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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impossible to put down!, September 23, 2001
This review is from: The Absence of Nectar (Hardcover)
Warning: Before you start reading this book, you better make sure you don't have anything else planned for the next several hours, like household chores, dinner, sleep, that kind of thing. You will find it that hard to put this book down. 'The Absence of Nectar' is told from the point of view of 12-year-old Alice, whose life is turned upside down by two seemingly unrelated events. Her older brother Boone is writing to Perseley, an often-escaping teenage girl locked up for poisoning her parents with Tang. Meanwhile, the mysterious Simon Jester has entered the picture, saving their mother from drowning, marrying her, and seeming as intent to poison his step children, now that his own child is on the way, as Perseley was to poison her parents. Though some of the plot twists are predictable, others are not, leaving the reader guessing the outcome until the very end. But more than a mystery, 'The Absence of Nectar' is a moving coming-of-age story about first love, conflicting loyalties between families and lovers, God versus fate. Definitely a page turner on many levels, this is a great selection for book clubs as well as for general reading. Oprah, are you listening?
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A True Page Turner, November 9, 2001
This review is from: The Absence of Nectar (Hardcover)
What a terrific book about a family that has gone wrong. 11 year old Alice telling the story about her mom, older brother and horrible stepfather who is out to get his stepkids since they "arent his kids." Their mom, who they call Meg, doesnt believe them until the day comes where she tells them to "RUN." The drama kept me guessing all the way through and the plot twists and turns until the last page. I highly recommend this book; now I want to read her first!
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Part thriller, part literary novel - a great read!, September 29, 2001
This review is from: The Absence of Nectar (Hardcover)
You won't be able to put this book down. Kathy Hepinstall knows how to tell a story, and she won't let you escape. Eleven year old Alice and her older brother Boone fear for their lives. Their stepfather Simon has a murky past and a mean streak, though their mother Meg is oblivious because she is happy to be loved by a man again. Wise and skeptical Alice sees the inconsistencies in Simon's stories and the frightening line of rage between his eyes. When Simon discovers Boone's correspondance with an infamous teen who periodically escapes from the local mental institution, he threatens to poison them. Alice and Boone have no defense against him other than memorizing details about the various poisons so they can avoid being tricked. They know they are headed for a grisly end, even though they can not yet fathom what it might be. The pacing of the novel is nearly flawless, and the prose carrries the reader effortlessly through this world of treachery. Part thriller, part literary novel, this book expertly weaves the ordinary with the extraordinary, making the fear of being poisoned seem possible in a house that has Kool-Aid in the refrigerator and a not-so-bright dog in the yard. The characters are deftly drawn, with personalities that seem all too real despite their idiosyncrasies. Alice, although often seeming far older than her years, is consistently herself, with her smart aleck comments and instinct to survive. Boone is less convincing as a Bible-quoting fourteen year old who "falls in love" with Persely Snow, the mental patient. Dreamy and dependent Meg, though not a woman of substnace, has presence here, as does Simon and his mercurial personality. Even the twins across the street are unforgettable, though they do not do much more than teach Alice's dog tricks and snitch on Boone. The main flaw in this book - and believe me, it shouldn't keep you from reading it - is a few forced turns of the plot. Although Alice never seems 11 (more like 16), I found this distracting only when the author reminded me that she was younger than her brother. These weaknesses pale in the hands of such an expert storyteller. I highly recommend this book for anyone searching for an engrossing read.
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