Thursday, March 31, 2016

Reprise Review: Don't Tell Anyone by @LaurieBoris #eNovAaW



Genre: Women’s Fiction

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES   Smashwords: YES  

Author:

A freelance writer, editor, proofreader, and former graphic designer, Boris is the author of two other novels, The Joke’s on Me and Drawing Breath. She lives with her husband in the Hudson Valley of New York.

For more, visit Boris’ website.

Description:

“When pneumonia lands Estelle Trager unconscious in the emergency room, it ruins everything for the stubborn 65-year-old woman. She'd been keeping a secret—a deadly secret—that she'd planned on taking to the grave. But now her son Adam and his wife, Liza, know about her tumors. Adam is outraged, but Estelle, who watched her mother and grandmother suffer from breast cancer in the days when no one dared speak its name, has no intention of putting her family or herself through the horrors of cancer treatment. Estelle decides there is only one solution: ask Liza, the 33-year-old daughter-in-law she once called a godless hippie raised by wolves, to kill her.”

Appraisal:

This is the second book I’ve read by Laurie Boris, and although the story and characters are much different, it struck me that the other book, Drawing Breath, had a character suffering from a serious disease too. This is a time-tested recipe to create conflict, one of the more important qualities a book needs to draw a reader in and make them care about what happens.

I would describe Don’t Tell Anyone as character driven. The main point-of-view character is Liza and the story revolves around how she, her husband Adam, their family, and friends deal with Liza’s mother-in-law, Estelle, after she is diagnosed with cancer. Not to mention how Estelle reacts and the chain-reaction among all concerned. It’s an interesting spotlight on the dynamics of relationships, both within families and between friends.

Availability:       Kindle  US      Kindle UK       Smashwords  

Format/Typo Issues:

My reading was based on a beta version. Unable to judge the final product in this area.

Reviewed by: BigAl

Rating: ***** Five stars

11 comments:

Amy Vansant said...

This is on my list to read! Great post.

Mimi Barbour said...

Looks like a good read - this dilemma faces many of us with older parents in real life. Congratulations on your 5 stats, Laurie

Aurora Springer said...

A common dilemma!

?wazithinkin said...

Thank you all for dropping in and commenting.
Amy Vansant, I hope you enjoy it.
Mimi Barbour and Aurora Springer, all of Ms. Boris' books are insightful reads.

Linda Lee Williams said...

Congrats, Laurie! A fantastic review. Pinned & shared. :)

?wazithinkin said...

Thank you Linda Lee Williams, I appreciate all the sharing Books and Pals can get right now. :D And thank you for dropping in.

Laurie Boris said...

Thank you, Amy. I really appreciate the look!

Laurie Boris said...

Thank you, Mimi. This is a story close to my heart and something my own family had to deal with. I hope it can help a few people.

Laurie Boris said...

Thank you for stopping by, Aurora and Linda Lee. And thank you, B&P, for the reprise.

Unknown said...

Another great book by Laurie Boris. Congratulation on a great review. Pinned, tweeted, shared the works!

?wazithinkin said...

Thanks for dropping in and commenting Ms. Boris! It's always a pleasure to see authors here.

Susan Tarr, thank you for commenting and sharing. It is really appreciated. :)