Double Feature Friday: The Fall of Lisa Bellow and Impossible Fortress Book Reviews

Friday, January 6, 2017



Author: Susan Perabo
 
Summary from Goodreads:

The suspenseful, breakout novel from the critically acclaimed author of the short story collections Who I Was Supposed to Be and Why They Run the Way They Do—when a middle school girl is abducted in broad daylight, a fellow student and witness to the crime copes with the tragedy in an unforgettable way.

What happens to the girl left behind?

A masked man with a gun enters a sandwich shop in broad daylight, and Meredith Oliver suddenly finds herself ordered to the filthy floor, where she cowers face to face with her nemesis, Lisa Bellow, the most popular girl in her eighth grade class. The minutes tick inexorably by, and Meredith lurches between comforting the sobbing Lisa and imagining her own impending death. Then the man orders Lisa Bellow to stand and come with him, leaving Meredith the girl left behind.

After Lisa’s abduction, Meredith spends most days in her room. As the community stages vigils and searches, Claire, Meredith’s mother, is torn between relief that her daughter is alive, and helplessness over her inability to protect or even comfort her child. Her daughter is here, but not.

Like Everything I Never Told You and Room, The Fall of Lisa Bellow is edgy and original, a hair-raising exploration of the ripple effects of an unthinkable crime. It is a dark, beautifully rendered, and gripping novel about coping, about coming-of-age, and about forgiveness. It is also a beautiful illustration of how one family, broken by tragedy, finds healing.


Personal 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.

 Disclaimer: I was awarded this book from the publisher. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.

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 Author: Jonathan Rekulak
 
Summary from Goodreads:
 Do you remember your first love?

The Impossible Fortress begins with a magazine…The year is 1987 and Playboy has just published scandalous photographs of Vanna White, from the popular TV game show Wheel of Fortune. For three teenage boys—Billy, Alf, and Clark—who are desperately uneducated in the ways of women, the magazine is somewhat of a Holy Grail: priceless beyond measure and impossible to attain. So, they hatch a plan to steal it.

The heist will be fraught with peril: a locked building, intrepid police officers, rusty fire escapes, leaps across rooftops, electronic alarm systems, and a hyperactive Shih Tzu named Arnold Schwarzenegger. Failed attempt after failed attempt leads them to a genius master plan—they’ll swipe the security code to Zelinsky’s convenience store by seducing the owner’s daughter, Mary Zelinsky. It becomes Billy’s mission to befriend her and get the information by any means necessary. But Mary isn’t your average teenage girl. She’s a computer loving, expert coder, already strides ahead of Billy in ability, with a wry sense of humor and a hidden, big heart. But what starts as a game to win Mary’s affection leaves Billy with a gut-wrenching choice: deceive the girl who may well be his first love or break a promise to his best friends.

At its heart, The Impossible Fortress is a tender exploration of young love, true friends, and the confusing realities of male adolescence—with a dash of old school computer programming.


Personal Review:
When I saw this book was set in the 80's, that involved young love, and computer programming, I thought I would give it a shot. I am glad that I did. This book was an interesting read and I appreciated the opportunity to read it.

The best part of this book was the amount of action filled pages that the characters get themselves in. I would love to see this made into a movie because there is alot of it! I enjoyed that the characters have to make decisions about their loyalties and that everyone learns something in the end.

If you enjoy books that are a little off the beaten path, then this may be the book for you. Thank you for the opportunity.

 Disclaimer: I was awarded this book from the publisher. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.

Happy Reading!

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