This was the first Wendy Corsi Straub book I had ever read, and I was not disappointed. The writing style is nice and concise, with a interesting mix of characters and minor conflicts (aside the major one, of course) make for a very interesting tale while you wonder about just who some of the characters are and their motives.I felt bad for Jenny because she lost her friend, but this was a rather thrilling book. I could not stop reading it and finding out just who was behind all the crap that was going on, and just who on earth would want to hurt poor Jenny. The person who is after her... well, I don't want to spoil it for you folks, but it certainly wasn't anyone I would have *ever* expected, that's for sure. A solid, thrilling and enjoyable read, two thumbs up!
This was a confusing, overly complicated story. There are a lot of characters, and when the bad guy is revealed, it seems to come totally out of left field.Someone wants to kill Jen. Why? We don't know until the very end. Who is it? Same deal, we don't find out until the very end. Along the way, several other people get murdered. And what is the horrible secret Jen's mom is hiding? By the time it is finally revealed, it seemed a little anticlimactic. The last third of the book started moving pretty fast and was interesting, but the first two thirds of the book were a little slow for me.
What do You think about Kiss Her Goodbye (2004)?
This book was what I'm coming to know as "classic Wendy Corsi Staub." The characters are well-developed and feel real whether you like them or not, the relationship dynamics are realistic and the plot is smart and well thought out. This book was suspenseful and had twists and turns to keep you guessing. Maybe it's because the author writes a lot of YA novels but books with teen characters are always so well done, though I think her teens seem a bit mature and insightful for their age (or maybe I don't hang around such cognitively developed teens). I highly recommend this book.
—Rhea
I have only read one work previously by this author and that was part of a trilogy.There must be some way to interpret the sudden switching of characters, many presented with only one name. I am reading about Jen (almost 14 years old) and her family, then suddenly here is Lucy (Lucy who)? And why did she try to commit suicide? The plot jumps back and fourth, only the dates tell you the story is advancing. I keep forgetting that Stella is the mother of the twins for whom Jen babysits, and that Kurt is her swarmy husband. Everything is written very darkly,
—Andrea
