Say Goodbye
by Lisa Gardner
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Book Summary Information
Author: Lisa GardnerEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-05-19
ISBN: 0553588095
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Bantam
Book Reviews of Say Goodbye
Book Review: A brilliant, riveting and gut-wrenching masterpiece!
Summary: 5 Stars
It seems that all or most of the negative reviews on here have little to do with the strength of the writing or storyline, but rather people simply having trouble with the actual content of the book. The plot and characters are extremely disturbing, yes, primarily because they are so realistic. Are the nay-sayers afraid to acknowledge that such horrible things DO in fact happen in this world? I understand that Gardner did not base this story on any one true event, but much of the plot is highly reminiscent of the famous abduction cases of Steven Stayner and later Shawn Hornbeck. The narrative didn't seem cold to me at all; it was a horrifying psychological study of the effects of long term child rape and mental abuse, and was presented as such to make people face the facts.
About halfway through reading it, "Say Goodbye" became one of my favorite books. I have immense respect for Gardner for not only tackling a highly controversial subject matter, but for doing it in such raw, brutal and devastating fashion that rips your heart out at every turn. If you can handle the harrowing events enough to keep reading, it is one mind blowing novel. But if a shockingly vivid account of child abduction (including graphic sexual abuse and murder) is something that you simply can't stomach, then skip this one. Don't attack it for being blunt, however, because the unapologetic nature of the book is what makes it so powerful. If it's too much for you personally, that is not Gardner's problem, it's yours. Bringing sick details to light does not make it a sick book - it makes it upsetting and real, and is something that we as a society need to accept actually IS happening to children all over the country and across the world.
The story is told on multiple timelines from multiple points of view, which is not unusual for thrillers but is done in an especially intriguing way here. For much of the book, you aren't sure who is narrating certain chapters (which is the point, because the experiences of the young boys are so interchangeable as the cycle continues), and when things are finally made clear at the end, it is that much sadder. You despise and yet feel so much pity for a number of characters all at once.
Ongoing descriptions of the rape and murder of young children (generally from their own points of view) are absolutely gutwrenching and don't hold back at all. I broke down and started crying during one scene in particular that has stuck with me - a little boy is at a motel with his abductor, just feet away from a clerk who can help him. But he's so afraid to say anything that he just starts to cry hysterically. The abductor gives the clerk a story about being a social worker caring for traumatized children, and she essentially says "oh poor dear, take care of him" and sends them up to their room.
It's very hard to read those types of scenes but it is also fantastic. If more people were exposed to such horrific details (which are, unfortunately, all too true to life), perhaps there would be more of a public outcry for the death penalty in these cases. Just thinking that the man who put Steven Stayner and little Timmy White through a near identical ordeal only received FIVE YEARS in prison makes me feel incredibly ill. Granted, that was over 20 years ago but even today, there is simply not enough pressure on the "bad buys." People - including parents - need to read this book and they need to face up to what can happen (and what DOES happen) to children everywhere instead of constantly shying away from it. Maybe then we can put a stop to pampering these creeps with jail time and put them down like the sick animals they are.
In summary, "Say Goodbye" is far from an easy read and many people will struggle with it or flat out hate and criticize it for its ruthless depiction of real-life horror. But for those of us who appreciate a raw approach, disturbing and depressing though it may be, this is one hell of a masterpiece and a truly riveting read that is not to be missed.
Summary of Say Goodbye
Come into my parlor . . . For FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy it starts with a pregnant hooker. The story Delilah Rose tells Kimberly is too horrifying to be true. But prostitutes are disappearing, leaving behind no bodies and no explanations?except one only Kimberly, herself four months pregnant, is willing to believe. Could a sadist be hunting the streets for vulnerable young girls and using spiders to do his dirty work? Said the spider to the fly. . . . Either a serial killer has found the key to the perfect murder or Kimberly is following clues to a crime that never happened. In fact, Kimberly?s caught in a web more lethal than any spider?s, and the more she fights for answers, the more tightly she?s trapped. She?s already close?too close?to a psychopath who makes women?s nightmares come alive. And like her mother and sister before her, both victims of a serial killer, it won?t be long before it?s Kimberly?s time to say goodbye with her dying breath. . . .Literature & Fiction Books
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