Camden S. (xserafinx) reviewed on 12/19/2006 + 78 more book reviews

"Wow, I cannot sum this novel up in a paragraph...In short, it's about a prominent family with everything in the world to look forward to and how they fell from grace. What's heart wrenching is that the route of the problems (the rape of the daughter) is beyond their control, and the shameful pleasure of this boy (the rapist) was so blatantly temporary that he actually forgot about the incident. Nevertheless, his actions started a chain of events that robbed this family of their happiness. What I love about Joyce Carol Oates is that she puts the reader into the characters' shoes for better or for worse. And in her stories, it's usually for worse. She has an undeniable knack for making fiction seem real. She takes much time to develop her characters to the point where you feel you are actually part of this family. So naturally, when she brazenly rips this family apart, you truly feel their pain. I can't further describe her writing...it's unparallel, and this book clearly shows it." - JM courtesy of Amazon Reviews

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