Scan barcode
oregon_colette's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this book without really paying much attention to what it was about. I like the author's other books so I assumed I would like this one as well. I was wrong. I couldn't get past the main character's initial assumptions about her life before adoption. As an adult she's a finger print analyst so she's used to looking at details, so of course part of her characterization is noticing details about her settings --details that I didn't care to read about. I kept reading, hoping that it would all click together. It never did.
In the end, I had a hard time rating this book. If I had properly vetted it when I picked it up, I would have never bought it.
In the end, I had a hard time rating this book. If I had properly vetted it when I picked it up, I would have never bought it.
kjboldon's review against another edition
A terrific, atmospheric literary thriller, perfect for the short dark days of winter.
trixie_reads's review against another edition
1.0
Started out well, but dragged on and on and on and on pointlessly for a long time before concluding rather unsatisfactorily.
maddieholmes's review against another edition
2.0
This book was absolutely crazy. The protagonist has these super senses and is a psychic-like investigator (despite being a fingerprint analysist). The love triangle was awful, I despised how Charlie treated Lena (and how Lena allowed herself to be treated). This mystery dragged on and on, despite some interesting moments, and the twist was predictable.
valariesmith's review against another edition
3.0
An atmospheric, compelling mystery with character peculiarities that almost make up for an easily solvable crime and artificial, unnecessary roadblocks in the plot. Despite its shortcomings, it was creepy enough that I lost most of one night of sleep because of it, and I mean that as a compliment. (I would really grade this a 3.5 or 3.75, but can't quite give it a 4.)
wordnerdy's review against another edition
5.0
On paper this sounds like most any mystery book--a gifted forensic expert with an asshole ex-husband and a cadre of eccentric co-workers comes to believe that a series of SIDS deaths are actually baby murders. But Abu-Jaber takes this way beyond the formulaic mystery, as the forensic expert's own past (described as "improbable" by the book jacket, to which I'd add the adverb "wildly") starts to seem connected to the baby killer. The only other book by Abu-Jaber I've read before this was her memoir, [b:The Language of Baklava|77991|The Language of Baklava A Memoir|Diana Abu-Jaber|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170912224s/77991.jpg|3579], and I was expecting something this dark, unsettling--and yet completely compelling and, um, AWESOME. A, baby!
slenderaphrodite's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
courtneyreviewsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I don't normally read a whole lot of Adult Fiction, but this was a nice change from my usual YA fantasy readings.
Lena, the main character, is around 33, and believes that she was raised by Gorillas until she was about 3, when she was placed in a foster home. She carries much resentment toward her foster parents, because they never adopted her, despite her living with them until she was an adult.
Separated from her cheating husband, very introverted and anti-social, her job as a Lab technician specializing in fingerprinting keeps her occupied most of the time. When a string of SIDS deaths hits a particular neighborhood, Lena gets called in to investigate.
This was a well-written, solid book that dealt with trauma and loss and pain, yet kept the characters real. Lena isn't that likeable and isn't likeable at the end. The ending wasn't happy for me, it was rather sad. I didn't feel any better or worse for Lena, and maybe that was the point?
Lena, the main character, is around 33, and believes that she was raised by Gorillas until she was about 3, when she was placed in a foster home. She carries much resentment toward her foster parents, because they never adopted her, despite her living with them until she was an adult.
Separated from her cheating husband, very introverted and anti-social, her job as a Lab technician specializing in fingerprinting keeps her occupied most of the time. When a string of SIDS deaths hits a particular neighborhood, Lena gets called in to investigate.
This was a well-written, solid book that dealt with trauma and loss and pain, yet kept the characters real. Lena isn't that likeable and isn't likeable at the end. The ending wasn't happy for me, it was rather sad. I didn't feel any better or worse for Lena, and maybe that was the point?