Friday, March 18, 2011

SO MUCH PRETTY- PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
SO MUCH PRETTY
BY CARA HOFFMAN

ABOUT THE BOOK:
When she disappeared from her rural hometown, Wendy White was a sweet, family-oriented girl, a late bloomer who'd recently moved out on her own, with her first real boyfriend and a job waiting tables at the local tavern. It happens all the time—a woman goes missing, a family mourns, and the case remains unsolved. Stacy Flynn is a reporter looking for her big break. She moved east from Cleveland, a city known for its violent crime, but that's the last thing she expected to cover in Haeden. This small, upstate New York town counts a dairy farm as its main employer and is home to families who've set down roots and never left—people who don't take kindly to outsiders. Flynn is researching the environmental impact of the dairy, and the way money flows outward like the chemical runoff, eventually poisoning those who live at the edges of its reach.

Five months after she disappeared, Wendy's body is found in a ditch just off one of Haeden's main roads. Suddenly, Flynn has a big story, but no one wants to talk to her. No one seems to think that Wendy's killer could still be among them. A drifter, they say. Someone "not from here."

Fifteen-year-old Alice Piper is an imaginative student with a genius IQ and strong ideals. The precocious, confident girl has stood out in Haeden since the day her eccentric hippie parents moved there from New York City, seeking a better life for their only child. When Alice reads Flynn's passionate article in the Haeden Free Press about violence against women—about the staggering number of women who are killed each day by people they know—she begins to connect the dots of Wendy's disappearance and death, leading her to make a choice: join the rest in turning a blind eye, or risk getting involved. As Flynn and Alice separately observe the locals' failure to acknowledge a murderer in their midst, Alice's fate is forever entwined with Wendy's when a second crime rocks the town to its core.

Stylishly written, closely observed, and bracingly unexpected, So Much Pretty leads the reader into the treacherous psychology of denial, where the details of an event are already known, deeply and intuitively felt, but not yet admitted to, reconciled or revealed.

To read an EXCERPT from SO MUCH PRETTY, visit Cara Hoffman's website HERE! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cara Hoffman’s amazing life experience has given her writing a rare depth and authenticity.  The daughter of frustrated hippie radicals living in a suffocating small town, her brother a real-life polymath and piano prodigy, Cara never received a high school diploma.  Instead she left home as a teenager—ironically embracing her parents’ anarchist ways—and traveled Europe and the Middle East working under-the-table jobs, street performing, hitch hiking, sleeping in train stations and parks. When she moved back to upstate New York to take care of her baby, she got a job at a small newspaper, eventually working her way up to the city desk. Even without an undergraduate degree, she landed a spot in a Masters program at Goddard College on the strength of her portfolio, and received her MFA in 2009.   

PRAISE FOR SO MUCH PRETTY:
"A mixture of The Lovely Bones and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo . . . Hoffman's narrative oscillates between various characters, carefully building suspense, depth, and new insight with every chapter. Let's hope we will be seeing more of this talented new writer."
-- Booklist 
"This beautiful, stealthy novel creeps up on the mesmerized reader, subtly drawing new strands into itself until what begins as the suspenseful story of a rural American murder grows into a dark, disquieting and urgently fascinating examination of the violence and concealment practiced by a whole society. By choosing a small town canvas on which to paint her big picture, Hoffman achieves a focused intensity which she holds on the very edge of anger, without once giving in to it. She never surrenders the compassion, insightfulness and humor that make her a masterful navigator of the human heart. This is an impassioned, intelligent and important work of art, and with it Hoffman takes her place in that select group of American novelists including Philipp Meyer and Adam Haslett who, eschewing nihilism and hauteur, write with urgency and passion about what is really going on out there."
-- Chris Cleave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Little Bee and Incendiary
"The theme of So Much Pretty is innocence lost and idealism gone wrong. . . . In the rundown little town of Haeden, things are never what they seem, as the tone of the novel grows more sinister and a young woman disappears. . . . The pace quickens as Hoffman brings the story to its dark and chilling conclusion. VERDICT: This gripping novel asks readers to judge whether a horrible crime can ever justify a terrible act of revenge. It will engage individuals and book groups interested in debating this tough topic."
-- Library Journal
"In this remarkable debut, Hoffman addresses serious injustices in present-day America. . . . This searing novel will linger long in the reader's memory."
-- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"So Much Pretty unravels a narrative that's rich with suspense and moral complexity. Delicately balancing two story lines, Cara Hoffman dramatizes a death and a disappearance. Along the way, we get caught up in her portraits of those who belong, those who don't, and the irreversible consequences of lives coming together. This story of violence begetting violence is a fine debut."
-- Lee Martin, author of The Bright Forever, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize
"So Much Pretty is certain to be talked about--not merely because it is a profound meditation on both public and private violence in small-town America, but for its captivating storytelling which draws you in on a visceral level and leaves you feeling haunted, in the best of ways."
-- Philipp Meyer, author of American Rust
"So Much Pretty is everything I love in a novel--dark, fascinating, beautifully written, impossible to put down.  It marks the beginning of what promises to be an indelible literary career for Cara Hoffman."
 -- Lauren Grodstein, author of A Friend of the Family and Reproduction is the Flaw of Love
"So Much Pretty is a compelling whodunit, an unnerving portrait of just what the back of nowhere looks like, and an arresting meditation on our culture's ongoing acceptance of violence against women.  It's powered by both a despairing tenderness and an unflinching rage, each of which, as the novel makes heartbreakingly clear, are more than justified."
-- Jim Shepard, author of You Think That's Bad and Like You'd Understand, Anyway

MY REVIEW/THOUGHTS:
SO MUCH PRETTY was just released this week. I know there is a lot to read here about this much talked about (lots of buzz on this one, folks!) first novel by Cara Hoffman. That said, I am just starting my copy and will be reviewing it soon. WATCH for my review so that you can gain extra BONUS ENTRIES as you will want them for I am sure this will be a book many want to get their hands on. I would write more but can't put this book down and am off to keep reading!
GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KELLY AND MY FRIENDS AT
SIMON & SCHUSTER, I HAVE THREE COPIES
OF THIS SUSPENSEFUL NOVEL TO GIVE AWAY
 
--U.S. AND CANADIAN 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 READ ABOVE AND SIMPLY TELL ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND WHY YOU WOULD LIKE A CHANCE TO WIN THIS BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK AND LEAVE A LINK THAT I CAN FOLLOW 

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING WHEN VISITING CARA HOFFMAN'S  WEBSITE HERE.

+1 MORE ENTRY: "LIKE" SO MUCH PRETTY  ON FACEBOOK HERE AND LEAVE A COMMENT ABOUT THIS POST/GIVEAWAY THERE
 

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, APRIL 3!
 GOOD LUCK!

103 comments:

Jessica ( frellathon ) said...

I love the sound of this one. It's not the typical cop and hot chick searching for the bad guy but a unique sounding mix of characters.

frellathon(at)gmail(dot)com

debbie said...

I grew up in a small town, they were very closed off. It sounds similiar to this book. I would love to read it.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I learned she dropped out of high school and went to London.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

bloggingmom said...

Both the book and the author sound too interesting to ignore. I would love to read this book.

bloggingmom said...

I "liked" Too Much Pretty on Facebook and left a comment saying I learned about the book on Bookin with Bingo.

Margie said...

From the information here, I am really interested in reading this one. Sounds fascinating...the small town background, fascinating characters. And...if you can't put it down, Karen, that makes it sound even better!
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

Hoffman received her Masters of Fine Arts in Writing from Goddard College in 2009. She received this degree, even though she dropped out of high school. I find this fascinating. I think this might be an author to watch.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

+5 swag
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

March Facebook fan bonus entry
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

bermudaonion said...

I'd like to read this one because it sounds like great crime fiction! milou2ster(at)gmail.com

bermudaonion said...

I found it interesting that the author dropped out of high school and took off for London! milou2ster(at)gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

This book sounds SO suspenseful! I love the dynamic of an outsider coming into a small town, trying to research or investigate something shady or evil within the town, and getting shut out by the closed off and close knit townsfolk. I will love this!
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I was so enamored by the author's journey to who she is today. When I learned that she dropped out of school, bought a ticket to London and spent the next three years writing and working in Europe I was awestruck at her bravery. To then learn she came back to America, became a mom and received her Masters of Fine Arts in Writing from Goddard College in 2009 I was even more struck at how much she continued to accomplish when so many, including myself, would have settled down, feeling like I had lived a life beyond my years. She is a new literary hero :)!
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I liked the book page on Facebook and posted a comment that I entered your giveaway on Bookin with Bingo! My Facebook name is Colleen Turner.
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

March Facebook fan bonus #1.
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

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candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

March Facebook fan bonus #3.
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

March Facebook fan bonus #4.
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

March Facebook fan bonus #5.
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

Swagbucks bonus entry #1.
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

Swagbucks bonus entry #2.
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Colleen Turner said...

Swagbucks bonus entry #3.
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Colleen Turner said...

Swagbucks bonus entry #4.
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Colleen Turner said...

Swagbucks bonus entry #5.
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Carol N Wong said...

I really like that the story involve the closed small town. I am familiar with that! The reporter is investigating a chemical run off (sort like Erin Brockovitch)and then a innocent girl's body shows up. The reporter is a strong and brave woman. What's not to like with this book?

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I tweeted:
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/2011/03/so-much-pretty-preview-and-giveaway.html Giveaway of "So Much Pretty'

Carolee888 is my Twitter name.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Unknown said...

Sounds very interesting. A good murder mystery. Please enter me in contest. I really want to read the book. Tore923@aol.com

Carol N Wong said...

It must have had some effect on the author to to grow up in a town with two
maximum security prisons. It is possible that she never felt safe. I remember when living in Bloomington, IN some prisoners broke out of the city jail and the radio said for everyone to stay inside and lock their
doors. Of course, I wondered how they managed to make a rope with bedsheets and not get noticed too!


CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

I liked 'So Much Pretty' on Facebook and commmented.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Pamela Keener said...

This book sounds so interesting. Just the type of book I love to read.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

clenna said...

Tthis book sounds like a page turner. I'd love to read it. Mysteries are my favorite. I like having kids in the story.
clenna at aol dot com

clenna said...

Wow, she has lived an interesting life. And done her way. I admire her. She dropped out of school, went to London where she worked for a few years.

clenna at aol dot com

clenna said...

I like So Much Pretty on FB and left a comment.
clenna at aol dot com

Pamela Keener said...

On her site it says only the reader will ever know the whold story.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

Laura said...

This book sounds fantastic. Please enter me. I am a follower.
Laura
laura.leahj@gmail dot com

PoCoKat said...

Sounds like a very interesting book.

littleone AT shaw DOT ca

PoCoKat said...

Cara has a blog on her website.

littleone AT shaw DOT ca

Sue Farrell said...

This sounds like a wonderful book---small town, people not wanting to accept what they know deep down is true---it should say so much about human nature and denial. I would really like to read it.

suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

Karen B said...

"So Much Pretty is everything I love in a novel--dark, fascinating, beautifully written, impossible to put down." I agree!!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol[dot]com

Karen B said...

She works as a writing tutor at the Lower Eastside Girls Club.

kpbarnett1941[at]aol[dot]com

Karen B said...

+5 March bonus for FB fans.
kpbarnett1941[at]aol[dot]com

Sue Farrell said...

In her letter to readers on her website the author says something that really seemed important to me---- Well meaning people are often complicit in destroying the things they most want to preserve. It just really made me stop and think.

suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

Sue Farrell said...

I liked and left a message on the facebook wall under the name Suzan Morrow Farrell

suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

mamabunny13 said...

I like that the narrative jumps between characters. It keeps me on my toes.
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

tweet http://twitter.com/#!/mamabunny13/status/48777147707424768
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I like So Much Pretty on facebook-mamabunny shelor and left a comment about this giveaway.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/So-Much-Pretty/138624159528955?sk=wall#!/permalink.php?story_fbid=159792800745424&id=100001199655476
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

mamabunny13 said...

I found the whole reviews section interesting on Cara's website.
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

sounds very intriguing
charlcr@aol(dot)com

traveler said...

This n ovel sounds captivating, unique and great. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

Her life has been fascinating, travel, school, writing. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

petite said...

Enthralling story which captured my interest. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

Her education disruption, travel and career. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/48815536821383168

(\___/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

Laura H. said...

Gotta love small towns! I, too, grew up in a small town and this story reminds me a lot of my hometown. I like that this book touches on violence against women and brings credence to a much-ignored problem, especially in small towns.

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Laura H. said...

Tweeted giveaway: http://twitter.com/#!/MamaHendo3/status/48862204799365120

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Laura H. said...

From her website I found it interesting that the author was a high school dropout but had the fortitude to earn a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing. Good for her!

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Laura H. said...

"Liked" "So Much Pretty" on FB and left comment on her post: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=159860800738624&id=1336711064

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Laura H. said...

#1 March FB fan bonus entry (Laura G. Henderson).

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Laura H. said...

#3 March FB fan bonus entry (Laura G. Henderson).

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

Laura H. said...

#4 March FB fan bonus entry (Laura G. Henderson).

BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

rbooth43 said...

This book and post reminds me that when I was little, my uncle ran a dairy farm and I would go there and get milk all the time. I also loved playing with the calves. They were so much fun. This book sounds like a great read!
Thanks!
Rebecca
rbooth43(at)yahoo(dot)com

Connie said...

Hi! The storyline really caught my attention. I think this would be a fascinating book to read. Thanks for the great giveaway! :)

aliasgirl1976@yahoo.com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/49161796950568960

(\___/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

~Enamored Soul~ said...

This book reminds me of amazing mystery novels set in small towns such as "The Scent of Rain & Lightening", "The Virgin of Small Plains", "The Innocent Man" and "Gods in Alabama" etc. I think that closed-town setting gives a mystery more air, because ultimately, its a creepy thing to imagine that the killer could be from a small group of people who think they already know each other well. Plus, this book sounds like an enigmatic read :)

Email: Enamoredsoul@gmail.com or Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz

~Enamored Soul~ said...

I tweeted about the giveaway.

http://twitter.com/#!/inluvwithbookz/status/49175141019693056

Email: Enamoredsoul@gmail.com or Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz

~Enamored Soul~ said...

First of all, even before I visited her website, it is already thoroughly impressive that Cara managed to get into a Master's Program without a Bachelor's Degree. I mean, WOW! :)

It was interesting, and awe-inspiring, to find that Cara received her Arts Fellowship, and that it was awarded to her for writing about the aesthetics of violence, and its impact on CHILDREN. Also, I think, even with all her accomplishments it is absolutely wonderful that Cara makes time to teach at the Lower East End Girls Club.

Email: Enamoredsoul@gmail.com or Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz

~Enamored Soul~ said...

Thank you so much for hosting this amazing giveaway.

I'm sorry I don't have a Facebook account. My apologies.

Email: Enamoredsoul@gmail.com or Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz

bison61 said...

join the rest in turning a blind eye, or risk getting involved--sounds like an exciting book

tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

Catherine L. said...

I found it fascinating that the author landed a spot in a Masters program without an undergraduate degree. I would like to win because it sounds like it will be a good read full of suspense.

Charleydog said...

I am interested in this book because it is based in a rural setting and you can't get a more rural setting than where I live in eastern Ontario, Canada - dairy farms and horses.

pboylecharley AT hotmail DOT com

Jan said...

The phrase "A mixture of The Lovely Bones and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", really caught my eye. Two of my favorite books.

rjprytz(at)hotmail(dot)com

Jan said...

I liked So Much Pretty on FB.
rjprytz(at)hotmail(dot)com

Jan said...

I blogged about this give away here: http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/2011/03/so-much-pretty-preview-and-giveaway.html

rjprytz(at)hotmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I would love to read this and find out what happened to Wendy...you have peaked my curiousity

pattifritz2000 at yahoo dot com
thanks bunches

dancealertreads.blogspot.com said...

Sounds like a great mystery! Would like to find out how she ended up dead in the ditch!

dancealert at aol dot com

dancealertreads.blogspot.com said...

I posted this to my blog DanceAlertReads.blogpsot.com

http://dancealertreads.blogspot.com/2011/03/bookin-with-bingo-interview-and.html

dancealert at aol dot com

Anonymous said...

Cara, the author, seems to have overcome a lot of hardship in her life and seems to have written a book with a lots of personal knowledge. The book sounds like an excellent read and I would love to win it!
wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Tweeted the giveaway -
http://twitter.com/#!/lemonslippers/status/51834774557442048
wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I found it interesting on Cara's website that she has a YouTube interview there. It was nice to actually hear her voice.
wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I like So Much Pretty on Facebook and posted on the page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/So-Much-Pretty/138624159528955?sk=wall#!/permalink.php?story_fbid=161774620547242&id=100000843986813
wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

Kimberly Sue said...

I'm looking forward to your final review of the book, they are always very helpful! This definitely looks like a good read.

kimbers10[at]yahoo[dot]com

Kimberly Sue said...

I tweeted this giveaway.
twitter.com/kdaze10
kimbers10[at]yahoo[dot]com

Kimberly Sue said...

I like that one of the comments made on her website, is that the book is "dark, and fascinating." Words like that make me want to read a book!

kimbers10[at]yahoo[dot]com

Kimberly Sue said...

I liked her facebook page AND left a comment there.
kimbers10[at]yahoo[dot]com

Lee said...

I just finished this book (from the library). It's very good. I'm going to recommend it to my book club. I'd like to win a copy so I can lend it to friends.

wild mountain [at] sbcglobal dott net

Misusedinnocence said...

This sounds like a brilliant novel. Ithas a lot of symbolism just by the description and I can tell it's going to be beautifully written, and heartbreaking. I would love to read it.

misusedinnocence@aol.com

Misusedinnocence said...

I just finished reading the excerpts and I am even more excited to read this book! The writing style is so fluid and lush. I can't wait to read this book! Sounds wonderful!

misusedinnocence@aol.com

Steve Capell said...

Cara Hoffman’s book looks like a thriller that I would interested in reading. If this is a mixture between The Lovely Bones and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I am hooked for sure. So mercy yes enter my name!


steven(dot)capell(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I can see a lot of me in this book, I would definitely relate this book, cant wait to read it!

mfallon@unitedbankcard.com

loveangel132 said...

Sounds like such a great book, I really enjoy mysteries.

loveangel132@yahoo.com

Heidi

Unknown said...

This sounds like a powerful, complex story with fascinating characters and the "politics" of small town life all of which are reasons enough for me to want to read this book and add to this that it's Hoffman's debut, I'd like to read this book in support of her as well!


Aimala127(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

In one of the interviews on her website, Cara Hoffman talks about writing So Much Pretty some of which she did while her son played with Legos under the table and Hoffman wrote her first draft while this same son, older now, practiced with his punk band, occasionally she had to ask them to quiet down! That's some focus! It also interests me in the author and increases my desire to read this book!

Aimala127(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

I tweeted this giveaway:
http://twitter.com/#!/Amestir/status/53116010366124032

Aimala127(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

I "liked" So Much Pretty on the Facebook page and commented

Aimala127(at)gmail(dot)com

Carol N Wong said...

April Fools!

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Mona said...

The attitude of the small-town natives is all-too-familiar to me. This is a different take on the typical murder mystery.

monagarg@yahoo.com

Mona said...

Tweeted(@Kulmona)

http://twitter.com/#!/Kulmona/status/54496686457888768

monagarg@yahoo.com

Mona said...

I read on her site that the book is based on one specific case.

monagarg@yahoo.com

Mona said...

Liked SO MUCH PRETTY on FB(Mona Garg) and left comment.

monagarg@yahoo.com

Sarah E said...

So Much Pretty sounds like a wonderful book. I would love to read it. Please enter me in this giveaway!

bookloversarah at yahoo dot com

Sarah E

Sarah E said...

Tweet:

http://twitter.com/BookLoverSarah/status/54661903062007808

bookloversarah at yahoo dot com

Sarah E

Sarah E said...

I found it interesting that the author has been a guest lecturer at Cornell University.

bookloversarah at yahoo dot com

Sarah E

Sarah E said...

Liked the book on Facebook and left a wall comment:

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=163638663694171&id=100002071774519

bookloversarah at yahoo dot com

Sarah E

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