Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, totally worn out and screaming,
"WOO HOO, what a ride!"

Friday, September 23, 2011

Review: Night Road by Kristen Hannah


 
For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices.
To hold on…
To let go..
To forget…
To forgive…
Which road will you take? 


  
 

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.

Jude does everything to keep her kids safe and on track for college. It has always been easy-- until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.

On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

NIGHT ROAD is vivid, emotionally complex novel that raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love

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Review

It took me some time to read this book. The subject matter was too real and too scary. I have three sons and my youngest just left for his first year of college. Although they are great kids and we have tried to instill good values in our children, they are young and sometimes fearless. We lost our seventeen year-old nephew in a drunk driving accident several years ago and we live in fear that something like that could happen again.


Night Road is the story of a similar tragedy. One bad decision, one moment in time, changes the lives of many people. The emotions are real and raw. My heart broke for this family and I could especially feel the mother's pain. Kristen Hannah's writing is gripping and keeps you reading. 

I didn't care for the characters much in the first part of the story. They weren't bad people and I liked that they were flawed but they were self absorbed and predictable. Some of their actions and reactions seemed off. After the accident the emotions took over and hooked me for the rest of the book. The characters become more flexible and tolerant which made the reading more interesting. I became invested in their journey and was glad I followed it through.

This is a story of survival and redemption. I found it to be a good summer read for the hammock. Fans of Hannah will have a hard time resisting this one!


Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers for an ARC of this book to review.

Author
Publisher


Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release date: 3/22/11
Pages: 385
Price/format: $27.99/hardcover
Type: contemporary fiction

7 comments:

  1. I LOVED this one, my favourite KristinH so far. It was emotionally gripping for sure.

    Feedback - the font you use is so hard to read.

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  2. I've never read an Kristin Hannah. I had some on my shelf that I finally gave up on and donated to the library in my fall effort to find a way through my clutter. Your review and teh book description make me want to try her though!

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  3. Thank you ladies for visiting! Kristen Hannah books do get to you.

    Thanks for your feedback too Marce. I always appreciate the input as I try different things here. The font was starting to bug me too so I changed it and I hope this is easier to read! :)

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  4. Oh, I had no idea this was about a drunk driving accident. I've never read any of Hannah's work, but my sister says you have to keep tissues handy when you do.

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  5. I loved this book! It was one of those books that you knew something bad was going to happen but it really caught me off guard. I guess it just wasn't what I though was going to happen. It is one of my favorite Hannah books.

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  6. This was a very enjoyable, although emotional read. Keeping the tissues handy is good advice for reading Hannah's books.

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  7. So sorry about your nephew. That's such a hard thing to accept.

    I've been wanting to read this ne, but I know now is not the best time. Still new emotional about my little guy!

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