Few first novels receive the kind of attention and acclaim showered on this powerful story -- a nationwide bestseller, a critical success, and the ...
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Oct 08, 2007
Bells
rated it: 
just can't read it... hits too close to home for me as a mom (a three year old is kidnapped) I had to read the ending to see if the kid is ever found alive. I tried skimming a few pages, but when I got to the part where they had to identify a small child in the morgue, I put the book down. I just can't do it.
yeah, I'm a puss.
yeah, I'm a puss.
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Apr 05, 2009
Lady Di
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Oprah's Book Club: A mother's 3 year old son was kidnapped while her back was turned checking into a hotel. I related most with the brother that didn't watch his brother like the mother asked. This was the subplot that held the book together. The mother recognizes her lost son 9 years later mowing lawns. He was innocent in the whole thing and it was sad for him to have two families and to feel torn between having to choose between them.
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Dec 16, 2009
Eilene
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This book relies heavily on coincidence, which is usually a sign of bad writing. In this case, however, the coincidence is more of a result of a "what if" question, rather than a "how can I loop this all together" scenario. I think its an interesting idea, what happens when the little boy is found, but the bad guys feel like the good guys and the good guys don't feel like anything?
One thing that struck me about this book was how self-centered the main character was. More...
One thing that struck me about this book was how self-centered the main character was. More...
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Nov 29, 2011
Jennifer
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I read this book when it was an Oprah selection. Since it takes place in Chicago (I grew up an hour west of there), I could relate to the scenery there. The premise of the story is that a mom, Beth, takes her three children to Chicago for the weekend to attend a high school reunion. While she checks into the hotel, she instructs the children to sit on the bellhops trolley. Of course, what happens next is every parent's worst nightmare: one of the children is missing. The story continues by
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Mar 18, 2011
Nikki
rated it:
The Deep End of the Ocean is the story of a three-year old boy, Ben, who is kidnapped. His mother, Beth, wanders then in a self-centered haze. Nine years later, however, Ben is found again-this time as Sam Taylor, mowing Beth's lawn.
The real problem for me with this book is that some parts of the first part drag on for far too long. We already know about Beth's main characteristics and flaws as they are demonstrated in the first few chapters. Mitchard goes on too much about this and it can More...
The real problem for me with this book is that some parts of the first part drag on for far too long. We already know about Beth's main characteristics and flaws as they are demonstrated in the first few chapters. Mitchard goes on too much about this and it can More...
Jan 12, 2011
Nancy
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I read this book while living in Madison, Wisconson. The book takes place in Madison and is about the kidnapping of a four year old little boy. I had a four year-old son at the time with a similar name. My first introduction to the book was purely happenstance. I was driving down the road and turned to NPR. It happened to be time for "A Chapter A Day." I listened to the story, probably the first or second chapter as I drove and nearly had to pull off the road for crying so hard.
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Jul 24, 2010
Swissmiss
rated it:
The kid is found and he's fine. That's not a spoiler; you can read it on the jacket. However, I had to skip to the second half to see for myself, and I read in other reviews that other people did, too. I really didn't want to be reading a book about a child being kidnapped and killed or abused. And that's not what it was at all, so rest assured.
The first half of the book is about what happens with a family when their middle child, a three-year-old, is kidnapped. The second half is ab More...
The first half of the book is about what happens with a family when their middle child, a three-year-old, is kidnapped. The second half is ab More...
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Feb 05, 2010
Karen
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I wanted to read this book because I enjoyed another book by this author and I read somewhere a good review of the sequel to this book. When I got it from the library and saw the Oprah's Book Club stamp on it. I was very wary -- I don't always enjoy Oprah's picks, and find them unusually depressing. And the description of this book fit that mold: A happy family is devastated when their three-year-old boy goes missing. The book delves into what happens to the members of the family, not only
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Sep 09, 2009
Joy
rated it:
This was a hard book to read. It was a story of a family after their
three-year-old son disappeared, probable kidnapping. It was a "slow-
moving nightmare for Beth, for her family, for everyone involved in the ultimate testing of the ties that bind people together and the wounds that tear them apart." A review said, "Strangers rarely destroy a
family; it is accomplished internally...or (the family) is spared."
I found, as usual, some good lines: "S More...
three-year-old son disappeared, probable kidnapping. It was a "slow-
moving nightmare for Beth, for her family, for everyone involved in the ultimate testing of the ties that bind people together and the wounds that tear them apart." A review said, "Strangers rarely destroy a
family; it is accomplished internally...or (the family) is spared."
I found, as usual, some good lines: "S More...
Apr 27, 2009
Judith
rated it:
I just finished this one and have to admit that I got a little addicted. It was heartbreaking and well written, in my opinion.
I feel silly saying this, because it is fiction, but this seems like a pretty realistic account of how a woman like Beth would respond. I felt both hope for her and frustration. Her negativity and the shell-living-parenting that follows the kidnapping of her son are so frustrating, that I just kept reading faster so I could get her out of my life. However, More...
I feel silly saying this, because it is fiction, but this seems like a pretty realistic account of how a woman like Beth would respond. I felt both hope for her and frustration. Her negativity and the shell-living-parenting that follows the kidnapping of her son are so frustrating, that I just kept reading faster so I could get her out of my life. However, More...
Feb 03, 2012
Gemma
rated it:
I enjoyed this book. It is a story about a family who lose a child. The Mother, Beth takes the children away and asks her older son who is 7, to watch her younger son who is 3 whilst she takes care of a hotel booking - she is just across the lobby. When she returns, Ben is gone and is nowhere to be found.
The book then follows the family, including extended family as they try to figure out what happened and where Ben has gone. Then, 10 years later Ben re-appears. (not a spoiler, it tells yo More...
The book then follows the family, including extended family as they try to figure out what happened and where Ben has gone. Then, 10 years later Ben re-appears. (not a spoiler, it tells yo More...
Dec 01, 2008
Kelly
rated it:
I was shocked by what this book really ended up being about. I pictured the heartbreaking struggle of a mother who lost her child and what the family went through...and there is a little of that, but then, there is a twist and half the book deals more with how the family relates with each other after the ordeal.
I've read some people who are just completely abhorred by the actions of the mother, but I thought it was very realistic as to how a person in this situation might act. The More...
I've read some people who are just completely abhorred by the actions of the mother, but I thought it was very realistic as to how a person in this situation might act. The More...
Aug 09, 2011
Marisa
rated it:
This is quite possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. It was artistically abysmal and I would not have finished it if it weren't for the library book club I read it for. The characters (particularly the parents) are thin and unlikeable characters. The plot left unpleasantly dangling threads in several places where the author would take us to a location or revelation and then stop talking about it - including a pointless affair that did not contribute to the overall plot in any way. It
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Jan 15, 2011
Sarah
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Sep 27, 2009
Lynne
rated it:
I originally read this book in 1996 and have to admit that I was not all that impressed. I abhor books with spelling errors. This one has not the one forgivable error but NUMEROUS distracting errors. Where did the editing go wrong? I recently reread this book in an attempt to "lighten up" on my criticism and look beyond to the essence of the story.
I realized that this story made me feel a range of emotions from sorrow to compassion to irritation. However, never joy. More...
I realized that this story made me feel a range of emotions from sorrow to compassion to irritation. However, never joy. More...
Dec 17, 2009
betsy
rated it:
It's been a while since I first read this but I read it on a trip to visit my mother, finished it at her house and flung it across the room. I left it behind and she read it and called me to berate me for leaving it for her to read! So count this as TWO negative reviews. The climax happens about halfway through the book and then the next 200 or so pages are padding that you end up hating yourself for reading.
Apr 05, 2010
Joyceliv
rated it:
I thought this book was true but apparently it is fiction. It was really good. The mom made me crazy. She was so messed up and a horrible mother but I think she did the best she could with what she was dealt. But I thought she wasn't that great of a mother before she lost her son and even when she got her son back. Anyway, I just can't believe people can write like Mitchard wrote this book. I don't know how people come up with this stuff. I can't explain what I'm trying to say but the way she wr
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May 19, 2008
Cheryl
rated it: 
This book is about a kidnapping. It is told from the mother's point of view and the kidnapped child's brother. The characters really weren't that developed (and for me to notice that is saying something). The plot was predictable and I didn't even like the parents in the story, so I wasn't rooting for them. I only finished the book because I was hoping that something great would happen. It didn't.
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Apr 09, 2011
Jenni
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 12, 2010
Crystal
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Jacquelyn Mitchard
The Deep End of the Ocean
New York: Viking, 1996
434 pp. $10.20 (Amazon Paperback)
0-670-86579-6
Life for an average suburban family is going by peacefully, until the younger son, Ben, is kidnapped at a high school reunion. Distraught, the mother, Beth, a photographer, goes into mental collapse and wallows in her grief, while the rest of the family is left to fend on their own. The older son, Vincent, who was 7 at the time, feels responsible for More...
The Deep End of the Ocean
New York: Viking, 1996
434 pp. $10.20 (Amazon Paperback)
0-670-86579-6
Life for an average suburban family is going by peacefully, until the younger son, Ben, is kidnapped at a high school reunion. Distraught, the mother, Beth, a photographer, goes into mental collapse and wallows in her grief, while the rest of the family is left to fend on their own. The older son, Vincent, who was 7 at the time, feels responsible for More...
Jan 08, 2008
Wendy
rated it: 
I've read and reread this book a thousand times over. I get lost in the sorrow I feel for this family. Everytime I read this story I feel differently about the choices this family makes. I don't have children so it is hard to imagine the heart break of having one kidnapped. I think it is impossible to not get attached to these characters.
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Aug 07, 2011
Brittany
rated it:
I'm not quite sure how this book ended up on my "want to read" list, but I ordered it from the library nonetheless. After the first few chapters, I began to wonder why anyone would write a book about such a terrible occurrence, but justified it by thinking of all the other dramatic and tragic novels there are out there.
*Spoilers ahead*
About two-thirds of the way through, I questioned again, "Why would anyone write this!?" not only because it's depressing, but it's also compl More...
*Spoilers ahead*
About two-thirds of the way through, I questioned again, "Why would anyone write this!?" not only because it's depressing, but it's also compl More...
Aug 17, 2009
Lynne
rated it:
I'm still not sure what I think about this book. What I do know is that I'm still thinking about it days after I finished. It's a sad tale of lost opportunities. I finished the book disgusted with Beth Cappadora for refusing to move on and raise her children when she loses her middle son. Heartless I feel, but how could you purposely mess up the lives of your family through neglect no matter your loss? Isn't that what we all do every day of our lives--learn to put aside our own sorrows and
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Feb 21, 2010
Amy
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Upon reading the description of this book, I thought there is no way I could ever read it being a mother myself. However, I have to admit that as deranged as this will sound, that maybe if I did read it then I might learn how to prevent a child from becoming lost. Of course rationally I know better. I was also drawn to the book given that it was set in the mid-west and specifically Chicago, where I previously lived before having children. I like familiar settings. It was a tough read at times, e
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Dec 31, 2011
Laurie
rated it:
This book was just ok. The plot-line was interesting but, honestly, the only character I liked was Reese/Vincent. Sam/Ben I liked, as well, but, since we did not really get to know him too well, this was a minor interest for me. I actually had a fondness for Reese. That poor kid! Anyone interested in psychology might find Reese and his struggles fascinating. And I strongly disliked Beth. For the main character that we followed in the book, that is not a good thing.
I also felt the b More...
I also felt the b More...
Sep 20, 2011
Deborah
rated it:
Well, obviously I did not like it.
The abstract is that a three year old boy child vanishes, while in the care of his mother and watched by his seven year old brother. Family torn apart, police search, ect ect. Nine years later the boy is found by accident. This is a scenario that should make for a great book, how could all those dynamic elements go wrong?
Here’s how;
The literary style is very poor; so much so that the subject matter is obscured by the sickly s More...
The abstract is that a three year old boy child vanishes, while in the care of his mother and watched by his seven year old brother. Family torn apart, police search, ect ect. Nine years later the boy is found by accident. This is a scenario that should make for a great book, how could all those dynamic elements go wrong?
Here’s how;
The literary style is very poor; so much so that the subject matter is obscured by the sickly s More...
Jul 30, 2010
NATUI
rated it:
As the mother of a three year old, the first few chapters of this book made me sick to my stomach. I don't know what I was thinking reading a book like this when my son is the same age. I suppose it is the same reason we watch horror movies.
I really enjoyed the book, and I only gave it four stars because I felt it lost a bit of steam at the end. I love that the story continued beyond what I thought would be the ending point, but even so I read each chapter becoming increasingly More...
I really enjoyed the book, and I only gave it four stars because I felt it lost a bit of steam at the end. I love that the story continued beyond what I thought would be the ending point, but even so I read each chapter becoming increasingly More...
Jun 05, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
This book caused me to think more than any other book in a long time. Every few chapters I would put it down and think about how I would respond or act or think.
I pray I never have to KNOW.
One particular section she talked about her sons dimpled hands and how they were now grown. I stopped reading to look and admire and kiss my little boys hands. I watched him play and laugh...and that was all I did for several minutes.
If a book moves you and changes you, THAT More...
I pray I never have to KNOW.
One particular section she talked about her sons dimpled hands and how they were now grown. I stopped reading to look and admire and kiss my little boys hands. I watched him play and laugh...and that was all I did for several minutes.
If a book moves you and changes you, THAT More...
Nov 06, 2011
Karen
rated it:
A story about surviving the worst that can happen as a parent. Lots of emotion, and I'm not sure what the author was saying about how the main character. Did she do the best she could under the circumstances of her youngest son's disappearance? Could she have been a better mother to her remaining children? Would any of us have done any better than she?
Critically, I was much more interested in the first half of the book and it kept my interest. The second half I got through because I wan More...
Critically, I was much more interested in the first half of the book and it kept my interest. The second half I got through because I wan More...
Jan 13, 2011
Mickey
rated it:
Not thrilled with this one because it was extremely depressing. So many bad things happened in this family. The mom melted, the dad got sick, the oldest son goes haywire, the younger son goes missing for 9 years, and a daughter shows up. It's wishy-washy at the end with the kid, and that was supposed to be the conclusion. I don't know.. it was just very stressful. I am glad the child was alive, but it all happened by sheer coincidence. That made me feel weird about it because they had police loo
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