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Book Reviews of Night Road

Night Road
Night Road
Author: Kristin Hannah
ISBN-13: 9780312364427
ISBN-10: 0312364423
Publication Date: 3/29/2011
Pages: 400
Rating:
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 178

4.2 stars, based on 178 ratings
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Book Type: Hardcover
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

56 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

Kristalo avatar reviewed Night Road on + 70 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
This is a powerful and moving story of mistakes and forgiveness. It makes you examine your own life to see if any forgiveness is due. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. A great read!
reviewed Night Road on + 57 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
This is my first experience with the reading of a book by Kristin Hannah. The book kept me interested all the way through, but I found it very depressing most of the time. Life is not always a happy party though, and a lot of issues covered in this book were very serious issues that parents of teenagers might find helpful. One review mentioned that it read like a Young Adult book, but I disagree...although teenagers might gain some insight by reading it. It reminded me of one of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult who tends to write about controversial issues, and I intend on reading more books by Ms. Hannah in the future.
cyberdeb avatar reviewed Night Road on + 41 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
OMG I couldn't even put this down. I don't own this book but it is still on my wish list and I'll keep it there so I can own it for my library. You will laugh and cry when reading this book. Also want to mention that it is a clean book for those looking for clean.
reviewed Night Road on + 40 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed this read from the beginning. I highly recommend it.
reviewed Night Road on + 104 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
You cannot read this story and not be affected by the story and characters Impact of this book will stay with you for days to come after you read it. Highly recommendeed
njmom3 avatar reviewed Night Road on + 1378 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I read this book in one sitting. I loved the first half of the book. I found the characters interesting and the story believable and "relate-able." The second half, however, seemed a little rushed to me ending too quickly in a nice neat package. I would have liked to see that part of the story more developed and explored. Overall, a good book though.
reviewed Night Road on + 113 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I loved this book! Hannah is an author who is seen everywhere all the time (the "stay away from" kind for me) but upon reading this, my first book of hers, I humbly admit my aversion to assembly line authors has kept me from a truly great one this time. "Night Road" is riveting reading! It deals with the hard subject of teenage drinking and it's repercussions on friends, family and society with compassion yet honesty. As we follow the lives of a family, a friend and a young love through all the devastation that can come from one poor choice.

First and foremost, however this is a love story. Whether young love, love of family, love of friends or love of fellowman, Hannah portrays each so deftly and with such a personal touch that the reader's emotions are captivated and crushed right along with the characters. Beautiful work in a heart-breaking shell! Why 4 and not 5 stars, then? Two reasons, the believability in some of the choices and twists in the story, especially those of Lexi, stretch the realistic limit. Also, after such a heart-rending journey of a read, the reconciliation needed more time. After experiencing what the young lovers go through, the reader yearns for a more meaningful explanation in an HEA. Even a page or two for the lovers to talk things out before the "all is well" hits would have been the 5 star cherry for sure.
Page5 avatar reviewed Night Road on
Helpful Score: 2
Wooden characters and predictable. Hannah goes through the motions of writing but needs to go deeper with her characters. I did like the repeating theme from mother to daughter with Jude and her mother. That was nicely done by Hannah. Overall, it was not a book that grabbed me however, two other girls in my book club loved, loved, loved this book. And, a third member of our book club read a couple of chapters but did not finish the book.
This book was free for me to read from a readinggroupguides.com contest. I appreciated the opportunity!
bridget222 avatar reviewed Night Road on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I loved this book, but Kristin Hannah has yet to dissappoint me with any of her books. She has a way of bringing characters to life and making you feel their heartache and happiness. It was very difficult to put down, I just had to find out what was going to happen next.
redbookworm avatar reviewed Night Road on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This was one of the best books I have read in a long time! It captured my interest from the first page and held it throughout the whole book! I read it until the late hours of the night because I couldn't put it down. The characters came alive on the pages. It made me cry tears of both sadness and joy. It was a great book and I have ordered another one from this author and can't wait for it to come.
reviewed Night Road on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is by far one of the best books I've read! I absolutely fell in love with the characters. This book has many twist in turns in the storyline. Get ready for a realistic and relatable story about love, loss, parenting, forgiveness and moving forward with life.
bellasgranny avatar reviewed Night Road on + 468 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I'm a longtime fan of Kristin Hannah's books, but have been disenchanted with her last few efforts. The last book I really enjoyed was True Colors.

I'm glad that I didn't pay any money for this book. I'd never heard the pejorative phrase "helicopter mom" (overparenting) before picking up this book. I could only get through the first 75 pages or so before throwing in the towel and skipping to the end. I found it boring and predictable. It reads like a YA novel or an ABC After School Special movie, and it's categorized as women's fiction. Not hardly. I really disliked the characters of the overprotective mother and the needy daughter. The husband's character was underwritten.

Again, as she has in previous books, she ties the end up in a pretty bow, and it's not really believable.
While Ms. Hannah writes really well, her stories are not ones that I care to read about in the future. I doubt that I'll pick up any more of her books.
krystalrose avatar reviewed Night Road on
Helpful Score: 1
Very good quick read. I love how Kristin Hannah gets into the actual emotions of her characters.
peguinity avatar reviewed Night Road on
Helpful Score: 1
Hauntingly good book. The kind of book that lingers & you can't stop thinking about the characters long after you've finished reading.
reviewed Night Road on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This book should be a required read to every parent of a teen. I read this book last year when my daughter was 16 and my son 15. The ages are similiar to the characters in this book.

I couldn't put it down and continued to read through crying eyes. My eyes were puffy and red, and I still continued to read.

When I get up the courage, I will read it again. I can't re-read it while my kids are still in high school.
reviewed Night Road on + 45 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This was my first book by Kristin Hannah. I must say, I am going to be reading more of her books. This was a fantastic read. It was a book I just couldn't put down.
mazeydazey avatar reviewed Night Road on + 140 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoy Kristin Hannah's writing style and this book does not disappoint. Her books are always filled with so much emotion and make you feel like you are there. Character development is great. You might not always agree with what or how she says things but her stories are well told. Night Road shows how to love, laugh, cry, and ultimately how to forgive. I recommend this book to all High School teens, as well as their parents. It will definitely give you something to think about.
reviewed Night Road on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Very good book!
reviewed Night Road on + 2 more book reviews
I couldn't put it down. I read the book in two nights. Would definitely recommend it!
debs avatar reviewed Night Road on + 649 more book reviews
A very powerful story about mistakes, and grief, and forgiveness. Never feels rushed, just moves through the characters' lives at their own pace. Good page turner.
reviewed Night Road on + 102 more book reviews
This was by far the best Kristin Hannah book I have read! Close to the writing style of one of my favorite authors - Jodi Picoult. Supurb book!! Highly recommend.
reviewed Night Road on + 18 more book reviews
This book was wonderful. Good story and a page-turne, the whole way through the book' So glad I read it.
reviewed Night Road on + 175 more book reviews
Another great book by Kristin Hannah. I think this would be a good book for high schoolers to read to see what can happen when they drink and drive.
mollyk avatar reviewed Night Road on + 3 more book reviews
This was my first time reading this author's work, and she's not my style. I don't think she has a convincing voice. I'm sure a Kristin Hannah fan would love the book though.
reviewed Night Road on + 22 more book reviews
This book lasted over years and yet went by in the blink of an eye. Very interesting and emotional.
reviewed Night Road on + 1450 more book reviews
Several of the characters in this novel did not ring true for me. The over protective mother, Jude Farraday, was especially so. In addition, she was unlikable. The most interesting and, hence, the most realistic was Lexi Baill. Her longing to belong, to have popular friends, to be able to go to the college of her choice are reminiscent of my own high school days. In addition, I was most uncomfortable about the choice to send Lexi to prison for the accident. Others may enjoy this read. I was disappointed.
reviewed Night Road on + 32 more book reviews
This is a great story of love,regret,sorrow,forgiveness. How many of us have needed to give one or all of these or receive one or all of these? It's a very good growth book. I can't repost it yet since my husband has to listen to this audio book also. You will laugh and cry so be prepared.
reviewed Night Road on + 38 more book reviews
This was a very well written novel from all perspectives. I even debated having my teenage children read it so that they could see the devastation that could happen!
shannieannie avatar reviewed Night Road on + 2 more book reviews
I LOVED this book! It was inspiring, fun, happy, and heartbreaking. The story line was unique, and the characters were well-developed. I felt like I knew them personally. I was sad to reach the last page, even though the ending was perfect. This is a must-read!
reviewed Night Road on + 3149 more book reviews
This has a strong and powerful message within these pages. A storyline for any teenager to read and get the message if they have any brain at all.
flyinggems avatar reviewed Night Road on + 448 more book reviews
I needed tissues throughout the book. I could not put this book down. It was very easy to read and the characters emotions were real.
reviewed Night Road on + 17 more book reviews
I LOVED THE BOOK! Could not put it down. Characters to true to life - teens acting just like mine did. A busy father, a harried to-much-to-do mother who loved too much and tried too hard. A tear-jerker for sure and so well written.
reviewed Night Road on + 15 more book reviews
I wanted to stay up all night to finish it!
reviewed Night Road on
This book was about so many things including live, loss and forgiveness. I really enjoyed being taken along on this high schooler's journey through some very rough times.
vivianleighs avatar reviewed Night Road on + 2 more book reviews
I loved this book!!
reviewed Night Road on + 4 more book reviews
This is a great read, I can see why it was on wish hold list and went right back out the door when I finished it. It is a bit sad, teenagers leaving for college, things that changed their future. In that vein it is very realistic and true to what can happen in life. Good read for parents in general and parents of high school children. Nice writing skills, I will look for more of her books.
justcyn avatar reviewed Night Road on + 148 more book reviews
Sad story about a family torn apart after an incident. But it all seems to come together at the end.
23dollars avatar reviewed Night Road on + 432 more book reviews
I've been a fan of Kristin Hannah since reading ON MYSTIC LAKE several years ago with my online book club, The Reading Cove.

Lately, her books have been hit or miss, but I enjoyed NIGHT ROAD. The beginning really pulled me into this unique triangle relationship and piqued my curiosity about what was going to go wrong and how Jude would factor into it.

But I felt it did have some flaws in the characterizations, like with Jude - at times she felt overdone, her husband Miles just a household prop. And the way Jude, Lexi and Zach evolved by the end...it got to be a bit cliché and banal in third act. I thought it could've been better written (more show, less tell) but overall it was a pretty interesting story line. I give it a B-.
reviewed Night Road on + 9 more book reviews
I read this book and didn't get what the big deal was. I thought there were a lot of cliches, stereotypes, and it was too predictable for my tastes. The author is a good wordsmith, that's true. I found the characters mostly uninteresting or annoying.
reviewed Night Road on + 272 more book reviews
Kristin Hannah never disappoints! Another great story from her!
roach808 avatar reviewed Night Road on + 155 more book reviews
I find that I'm liking Kristin Hannah. Love might be too strong, but I like her enough to have sought out a 3rd and 4th Kristin Hannah selection and this time one is not on audiobook!

I appreciate that she writes about her area - the Pacific Northwest and carries some other themes throughout. I like that she tends to have realistic dialogue between characters of varying age levels and that the story has some twists but isn't even out of the realm of possibility.

In Night Road loss and grief are a major component and there is definitely some life-altering that I knew was there, and suspected, but Hannah managed to still surprise me.

All in all I enjoyed it!
reviewed Night Road on + 89 more book reviews
NIGHT ROAD is difficult to review without giving away anything. It's an excellent read and you will probably really like it. I did although I did get tired of one character in the middle.

Kristin Hannah is a master of novels dealing with women's relationships and mother-daughter relationships. This one had both. I really enjoyed it.
reviewed Night Road on + 4 more book reviews
A very very good book. Great for adults, and a good book to pass on to teens.
my2luvsemmyandmally avatar reviewed Night Road on + 758 more book reviews
Loved this book! One of her best books that I have read so far!!!
reviewed Night Road on + 212 more book reviews
I had high hopes for Night Road, and I dont want to say they werent met exactly, but I did feel a bit let down by the book. I think that whether you like this a lot or not will depend upon your ability to connect with the characters, and which of those characters you connect with.

To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
reviewed Night Road on + 40 more book reviews
really points out the differences in the haves & have nots. I was upset with Jude throughtout the book. I lost a child myself & can understand her grief but she seemed incredibly selfish. Maybe having Faith in God
would have made it all different
my2luvsemmyandmally avatar reviewed Night Road on + 758 more book reviews
Loved this book! One of her best books that I have read so far!!!
eadieburke avatar reviewed Night Road on + 1638 more book reviews
This book is a very sad and emotional read but an amazing story. The last part of the book had me in tears. I have never cried so hard as when I was reading this book. Hannah being able to evoke such emotions is a sign of her excellent writing skills. If you need a good cry then read this book. Do not read if you are prone to depression.
jasoncavallaro avatar reviewed Night Road on + 92 more book reviews
pretty good!
reviewed Night Road on + 114 more book reviews
This definitely pulls at the heartstrings. My best friend was killed in a car accident where the driver had been drinking and just like in the book, charges were pressed against the driver. So as I was reading this I couldn't help but compare and wonder if the driver had gone through the same emotions and thoughts as Lexi had. And at first I thought Jude was being over dramatic with her grief, but it made me stop and think how I would be in her position and it made me change my view of her rather quickly. This book is one that will stick with me long after I've finished it and one I will surely recommend.
reviewed Night Road on
This book was excellent, very thought provoking. Be prepared to cry.
my2luvsemmyandmally avatar reviewed Night Road on + 758 more book reviews
Loved this book! One of her best books that I have read so far!!!
reviewed Night Road on + 272 more book reviews
I just love Kristin Hannah and her wonderful way with words. Life is not always a bowl of cherries, real life anyway. This book proves it!
barbelaine1 avatar reviewed Night Road on + 47 more book reviews
I seem to go against the grain. I was really disappointed with this book. The characters never came to life to me; they seemed like creations in the author's mind, not real. Much of the dialogue struck me as soap opera-ish; it just did not strike me as true. I love Hannah's books, but this was was a miss.
jodisaylor0307 avatar reviewed Night Road on + 3 more book reviews
I think this is the best book that Kristin Hannah has written. If you are a mother or even a sibling you should prepare to cry. This is a wonderful book, but yet so heartbreaking.
reviewed Night Road on + 27 more book reviews
Good story, you could feel all the characters pain !
The mom is one of those, who puts her kids first.
Not a good idea, your spouse should come first.