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reading_is_my_hobby's review
3.0
I chose #thefalloflisabellow by #susanperabo because it was the book of the month @cincylibrary back in May. Dark and twisty read, addresses #survivorsguilt, the angst of middle school, and the trials of parenthood. Read it quickly and enjoyed! (Has some interesting suggestions for a book club if anyone is looking for a book for theirs!) A quote: “‘We can hope.’ He could hope, that was the thing. Mark could always hope. It was a permanent condition, like freckles, or lupus.” #52booksin52weeks
pam2375's review
4.0
I loved the story and the character development. I felt like I was being taken for a ride going in different directions at the same time
novelvisits's review
4.0
The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: March 14, 2017
Length: 352 pages
Originally on: http://www.novelvisits.com/fall-lisa-bellow-susan-perabo-review/
Single Sentence Summary: This is the story of the “lucky” one: the girl left behind when another is kidnapped.
Primary Characters: Meredith Oliver – A typical 8th grader. Not in the popular crowd, not unpopular, insecure, searching for independence, scared. Claire Oliver – Ferocious mother, wife, dentist, and worrier.
Synopsis: Meredith just wanted a root beer when she stopped into the Deli Barn on her way home from school. Instead, she found herself head to head on the floor with Lisa Bellow, the most popular girl in 8th grade. In short order the robber left, taking Lisa with him, while Meredith slipped into a sort of shock she only woke up from hours later. This is the story of Meredith, the girl left behind. It’s the story of what that trauma did to Meredith, and by extension, what it did to her whole family, especially her mother.
Review: Let’s start by talking about what The Fall of Lisa Bellow is not. It’s not a mystery. It’s not a suspense story. It’s nothing like Room. It’s not about the search for Lisa Bellow or even what happened to her. What Susan Perabo’s novel is, is a tender study of a girl who experienced a huge trauma at a very vulnerable age. She closely examines how such an event might change not only the girl, but also those who love her most.
Perabo used her two central characters, Meredith and Claire, to alternately unfold the story in The Fall of Lisa Bellow. That technique is not unusual, but for her book it was ideal. I thought the author was brilliant at getting into the mindset of both characters. I teach in a middle school, and Meredith rang uncannily true to 8th grade girls. At that age so many girls are trying to spread her wings, but at the same time are afraid of being noticed or looking silly, just like Meredith. She envied the popular kids, and was exploring feelings about boys. After Lisa was taken, Meredith experienced so much guilt. Guilt for not being the one taken. Guilt for not seeing more. Guilt for not liking Lisa. Like most teens, Meredith took her fear and anxiety out on those closest to her. She could be really, really mean to her mother. Anyone who’s had a 13-year old girl knows how real that is.
“As anticipated, her parents were instantly intolerable. Before a single word was spoken, she could see that they were doing their best to appear friendly but parental, caring yet not overbearing. They were failing on nearly every count.”
Claire, a fierce lioness of a mom, was also incredibly real. When another child called her 6-year old son fat, Claire became obsessed with the pain caused to Evan. She got revenge. Unethical, but revenge none-the-less. Don’t we all secretly wish for a little revenge when our kids get hurt? Claire recalls how boring it had been to go to Little League games week after week. I agree! But, Claire was also desperate to help Meredith, who only wanted to push her away. This mother-daughter relationship was so genuine, and when Perabo thrust it into the harsh light of what didn’t happen, the intensity ramped up even more.
“What did people do with their children after they were not kidnapped? How were you supposed to help the girl not taken? There was no group for this. No best practices. Did she even need your help? Or did she just need you to leave her alone?”
I thought The Fall of Lisa Bellow was a beautifully told story about the mind of a teenage girl and family dynamics. I found Meredith harder to know than Claire and that makes sense. Mark and Evan, father and son, played supporting roles and were a little one-dimensional. The book moved at a steady pace that at times I wished was a little quicker. I’ve read of some who didn’t care for the ending of The Fall of Lisa Bellow, but I thought it was perfect. I definitely recommend this book, especially if you’re a mother! Grade: B
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: March 14, 2017
Length: 352 pages
Originally on: http://www.novelvisits.com/fall-lisa-bellow-susan-perabo-review/
Single Sentence Summary: This is the story of the “lucky” one: the girl left behind when another is kidnapped.
Primary Characters: Meredith Oliver – A typical 8th grader. Not in the popular crowd, not unpopular, insecure, searching for independence, scared. Claire Oliver – Ferocious mother, wife, dentist, and worrier.
Synopsis: Meredith just wanted a root beer when she stopped into the Deli Barn on her way home from school. Instead, she found herself head to head on the floor with Lisa Bellow, the most popular girl in 8th grade. In short order the robber left, taking Lisa with him, while Meredith slipped into a sort of shock she only woke up from hours later. This is the story of Meredith, the girl left behind. It’s the story of what that trauma did to Meredith, and by extension, what it did to her whole family, especially her mother.
Review: Let’s start by talking about what The Fall of Lisa Bellow is not. It’s not a mystery. It’s not a suspense story. It’s nothing like Room. It’s not about the search for Lisa Bellow or even what happened to her. What Susan Perabo’s novel is, is a tender study of a girl who experienced a huge trauma at a very vulnerable age. She closely examines how such an event might change not only the girl, but also those who love her most.
Perabo used her two central characters, Meredith and Claire, to alternately unfold the story in The Fall of Lisa Bellow. That technique is not unusual, but for her book it was ideal. I thought the author was brilliant at getting into the mindset of both characters. I teach in a middle school, and Meredith rang uncannily true to 8th grade girls. At that age so many girls are trying to spread her wings, but at the same time are afraid of being noticed or looking silly, just like Meredith. She envied the popular kids, and was exploring feelings about boys. After Lisa was taken, Meredith experienced so much guilt. Guilt for not being the one taken. Guilt for not seeing more. Guilt for not liking Lisa. Like most teens, Meredith took her fear and anxiety out on those closest to her. She could be really, really mean to her mother. Anyone who’s had a 13-year old girl knows how real that is.
“As anticipated, her parents were instantly intolerable. Before a single word was spoken, she could see that they were doing their best to appear friendly but parental, caring yet not overbearing. They were failing on nearly every count.”
Claire, a fierce lioness of a mom, was also incredibly real. When another child called her 6-year old son fat, Claire became obsessed with the pain caused to Evan. She got revenge. Unethical, but revenge none-the-less. Don’t we all secretly wish for a little revenge when our kids get hurt? Claire recalls how boring it had been to go to Little League games week after week. I agree! But, Claire was also desperate to help Meredith, who only wanted to push her away. This mother-daughter relationship was so genuine, and when Perabo thrust it into the harsh light of what didn’t happen, the intensity ramped up even more.
“What did people do with their children after they were not kidnapped? How were you supposed to help the girl not taken? There was no group for this. No best practices. Did she even need your help? Or did she just need you to leave her alone?”
I thought The Fall of Lisa Bellow was a beautifully told story about the mind of a teenage girl and family dynamics. I found Meredith harder to know than Claire and that makes sense. Mark and Evan, father and son, played supporting roles and were a little one-dimensional. The book moved at a steady pace that at times I wished was a little quicker. I’ve read of some who didn’t care for the ending of The Fall of Lisa Bellow, but I thought it was perfect. I definitely recommend this book, especially if you’re a mother! Grade: B
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.
pallavi_sharma87's review against another edition
3.0
The whole thing about not knowing what happened and keep guessing is like living on the edge all the time. That is what I felt when I read “The Fall of Lisa Bellow”.
When Meredith finds herself as a sole witness for kidnapping of her class mate Lisa Bellow, she goes through an emotional trauma. Even though she hated Lisa, as she was so popular made fun of others (also Meredith) now and then, Meredith feels guilty of not able to saving her. There are different kind of emotions that Meredith feels due course of time like she feels that she was left out by the kidnapper because she was fat, sometimes she likes to be with Lisa’s snobby friends, sometimes she likes Lisa’s mother, it’s about whole range of emotions from Meredith that makes this book.
Also one more dominant protagonist is Meredith’s mother, Claire who is pictured as overreacted, almost all the time and freaking out about her kids protection. I just wanted to tell her “Calm down, please”.
Well, I think I have been reading this kind of books continuously where end is kind of abrupt and left hanging, like “In the Woods by Tana French” or “Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller” or “Idaho by Emily Ruskovich”. Overall, definitely Susan Perabo’s narration is too good. I liked the story but didn’t love it much, though I have read this with great expectation and it didn’t reach up to my mark of expectation.
ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
vll295's review
I didn't really know what to expect with this book. I have to be honest, I was hooked by the cover and soon the story. This book is a crime one, so if you need a thriller to start your year, this may be the book for you.
I enjoyed this book because it deals with some tough issues and the feelings that happen as a result of those situations. The book's characters feel very deeply (as they should) and I found that to be an interesting dynamic throughout.
I would recommend this book for those who enjoy Pretty Little Liars, because I think some of the themes are similar.
I enjoyed this book because it deals with some tough issues and the feelings that happen as a result of those situations. The book's characters feel very deeply (as they should) and I found that to be an interesting dynamic throughout.
I would recommend this book for those who enjoy Pretty Little Liars, because I think some of the themes are similar.
karenleagermain's review
5.0
Thank You to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advanced copy of Susan Perabo's novel, The Fall of Lisa Bellow, in exchange for an honest review.
PLOT- Eighth grader Meredith Oliver is a girl who exists in the middle. She's neither completely unpopular or part of the "in-crowd." Meredith and her friends both hate and emulate the popular girls, and in particular, their leader, Lisa Bellow.
Meredith and Lisa find their lives entwined, when they both happen to be buying sandwiches at a local deli during a robbery. Both girls are told to stay on the floor, while the deli's employee is beaten. The thief decides to kidnap Lisa, leaving the employee unconscious and Meredith shaking on the floor.
In the days, weeks, months following Lisa's kidnapping, Meredith tries to make sense of what happened to her classmate, and why she wasn't also taken? Although Meredith was spared, her mother, Claire, cannot shake the thought that she is unable to protect her children from harm.
LIKE- Last year, I was introduced to Perabo's writing through her fantastic short story collection, Why They Run the Way They Do. Perabo is a fabulous storyteller and I was eager to read her first novel.
The Fall of Lisa Bellow has an unusual and interesting narrative structure. A large chunk of the story, about 1/3, is told through Meredith's fantasy of what both what she imagines has happened to Lisa, and what she imagines would happen if she had been kidnapped alongside Lisa. This fantasy is rich with specific details, including of the kidnapper, who in reality, was covered by a mask and could not be identified by Meredith. Meredith is so distraught by the robbery and kidnapping, that these fantasies become mixed-up with reality. She cannot distinguish the real details from her imaginary ones. They're muddled. She is obsessed with this fantasy world and with Lisa. She creates a fictional reality for Lisa, but she also befriend's Lisa's popular friends, who now accept Meredith in the aftermath, and she even becomes close to Lisa's mom. Lisa's mom is desperate for anything that will remind her of Lisa, which includes encouraging Lisa's friends to spend time at her house and hang out in Lisa's bedroom. While Claire is afraid that she can't physically protect her daughter, she is still losing Meredith to obsession and mental anguish.
Early in the story, we learn that Claire, a dentist, intentionally causes pain to one of her young patients, a boy that she suspects has been teasing her son. When Claire confesses her crime to her husband, he is horrified, and although Claire does not regret her actions (she poked a kid's sensitive tooth for temporary pain, not long-term damage), she realizes that her husband does not trust her. This is compounded with an emotional affair that she had when her mother was dying, something else that she confessed and which instigated his initial distrust toward her. This makes Claire feel isolated and unwilling to share her feelings with her husband. The robbery is not the only incident that has damaged Claire's children; her son Evan, had his promising baseball career ended, when an accident left him partially blind. The family had barely begun to recover from Evan's accident, when the robbery happened. Claire's unhinged and more than any other character, I wondered how she would cope.
Perabo has created flawed, isolated characters that are existing on the brink. The Fall of Lisa Bellow works because of its familiarity. You don't need to have had a shock like surviving a robbery, to understand what it's like to fall down the rabbit hole with regard to obsessing over other people and "what if" scenarios. You don't have to lose your sight, to understand what it would mean to have your dreams crushed in an instant. You don't need to have the power and an opportunity to hurt a bully, to understand Claire's actions? The Fall of Lisa Bellow deals with extreme situations, but it's relatable throughout.
DISLIKE- Nothing. The Fall of Lisa Bellow had me hooked from page one.
RECOMMEND- Yes! If you're not familiar with Perabo, you should be. I highly recommend The Fall of Lisa Bellow and Perabo's short story collections. Her writing is powerful, both in novel and short story formats.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
PLOT- Eighth grader Meredith Oliver is a girl who exists in the middle. She's neither completely unpopular or part of the "in-crowd." Meredith and her friends both hate and emulate the popular girls, and in particular, their leader, Lisa Bellow.
Meredith and Lisa find their lives entwined, when they both happen to be buying sandwiches at a local deli during a robbery. Both girls are told to stay on the floor, while the deli's employee is beaten. The thief decides to kidnap Lisa, leaving the employee unconscious and Meredith shaking on the floor.
In the days, weeks, months following Lisa's kidnapping, Meredith tries to make sense of what happened to her classmate, and why she wasn't also taken? Although Meredith was spared, her mother, Claire, cannot shake the thought that she is unable to protect her children from harm.
LIKE- Last year, I was introduced to Perabo's writing through her fantastic short story collection, Why They Run the Way They Do. Perabo is a fabulous storyteller and I was eager to read her first novel.
The Fall of Lisa Bellow has an unusual and interesting narrative structure. A large chunk of the story, about 1/3, is told through Meredith's fantasy of what both what she imagines has happened to Lisa, and what she imagines would happen if she had been kidnapped alongside Lisa. This fantasy is rich with specific details, including of the kidnapper, who in reality, was covered by a mask and could not be identified by Meredith. Meredith is so distraught by the robbery and kidnapping, that these fantasies become mixed-up with reality. She cannot distinguish the real details from her imaginary ones. They're muddled. She is obsessed with this fantasy world and with Lisa. She creates a fictional reality for Lisa, but she also befriend's Lisa's popular friends, who now accept Meredith in the aftermath, and she even becomes close to Lisa's mom. Lisa's mom is desperate for anything that will remind her of Lisa, which includes encouraging Lisa's friends to spend time at her house and hang out in Lisa's bedroom. While Claire is afraid that she can't physically protect her daughter, she is still losing Meredith to obsession and mental anguish.
Early in the story, we learn that Claire, a dentist, intentionally causes pain to one of her young patients, a boy that she suspects has been teasing her son. When Claire confesses her crime to her husband, he is horrified, and although Claire does not regret her actions (she poked a kid's sensitive tooth for temporary pain, not long-term damage), she realizes that her husband does not trust her. This is compounded with an emotional affair that she had when her mother was dying, something else that she confessed and which instigated his initial distrust toward her. This makes Claire feel isolated and unwilling to share her feelings with her husband. The robbery is not the only incident that has damaged Claire's children; her son Evan, had his promising baseball career ended, when an accident left him partially blind. The family had barely begun to recover from Evan's accident, when the robbery happened. Claire's unhinged and more than any other character, I wondered how she would cope.
Perabo has created flawed, isolated characters that are existing on the brink. The Fall of Lisa Bellow works because of its familiarity. You don't need to have had a shock like surviving a robbery, to understand what it's like to fall down the rabbit hole with regard to obsessing over other people and "what if" scenarios. You don't have to lose your sight, to understand what it would mean to have your dreams crushed in an instant. You don't need to have the power and an opportunity to hurt a bully, to understand Claire's actions? The Fall of Lisa Bellow deals with extreme situations, but it's relatable throughout.
DISLIKE- Nothing. The Fall of Lisa Bellow had me hooked from page one.
RECOMMEND- Yes! If you're not familiar with Perabo, you should be. I highly recommend The Fall of Lisa Bellow and Perabo's short story collections. Her writing is powerful, both in novel and short story formats.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
bianca89279's review
3.0
It's taken me a while to finish this novel - partly because of the busy time of the year and also because of the subject.
This has been a mixed bag.
The good parts: good writing, very realistic, intimate, raw, and relatable.
The not-so-great parts: nothing much happens after the kidnapping; as the blurb conveys, this is mostly about how a family deals with traumatic events in their life. It's almost entirely a character driven novel, with two points of view: one of the thirteen-year old's Meredith and the other one of her mum's, Claire, who's a dentist.
I must admit I've found this novel depressing. But I admire Perabo's abilities to portrait an everyday, middle-class American family, with all their imperfections and struggles.
This is a good character driven novel, albeit I didn't love it.
I've received this novel via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publishers, Simon & Schuster, for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
This has been a mixed bag.
The good parts: good writing, very realistic, intimate, raw, and relatable.
The not-so-great parts: nothing much happens after the kidnapping; as the blurb conveys, this is mostly about how a family deals with traumatic events in their life. It's almost entirely a character driven novel, with two points of view: one of the thirteen-year old's Meredith and the other one of her mum's, Claire, who's a dentist.
I must admit I've found this novel depressing. But I admire Perabo's abilities to portrait an everyday, middle-class American family, with all their imperfections and struggles.
This is a good character driven novel, albeit I didn't love it.
I've received this novel via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publishers, Simon & Schuster, for the opportunity to read and review this novel.