Dawn K. (justread01) reviewed on 1/11/2010 + 35 more book reviews

I ended up really liking this book, although I almost put it down after the first 50 pages or so, because I just wasn't into it and was disappointed that I wasn't immediately sucked in ... but if you stick with it and give it a chance, the book will eventually grab you and suck you in. The book DOES have a lot of characters, but about halfway through, the focus becomes more on Nan and the X boys, and this is what I loved, this is why I bought the book - to see how Nan and the boys meet up again, how they interact and grow and what happens after all these years. The um, antics (not sure if that's the right word) of the X boys' parents is atrocious and no less shocking than 10 years ago. Grayer has some understandable issues but is still lovable and Stilton - you just want to reach into the pages and hug him.

There is a side story about Nan and her consulting job at the school, and I found the actions of the kids there as shocking as the adults' reactions. I think the school is where the abundance of characters can confuse, esp. at the beginning, but again, toward the end, the story lines tie together clearly and delivers a nice punch.

Another story thread in the background of the story involves Nan's friends, and mostly absent husband, Ryan. Nan's friends, coupled with the people she works with at the school, make for a lot of people to get to know and remember. But each plays a role, however small, in making the story what it is. I liked the overall story and am glad I read it.

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