First, this is slower thriller, for those of you (like me) who usually go for a faster paced or twisty turn one. The whole point is not who did it or why, but how this affected a small-town community and how much change this will bring on. At first, I thought this would be a “problematic child” story and that we’d follow how this one kid became evil enough to shoot a classmate. But the author makes us understand each and everyone of the characters and their motivations and that there’s not one person to blame, but a collectiveness of decisions and sometimes, mistakes. Also, my praising for the author for making a lot of main characters but each one distinctive enough and properly constructed, it’s something really hard to do, especially in a thriller where you can get easily sidetracked with that many people to follow. This was beautifully written and heart wrenching, also an eye opener about standing for what you believe in and fighting for it. I only took a star because even though it was an amazing experience, I thought the forgiveness and believing anyone can change (for the better) that easily was a bit overdone. The ending felt a bit “and all is well in the world” where before, there was a balance. I even liked with the lack of a villain, but everything ended too perfectly.

Good drama read.

Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Good book with an okay storyline. Some parts get a bit muddled simply because there are so many points of view that at times it’s hard to sort them.

How can I say that I expected better. I was not engaged with the plot nor most of the characters. They seemed too bland. The plot was a big plod and I just couldn't finish (read 55% and skimmed the remainder. I feel that this is only my perception.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.

Well, thank god this is over! This book was a chore, and a really <i>really</i> difficult one. Like doing the dishes without a dish washing machine.

It could have been 200 pages shorter if the author just stopped repeating 5 sentences again and again. It had NO plot, the characters were a mess, all with the same voices, even though they were supposed to have different personalities, and the writing was just horrible.

So, there's a party and an 11 year old girl gets shot. Only children see what had happened but they agree not to tell a word to the police. This is the first 50 pages of the book.

The next 250 pages are... Well, nothing! Nothing at all. The police saying that they have nothing, the mother of the girl who got shot shouting and screaming at everyone "YOU'RE <i>SORRY</i>?!" and "My daughter's involvement was that she was SHOT!" (literally, these are the only 2 sentences the lady has!), and some interviews and newspaper articles.

And the final 50ish pages are revealing what actually happened on 5 pages and what happened to the families 2 months after on 45 pages.

The book was boring, there was no suspense, no surprise, no wow effects, no character developments. We didn't get to know a single person as there are 10ish, maybe more characters whose story we follow without any order. They all have some backstory that is really shallow and not surprising at all.

The writing is ridiculous. Here are some quotes for you:
<blockquote>Kaitlin turns to go but the she stops and looks back at the lieutenant.
"What's going to happen next?" she asks.
"Next?" she asks.</blockquote>

<blockquote>"I know that you're sensitive around this subject . Because of what happened back in Boston."
"<i>Sensitive?</i> I thought we were on the same page."
"We are. I just think that we have to be reasonable. Being emotional-"
"<i>Emotional!?</i>"</blockquote>
Now imagine reading 300+ pages of this language? Of having a character who expresses this fake passive-aggressive... language attacking you on every single page?

Well, it was too much for me.

In short: non-existent plot, no suspense, nothing that was discovered was surprising, annoying characters, ridiculously bad writing - A WASTE OF TIME!

A engrossing & captivating novel centered around a single disturbing episode involving a group of young children & the subsequent ripple effects that shatter the tranquility of a small community and the many unpleasant & difficult questions that such an act brings suddenly in the open. Children's behaviors, parental responsibilities, collective attitudes, guilt and the nefarious eye of the press, nothing is left untouched and everything is put through the wringer in this gripping and deeply emotional tale that is also a searing and unflinching look at the sometimes controversial ways contemporary society deals with children stepping out of line and the lack of empathy when it comes to judging and understanding them today. Entertaining from start to finish, this is a terrific fictional journey into a serious societal issue that unfortunately doesn't look like it will be resolved anytime soon......

Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane for this wonderful ARC

Wow couldn’t put down the book needed to know who done it and why. Looking through the lens of a child and the terror they went through made you want to keep reading.

WoW what a book! So beautifully written. With characters that will make you question everything!
This book was great!! With twist and turns you want see coming.
You'll devour this in one sitting! Awesome book!.

Such an outstandingly powerful book based in a small town where the families dont think a tragedy can strike but strike, one does. A town where you think you know neighbors and their children but do not. A beautifully written mystery with twists and turns I didn’t see coming. A bond so strong that a group of kids stick together, share secrets, have each other’s backs. Marriages falling apart at the hands of what’s right and wrong, a story to tell, and patching things all back together. I absolutely enjoyed this book and could not put it down

This was sent to me by Netgalley on Kindle for a review. This is a character driven novel that keeps the reader guessing. What happened ? I kept asking and wondering what was going on. The story is confusing at times