Reviews

Reservation Road by John Burnham Schwartz

in_and_out_of_the_stash's review against another edition

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3.0

Interesting book but weak ending

cal_stephanides's review against another edition

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Couldn't finish.

emilyisreading2024's review against another edition

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5.0

I really enjoyed Reservation Road, but I didn't like it quite as much as Northwest Corner. (I read them out of order.) Although the writing is amazing in both, it's really extraordinary in parts of Northwest Corner. I think Reservation Road would have been much more suspenseful (especially the ending) if I hadn't read the sequel first, so that's my own fault...

jesseswe's review against another edition

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5.0

5 out of 5...This book made me cry so much...

novelesque_life's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 STARS

"A tragic accident sets in motion a cycle of violence and retribution in John Burnham Schwartz's riveting novel Reservation Road. Two haunted men and their families are engulfed by the emotions surrounding an unexpected and horrendous death. Ethan, a respected professor of literature at a small New England college, is wracked by an obsession with revenge that threatens to tear his family apart. Dwight, a man at once fleeing his crime and hoping to get caught, wrestles with overwhelming guilt and his sense of obligation to his son. As these two men's lives unravel, Reservation Road moves to its startling conclusion." (From Amazon)

A gripping novel for sure! It had me all over the place when it came to emotions.

seed193's review against another edition

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4.0

It was an enticing read even though I had an idea of the ending based on the sequel I read prior, Northwest Corner.

biblioph1le's review against another edition

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4.0

As I read this book I kept thinking what a blessed life I have. While this is fiction, the sadness and the dysfunctional families is all too real for many. I think the subject was dealt with well. I would recommend this book

mil818's review against another edition

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4.0

Great book, especially liked that the author shed light on Dwight's condition, the hit and run driver, kind of contradicting the popular emotionally driven view that these people are heartless monsters.

thereadingbel's review

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4.0

This story is about loss of a child and how it devastates a family afterwards. If you have ever experienced a loss then you will understand fully the emotional reaction and impacts this does to an individual and family. The story unfold after Josh is killed. Each chapter is told by a different perspective the parents and Dwight the driver who hit the boy. The police are not solving this fast enough and frustrations are running high. This story pulls at your heart in every direction in the way each person grieves and deals with the loss of a child. I know first hand what it is like when a family member died in a car accident. The pain can be deep and for parents it is emotional the guilt they feel for not protecting enough from stopping it from happening. In the end it does not matter if it is time to leave this earth it just happens. I know from personal experience the spot where my sister died makes me nervous every time i have passed it. i slow down and take the curve slowly. The memory flows back through me that day it happened and it has been 35 years ago and it still impacts me personally. So this story really hit home for me I understand the emotional feelings the parents feel. It is so damaging to families when children are lost before they have time to live a full life. I recommend this book it pulls you in and the chapters comes together giving the perspective to understand each side of this story. Mr. Schwartz did a good job with characters bringing life to them in the deepest depth of their grief.

jlanganke's review against another edition

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5.0

You know you've read a great book when you can't wait to get to the end to see what happens, but, at the same time you don't want the book to end because you'll miss it. Reservation Road is one of those books.