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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
waste of time, September 17, 2008
I'm not sure why I even finished this book. For starters, the glaring grammatical errors left me wondering if the author had completed even a high school level English class, and I'm shocked it was even published without additional editing. The author seems to have particular difficulty conjugating the verb "to see." For example, "Cassidy seen [sic] that the cover of the letter read: 'To Anna, from J." Where this an isolated incident, I would attribute it to an overlooked typo. However, the author consistently uses the past participle instead of the preterite form of this verb. While I found this error the most frustrating, the book was also littered with misplaced commas and awkward phrasing that made it difficult and somewhat painful to read.
The story, at least, was interesting, although at times it became too bizarre to believe. However, I found certain aspects of Cassidy's development infuriating. In particular, I found her move from self-injurious to antisocial behaviors quite troubling. For the vast majority of self-injurers, torturing animals does NOT provide the same relief as self-injury does. In fact, I've never heard even a single piece of anecdotal evidence, let alone actual research to support this view of self-injury. This portrayal only serves to perpetuate the unjustified fear of self-injurers as being prone to inflict violence on others. As a former self-injurer myself, I found this aspect of the story appalling.
Then there's the "information" at the end of the book. I noticed the author sited no references for this section. I think she should have done some research before trying to write on these subjects. I'm not sure where she got her information about the "average self-harmer," but her claims about the socioeconomic background and intellectual ability of self-harmers don't seem to be supported by any scientific research I could find. And her claim that "it's usually associated with Dissociative Disorders" is simply ridiculous. Some of the most common factors that are thought to contribute to self-injury are depression and low self-esteem. While self-injury is more common among people with dissociative disorders than in the general population, the majority of self-injurers don't have a dissociative disorder.
The section on dissociative disorders was almost unreadable. I didn't notice any factual errors in this section, but I was also unable to find a single complete sentence.
I'm not sure why the section titled "Words to Know" was even there. None of the terms listed had anything to do with the book, and none of the definitions were at all informative. I'm also not entirely clear on why "sociopath" was described as "offensive" but "psychopath" was not.
Even the list of resources for self-injurers was ridiculous. There are a lot of excellent books about self-injury. The DSM is not one of them. I don't see how books intended to aid medical professionals in diagnosing psychiatric disorders will be of much help to people struggling with self-injury.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Wish I had read reviews first., January 25, 2010
I would have to definately agree with the first review of this book. This was the biggest waste of money I have spent in a long time. Story was so far fetched, so poorly told. The idea of the book was very interesting to me but the writing was just not there. Please, look for another book.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Sky is Falling...but it's a good thing!, April 24, 2006
This book was much different than the writer's previous titles. Instead of a fun atmosphere with a little dramatic spice, this story is filled with mystery, intrigue, and childhood morality. It has been a little over a year after reading "Threes a Crowd" and this story was a 180 from what the reader would expect, however, that is a good thing!
The Story -
The story was a rollercoaster of excitement and dramatic experiences for the characters. The author expertly intertwines fiction and real life experiences that are relatable to youth and old alike.
The Characters -
The characters come to life. This is a commonality between the author's books and is strong, if not stronger, than her previous works. Each of the characters faces their own personal dilemmas and is artfully rendered realistically.
The Plot -
I wont ruin the plot for you, but I guarantee that it is packed full of twists, turns, and surprises that you don't want to miss.
Enjoyment -
It's not a very long book so it won't take you more than two weeks to read over it, but you'll be like everyone else I have spoke to and want more of it. Just like you've been wanting more Threes a Crowd, your going to want another sequel to this book. So many questions are unanswered, so many mysteries still remain...your going to be craving for another book!
Final Judgment -
Give it a try! It's for mostly aimed towards teens, however, adults would like this book a lot. I think the book not only has entertainment value, but also has a wealth of resources for friends, family, or victims to self abuse and domestic abuse.
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