Book Club Pick: The Children

The Children
by Ann Leary
St. Martin's Press
2016
246 pages
ISBN: 9781250045379

Praise for The Children:

“In this deeply satisfying novel about how unknowable people can be, intrigue builds with glass shards of dark humor toward an ending that is far from comic.” ―Kirkus, starred review

“The Children is populated by comically quirky characters reminiscent of Anne Tyler at her best. But in Ann Leary's capable hands, they come alive as funny, wise, sometimes confused but always hopeful as they navigate a plot rich with unexpected turns. Leary's unique voice and perspective make this the novel you won't be able to put down this summer.” ―Ann Hood, author of The Obituary Writer

"[Leary's] characters are a delightful blend of strong personalities, all with their own little touch of delicious evil, and her darkly comic send-ups of New England wealth, nouveau riche, and Internet culture should keep readers absorbed until the final, most shocking secrets are revealed." ―Publishers Weekly

"A witty, touching, unputdownable novel." ―Good Housekeeping

“A fast-paced, darkly funny novel.” ―Popsugar

"A read-in-one-sitting romp, Leary’s wry and searing satire of affluence and elitism comically yet steadily builds to a sobering and malevolent finale". ―Booklist


My review:


Hypnotic, fantastic, provocative, dark and oh, so very captivatingly cunning, The Children is this summer's guilty pleasure. This novel has it all: a fairy tale family who has an old  money  background, a sprawling lake front estate,  a trust that patriarch Whit Whitman has in place after his death in which his two sons inherit and his widow and two step-daughters are allowed to live in the home until Joan's (his wife) death, secrets, lies, and mysteries abound!

Twenty-nine year old Charlotte never leaves the property. Her life revolves around her secret on-line life. She writes a mommy blog about her fictional family: her handsome, loving husband and her two beautiful children--all of whom do not exist except in Charlotte's fictionalized world. She gains giant corporate sponsors who pay her to basically blog. The diaper company, of course, has no idea Charlotte is a fake and neither do her millions of followers. Her blog is so popular she's one of the Top Ten Mommy Bloggers according to The Huffington Post. She hides her true identity by not using her real name and never posting photos of her "children," and she also invents fake blog readers who comment on her blog posts as if they are her real neighbors. All this chicanery is just enough for her to gain thousands of mommy blog readers.

The story is told through Charlotte's eyes, who is an incredible and novel storyteller. Readers will not know whether to believe Charlotte's version because she is a fake and a liar of supreme proportions.

Favorite son golden boy Dartmouth educated and athletic god Spin comes home to introduce the rest of his family to beautiful and charismatic Laurel, a girl who is too good to be true. Once a celebrated skier of Olympic talent, she sets her dreams for gold aside after an injury but still manages to excel in yoga and gains online near celebrity status. Stepmother Joan and her grown girls are ready to hate Laurel. Charlotte begins to engage in Internet sleuthing to discover flaws in Spin's new fiancé. Step-sister Sally doesn't question anything about Laurel's past and seems to accept Spin's choice.

There's something about Laurel. Something sinister. Behind that perfect smile and beautiful face lies the mind of a sociopath, and although she suspects something Charlotte has no idea of the consequences Laurel will bring upon everyone involved.

The property is worth millions, but sons Spin and Perry can do nothing to it as long as Joan lives. Their fate is sealed by their father's trust. Wedding plans are set into motion and everything leading up to the wedding begins to snowball.

Secrets are about to be revealed and readers will savor every gleeful word. If you loved The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, you will love The Children.

I LOVED this novel! The narrator choice is sheer genius. Pick this one up and you won't be disappointed.

Highly recommended for adult readers. Book clubs will love this book!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Club Pick: The Hand That Feeds You

The Hand That Feeds You
by A.J. Rich
Scribner
2015
273 pages
ISBN: 9781476774589


Gruesome and terrible, The Hand That Feeds You is a psychological thriller that delivers a quick one-two punch. Graduate student Morgan Prager is finishing her thesis at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. She meets her fiancé Bennett through her studies (almost unbelievable that a woman of her intellect would date someone she met in the way she found him--but then some women are crazy). Although he can be commanding, assertive and downright mean, Morgan tells herself she is in love with Bennett. She comes home from class one morning and finds the front door open. She fears Bennett may have left the door open accidentally and worries that her three dogs may be loose. Bennett never liked her dogs and Morgan thinks he may have left the door open on purpose.

Entering the apartment, she is overjoyed to see her dogs alive but they are acting strange. Their coats are red with blood. Morgan starts operating on adrenaline and shock. She finds the body of a man she thinks may have been Bennett. It's too hard to tell because the body has been mauled, the face mutilated and a leg torn off. Morgan begins to  fear what her dogs could do to her. They obviously killed once, what if they turn on her? She backs away and locks herself in the bathroom, calls 911 and waits for help to arrive.

How could this have happened? Could her dogs really have killed Bennett? One of her Dobermans is shot by a police officer. The female  Doberman and Cloud, her Great  Pyrenees are taken into custody. Morgan is taken to the psych ward where she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her fiancée, the horrific bloody scene, and the guilt she feels for allowing her dogs to be in this situation.

Once released Morgan searches for Bennett's mother and father. When she finds only dead ends, she has to ask herself: who was this guy I fell in love with? He has no past and no family. There is no record of him being a music producer. In fact, he seems to be a ghost. Then Morgan finds other women who were duped by Bennett, including one who was recently murdered. The police are no help. Morgan turns to her brother and other close friends.

The closer Morgan comes to the truth and the release of her dogs, the deeper the secrets. Could someone have used her dogs to kill Bennett? Who is the real killer? And is he  now after her?

The Hand That Feeds you rockets off the first chapters. By the middle of the story, I felt a bit bogged down and wanted answers to come.  On the other hand, I felt the ending a little rushed.

As a dog owner and rescuer, The Hand That Feeds You really got under my skin. The ick factor creeped me out entirely. It was not just that the dogs attacked and killed; it was that they were then locked up in a terrible environment.

Recommended for adult readers. If you love animals, you may want to pass on this one. I just can't get over it!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)