Friday, October 22, 2010

Testimony by Anita Shreve Review and Giveaway

Testimony: A NovelProduct Description

A sex scandal at a New England boarding school unleashes a storm of shame and recrimination throughout the small community. A chorus of voices--those of the men, women, and teenagers involved--details the events of that night and their aftermath.


Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve brings us a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the impulses that drive ordinary people into intolerable dilemmas, or the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.
My take on this book:
Testimony is a reprint of a book that was originally published Oct 2008, but the story is just as riveting today as it was then!
A story that revolves around one reckless act. Three promising young men who attend Avery Academy, filled with alcohol and raging hormones shed their inhibitions and have sex with a fourteen year old girl, since they are over eighteen and she is underage it is considered a criminal act. Someone tapes the entire act and gives it to Mike Bordwin the headmaster of the school. The fallout from the scandal is life changing.

We hear this story from several different perspectives, from the people involved in the scandal, as well as the adults who attempted to handle the problem, and throughout you really knew that there were no bad guys in this story, just a reckless act that should have never happened!

This was a very fast paced story, one that I really couldn't put down. The author wrote the story in such a way as you felt like you knew the people involved, the storytelling was just amazing, she was able to tell this story with many different perspectives, sometimes this comes off as confusing but not so in this book, I felt like it really added to the story. Even though this story is geared toward adult readers, I think it might be great for older teens to read, to remind them of actions and consequences, and how easily just a few hours can change someones life in ways that they could never imagine.

If you enjoy compelling fast paced stories, where there is no clear cut villain, that deals with issues that face teens everyday, such as alcohol and sexual activity, then this book might be for you.

Now for the giveaway thanks to Little Brown I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Here are the rules:
1. Only residents of the Us and Canada are eligible.


2.No P.O. Boxes please.

3.Winners are subject to the one copy per household rule, which means if you win the same book in two different contests Little Brown is only going to send you one copy of the book.

Books will be sent directly from the publisher.

Be a follower of this blog and leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win. Winners will have 48 hrs to respond. Contest runs thru midnight Nov 1st. Thanks for entering and good luck!




My rating 4/5

7 comments:

  1. I've never read any of Anita Shreve's books but she's really popular over here in the UK. I have to say that I was rather surprised by the cover of this one as they tend to be kind of wishy-washy and pastely in Britain. Great review!

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  2. Great review! Thanks for the giveaway!!

    Kelsey O.
    kopsahl48(at)gmail(dot)com

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  3. I am a follower and would love a chance at this book. Thanks.

    freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca

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  4. Hmmm, I can't imagine the no bad guy at fault..being drunk =bad news! I'd sure like the opportunity to read this book and see for myself. --Thanks for the chance. Count me in!

    ldsmomof03ATyahooDOTcom
    (that's a zero before#3, not letter o)

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  5. Great review Brenda...I like the idea of storytelling from different character's perspectives...

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  6. gfc follower

    ruthaw_1974@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete

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