Customer Reviews

Journey

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I wanted to read this book because it was on the best-seller list and I had just finished reading His Bright Light, the story about the life of Ms. Steel's bipolar son. The subject matter interested me as the topic of a novel because I prosecute domestic violence cases as misdemeanors and know how hard it is for women to get out of the cycle of violence. Ms. Steel certainly did her homework. The thoughts Maddy had are very common among victims who are emotionally abused. Having been a victim in my first marriage of all those subtle put-downs, the book was somewhat painful to read. The book had a great deal of repetition. I thought it could have been shorter and just as effective. It bothered me that Maddy, who was a top-drawer anchorwoman, never got out of the abuse without a man to help her. I would have liked the story better if she had not gone from one man to another to another. What about a break in between so that she can figure out who she really is? That would have shown real growth on the part of the main character. Maddy was a real likeable character, however. I did enjoy the book for raising the consciousness of those of us who like fiction.

Journey is the story of Maddy Hunter, the victim of lifelong abuse. She witnesses her father being abusive to her mother and then is abused herself by her boyfriend-turned-husband Bobby Joe. After joining a commission on violence she discovers the husband who rescued her from Bobby Joe may not be the hero she thinks. Along Maddy's journey she meets a part of her past and her future.

Ms. Steel did a fantastic job of writing about abuse, and not just physical abuse but emotional abuse, or invisible abuse, because it is harder for everyone to see. I must say this book opened my eyes to the subject. Overall journey is a good book. I found parts to be repetitous. I guess that could be chalked up to the fact that during Maddy's journey she keeps thinking about incidents from the past. I just found some of these parts to be (and I hate to say this) a little boring.

I think every woman should read this book. It gets the messge of emotional and verbal abuse across very well. Towards the end the book is very good and reminds me of Ms. Steel's early work.

As usual Danielle has taken a subject that is much on the minds of women today. Abuse, for years abuse was thought of as black and blue marks on the outside but in reality more women suffer from the black and blue marks on the inside. These women can be seen just as our Maddy is,as beautiful, successful, and with a got it together attitude. But all of this is a front, many a night these women are abuse through bad language and put downs that creates a feeling of being useless, ugly,un-loved and a feeling of never doing anything right. This book tells of someone who escapes the a life of black and blue on the outside to be plunged into a life of black and blue on the inside. This is a story of Maddy's escape a second time. I would recomend this book to all women but especially the one's that live a life like Maddy's, a life that makes them wonder if they can take the journey and be happy or are they destined to a life of co-dependency that they will never escape from.

Written in true Steel style, lots of heart and gut wrenching truth about a subject we do not want to talk about. In this book Maddy has many twist and turns in her life and Steel makes you feel them deep in your soul. I had to put the book down and walk away to drink in all the details of this novel. When I finished it, I read it again to make sure I understood everyhing about the issue. As in her past few novels the issue are there in front of us, she does tremendous research to gather facts. This is a four star book.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED THIS BOOK, I WASNT SURE WHAT TO EXPECT. I CAN SAY I WAS SO PLEASENTLY SURPRISED. A LOT OF AUTHORS HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BUT THIS WAS SUCH A DIFFERENT LOOK AT IT. I READ THIS BOOK IN ABOUT 24 HRS. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN, AS WITH MOST OF MS. STEEL'S BOOKS. I HAVE READ EVERY ONE OF HER BOOKS, AND I CAN SAY THIS ONE WAS INCREDABLE. I LOVED THE STORY, THE CHARACTORS, AND THE EMOTIONS. I CANT WAIT FOR A NEW BOOK TO COME OUT.

The salient feature of Danielle Steel's "Journey" is that it not only brings up the topic of abusive relationship, but also the more subtle forms of abuse. Especially the latter, together with the description of the ambivalent feelings Maddy had had towards her more subtly abusive second husband gives the story depth and makes it close to reality. An abusive relationship is not that easy to "get out", as it appears to some bystanders. One could even become "addicted to it". As for Maddy, she had become the one constantly looking and longing for Jack's love AND approval. (For Jack, approval and love will go out hand-in-hand. Maddy knew that.) Of course, most importantly for a romance novel, Steel told the story as a true love story and it is enjoyable to read.

The story, specifically, Jack's character, will be more credible if Steel can give a less abrupt course of development of Jack's abusive behavior. For example, some subtle put-downs from Jack could be hinted or implied sporadically in the first half of the story, so the readers can be more prepared for Jack's ugly side to show up later.

I have just gotten out of relationship similar to Maddy's in December. This book really hit home for me. It was a great read about being in mental,emotional abusive relationship. When most people here the word abuse they think physical,that is not always true. When Jack had rough sex with Maddy that also reminded me of my relationship with my ex. Well the book is really great read and a fast one too. I finished it in about 3 hours.

Tihs is Danielle's 50th book and maybe she's just out of new ideas. How many times does she need to tell us that the abuse that Maddy faces with Jack is just as bad as what she faced with Bobby Joe? If she took out all the paragraphs where she said that we'd only have a novella! And why does everyone who is "white trash" have two names? We could do without all the stereotypes. Beyond that, I find it a little too convenient that just as her long-lost daughter finds her, Maddy gets a baby. An adoption in less than a month through social services? It's obvious that Danielle didn't check that out too closely. Why is it that Maddy wasn't required to take the 30 hour MAPP class, submit references, have home visits and a homestudy done, get fingerprinted and so on like the rest of us adoptive parents? It takes at least 6 months. And what case worker is going to approve someone who has just announced that she's leaving her husband, is out of a job and has no home? Get real Danielle and write about believable characters solving their problems in realistic ways!!!

I have read all of Steel's books over the years, and I have been increasingly disappointed with each new attempt. Journey was no exception. Though her portrayal of domestic abuse was well-intentioned, I found the character development weak. The reader gains no insight into Jack's life, including his childhood or background. Maddy's discovery of her long-lost daughter seemed too sudden and coincidental. Amazingly, Lizzie had no negative feelings toward her mother for abandoning her and never attempting to find her. The plot was overly simplistic; such a serious topic as domestic abuse deserves more in-depth exploration without the wealthy, fantasy life overtones found in all of Steel's books. Definitely not one of Steel's best.

I have read every Danielle Steele book she has every written, this one is just your typical woman in trouble story. Ms. Steele's writing of late has become encreasingly predictable. She always has a woman in peril, she finds her way out, falls in a bad situtation again, and finds a man to help her get out of it. This book does do a very good job of addressing the subject of verbal/emotional abuse but the rest of the story is a waste of time. I read Ms. Steele's books for what I call escapism not to have a moral lesson shoved in my face, when I want that I will read my bible.