Thursday, September 18, 2014

Dangerous Denial - Review

Dangerous Denial by Amy Ray

Rating: 4 Stars
Source: Provided by the author

Description:  To say Trevor Mayhew's childhood was horrible is an understatement.  His father is an abusive psychopath and his grandmother desperately wants to protect him.

BK Hartshaw has been neglected and put down by her mother who she'll never be thin enough or good enough for.

Can these two put their paths behind them?  Will they survive when their presents collide?

Genre: Mystery
Why I Picked This Book:  I was intrigued by the blurb with the author contacted me so I decided to give it a try.
My Impression:
Pros:  This book was a roller coaster. I went from being gripped by fear, to relief, to fear, to dread and then just when I was about to give up there was a glimmer of hope.  This was a hard book for me to read - especially the first 40% or so when Trevor and BK were children.  The characters were so real and Trevor's life especially was so brutal that it was painful to read.  This was one of those books that you stay up a little extra or squeeze in reading time because you just have to find what happens next.  It did become an easier read when BK was an adult though it was no less intense.  I'm kind of glad the next book I plan on reading is a middle grade children's book.  After this one I kind of feel like I need a nap!

Cons: There was a lot going on at the end and it felt a bit disjointed as we jumped from past to present and to different scenes.  I had to go back and reread to clarify a few things.  I also didn't get much personality from BK.  Trevor, Max and Shelby's characters seemed more developed and in comparison she seemed a little flat.

Overall: From the cover and blurb I was expecting a kind of DaVinci Code kind of thriller.  What I got was something deeply personal and intense.  Despite some disjointedness this was an excellent read though I do advise that if you have small children that you have them close by while reading.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes, though I think I'll be a little more emotionally prepared for the next one!

Would I Recommend this Book?:  I would though just be aware it's not as light as the cover suggests.

11 comments:

  1. I was just asked if I want to be on the tour for this one. :-) I haven't decided yet (time being more of an issue than interest). This does sound good though!

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    1. I did really enjoy this one though I can understand the time problem! Seriously we need way more time to read!

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  2. Sounds very emotional. Definitely one you need to be in the right mood to read. It sounds good but I'm not too sure about the disjointed feel, that might feel a bit jarring. Glad you enjoyed it so much.

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    1. It more just felt too rushed other than jarring which was too bad. It could've been that I was flying through it to see what happened!

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  3. Despite a few hiccups this does sounds really good and intense!

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  4. Sounds like it has possibilities. I have read a couple books in the last few months that were difficult to read, because the stories of abuse, greed, murder etc were so jarring (some fiction, some non-fiction), I had to take breaks...which is unusual for me.

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    1. If you read a lot of heavier books the abuse in this probably wouldn't impact you as much as it did me. I'm a lightweight!

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  5. I've only read a couple of books dealing with abuse which was difficult at times to read. But the mix in of a mystery does make this sound interesting. I really like the structure of your reviews, you are straight to the point of what you like and don't like. I'll have to check this book out.

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    1. Thank you! I know reading is subjective so I do try to list out what worked and didn't work since I know that may be different for anyone else. I enjoyed this one though the beginning was difficult for me.

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