From the author of The Pilot's Wife..
AUTHOR/EDITOR: Anita Shreve
INFO: Paperback, Fiction, 324 pages
PUBLISHED: Little Brown and Company, 2008
ISBN#: 978-0-316-08051-4
HOW'D I GET IT: Received from Publisher for Review
FROM GOODREADS: At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.
Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in TESTIMONY a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.
MY TAKE: I am an Anita Shreve fan as I absolutely loved "The Pilot's Wife". That is why I jumped at the chance to do a review of this book when it was offered. While I was not completely disappointed, I wasn't completely thrilled either.
The book is aptly named "Testimony" because that is how it is delivered to the reader. It is a collection of testimonies from people involved either directly or indirectly with the scandal at the prestigious school. I'm still not sure if I liked this style or not. On one hand, it kept the suspense building and the story moving along. But on the other hand, I just couldn't get invested or really interested in the majority of the characters. I think Silas is pretty much the only one that I particularly cared about.
Because this was such a dark subject with so many undercurrents, it wasn't what I would call a fun read. I think there are lessons to be learned from this story and I think it could definitely anchor some great discussions. Primarily one on how just one stupid and seemingly juvenile mistake can affect a person and those around them for their whole lives.
I can't entirely say that I liked it, but I also finished it which is something I won't do when I'm having too much trouble with a book. So it's almost a 3.
MY RATING: 2.75/5
WHERE TO BUY IT: Amazon, IndieBound, The Book Depository
~~~~~ Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own. I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links. I may receive books in order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one. Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.
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