Hold Tight
by Harlan Coben
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Book Reviews of Hold Tight
Book Review: Great Book- Impossible to Put Down
Summary: 5 Stars
I love Coben's writing, his heroes are ordinary people caught in extraordinary situations and they wrestle with ordinary issues that become extraordinary. This book focuses on a family with two professional parents-- Dad is a surgeon and Mom is a lawyer and they have a teen-aged son and a pre-teen daughter. Mom and Dad are concerned about the son so they put a snooper on his computer that captures and records his keystrokes. The doctor debates this with himself while the lawyer is more certain-- they should do whatever it takes to get their son to adulthood. The boy goes missing one night and the doctor uses a GPS tracking system in the boy's cell phone to try to track him.
Coben picks his way through the various plot and storylines with grace, focusing on his theme-- the meaning of family with each different story arc. Not only is this book a taut, suspenseful read, but it is a tribute to the strength of family ties. Whether you agree with the way Mike and Tia Baye go about trying to protect their son, you cannot escape the fact that they love him desperately. The conclusion of the book is satisfying and gratifying, and, if you are a parent, will make you want to hug your kids extra closely to your side.
Book Review: Not as good as THE WOODS
Summary: 2 Stars
I should have gone with my first instinct and that was to let this one go. What pushed me to read more were phrases like "It's better than THE WOODS." and "Best book I've read this year." That's what I was hearing from other bloggers and on mailing lists. Maybe it was for them. It wasn't for me. One thing the book was cause mixed feelings throughout. I ran both hot and cold. That's never happened before over a book.
The hot parts were with parents sneaking around spying on their children all the while talking about trust issues with their teens. This is a very hot topic for me and in my opinion, partly why kids are so freaking out of control. As a parent, you seek solutions or become a part of the problem. Instead, many are avoiding the responsibility of parenting and putting this burden on others. I could go on and on about this, but getting on my soapbox won't solve anything.
The cold feelings came shortly after the hot ones, mainly because it went from a hot topic to excruciatingly boring. This, my friends, was a new experience.
Loved THE WOODS, but not HOLD TIGHT. I'll be there for the next book though. I believe if he could wow me once, it could happen again.
Book Review: Do you know where your childran are?
Summary: 4 Stars
In an agrarian society children work next to their parents. Contact time is high, and life revolves areound the family. In a modern society, in a developed country like the US, contact time between parents and children is seriously diminished, and older children lead lives separate from the family. Things go on that parents may not be aware of, and things happen at school - incidents may scar a child for life. When parents become involved, they may go to extremes to protect their children.
The story has several subplots. There is the teenaged boy who disappears from home, there is someone killing women, there is a child needing a transplant, and there is a young girl being harassed at school. You know the author is going to bring the subplots together. How that happens will be a surprise. There are some twists at the end. I agree with a previous reviewer that the conclusion seems forced (perhaps to make the good guys win)- hence only four stars - but the story is a well written page turner that will keep you up late.
This novel will give you a lot to think about if you have teenaged children. Any or all of it could happen.
Book Review: Not Coben
Summary: 1 Stars
I am a Harlan Coben fan; I've read and enjoyed most of his books. I am convinced this book was not written by the Harlan Coben I am a fan of. It lacks his humor and pacing. It lacks his feel for place, character and nuance. It lacks his workmanship and attention to the subtleties of language. This Coben's cops aren't real; his kids aren't real; his suburbanites aren't real.
The dialog is wooden, uninteresting, unfunny and untrue. The narrative is windy; it is filled with pseudo-philosophical excursions that contribute nothing to the plot. The characters are two dimensional, dull and drawn without care or art.
A lot of the exposition is aimed at establishing the author's intelligence and specialized knowledge; it lacks Coben's usual self-confidence. A lot of the exposition attempts to explain the obvious; it lacks Coben's usual trust and respect for his readers.
Normally I finish Coben books in one or two sittings. I am struggling with this one, wading through the poor writing to find out what happened.
This book was not written--it was assembled from used parts--and not by a master craftsman.
Book Review: an excellent read
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read all of Harlan Coben's books - I was totally addicted to Myron, Win & Esperanza and at first, was disappointed that his new books did not include these favorite characters. But once I read the first non-Myron book, I had a different opinion about Coben's literary skills. I believe he not only develops interesting and pertinent plots and subplots, but does so with a commanding literary skill. I do not believe the Myron books were as skillfully written as his recent books.
I could not put this book down once I started reading. It took hold within the first pages and I felt this is the best book he has written. I especially like how he develops subplots that seamlessly come together until there is only one plot. I also like the way he chose a topic that is very prevalent to every parent today - internet, text messaging. Before the advent of this technology it was easier to keep track of your child/teenager without totally invading their privacy. With this technology, it becomes almost impossible to know what your child is doing.
I can't wait for his next book! or the TV series being developed on Myron.