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26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Page Turner, October 7, 2009
This review is from: The Familiar Stranger (Paperback)
The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry is a page-turner.
Denise knows that Craig is not himself. When he decides to skip church to go hiking, she doesn't fight it. In the middle of church service, she takes a phone call that changes her life. Craig has been in an accident. Could she have prevented the accident? If only she had persuaded him to go with them instead.
Denise rushes to his side and vows that she will do everything in her power to make their marriage work. It will take much more than her effort because he has amnesia and doesn't even know his own wife. Not wanting to hurt his two boys, he wills himself to do what he would normally do (as told by Denise) with them even though he doesn't remember them. This is a chance for them to start over. Or is it?
Craig is tore apart in attempting to regain his memories. The more he remembers, the deeper the secrets lie. Each secret revealed digs a deeper hole for Craig. Can Denise remain by his side and forgive him?
This was a difficult book to put down. I thought I had it all figured out but I was wrong. Christina Berry kept my attention the entire book. It was full of plot twists and surprises. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling in their marriage or not. The characters remain with you after the book has ended.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Plenty of Twists and Turns in This Terrific Debut, December 13, 2009
This review is from: The Familiar Stranger (Paperback)
The characters and the drama of a marriage-on-the brink pulled me into this story immediately. Good writing and a twisting, intriguing plot line kept me turning pages. Though not perfect this is a terrific debut novel. Some pacing issues and some slight characterization quirks caused me to pause a bit. I also didn't find the details of some aspects of the story to be completely believable, there are some "but" moments.
Denise and Craig are in a cold war. Their marriage has degenerated to the point that polite, simple sentences are the only safe communication. The reasons that this relationship is so strained becomes apparent as the story unfolds.
The story begins as Craig is preparing to do something permanent to take care of this situation. But there is an accident. Then Craig wakes up with amnesia. Yes. I know, very soap opera...but by this point I was invested in the story and the writing. Denise and Craig discover that the puzzle pieces don't fall into place at all. As a matter of fact there seems to be a never ending pile of puzzle pieces. The story twists and turns from there.
There is a pretty strong faith element within the book.
By the time the novel resolved I was satisfied. I will be eager to read the next book Berry cooks up.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive debut, October 3, 2009
This review is from: The Familiar Stranger (Paperback)
The Familiar Stranger, Berry's debut novel, opens with a scene between a couple whose marriage is obviously in trouble. Craig goes his way, Denise goes hers. Then she receives a phone call that changes the stakes from the everyday to stunning suspense.
Craig has been in a devastating accident, and when he wakes from a drug-induced coma he no longer remembers Denise or their life together. Berry ramps up the story from a domestic plot to page-turning suspense as one revelation about Craig's past follows another. Betrayals, lies, and false memories all play into the mystery of their marriage.
Told from two points of view, we see Denise reel as she grapples with discoveries from Craig's secret life. At the same time we share Craig's bewilderment at finding himself part of a family he doesn't remember, and being accused of things he has no recollection of doing.
The Familiar Stranger moves quickly, and kept me riveted to the story when I should have turned off the light and gone to sleep. Berry does a masterful job of bringing all the plot points together at the satisfying conclusion.
I recommend The Familiar Stranger, and look forward to Berry's next novel. Inspirational fiction has a new star.
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