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Feb 17, 2009

karen rated it:

this is a super-low three. will someone tell me why i do it?? i have thousands of unread books here. thousands. and i choose to read a book from an author whose first book was eh. and why do i own it in hardcover?? why am i so impetuous?? why not choose a book from someone whose pedigree is better?? and now i have to go read library science book, so i cant even read anything better for at least 2 days. for a more pertinent review - this was mostly predictable and ludicrous, but i never wanted to More...

6 comments like (17 people liked it)

Sep 14, 2011

June rated it:

I like the opening of two family members meeting and the oddity of that event quickly turns to a mystery. The characters, Pony the youngest of four children, drowns under mysterious circumstances. William her older brother and the family's eldest child, have a special bond and after her death his grief leads him to discover ugly family secrets.

The two are from a wealthy New England family with the usual dysfunction found in families (some more than others as this one has.)The father a More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 11, 2011

Paul rated it:

This is Pam Lewis's second novel. Her first novel, "Speak Softly, She Can Hear", is a first rate murder mystery. "Perfect Family" is also classified as a murder mystery, but for me it lends itself more to fiction/literature with a mystery.

The Carteret family is considered an ideal family within the community. They are fairly well off financially and have obtained some status within the social structure. Howver, everything starts to unravel when Pony Carteret a More...

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Jul 23, 2011

Leigh rated it:

Upon reading the description of this novel, I expected a surface-thriller with a mystery and action and a characters who served no purpose other than to propel the plot; this was my "fluff" book. It was anything but. Pleasantly surprised by the depth of most of the characters, I mourned the loss of that crazy, younger sister, Pony. I felt like I understood (as much as I was able) what the unexpected loss of an immediate family member felt like. This family, rather than falling apart, g More...

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Apr 27, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

Part family drama, part mystery, this book is an enjoyable read. However, I figured out the mystery midway through the book, so don't expect a shocking twist at the end. If you like flawed characters, then this is the book for you. About the only person that comes out without looking selfish, stupid, reckless, whiny, rash, or just plain mean at some point in the book is the baby and maybe Ruth -- the girlfriend of the main character, who provides a much need steadying force that unfortunately More...

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May 12, 2010

Paula rated it:

‘Perfect Family’ is the story of the Carterets who are anything but a perfect family, William, the eldest, finds out. Following the death of his youngest sister, Pony, William and the rest of the family are in turmoil. Jasper Carteret their father fails to recognise, along with his remaining daughters, Tinker and Mira that Pony’s death was suspicious. As the story progresses, you find out more of the family’s secrets, told in separate chapters with each character which was interesting to read be More...

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Sep 10, 2009

Ann rated it:

I would say that this was an OK book -- probably between a 2 and 3. Pretty easy read and I did want to get to the end. However, when I read the title "Perfect Family" -- I guessed what would be in store -- imperfections and secrets!! And I was right!

The family is a very traditional, repressed New England family, headed by the partiarch, Jasper, who seems to control all and set the tone for family behavior. When one daughter is found drowned (her name was "Pony" -- More...

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Jan 17, 2010

Nancy rated it:

Stereotypical well-to-do family with the tyrannical father, family rules and meetings, and the kids have stupid nicknames (Pony, Mira, and Tinker), not a terribly logical plot, and we never find out what Tinker's real name is. I wish I could get back the time I spent reading this book.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 27, 2008

Su rated it:

I was anxious to read this book because the blurb made it sound so intriguing, but instead it became a convoluted story
about a family and the secrets it had stored away for years. I just couldn't find myself caring about any of the characters.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 26, 2009

Mona rated it:

My sister lent me this book. I didn't like it. The premise was interesting and I liked that it was a mystery story folded into a family dynamics story. The characters promised to be complex and interesting.

By the end of the story, I disliked every character except Tinker. The antagonist in the story was so two-dimensional that I felt I was watching a cartoon where the villain twirls his mustache when he hatches his evil plans. (I'm not stating whether the antag. is male or female her More...

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Jul 20, 2008

Nette rated it:

I like books about family secrets, but this one stretched credulity. By the end of the novel, my mouth was hanging open. Secrets on that level of hugeness could never have remained secret. An easy read, though.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 14, 2009

Laura rated it:

Although Perfect Family is largely billed as a mystery, I found it far more a mainstream novel with well-crafted character and motivation. Indeed, the writing style struck me as akin to those penned so well by Ann Tyler and in some ways, an elevation beyond her style. That, for me, was a rare treat.

Essentially, the story involves a family with secrets that don't come out until the siblings are adults and one of them has tragically drowned at the family's summer retreat in Connecticut More...

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 10, 2011

Matt rated it:

I had wanted to read Pam Lewis's Speak Softly, She Can Hear a few years back but never got around to it. So earlier this year when I kept seeing Perfect Family staring me in the face from the "staff picks" shelf every time I went to the bookstore I grabbed a copy.

And I thought my family was dysfunctional...

Pony Carteret, the beautiful, willful, youngest member of the Carteret family is discovered drowned at the family's Vermont summer home. Following her strange More...

1 comment like

Apr 05, 2009

Tracy rated it:

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Jul 29, 2008

Alissa rated it:

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Aug 04, 2010

Mary rated it:

This was a perfectly enjoyable to read. It is not high literature. It is also not a true mystery book. It is highly predictable, easy to read, and engaging. While I couldn't predict the exact ending of the book, I feel like the main "twists" and "turns" were visible fairly early on, but this didn't really detract from the read. As I said - it is not a mystery - it wasn't about the reader having "aha" moments. It was about how keeping a secret and revealing a secret More...

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Sep 12, 2010

Lisa rated it:

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Jul 08, 2009

Jen rated it:

This was a great book that kept you guessing until the end.

A family that seems to be perfect is far from it. Things start to fall apart after the youngest daughter in the family (Pony) dies tragically.

Pony's sisters, Tinker & Mira, and her brother William all try and figure out what happened to their sister. However, as they try and find out what happened, more family secrets get uncovered.

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Aug 20, 2009

Charlotte rated it:

This was not good. I didn't like or care about any of the characters, including the narrator, who was a pain the butt who treated his girlfriend badly all the time, but especially the sister, Tinker, who was NUTS. So her total turnaround and self-realization in the last 20 pages didn't seem at all plausible. The plot could have been interesting with some better characters. Like, all of them.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 29, 2011

Brian rated it:

In this very predictable mystery family drama, a beloved sister is found drowned at the family's lake house. Is she murdered? Was it suicide? Or was it an accident? The author delivers the book in different character's voices, however, I find the plot to have SOME twists, but a lot of them were very predictable. Overall, I enjoyed this book but didn't' think it was a great one.

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Aug 14, 2009

Brandie rated it:

I read this book in two days and stayed up til 4 am reading it. I don't know what it was about it, I guessed parts of the ending so it wasn't that it was totally shocking or out of the blue but the way it was written made it an easy read and a page turner. I wanted to keep reading to see if my hunches were right and to find out the truth of everything!

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May 04, 2009

L rated it:

You've got the cold father. the wild aunt (she's fun!). the fat, neurotic sister who takes care of everything. the irresponsible sister. and, of course, the dead sister. The twists and turns in the plot and relationships are labyrinth. Truth be told, it's over the top. But for all of that, it's not a bad read, just a bit overdone.

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Jan 17, 2010

Kate rated it:

This mystery novel is so good! The book has lots of interesting characters, and the plot twists kept me guessing the whole time. The book uncovers hidden secrets and lies within a "perfect family." The author's writing style flows easily and I couldn't put it down. I felt that the ending was satisfying as well.

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Jul 08, 2010

Beth rated it:

I would actually probably give this book 2.5 stars. I found the story interesting and the writing not too bad. The dialogue was often pretty horrible. If you read this a a mystery, the solution will probably be obvious to you early on. I read this in one day, which is good for a summer read.

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Oct 21, 2009

Natasha rated it:

Page turner for sure. A great little story with mystery, misery, drama, psychology. A great look inside a dysfunctional family and all its consequences. A great thriller with a surprising ending. This book manages to stay touching even if nothing about the story is. A nice read.

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Aug 17, 2009

Betty410 added it

A story about a proper New England family and the dark secrets that undo them. That may sound a bit shallow but the author does an amazing job of filling out her characters so that you really care about these people. There is mystery and adventure wrapped in as well.

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Jul 14, 2009

Ann rated it:

OK, so I was liking this book...really, really liking it...until the end. Seemed a bit to "easy" to me. Disgusting, but easy. However, I definitely want to read Lewis's Speak Softly, She Can Hear which is my book club's selection later this year.

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Sep 28, 2009

Tiffany rated it:

This was an interesting story about a family caught up in the murder of their youngest sister and the secrets that are revealed because of it. It was a good read, if you enjoy a good mystery...although, not the most complicated mystery ever.

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Oct 03, 2008

Diane rated it:

I enjoyed Pam Lewis' first book, Speak Softly, She Can Hear You, so I was excited to see she had a new book recently released.

In this novel, Perfect Family , 24- year old Pony telephones her oldest brother William, to the family lake house in Vermont. The two siblings have a disagreement and William leaves. Later Pony is found dead, drowned in the lake, with her infant left nearby. Pony's father assumes it was an accident, but William is not so sure, and he sets out to find out More...

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Jul 27, 2011

Robert added it

Good book about the secrets a family has kept buried for years and how they could eventually destroy the family dynamic. Interesting characters and nice plot surprises. Good book to take to the beach one sunny afternoon!

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