~*House on Fire by Bonnie Kistler *~
3.5 Stars
First off I would like to thank Netgalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel for a fair and honest review.
Leigh Huyett and Pete Conley are the perfect couple with the perfect blended family until tragedy strikes leading to the death of fourteen year old Chrissy, Leigh's daughter and the glue that holds the family together. At first they are told by both Chrissy and Kip that he was behind the wheel but after the funeral and Kip getting arrested for the death of his stepsister he confesses that it was not him driving but instead it was Chrissy behind the wheel. Leigh just doesn't buy the story Kip is telling. There is no way that Chrissy would lie about something so important. Kip explains that because he was drunk and slightly high, that Chrissy refused to let him drive. After the accident they changed seats and he took the blame. From there the family completely falls apart.
I feel that Bonnie Kistler did a wonderful job when it came to describing the grieving process. As someone who has lost someone you never really completely get over the loss of a loved one. You completely feel the pain of the family and Leigh's grief. She also did a wonderful job of showing both Pete and Leigh's try to navigate the complicated feelings of how to react when you feel as if you almost have to choose between your biological child and your stepchild. The problem lies in the execution of the rest of the novel. I was ready for a domestic fiction novel. I thought this would read much like a Jodi Picoult novel but instead this was kind of a confused mess. I actually really hate saying this as the writing was very good. The issue was that there were too many story lines. For instance we went into Leigh's job as a divorce lawyer too much. So many of her side story lines really did not belong in this novel and there was very little payoff.
I am a reader that enjoys various POVs and story lines when they all come together in the end but this did not do that for me.
First off I would like to thank Netgalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel for a fair and honest review.
Leigh Huyett and Pete Conley are the perfect couple with the perfect blended family until tragedy strikes leading to the death of fourteen year old Chrissy, Leigh's daughter and the glue that holds the family together. At first they are told by both Chrissy and Kip that he was behind the wheel but after the funeral and Kip getting arrested for the death of his stepsister he confesses that it was not him driving but instead it was Chrissy behind the wheel. Leigh just doesn't buy the story Kip is telling. There is no way that Chrissy would lie about something so important. Kip explains that because he was drunk and slightly high, that Chrissy refused to let him drive. After the accident they changed seats and he took the blame. From there the family completely falls apart.
I feel that Bonnie Kistler did a wonderful job when it came to describing the grieving process. As someone who has lost someone you never really completely get over the loss of a loved one. You completely feel the pain of the family and Leigh's grief. She also did a wonderful job of showing both Pete and Leigh's try to navigate the complicated feelings of how to react when you feel as if you almost have to choose between your biological child and your stepchild. The problem lies in the execution of the rest of the novel. I was ready for a domestic fiction novel. I thought this would read much like a Jodi Picoult novel but instead this was kind of a confused mess. I actually really hate saying this as the writing was very good. The issue was that there were too many story lines. For instance we went into Leigh's job as a divorce lawyer too much. So many of her side story lines really did not belong in this novel and there was very little payoff.
I am a reader that enjoys various POVs and story lines when they all come together in the end but this did not do that for me.
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