Wednesday, March 27, 2013

WHEN SHE WAS GONE: MY REVIEW AND BONUS GIVEAWAY ENTRIES


 GIVEAWAY ENDED 
WHEN SHE WAS GONE
BY GWENDOLEN GROSS

REMINDER ABOUT THE BOOK:
What happened to Linsey Hart? When the Cornell-bound teenager disappears into the steamy blue of a late-summer morning, her quiet neighborhood is left to pick apart the threads of their own lives and assumptions.

Linsey’s neighbors are just ordinary people—but even ordinary people can keep terrible secrets hidden close. There’s Linsey’s mother, Abigail, whose door-to-door searching makes her social-outcast status painfully obvious; Mr. Leonard, the quiet, retired piano teacher with insomnia, who saw Linsey leave; Reeva, the queen bee of a clique of mothers, now obsessed with a secret interest; Timmy, Linsey’s lovelorn ex-boyfriend; and George, an eleven-year-old loner who is determined to find out what happened to his missing neighbor. 

As the days of Linsey’s absence tick by, dread and hope threaten to tear a community apart. This luminous new novel by the acclaimed author of The Orphan Sister explores coming of age in the shadows of a suburban life, and what is revealed when the light suddenly shines in. . . 

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gwendolen Gross is the author of five critically acclaimed novels, including The Orphan Sister and The Other Mother. She lives in Northern New Jersey with her husband, daughter, and son.

In the "Author Revealed" section of her bio for Simon & Schuster, the following interesting facts about Gross were revealed:
Q. What is your motto or maxim? 
A. fall in love with revision
Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words? 
A. hatched, ran about, love, make things, write, more
OTHER BOOKS FROM GWENDOLEN GROSS:
                     

                        

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
WHEN SHE WAS GONE by Gwendolen Gross is a story we first think is about the disappearance of a girl who is about to head off to college. While Linsey Hart does indeed walk out one morning and totally disappears, the story then goes on to be about the people in her community that she left behind. The narrative is told from the viewpoints of the neighbors instead of from Linsey. I found myself getting caught up in the people behind the nearby front doors as the drama and angst of their own lives is revealed. How they each deal with Linsey’s disappearance is interesting as it plays out from their own perspective.

Some of them are easy to like while a few were just not the kind of people I would want to have around me especially at a time like this. Linsey’s mother, Abigal, is beside herself and seeks any help she can get and yet some people literally close the door in her face. While the story is supposedly taking only a week, it seemed much longer. I did get a bit tired of not knowing anything about what happened to Linsey for so long. Gross does eventually take readers back to the original premise but by that time, I had almost forgotten the reason for the book to begin with. WHEN SHE WAS GONE was a different kind of story but it held my interest and was an easy read.
   GIVEAWAY
THANKS TO STEPHANIE AND THE GOOD FOLKS
AT GALLERY AND SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS, I 
HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS THRILLER, WHEN SHE
WAS GONE, TO GIVE AWAY TO A FOLLOWER
 
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
 

COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!


HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT MY REVIEW ABOVE FOR WHEN SHE WAS GONE AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS 

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK 

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY

 +1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE A MEMBER OF SWAGBUCKS AND IF SO, DID YOU SIGN UP IN THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN OF MY BLOG? IT HELPS TO GET MORE POINTS FOR ME THAT I OFTEN USE TO BUY BOOKS FOR GIVEAWAYS ON MY OWN. IF YOU AREN'T A MEMBER, IT IS FREE AND EASY SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER JOINING..THANK YOU! 

+1 MORE ENTRY: VISIT THE PREVIEW POST THAT I DID ON MARCH 15 HERE AND COMMENT THERE IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY SO YOU CAN GET EXTRA ENTRIES
 

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT 
6 PM, EST, MARCH 28 
GOOD LUCK!

61 comments:

debbie said...

I think it would be interesting to see how others view a tragic event like this.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I am a gfc follower
debbie
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I entered on the preview post.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Tiffany Drew said...

This sounds like such a great read, I've seen a lot of people talking about it. I like that it is told from other people's points of view because we don't often get to read their views in these kinds of books.

jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net

Tiffany Drew said...

GFC follower Tiffany Drew

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Tiffany Drew said...

email subscriber

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Tiffany Drew said...

RSS follower

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Tiffany Drew said...

Networked Blogs follower Tiffany Drew

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Tiffany Drew said...

+5 March Bonus

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Tiffany Drew said...

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Tiffany Drew said...

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Tiffany Drew said...

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Tiffany Drew said...

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bermudaonion said...

I think seeing how one action affects so many different people sounds terrific! milou2ster(at)gmail.com

bermudaonion said...

I subscribe to your blog via RSS feed.

traveler said...

I would find this book unique and fascinating. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I am an e-mail subscriber. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered on the preview post. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Karen B said...

I didn't realize that the story would be told by so many - fascinating!

kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

Karen B said...

I don't follow by swagbucks. Do you have a way we can click to purchase at Amazon where you get a commission?
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Mona said...

I enjoy books where alternate chapters are written from the perspectives of different characters. The most recent one i read, written in this style, is Gone, Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Some of my favorite authors(Jodi Picoult, Emily Giffin...) write in this style and it really helps with character development.

This book featured in this giveaway reminds me of the The Lovely Bones in that it depicts other characters' perspectives/reactions to an event.

Mona said...

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Mona said...

Twitter(@kulmona)
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Mona said...

Facebook(Mona Garg)
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Mona said...

Networked Blogs(Mona Garg)
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Mona said...

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petite said...

An interesting perspective from the views of many. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

Mona said...

Goodreads(Mona Garg)
monagargATyahooDOTcom

petite said...

I am a follower. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I am an e-mail subscriber. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered on the preview post. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I am not a swagbacks subscriber. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

Mona said...

RSS(Google Reader -- Mona Garg)
monagargATyahooDOTcom)

Mona said...

I am a member of Swagbucks and signed up on your blog in a previous giveaway.

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Mona said...

Commented on preview post.
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Mona said...

Tweeted
https://mobile.twitter.com/Kulmona/status/316937518803206144

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Margie said...

I enjoyed the review. I'd like to see if I think the book moves along any faster than you did. Thanks for this giveaway.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

Facebook fan
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Margie said...

RSS feed by Google Reader
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Margie said...

I did sign up for Swagbucks through this blog, but I haven't been using it for quite a while.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

I entered on the preview post.
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Carol N Wong said...

I thought it was interesting that the book wasn't so much about Linsey's absence as about how the different people in the community reacted. That is so awful about the people closing the door on the mother.

CaroLNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I tweeted:

http://t.co/KQQPsG1Ppa

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I follow your blog with an e-mail subscription.


CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I follow your blog with an e-mail subscription.


CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I follow your blog with networked Blogs.


CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I follow your blog with a RSS feed on my IGoogle Page.


CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I follow your blog with Google Friends Connect.


CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I did sign up for Swagbucks before I found your blog. I do Swagbucks every day to get GC to get books and other things.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I entered on the preview post and I am even more interested in this book after your review.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I would like to find out what happened to her. Thanks for the giveaway. I am afollower and email subscriber. Tore923@aol.com

holdenj said...

Sounds like interesting points of view in the book. Thanks!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

Email subscriber.
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holdenj said...

GFC follower.
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holdenj said...

RSS subscriber.
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holdenj said...

Twitter follower.
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holdenj said...

Ah, swagbucks! It's easy--every once in a while, I forget to do the daily poll and just kick myself.
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holdenj said...

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Steve Capell said...

Sometimes a novel with a different kind of story can be refreshing so for that reason alone I will place my name in your hat. Thanks for the opportunity.

steven.capell@gmail.com

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