask holding a gun demands the deli employee give him all the money and then instructs everyone to get on the floor. At that moment every alarm bell was going off in Meredith's mind and horrific scenarios were flashing through her brain. Ultimately the masked man picked Lisa Bellows and left with Lisa, without a trace. That afternoon would massively alter Meredith's life. Why was she spared?? Why was Lisa chosen?? Was the masked man a local?? Could it be someone Lisa knew?? These are the questions Meredith is left with as she tries to pick up the pieces and adjust to her new normal. As desperately as Meredith is trying to make sense of the tragedy, her parents are just as desperate to help their daughter mentally, physically and emotionally get back to the typical 8th grader the know and love.

The Fall of Lisa Bellows completely captivated me from the very first page! Susan Perabo does a fantastic job of giving us the background on the Oliver family so when that fateful day occurred, we have a solid idea of who the Oliver's are. The character development was on point! The storyline was well thought out and I felt the pace of this novel was perfect. The Fall of Lisa Bellows is a 4.5 star novel that I highly recommend to everyone! Being that this is the first novel I've read from Susan Perabo, I am looking forward to checking out her previous books!

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An incredible book about moms and daughters, told via a story about a disturbing kidnapping in a small suburban town. This novel was haunting, well-written, fast paced, and will definitely stay with me.

The plot centers around the Oliver family, which has been through a great amount of trauma because of a devastatingly injury to their son Evan, and the almost kidnapping of their daughter Meredith. As Meredith tries to work throughout her PTSD after the incedent, and her coming to terms with the fact that she's watched another girl get taken during a robbery of a deli, the story becomes more about her coming of age, dealing with this trauma as an 8th grader. Her mother, my favorite character, is also dealing with how to properly raise her children in the midst of the horrors they have faced, while also coming to grips with her own traumatic past. The family seems very real and layered, and perfectly flushed out by the author’s incredible writing.

I think this may already be one of my favorites of the year. It is both moving and plot-driven, two things very important to my love of good novels. It has a mystery, it is sometimes scary, but it's also a beautiful look at families, women, loss, and survival.

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The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo
Meredith, a very typical eighth grader, is low on self-confidence, longs to be part of the popular crowd though she protests that she does not, has an older brother she adores, parents who are in her business too much, and ultimately gets caught in a 'moment' that will change her life. As she stands in a convenience store next to Miss Popularity, Lisa Bellow, a robbery ensues, ending up with Lisa being kidnapped while Meredith lays on the floor, unmoving and terrified. As the news of Meredith's involvement slowly leaks out, her hum-drum life changes as she attempts to deal with the trauma this incident does not only to her social identity, but to her psychological identity as well. Thrown into this mix is her brother, Evan, dealing with the aftermath of a terrible accident that ended his baseball career, the grieving mother of Lisa Bellow who is unable to move on, and the parents, dentists who are rightfully concerned about the traumatic changes in both their children's lives over the past year. The plot premise is creative, yet the character development lost me, as did all the tangents taken throughout the story line. I kept searching my brain for some compassion for any of the characters and came up empty; the mother has nary a redeeming quality, dad has no backbone, and Meredith is beyond annoying, when I wanted her to be more complex, heroic, intuitive, you name it. About the only character I could stomach was Evan, the brother. Ultimately, I skimmed through the last quarter of the book, hoping for an ending that could redeem a rather 'meh' book for me. Sadly, I was disappointed.

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I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let's start with the fact that I really wanted to love this book. The synopsis got me really excited, and the story is one that is right in line with the type of books I normally love. However, I just could not connect with this one.

I almost DNF but there high reviews from other people so I kept going. Intentionally I will not go into details, because like I said MANY people seem to love this book and I do not want to turn anyone off from reading it. Might pick it up again in a few months and see if my feelings towards it change.

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Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC.

This is a book about coping.
The whole story starts after Evan's accident, when a baseball essentially shatters his eye. His sister and parents are struggling to deal with the changes and limitations in their son.

Not a year later, Meredith is witness to a sandwich store robbery and kidnapping of a girl and develops PTSD. She is having hard time trying to separate reality from imagination, what if she would have been taken?

I almost thought the Evan story was more interesting, but a good read all in all.

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I didn't really know what to expect with this book. I have to be honest, I was hooked by the cover and soon the story. This book is a crime one, so if you need a thriller to start your year, this may be the book for you.

I enjoyed this book because it deals with some tough issues and the feelings that happen as a result of those situations. The book's characters feel very deeply (as they should) and I found that to be an interesting dynamic throughout.

I would recommend this book for those who enjoy Pretty Little Liars, because I think some of the themes are similar.

Disclaimer: I was awarded this book from the publisher. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.

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A life-changing event occurs and Meredith Oliver’s previously quiet, unobserved life is suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Her occasional morning ritual of recognizing herself in the mirror, of greeting herself, grounding herself in the here and now will forever be changed on one day. That moment of sinking into the rhythmic tone of her voice and the repetitive phrase reminding her to stay in the present, in the here and now, this has become like a mantra, it’s a part of the pattern of her life. That split second between when the inner calm shut out all the outside noise, her sense of being – just being. An inner recognition of it all …merging, becoming …and then being whooshed into the rush and bustle of the day. That is what would give her the sense of self she needed to get through another day of school. Another day of school, of not being one of the popular ones, of going unnoticed. Just another day of being thirteen, almost like any other.

This day may begin like most others, a few minor school-related things, a broken pencil, an annoyed teacher. So, just an ordinary day at school - except Meredith is hung up on the less-than-perfect score she’ll now get because of a broken pencil. What is the solution for pre-teen angst over those things adults recognize as small stuff but at thirteen can turn into monumentally life altering, horrible, why-can’t-you-understand moments? Root beer. Or, at least on this particular day for this particular girl, this is what she wants. The negative? She sees Lisa Bellow inside the market, the most popular girl in her class. Another day, this might have stopped her in her tracks, but today she’s not going to change her mind.

Lisa and Meredith are standing and waiting when the bell on the door rings again and in comes a man. Not a customer, though, this man’s face is covered by a mask and a hood, and most of his body are covered by and oversized hooded sweatshirt. He orders the girls to the floor. When Lisa is overwhelmed with fear, it’s Meredith that talks her down. When Meredith’s begins to mount, it’s Lisa’s words that calm her. Nothing extraordinary, Lisa just tells her not to worry, that everything will be okay - only now the thief’s not satisfied his meager haul is enough for all his troubles, so he decides to take Lisa Bellow, too.

And just like that, there’s one girl missing, and one girl left behind, and the girl left behind crumbles under that pressure. Breaks a little. And just like that, lives change. Meredith’s life, her parent’s lives. Her brother’s life, Evan, already recovering from his own life-altering event, changes yet again. Lisa Bellow and Lisa Bellow’s mother’s lives change, and everyone who knows either girl is affected in some degree or another.

There are the inevitable questions asked and rumours floating about, interrogations to contend with, school and jobs to return to. The ripple effect keeps growing and receding, pulling people in, pushing others out. And a thirteen year-old girl is somehow left to navigate this new and ever-changing terrain. Instead, she keeps reliving the event in her mind, building on it, forging a closer relationship post-kidnapping than they had before, Meredith tries to give back to Lisa what Lisa gave to her: Hope. A way to let go of the past and to move forward for Lisa, and also for Meredith.

I don’t know what percentage of people can relate to a thirteen year-old girl, maybe not even another thirteen year-old girl – quite possibly not even the thirteen year-old girl in question. Let alone to relate to a thirteen year-old girl suffering from survivor’s guilt, that’s quite an accomplishment, but Susan Perabo clearly has that ability and talent.

Pub Date: 14 Mar 2017

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Simon and Schuster

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