Customer Reviews

Guilt By Association

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It is always a tribute to the writer when you find yourself thinking about the characters in a book even when you're not reading! Such is the case with "Guilt By Association." The herione is multi-dimensional and flawed, and is both incredibly strong and vulnerable. The story grippingly details the long-term damage of the assault itself, as well as the damage inadvertently done by those who claim to be doing what is best for the victim. It chronicles the change in attitude toward rape and assault in the past 30+ years, as well as women's role in society. Although I could see the "twist" in the plot coming, it didn't dissapoint. "Guilt by Association" is a story you'll think about long after you finish the last page, with characters you'll grow to know and care about. I'm adding Susan Sloan to my list of "automatic reads" whenever she comes out with a new book.

I once asked an "avid" reader to recommend the best book she had ever read and she told me to read Guilt By Association. She wasn't wrong. It became my favorite recommendation to give to others who just want a "plain great read". If you are the type of reader who likes to read the last page first, don't ever do this with a Susan Sloan book. Recently, on a trip to the Carribean, my daughter asked me what book she should read on the beach. Of course I gave her Guilt. I sat next to her as she was finishing it and her first response was, "Oh, My God". She, along with everyone else who has read this book, read the last page over and over again in disbelief. Sloan is a masterful writer who keeps you guessing at every turn and cheering on her victim.

The Most Unforgettable Book!!!

When I rented this book from the library I expected nothing of it.But boy was I wrong.This is one of the most amazing books Ive ever read and is definitely my all time favourite book. I had to purchase it for my collection. Susan R Sloan deals with the topic of rape with such sensitivity .Also the book is not written in your typical best seller style.Being from India you can totally identify with the kind of society potrayed in the 60s cos that's how the society in India is now.The way Karen s family blames her and ostracizes her for bringing shame to the family is how a lot of people would react.
Anyway the book is not only about her suffering but its also one of the best revenge thrillers .The ending is really gonna shock you.This is one book which all my college pals and even our mothers swear by it.Once you ve purchased this book you ll keep on passing it on cos you want to the whole world to read itI also recommend An Isolated Incident by the same author.The best thing about Susan R Sloan books are that you can read them again and again and they get better each time.

Susan R. Sloan has written a gripping psychological suspense thriller with "Guilt By Association." Once I began this novel, I found it almost impossible to put it down. Her journalistic writing and realistic characters give the illusion, at times, that this is a nonfiction account of a terrible crime and the aftermath.

Karen Kern, a lovely coed with a bright future, attends a friend's holiday party one evening in December, 1962. Later that evening another party guest offers to walk her home. Unable to get a taxi, she accepts the offer. Bob, a wealthy Harvard student from a good family, was properly introduced to her and her friends knew him. She felt comfortable accepting his company on the long walk across Central Park. Bob brutally rapes and beats Karen in the park, abandoning her in the frigid winter air where she is found unconscious the following morning. Karen almost died that night. Since there are no witnesses to the crime, the police convince her family that they could never win the case if they press charges. The young man's family is influential. He is a good student at a top school and has no prior history of violence. Karen's parent's are too ashamed to pursue justice and tell their friends that Karen was the victim of a hit and run accident. It takes her over a year, and many surgeries, to recover - although she is left with a limp, no spleen, a badly damaged psyche and no self confidence. She will never have the children she has always longed for. Her life is ruined. She does not return to school. Her fiance, whom she finally tells the truth to, is unable to deal with the horrific situation and leaves her. Karen is brutalized once again by social and legal biases.

Ms. Sloan writes two parallel storylines. She develops the lives and careers of Karen Kern, who has been forever altered by the attack, and Robert (Bob) Willmont, Karen's assailant, who is not effected by his actions at all. Sloan creates credible lives and fascinating characters for both of them. Tension and suspense build to a peak until the inevitable happens. The two, victim and assailant, meet thirty years later. What happens makes for some of the most riveting reading imaginable - and gives new meaning to the concept of "revenge."

This book is more than a thriller, however. Ms. Sloan has written a chronicle of the changing attitudes towards women over a period of thirty years. I lived through those times and can testify to the accuracy of her writing. Karen is a courageous figure who tries, for over 3 decades, to come to terms with her ordeal. Sloan gives a sometimes shocking and very valid testimony here of a woman seeking justice and triumphing over the terrible pain and scars of rape.
JANA

I received a dog-eared, tattered copy of this paperback book from a co-worker. Pages were falling out. This copy has been read and passed around my workplace for who knows how long. This is the best book I have read in years. Could not put it down. Neglected work, home, sleep, everything until I reached the last page. Couldn't wait to pass it on to my best friend. It is that good. I can't believe someone in Hollywood has not made this book a movie yet.

I first read "Guilt By Association" two years ago and I so thoroughly enjoyed the book that I passed it on to a great deal of my collegues. So far they all have enjoyed the writings of Susan Sloan. A MUST, MUST READ!!

A stunning first novel. After finishing this book my biggest surprise (besides the ending itself) is why this book and its author are not better known. The book is, at its core, a legal thriller, but it is far more than that - it is a first rate literary novel. It surpasses anything that John Grisham, Scott Turow or Richard North Patterson have written. The characters are three dimensional and the story itself, especially the reaction of the authorities and Karen Kern's family to her rape, are all too accurate. So too is the consequence of the rape on Karen herself. The book would make an excellent text for a course in contemporary society on any college campus.

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This book by Susan Sloan never stops. It takes you by the hand or eye and never lets go. I read it two years ago and am still recommending to anyone that is looking for a good book. I would like to thank the author for reminding me why I love to read.

Guilt by Association by Susan Sloan has become one of my favorite books! Sloan's main character has many endearing qualities which make her so real and vulnerable. The twists and turns of her life lead the reader through decades of living almost ala Forest Gump. This reader experienced the pain and joy and untimate need for revenge along with the spirited Karen Kern. As if ripped from the headlines, politics and reality mix with suspense and mystery. Keeps you guessing until the end.

Guilt By Association is the most captivating, thrilling book I had it my hands. It sucked me in from the first page and left me wanting more at the end. What a wonderful story of survival and revenge. Kudos to Susan Sloan, I will be a lifetime reader - can't wait to receive An Isolated Incident! Thank you Susan!