Customer Reviews

Eleven Hours

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

A pregnant woman (actually, a VERY pregnant woman, just a couple of weeks away from giving birth). A psycho kidnapper. A frantic husband. A black, competent & cool cop. Helicopters. Stolen cars. A climactic scene in the end (I won't specifically mention what happens but it's easy to guess from about page one).

Remind you of anything? Yes, you guessed it. "Eleven hours" reads exactly like a screenplay, & a very predictable & boring one, too. I'm not saying it's not a suspenseful, quick read. It is, if you happen to be one of those people that haven't seen this kind of thriller in the movies (a thousand times, too) & thus if you're likely to be surprised by any of it. I wonder what Paullina Simons was thinking. I remember reading somewhere that this book was written quickly. Well, I'm not surprised: if it was indeed written quickly, it's equally quickly read & even more quickly forgotten. She probably was hoping "Eleven Hours" might be turned into a movie, & I wonder if it has or if it will...

If I sound bitter, it's simply because "Tully" has been one of my favourite books for many years, I've read it & reread it & always felt it is an extremely well written & very emotional book, with strong characters. I also quite liked "Red Leaves". So this third book was a big disappointment from an author I've grown to like & admire. Comparing "Tully" to "Eleven hours" is like comparing a good, elaborate, lovingly made home-cooked meal to a quick, greasy, unhealthy hamburger. Both serve their own purpose I guess, but there really is no comparison.

The only good thing about this book was the premise: a 9-months pregnant woman goes missing from the mall. In the hands of a more gifted writer, it could've been a really compelling read. In the hands of Ms Simon, it is forgettable and a waste of time.

There is so much wrong with this book, I don't know where to start. Thinly drawn characters. Improbabilites (the husband would NOT be allowed to actively participate in the actual investigation of his missing wife). A lead character (the pregnant woman) so completely dense that she doesn't figure out what the kidnapper wants until he tells her towards the very end(it took every ounce of willpower for me not to scrawl a huge "DUH!" on the page his intent is revealed). Finally, the worst 'sin' committed by Paulina Simons is that this should have been a suspenseful book and it simply was not. It was an absolute yawner.

Paullina Simons set a high standard when she wrote Tully and Red Leaves. Both books were excellent and I could not put them down until I finished them. I was disapointed with Eleven Hours as it did not enthrall me as did her previous books. It was an average book to read. If you have not read any of Simons' other books I suggest you buy her other two books rather than this one.

After reading "Tully" and "Red Leaves" and loving both of them, I was a bit disappointed by "Eleven Hours". Yes, the book was a fast-paced ride (and I don't mean that just literally !) and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. But I missed the fine character development that I have come to expect from Paullina Simons. I felt sorry for Didi and what happened to her, but she did not become my friend as did Tully or Kristina.

If you're looking for a good suspense novel, that is very much believable, "Eleven Hours" is the book for you. If you're looking for what made "Tully" and "Red Leaves" so extraordinary, you may be disappointed just like me.

Red Leaves was the first book of hers that I read. I loved it! I read Tully next and WOW! Then I found out from a co-worker that she had another book out. I looked in every bookstore and couldn't find it. It was the first book I ordered from Amazon. I was so excited to get it. If I had known how bad it was going to be I would've saved my money! It was predictable and read as if it was written for a young adult. I found that neither the characters nor the story were as developed as in her previous novels. It was just BORING!! I hope her next book is better.

Didi Wood is nine months pregnant and miserable. All she wants to do, besides giving birth, is to go on a short shopping spree before she's supposed to meet her husband for lunch. But she never makes that lunch date, because she's accosted and kidnapped by a man she met in the mall. The next eleven hours are pure terror for her. Meanwhile, her husband, the police and the FBI are all trying to find her while she wonders if God is punishing her. She's terrified, her husband is terrified, her abductor is crazy and this is one five star pulse thumping book that you won't be able to put down.

Reviewed by Vesta Irene

Paullina Simons is a really versatile, captivating writer. I read this book when my daughter was pregnant and working in the Dallas mall where this book begins. I couldn't put it down. Read it in one sitting. I immediately passed it on to my daughter, her friend,and it made the rounds to any number of other friends. We were all hooked and had to have more of Paullina's work. If you enjoy this book, I recommend her other books TULLY and RED LEAVES. All are different, but, equally, engaging. I have just placed my order for her new work, THE BRONZE HORSEMAN.

This is the first book by Paullina Simons I have read and it has left me shaking my head by how so awful it truly is. The book is predictable, full of coincidence and not at all realistic. For example how so ludicrous it was to see Rich so often shoving his weight around by abusing and even being violent towards Scott without being charged or even warned. Crazy, boring and not at all interesting I am sorry to say.

This books really does grab you from the first page, and makes a very promising start: Simmons does not tell us why Didi has been kidnapped, and we are drawn to read on in order to find out. Though this isn't a demanding book - the style is easy, and light, and there's just enough to keep you going, I found myself enjoying the book pretty much. Until it Simmons decided to make the denoument and ending blatantly obvious. This would have been a much better book if Simmons hadn't vastly underestimated the intelligence of her readers by giving too much away too soon.

I am amazed that people would actually give this novel 3 stars, let alone 5!! I too am a great fan of her writings, yet i feel that this one contridicted all that she attempts to achieve in a novel. It was without a real conherent theme, paticularly when compared to Tully. I found this book an utter disappointment, and a complete bore.