A tragic story that has high highs and low lows.
582994
I found this story to be completely uplifting and exhilerating at times but I also found that it had needless discriptions and too much tradegy.  The cover jacket claims that this novel is the "story of a  marriage".  However the main characters, Julie and Hank have only been  married a few months throughout the majority of the book.  Also, Hank  hardly talked enough for the reader to see what kind of relationship him  and Julie really had.  This book has its defining moments but overall it  lacked in defining its characters and the relationships they had with one  another.
875342
Would like to say I loved it but the story itself is, by nature, sad. However, it was well written and I enjoyed it as much as one can this kind of heart-wrenching subject.
4259882
A very tragic story  Be prepared for heartbreak when you read this story of Elizabeth and Jennifer.  Parents of daughters be prepared to live with more fear in your heart.  The reason for the lowered rating is not the story but what the author left me asking questions about.  For example, the fathers of both girls are mentioned and discussed constantly but there is so little about the mothers that one feels that the story is not quite told.  I want to know about other family of the girls too.  Grandparents, aunts, cousins etc are barely mentioned if they were mentioned at all.  Secondly, I would have liked to have had mlre of a history of the girls.  We were given detailed histories of their killers but not enough of them. I wanted to know what made them laugh and cry, hear stories of them growing up, I wanted them immortalized on paper and sadly, that did not happen.
3327250
This is the story of a stunningly fat family of three living on the near north side of Chicago. Mother Sylvie and her children Gregory and Deborah have one overriding interest in life: Eating. Their entire lives revolve around the acquisition and consumption of food... pizzas, Chinese food, fried chicken, gourmet... in a way that transcends gluttony and goes far into self-destructive territory. In this they are abetted by a trust set up by Sylvie's former husband, and by their live-in maid, Dorothy. Everyone else (neighbors, relatives and the like) treats them with pity or contempt, or both.

Dorothy is perhaps the most sympathetic character, as her life was an increasingly sad journey from one crushing disappointment to another before finally landing in Sylvie's house. For awhile she finds it to be a refuge, as the expectations are so low... as long as she keeps the family well fed, they're unconcerned with her drinking and pot-smoking on the job and her indifferent house-cleaning. It is Dorothy, however, who finally becomes fed up, and her leaving is a dramatic turning point.

After this, the story becomes even darker and more grotesque, and by the end it's a dilemma for the reader: Which is worse, Sylvie and her brood's narcissism, or the outside world's cruelty toward them? I tend to think it's the latter.
1495030
The story is a sad and disgusting one that involves child abuse with a ending that seems frustratingly appropriate.  I saw a few things coming but still wanted to see where it ended.  I took off one star for a few reasons.  There are a lot of characters introduced and it's hard to keep them all straight, some seem unnecessary.  The point of view changes quite a bit and through time which is also confusing at times. Everything comes together at the end but there were a few "what does this have to do with anything" moments. Lastly, the overall topic of the story is very depressing.  It's not something I was expecting (perhaps I misunderstood the summary) and I think it will stay with me for a while. Overall, good book but not for the faint of heart to be honest.  The topic is a horrible one, not a typical murder mystery or thriller that comes with a tidy ending or lead into another book. Left me feeling angry and horribly sad.  Not something for a quick vacation of the mind story.
2030780
Michael Lewis has written a compelling story out of an arcane subject - high frequency trading. Underneath the narrative is a sense of anger and outrage of the eagerness with which the Street ripped off their customers so soon  after the financial crisis of 2008. Unfortunately, at the end of the book, one feels a sense of helplessness that probably nothing will ever change in high finance.
2037350
Hardy spares us the gruesome details of the worst offenses in this novel, yet the overall portrait of genuine goodness utterly defeated at the hands of the cruel world is enough to cause the most stable person to contemplate self-destruction.  A horrific tragedy.  I can't decide whether I am glad or sorry that I read it.
151591
No wonder Russian literature is so full of tragedy, it mimics real life.  I was,at the same time, sickened and fascinated by the atrocities, lies and manipulation on both sides of this tragedy.  The fact that's it is based on historical research, and not fiction, makes the story of Jamal Eddin all the more tragic.  The writing style gets bogged down in places, which is why I rated this 4 stars.  But kudos to Ms Lapierre for tackling this obscure story of love, betrayal, honor and cultural disconnect.
4783714
This book took me a while to crack open.  For months through an intensive work period, I turned to lighter and more uplifting reading at bedtime.

Once I started reading "Not Lost Forever," however, I quickly realized the authors did not exploit this story by sensationalizing it with macabre and gut-wrenching prose. Smart strategy, as the facts of Carmina's story rely on a cool delivery to be absorbed and followed.

By now, I can add little in the way of original perspectives to these reviews.  Except, perhaps, to say that I was struck throughout the book by how much unrecognized mental illness caused so much pain.  Can people (her father, her foster parents) truly be this cruel and barbaric unless there is something severely lacking in the human capacity for empathy or ability to keep toxic rage at bay?  No, I think not.

The saddest part to me was, even by the end, a daughter who had been so ravaged by these deeds still seemed to hold a spark of hope that her father would somehow see the destruction and find a way to redeem himself with a show of unselfish love for her.  It never happened.  And how would we expect it to happen? His was the act of an extremely sick brain, and it would have been miraculous if a few years in prison had "healed" such pathology.  We don't expect that other sick organs (hearts, kidneys, etc.) can be healed by putting their owners in prison to think about their disease. But somehow we expect that of some pathological criminals, perhaps because so many murders ARE fleetingly uncharacteristic acts of rage.

It might have been easier on this daughter if she could have viewed this situation for what it was instead of being left to grapple with the idea of such "volitional" evil on the part of her father.
4822166
Lots of hardship leading up to an inspiring ending.
3816198
My first impression of the story was how sad what The Geres went through .The book is the true story of a young girl kidnapped and murdered and the devastating effect it had on the family. Olsen does a good job of describing the horrific story. It was well written and sympathetic toward the family and Elaine whos title describes her. My anger and the author who tells the absurd reality that the murder suspect rights trumps the family and the child murder while the cops have to walk on egg shells as not to violate his rights.
I learned about Jack Olsen through a prepper podcast in the rabbit hole interview. I look forward to read more of Olsen books and sadly, I learned he passed away.
805918
During a time when almost the entire nation was in dire straits from the Great Depression, many did not have jobs, a place to live or enough food to eat.  This story begins with a picture taken of two young children sitting on a porch with a sign stating they were for sale.  As Ellis Reed, a struggling newspaper reporter sees the children, he cant help but take their picture.  It somehow makes its way to his Chief, who wants an article to publish in the paper.  Due to various circumstances, he has to obtain another picture immediately for the paper which is the beginning of some terrible circumstances.  As the story progresses, Ellis struggles between his ambition and his need to make things right, no matter the cost.

We also meet Lily Palmer, who is the secretary for the Chief at the newspaper, and who longs to be able to write for the paper.  As a woman in 1931, she is dismissed unless she wants to write for the womens fashion or other sections.  She lives in a boarding house while also hiding a secret from everyone.

The description of Elliss boarding house was so depressing with tiny rooms, thin walls, and numerous people who had nowhere else to live, waiting in long lines for the one bathroom.  Even for those with jobs, it was a difficult time.

This story reminded me of the vulnerability of the extreme poor and those considered less than by many people.  I read the authors notes on how she saw a photo from the 1940s with children on a porch and a sign that said they were for sale, which triggered the basis for this book. At first I couldn't understand why parents were selling their children versus finding someone that could take care of them, but they were starving.  Even decent, well-meaning people could make poor choices under pressure.

I enjoyed the story setting of Philadelphia and New York City along with the very rich who could get away with anything, mafia-types, prohibition, and difficult to start crank cars.  Many people bought and sold these children, not as family, but to work almost like slaves with horrible living conditions and treatment.

Although at times it was slow reading, this is a compelling, well written story that has enough suspense to keep you reading, while also thinking of honor, ethics, society stigmas and desperation.  It was interesting and horrifying to read about the breaker boys that worked in the coal mines before child labor laws were enacted, and the injuries and deaths that occurred.  The story makes me appreciate our modern conveniences and better job opportunities for women.

This story has a subtle romance aspect with Lily, Ellis and another reporter, all whom worked at the newspaper in Philadelphia.  Its not the main aspect of the story but comes to a satisfying conclusion.
4042388
It was an intriguing and well told story..  However it was so realistic and descriptive that parts were very depressing.  I'm sure most of it was true but hard to read.  The ending was good, however and made up for some of the bad things that happened in it.  It pulled my heart strings.
3332476
This is a rather sad story of a love gone wrong due to such huge differences in cultural mores and expectations.
It is not especially well written, but certainly is told from the perspective of the narrator.
I wanted to read this book after visiting Kenya and being familiar with many of the places mentioned made it even more believable.
4352090
The story was well written. It chronicled the events surrounding the husband's attempts to give the wife what she most wanted to be an accepted member of their society, a child.  In the end, the husband never apologizes for his unpardonable actions, which causes a rift between he and his wife.  It was a tragic story in which the various family members and the society at large are at fault for the parts they played in the insistence that a child be part of the family unit.
1295564
This is a sad story, a little difficult to read at times because of the setting. I would recommend it to people looking for something to read that will evoke deep emotions like empathy. It will ask the reader questions about how far would you go for love, for family, and for yourself. Quite a compelling read.
2757286
A sad, sad, story. Given the many strikes against her ever growing up to be anything, it is amazing that Marilyn Monroe still is an icon to many people. Maybe it was her underlying intelligence, which was never acknowledged by those closest to her, maybe it was her sweet nature partnered with a pathological need to be nurtured; these traits inevitably led to misunderstandings, exploitation and eventually deep depression. Told with clarity and a sympathetic ear, readers will gain a new appreciation of this very complex character.