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Testimony hooked me early and was a fast paced read. I enjoyed the short chapters which alternated between different character perspectives. The issue of teen drinking and sex, with the act being caught on videotape and broadcast on YouTube is timely and anyone with teenagers can relate to the fear of getting the call that your child has been caught doing something stupid.
One quote in the book really stuck with me:
"I just don't get it. You take all those other days of the year--364 of them. And ...more
One quote in the book really stuck with me:
"I just don't get it. You take all those other days of the year--364 of them. And ...more
Typical Anita Shreve look at the darker side of humanity. I adored the use of various narrators, which allowed the reader to help formulate his/her opinion of the "victim" and "agressor". I also liked that not all narrators were in the same voice. It is interesting that Mike's story is told in third person limited, Ellen's is second person, and Silas is talking to his girlfriend and not the researcher who is gathering the testimony.
As the plot builds to the climax, the layers that Shreve has ca ...more
As the plot builds to the climax, the layers that Shreve has ca ...more
Most reviewers hailed Testimony as a deft, insightful exploration into the tragic, far-ranging effects of a single night. Yet critics diverged on a number of points. Some thought that Shreve
The idea for this book obviously came from the headlines, and it's an interesting (if lurid) topic. However, I was disappointed in the way it was presented. Each chapter is built around a different person that is somehow involved in the main story, even if only tangentially. Some of them are in 1st person, some in 2nd person, some in 3rd, etc. She tried pretty much all the Points of View, I guess. Which had no point except that she wanted to practice, I guess. The book would have been better if
...more
This book was gripping. I sat down to read it just a few short hours ago, with the goal that I would finish it in time for the end of the year. I didn't get up the entire time, and finished a day early.
While I thought the book was well written and held me until the end, I also found it terrifying. At it's heart, it's about the mistakes that high-schoolers make (sometimes life-altering ones), and it's about the mistakes that adults make too. The entire time I was more aware than usual that I am b ...more
While I thought the book was well written and held me until the end, I also found it terrifying. At it's heart, it's about the mistakes that high-schoolers make (sometimes life-altering ones), and it's about the mistakes that adults make too. The entire time I was more aware than usual that I am b ...more
Jun 24, 2009
Sera
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
own,
literary-fiction
The last time that I had read an Anita Shreve novel, it was an Oprah pick, The Pilot's Wife. I found that book to be highly overrated, and I didn't think that Shreve was that good of a writer either. My how times have changed. I really enjoyed this book, and I found that Shreve's writing has evolved to the point where she was able to tell this story from multiple perspectives without skipping a beat and while keeping the pace moving quickly at the same time.
Testimony is about a sex scandal at an ...more
Testimony is about a sex scandal at an ...more
i listened to this one which was great. each character had his/her own voice. it was like listening to old time radio. i mostly loved this book - almost a 5 star but just not quite and i dont know why - i think its b/c i wanted to hear more about the 14 yr old - all the other people were really well developed but not her - i think this may have been on purpose but i still would have liked more. i have never read a shreve book before - it reminded me of a picoult novel but better written.
This is the story of three teenaged boys who commit a sex crime with an underaged girl at their private school that was caught on tape. All of the teens had ingested lots of alcohol prior to the event taking place. The end result was scandal, expulsion and tragedy. Woven into the story was an extra-marital affair that played a major part in how the story unfolded.
I enjoyed how the story was told from various characters' points of view giving the reader different perspectives of the crime, victim ...more
I enjoyed how the story was told from various characters' points of view giving the reader different perspectives of the crime, victim ...more
I really enjoyed Testimony after Body Surfing and Light on Snow which I thought both were so-so Testominy was page turning, I liked the way each chapter was a different voice.
Shreve Is a marvelous storyteller. Her tale, told in the voices of the characters but sepaprately, is very well done. A quick read.
Jan 13, 2009
Beth Knight
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
own-it,
contemporary-lit
Apr 18, 2009
Julie
marked it as to-read
Feb 10, 2010
Anne
marked it as to-read
Sep 06, 2010
Vera
marked it as to-read
Sep 13, 2010
Christy
added it
Dec 26, 2011
Shh
marked it as to-read
