Heartstopper [Hardcover]

Joy Fielding (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Pocket Books (2008)
• ASIN: B00196X1E6
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,940,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joy Fielding is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Still Life, Charley's Web, Heartstopper, See Jane Run, and other acclaimed novels. She divides her time between Toronto and Palm Beach, Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SMALL TOWN SCANDALS, BIG TIME SUSPENSE, March 1, 2008

By 

Red Rock Bookworm (St. George Utah) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Heartstopper: A Novel (Hardcover)

Packed with plenty of suspense, a plethora of suspects and a look into the mind of a serial killer, HEARTSTOPPER is a book you will find hard to put down once you start reading.

The opening chapter begins with an excerpt from the killer's journal describing the "cat and mouse" game being played with the girl who is about to be murdered. This gambit immediately hooks the reader and you eagerly get on board for the rest of this ride.

Fielding gives us a liberal amount of suspense, but in addition she give us an up close and personal look at life in a small town (pop. 4,160) where every adults sins and foibles are known to the entire community, high school is a place where taunting and humiliation are the order of the day and being different is akin to wearing a scarlet letter on your chest.

The book is written from the perspective of several of the characters, both adult and adolescent, and leads the reader on a merry chase as each new chapter exposes more and more personal truths about the residents of Torrance, Florida that continuously reshape and alter your thoughts as to the identity of the culprit.

I liked the fact that descriptive scenes of actual bloodletting and gore were held to a minimum, and instead the author chose to portray the cerebral by focusing on the thoughts and emotions of the murderer, the victims and the people of the town.

All in all, Heartstopper has a strong sense of character and place, excellent dialogue, and a story that crackles like lightening.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, Wow, Wow !! A DEFINITE PAGE TURNER !!, April 11, 2007

By 

barry (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Heartstopper: A Novel (Hardcover)

This latest novel from the always satisfying Joy Fielding is a definite page turner and one of the best from her entire career.

I haven't read a book this fast in ages. I could not put it down. She does a measterful job of incorporating the mystery of some murders taking place in a small Florida community with wonderful three dimensional portrayals of all the players.

These people are real. You care about them. And the suspense grows throughout and is very believable. I was on the edge of my seat and making sure I didn't peak ahead. Try to avoid any reviews here that give away too much of the plot. This is a book you want to unfold in front of you as you can't wait to turn the page.

The ending was totally satisfying. I remember how much I loved SEE JANE RUN which was my introduction to this author. HEARTSTOPPER is even better. She is often put in the same category as Mary Higgins Clark and this is so unfair. The only similarity is that the main character tends to be a woman. Joy Fielding writes with a depth and psychological insight that Clark doesn't come close to.

Thanks Joy for a book I never wanted to end. You are always at the top of my favorite seller's list. Keep em coming !

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Preachy & expository, October 15, 2007

By 

Ange (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heartstopper: A Novel (Hardcover)

I just finished this book and must say, I was quite disappointed. First, the author frequently sermonizes on: society and its expectations for women (primarily thinness but also extreme beauty), marijuana use, popularity issues in high school - a lot of issues glossed over and mentioned again and again, but without any impact on the story.

The most likable character is Sandy, the spurned wife of a doctor who left for a surgically-enhanced Barbie doll. I'm assuming we're supposed to be upset that the Barbie character gets so much attention (and indeed, much time is devoted to explaining why she had multiple cosmetic surgeries), but the character is actually quite nice and displays sympathetic qualities. Why this is so is never explored - we're not led to believe she's either great or awful... like many of the characters, she's just there. Another character, Megan, is the star of the third act - but is portrayed as an empty-headed teenager who spends her brief mentions in the first 2/3 of the book mooning over a teenage boy named Greg. Oh, and Greg is a popular kid who's alternately mean, sensitive, moody, sweet, gets beaten up by his father and yet stars in the high school musical.

Lastly, there is only one male character in the entire book that you even have a chance of liking - and he's cheated on his wife multiple times. Another couple of male characers, teenage boys, you might like if the author had spent a little more time developing them instead of creating Joey, the archtypical popular teenage boy who calls everyone homophobic slurs and teases the girls.

I'm loathe to post a negative review, but I was very disappointed in this book. The author would have better served her readers by cutting the sermonizing, focusing a little more on character development, and forgoing the character cliches. (Oh and a few less mentions of apple martinis.)