Testimony: A Novel Audiobook

" I have a soft spot for Anita Shreve. She writes about small-town life in New England, which always strikes an emotional chord with me (having grown up in small-town New England). This book is incredibly entertaining. Different characters narrate different chapters, and together you find out the details and fallout of a sex scandal at an elite boarding school. Some of the voices rang more true than others. In particular, I wasn't crazy about the portions of the story narrated by the freshman girl involved in the scandal; I thought they were overly dramatic. But overall I enjoyed this. it's a fun read! "

" I read this book for a bookclub otherwise I may not have bothered to read another Anita Shreve. I had previously read the Pilot's Wife and was disappointed with the end. The first chapter of Testimonry really grabbed my attention, a real page turner. It introduced the "scandal" in graphic detail. From there on each chapter gave each person's account of their part in the story. I liked the style of writing and getting each person's story and how the scandal in most cases changed their lives. Have to say it kept me hooked to the end and I did feel so much sympathy for the victims in this story. "

" This book is pretty ridiculous, but fun reading. It's sort of like a Lifetime movie in the form of a novel. Definitely NOT recommended for book clubs, classrooms, or the classics shelf. But definitely recommended for crappers, airplanes, and palapas. "

" Amazing, beautiful, stunning. I could go on and on. "

" 3.5 stars. Good account of how one bad night can wreak havoc in the lives of so many people. Was particularly interested to read this book after the Steubenville rape case was in the public eye. Many similarities (but also some notable differences). Found myself being frustrated as I read it though - mainly due to Mike's story line, but also due to something I couldn't quite name. Maybe how the consequences seemed to outweigh the crime. Maybe that was the point. "

" GREAT book! Difficult story. Very realistic. Chapters told from different character perspectives, which I like. "

" Would have rated this 2stars, but for the way it was tied up. It reminds me of a play...has possibilities "

" Very rarely does Anita Shreve disappoint me and definitely not with this story. Good book. "

" This was a sad and disturbing book but I love the way Shreve writes which always offsets the content. "

" well written from multiple characters' perspectives, but sad... "

" the subtitle for this book could be, "How to make up excuses for my bad behavior"...quite awful... "

" I liked this book very much. The character development was good, and having raised two boys I could relate to the teenagers and parents in the book. "

" family saga of teenaage parties that turn violent. "

" What I liked? She told the other side of the popular story and the characters felt authentic to me. "

" A definite page turner! There is not much substance to this one; it's not life changing, but a quick, enjoyable read for a vacation. "

" The author does a great job depicting the life of families in upper New England. Some parts reminded me a bit of a modern version of the depiction of New England in Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome. "

" Not the best of books, but it was entertaining. "

" The plot was great but the way it was executed was disjointed. It was told out of sequence by way too many characters. It was a real disservice. "

" This story was a bit too tragic for me, but unfortunately very realistic. It reminded me of some recent news stories. It was a train wreck without much hope. "

" I don't think Shreve is the world's best writer but the writing style was interesting - chapters alternate points of view among all the characters - and the subject thought provoking. "

" Extremely quick read. You don't have to think at all, which can be nice sometimes. It moves very quickly. "

" Such a sad, sad story! "

" It was a page-turner, read it only in a few days. It was also a very disturbing subject matter, especially considering my children have the teenage years ahead of them. It was also very thought provoking and would make an excellent book club read. "

" Audio. A good story with compelling characters; although slightly implausible. Told from viewpoints of different characters, which this time I liked. "

" I couldn't get past the first few chapters. Normally I love her work, but the premise of this one is just not appealing to me. "

" I just love Anita Shreve's style of writing. "

" Very sad. Kept you guessing right up until the end. "

" Abandoned after 80 pages. I'm a stay at home mom of three young boys who behave badly. The last thing I want to do is read a book about teenage boys who behave badly. "

" This is a riveting read and all-too-possible. It feeds into the private school bad kids genre, but I enjoyed it. "

" Blech! What a poorly constructed book. Love "The Pilot's Wife" but this one missed the mark big time. "

" Anita Shreve - my favorite author! "

" Very topical book about he said/she said and sex tapes in school. What makes a "victim"? Age, gender, instigation? This wasn't my favorite Anita Shreve book, but it was very interesting and made oneself question their thoughts about who the real victim was in this book. "

" This was a very interesting story of a sex scandal at a private high school in Vermont and the impact that it had on the lives of everyone involved. It definitely held my interest throughout, but at the same time the style didn't work for me. Overall though it was a good book and I did enjoy it. "

" I liked the plot and even hearing the story from the different perspectives, but I didn't love the way it jumped around so much... Would have preferred more of a chronological narrative. "

" it was pretty good, bit graphic for our age i think "