Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Secret of Lies (Book Review)

Title: The Secret of Lies
Author: Barbara Forte Abate
Source: from author for review
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing, LLC


Goodreads Summary:
Propelled by an insurmountable sense of desperation, Stevie Burke is recklessly abandoning home, husband, and outwardly contented life under cover of night; at last resigned to defeat in her long battle against the tortured memories of her past.


Days later, lost and floundering in a dreary motel room without plan or destination, it is a long ago song playing on the radio that gently tugs Stevie back through the dust of remembrance. 1957 - The last summer spent at the ancient house overlooking the North Atlantic. A season which had unfolded with abundant promise, but then spiraled horribly out of control - torn apart by a shattering tragedy that remains splintered in fragments upon her soul. And it is only now, when Stevie at last lifts her eyes to stare deep into the heart of her long sequestered memories, that the long held secrets of past and future are at last unveiled.


Thoughts:
This is a coming-of-age story at its best. Stevie is a complex character that I couldn't help but relate to through her journey. As she suffers one tragedy after another she is tested to prove her strength and willpower to continue to live her life as best she can and not let herself drown in the lies and secrets behind these tragedies.
It's nearly impossible not to feel for Stevie as she goes down a path of self-destruction, trying to protect herself from the pain, and even more impossible not to hope that she will discover what she is doing to herself and the people in her life in the end.
This book is sad and hopeful, scandalous and real, emotional and well-written: something everyone who enjoys a good coming-of-age story should read.


Rating: 4.5/5

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