Dalene Flannigan

I enjoyed this novel about truths and lies, secrets and deception. Three college roommates with varying values and opinions come together over a tragedy that will loom over them for more than 15 years. It makes you question, whose truth is it and do we have the right to interfere? Does awareness obligate you to disrupt other people's lives to free your own guilty conscience? When the three women meet up again at the request of one of them suggesting a "confession of their sins" to save their souls, a quandary of mixed emotions and values of the women entwine. The story kept my interest from the beginning with gradual building of the story until the end wondering how each of them will resolve this struggle of conscience.

Http://bookwormreviewblog.bligspot.com… (mere)

Originally published on my blog


I don't know what I was expecting when I started reading this book. I know I love a book when I want to reread it. And right now, I know this will be one of those re-readable books.

The book isn't just about growing up and about friendship. It's about choices and how those choices influence one's life forever, about the different sides of the truth and about how truth is depends on the personal view.

Three friends, three roommates, Grace, Jude and Erica, struggle with a secret and a set of choices that changed them forever. Grace is the kind of woman that tries to transform her past, her secrets, into a mission. First, it's personal, she's trying to find out if she's the only one with a past like hers (or similar). Then, when she sees that she's not alone, that there are others like her, she tries to tell their story to the world, change people's view about women and abuse and choices born out of resentment, fear or hate. She doesn't seem like a strong woman, not really. She might be perceived that way, but I think there's a part of her that is scared, terrified even, wary. I liked her though, I liked her view and take on certain sensitive subjects.

Erica is, I think, the strongest of the three. The accomplished woman, with a house, a husband, two kids. Even if her marriage is far from perfect, she tries to change that, to fix what can be fixed. A part of Erica would want to change the past and almost everything that happened after college. I believe that her past made her stronger in some ways and in other she is overwhelmed by it.

Then there's Jude. Jude is the scarred woman, the one with a history of drug and alcohol addiction, the one who's been sexually abused during her childhood by the very people who should have cherished, loved and protected her. She's lost and a big part of me wasn't surprised by her choice at the end of the book. Everyone she trusted wronged her in some way. Grace lied to her, her parents weren't the good parents they should have been, the man who supposedly tries to show her the right path is using her. She tries to find salvation through religion, but it's not a healthy decision, or so I felt it.

This is one of those books that satisfied me as a reader a lot. I love it when there's a book that manage to show different versions and views of the same event, the same situation. I think Ms. Flannigan managed to do that and keep the novel flowing. It's not a comfortable read, but it's an amazing one and it's one of those things that make you want to forget all about the "real world" and read more. I would definitely recommend it.

… (mere)

Ella and Aaron, Kevin and Beth were best friends. Aaron and Keven were cousins and they had been friends with Ella for years and Keven was just a little jealous when Aaron and Ella became a couple. Kevin marries Beth and she tries to fit into the group. After twenty some years of marriage, Aaron dies in a car accident and the novel begins three years after the accident. The story is told in alternating chapters by Ella and Kevin and we learn about the strong friendship and how much they rely on each other. We learn about their past and as their feeling begin to become more than friendship, what they would like their future to be. This is a novel about friendship and love and secrets and family. Its a wonderful story and I couldn't put it down once I started because I wanted to see how everyone's lives ended up. I was very tempted to turn to the end while I was reading but I resisted it and let the story play out and I was glad that I did.

This is a novel definitely worth reading. I look forward to the next book from Ms Flannigan.… (mere)