Blood Wounds

Sep 07, 2011 bibliophile brouhaha rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, contemp, blog-tour, young-adult-fiction

Willa's life in the beginning is awesome. A freaking holy grail of a blended family. Particularly with her stepfather, Jack, and his ex-wife, there seemed to be a real sense of 'do what's best for the girls', the 'girls' being Willa's two stepsisters. I was actually really happy to see that kind of compatibility for a blended family happen in a book. Made me think it could be real.

Too bad it was a setup.

Blood Wounds, in case you can't tell by the mugshot cover, is not a happy times book. In fa...more Willa's life in the beginning is awesome. A freaking holy grail of a blended family. Particularly with her stepfather, Jack, and his ex-wife, there seemed to be a real sense of 'do what's best for the girls', the 'girls' being Willa's two stepsisters. I was actually really happy to see that kind of compatibility for a blended family happen in a book. Made me think it could be real.

Too bad it was a setup.

Blood Wounds, in case you can't tell by the mugshot cover, is not a happy times book. In fact, I'm surprised that Willa is Miss Mugshot on the cover, because frankly, she's one of two, maybe three, characters who acted with any decency, and the other two were minor characters. Unless the mugshot is supposed to represent how she consistently gets trapped and bullied by the horrible selfishness of her family. And for the record, her family is a great big ball of 'you people suck', and that goes for both her blended family and the one she never knew on her biological dad's (and mom's) hometown of SmallTown, Texas. There is a lot going on in this book, but most of it is undercurrent until about halfway and then it steadily reveals itself all the way through to the end. You will not get what this book is really about from the synopsis - I thought I'd be reading a book about a girl and her mom on the run from her crazy father for the entire book, with Willa learning family secrets from her mom and facing hard truths along the way. While they do go into hiding for a short section and while Willa does do the latter in a sense, it's not in the way you think it'll happen. It's much more about Willa making her peace with a family she never knew, finding her own voice within the family she grew up in, and trying to figure things out by confronting the her mother's past and the facade of perfection that her blended family exudes.

The plot is steady the whole way through. There is a moment of anxiety when the cops show up at Willa's house and no one seems to know where her mom is; but otherwise, the plot is pretty even keel and flows on a diet of Willa coming to terms with who her parents are/were, and how she fits into the many family dynamics she has to contend with. You may have noticed my temper flare a wee little bit in the paragraph above. That's because I really do not like her blended family. I get family loyalty, but there was this sneaky sense of, "If you really love me, you'll do things my way" that was always present in conversations and influencing actions. For the record, such emotional manipulations are not 'love'; they are bulls%$#. In particular, I really don't like Willa's mother. To be fair, I didn't really dislike her until the end, and she's an extremely complex person. Actually, I wouldn't mind reading an 'adult' fiction novel with her as the protagonist. As much as I didn't like her, she's seemed to have had a difficult life caused both by her own crappy decisions, as well as consequences beyond her control. I feel like her story and own 'coming-of-age' could be just as significant as Willa's, I didn't really see her come full circle. Truthfully? I'm predicting splitsville for her and Jack. I feel like their entire family was based on a pyramid scheme of emotional usury.

I read the entire book pretty quickly, it flowed at a steady pace, and Willia has a decent voice. I really admired who she became at the end of the book. She really handled herself, and if she were real, she'd grow up to be someone you'd be proud to know. However, Blood Wounds wasn't a stellar read for me. This is a tough review for a book with tough issues, but there was something 'off' for me. I really wish it had either been about just Willa coming to terms with what her father had done and the family she never knew -OR- had been about her blended family situation. There was certainly enough dysfunction to support the latter. Blood Wounds has decent writing, but there was a little too much crazy in the plot for me to handle. I think in the end, Willa had so much dysfunction in her life that it made be feel like there was no support for the book itself. I need a little hope or some redemption with my stories, and in the end, I just don't feel like I had enough give me that.(less)

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May 24, 2012 Jackie "the Librarian" rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: misery-oh-misery, youngadult

Killer dad on the loose! Yes, this book has an awesome hook, and a serious amount of bloodshed. If you get queasy at the thought of blood, avoid! But that's only half the story, with the other being dysfunctional family, with a quiet but prickly girl, Willa, stepping up to an unusual situation. The two stories fit uneasily together, and the underlying metaphor couldn't be more heavy handed.

Willa is a cutter, which explains the title. Her perfectly happy (yes, that's meant ironically) blended fa...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Connie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, never-finished, teen

I was so disappointed w this book. I gave it a lot longer than I normally would with a book because I love this author's previous works, but I realized halfway through last night that it was more of a chore than a pleasure to read.

Every author has a dud occasionally and I'm sad to say this is hers. The main character's voice is very immature - she sounds more like 12 than 16. This may have been intentional but in the end, everything here just felt off.

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Mar 01, 2013 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I’ve had this ARC on my shelf for a while now. I couldn’t bring myself to read something that seemed so heavy. But after picking it up I realized that it wasn’t as heavy as I thought it would be. Willa is really your average teenager of a blended family. Her mother, stepfather and stepsisters all seem like one big happy family; until the new that Willa’s father killed his wife and two of his three daughters. Everyone thinks that “Budge” is on his way to Willa and her mother, though they aren’t s...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Kat Heckenbach rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read through some of the other reviews for this book before settling in to write mine--I sometimes do that out of curiosity, and lately out of worry that I'm going to be the first negative review if I didn't like a book. This was one of those cases--but I was relieved to see I wasn't the only reader who had issues with this book.

On the surface, it seems like a really deep and relevant book. But that's the problem--the whole thing is surface. None of it gelled for me, and the story and characte...more I read through some of the other reviews for this book before settling in to write mine--I sometimes do that out of curiosity, and lately out of worry that I'm going to be the first negative review if I didn't like a book. This was one of those cases--but I was relieved to see I wasn't the only reader who had issues with this book.

On the surface, it seems like a really deep and relevant book. But that's the problem--the whole thing is surface. None of it gelled for me, and the story and characters fell flat. This book is SO short for something that tackles cutting, socioeconomic issues, blended families, domestic violence, and murder. The characters ended up coming across as emotionless and the events happened too fast, even though most of the dialog was redundant and didn't move the story forward.

I found the opening confusing. It took me several pages to sort out the family members since it wasn't stated upfront that it was a blended family--so I thought the step-dad was a brother at first, then one of the step-sisters called him Dad, and there was reference to "Mom" who turned out to be Val, and Willa's mom who is Terri.

There was no description, either. Not of characters or setting. Nothing. I felt like I was reading faceless voices in a void most of the time. And the voice of the book came across as very young, at times annoyingly young.

Anyway, the opening showed a very happy family, and then Willa starts thinking about wanting to cut. It's all very matter-of-fact, and I get no real emotion from her regarding it. This is a very serious subject, and it ends up getting lost in the story about Willa's father, whom she's never known anything about other than his name and he lives in Texas, and then suddenly the cops are at her door telling her he killed his wife and Willa's half-sisters.

There is a sudden turn in Willa, who decides she has to find her "family"--even though she's got an amazing and loving step-dad and mom, and her step-sisters seem to really care for her, too. I don't get at all the idea that Willa comes to that she's supposed to just act the way she's expected and whatever--not one person treats her that way!

It also drove me crazy how the news was all dropped on her--not just the initial news of her father, but other things throughout the story--and how she came to correct conclusions about things without all the information. It was as if the author didn't want to have other characters tell her everything so she's not accused of info-dumping, but Willa's conclusions aren't realistic. And other characters do the same thing, seemingly answering questions that were never really asked.

I finally ended up skimming the last half of the book--which really wouldn't have taken long to actually read because it is so short--but I was tired of Willa, tired of the other characters, and tired of the unrealistic reactions and logistical planning (so much talk about who will drive whom where, and who will fly where with whom).

Overall, this is just not a novel I can recommend. It suffered of too many ingredients in too small a pot, and what I really love about novels--deep characters and rich story worlds--were completely lacking.(less)

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Dec 24, 2012 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012books

Willa is lucky: She has a loving blended family that gets along. Not all families are so fortunate. But when a bloody crime takes place hundreds of miles away, it has an explosive effect on Willa’s peaceful life. The estranged father she hardly remembers has murdered his new wife and children, and is headed east toward Willa and her mother. Under police protection, Willa discovers that her mother has harbored secrets that are threatening to boil over. Has everything Willa believed about herself...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Sharlene rated it 2 of 5 stars

A weakly plotted story and flat characters mar Susan Beth Pfeffer's Blood Wounds. Sixteen-year-old Willa Coffey lives with her mom, stepdad, and two stepsisters in what is initially presented as a perfect suburban life. This scenario is shattered when police arrive at her house notifying her that her birth father, whom she has had no contact with since she was four, has murdered his twenty-five year old wife, two small children, and taken a third child hostage. He has left his small town of Texa...more A weakly plotted story and flat characters mar Susan Beth Pfeffer's Blood Wounds. Sixteen-year-old Willa Coffey lives with her mom, stepdad, and two stepsisters in what is initially presented as a perfect suburban life. This scenario is shattered when police arrive at her house notifying her that her birth father, whom she has had no contact with since she was four, has murdered his twenty-five year old wife, two small children, and taken a third child hostage. He has left his small town of Texas, fled the murder scene, and is possibly on his way to Pennsylvania where Willa and her mother live. An Amber Altert, an APB from the police, and the twenty-four hour news cycle allow Willa to watch the events unfold on TV. She has many questions for her mom, like why her mom never informed her that she has (had) stepsiblings in Texas.

Willa wants to go to Texas to find out more about who she is, where she came from, and connect with the (murderous and now deceased) father she never knew. This is all too unbelievable to me. I can understand a teen wanting to find out about where she came from, but this borders on morbid. Believable connections never really form in a way that allowed me to care at all about any of the characters. The resolution felt contrived. I guess the point is that Willa should learn to feel grateful for the family she has, and that she could have had a much different life if her mother hadn't have taken her from Texas and run away from her father, but I just couldn't bring myself to care enough about Willa or anyone in this story. I had to force myself to get through this. I gave it two stars instead of one because I wouldn't go so far as to put it in the same category as Twilight; the writing is not that bad. Pfeffer just throws lots of issues into the mix (Willa's a cutter, for example) but never properly addresses them or allows them to fully develop in a way that makes the reader even be able to see it as an issue. It feels just kind of thrown in so that this can be another layer of issue in a teen issue book. After enjoying Life As We Knew It, I was expecting more. I wish I had skipped this one.(less)

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Jun 02, 2012 Sally Kruger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Willa's family consists of her mother, her step-father, and two step-sisters. They are a closeknit group. Even though everyone is busy with tennis, dressage lessons and competitions, school, work, and college classes, they manage to have dinner together every Wednesday night. Willa's mother even seems to have a reasonably friendly relationship with her husband's ex-wife; all for the sake of the children, of course.

Willa remembers little about her early years living in Texas with her mother and h...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Rebecca Weimert rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rebecca Weimert
Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Willa lives with her mother, stepfather, and two stepsisters. Always feeling left out Willa cuts herself to relieve the stress she feels in her home. Willa’s mother worked hard to give her a good family life, but her past comes back to haunt her. Willa’s biological father has murdered his wife and children and is coming for Willa, but is caught and killed by the police. The horrible deaths of her family shakes Willa’s world and she is not sure who sh...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Rhiannon Ryder rated it 2 of 5 stars

What could be scarier than a story about finding out your father is a violent murderer? Susan Beth Pfeffer follows up her successful Life As We Knew it, post apocalyptic, trilogy series with another heavy hitter, Blood Wounds.

Willa has lived with her blended family so long she no longer remembers what her life before was like. That is until the father she barely remembers, brutally murders the second family she didn't know about, hundreds of miles away. As the nation watches the day by day cover...more What could be scarier than a story about finding out your father is a violent murderer? Susan Beth Pfeffer follows up her successful Life As We Knew it, post apocalyptic, trilogy series with another heavy hitter, Blood Wounds.

Willa has lived with her blended family so long she no longer remembers what her life before was like. That is until the father she barely remembers, brutally murders the second family she didn't know about, hundreds of miles away. As the nation watches the day by day coverage of the chase to find him, and as her mom and her have to go into hiding to elude him, secrets are spilling out about her life before. How do you come to terms with being the child of a murderer?

Like This World We Live In, and presumably the first two books in the series (which I haven't had the chance to read yet), Blood Wounds is a story about family and all the different permutations of what makes up a family. I enjoyed the story and really liked Willas thoughts on her blended family and how they worked and didn't work in the end, however I was expecting more introspection about the whole my father is a murderer thing. After reading Through the Glass my expectations were likely a little too high, but all the same I feel like it was a subject that could have been explored a little further, it became a bit of a secondary element in the story line to Willa's personal issues and the difficulties with her family.

If I hadn't read Through the Glass first though, I would likely have had no issues with the story. It was a strong story of love and family and I liked Willa's character and her story arc of discovery. The first half of the book was a chilling look at having a surprise murderer in your immediate family and the scary and ostracizing way those around you would take action or react. Her mothers complete melt down made it even creepier as suddenly Willa was the adult in the situation without any support. It certainly made your average family squabble or the requisite family weirdo look tame in comparison.(less)

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Feb 02, 2012 Leann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Willa is a part of a blended family that appears to have it all. She and her two step sisters seem to get along great and she loves her stepdad as if he was her real dad. But then one phone call changes all that when she finds out her biological father has murdered his second family. The police think that her father is headed to kill her and her mother and so Willa and her mom must go into police protection. Willa soon finds out that her mother has held a lot of the truth from her and now her fa...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it 4 of 5 stars

Willa Coffey is a quiet girl who doesn't expect much. She lives with her mom, step-dad Jack and her two step-sisters, Alyssa and Brooke. Jacks ex-wife Val makes sure that Alyssa and Brooke have everything that money can buy and Willa is usually left on the outskirts looking in. Her mom and Jack cannot afford those things for Willa. She doesn't express her discontent, but instead hides in the basement and cuts herself.

When she receives a phone call from her mom's best friend while she is home al...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

The first few pages of this book made me want to die of boredom. An ordinary family eating their weekly family dinner. But this mixed family is more complicated than it seems - Willa, the middle daughter, cuts herself regularly, while Terri, her mother, lives in fear of disappointing husband Jack. Issues come to the forefront when Willa's natural father and Terri's ex murders his wife and two daughters, taking his third daughter on the road towards Terri and Willa.

The title can be read in two wa...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Misty Baker rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve had to write a “less-than-glowing” review, so the fact that it comes at the expense of an author like Susan Beth Pfeffer, (The Survivor Series) seems ironically fitting.

Before I get into paragraphs of explicit details, let me start off by saying this is NOT an overly pleasant read. The main plot aside (guilt for her father’s actions) Pfeffer decided to take a very serious issue (cutting) and treat is as though it were a verb like “jumping” or “smiling.” Now, wh...more Well, it’s been a while since I’ve had to write a “less-than-glowing” review, so the fact that it comes at the expense of an author like Susan Beth Pfeffer, (The Survivor Series) seems ironically fitting.

Before I get into paragraphs of explicit details, let me start off by saying this is NOT an overly pleasant read. The main plot aside (guilt for her father’s actions) Pfeffer decided to take a very serious issue (cutting) and treat is as though it were a verb like “jumping” or “smiling.” Now, while some of you may not see this as an issue, I view this as a personal injustice to the hundreds of teen readers who WILL decided to purchase this book. Why? Because if a writer makes light of an issue, who’s to say that they reader won’t as well.

Anyways…before I get so high and mighty that I find it difficult to come down, here is what “Blood Wounds” is about:

“Blood can both wound and heal . . .

Willa is lucky: She has a loving blended family that gets along. Not all families are so fortunate. But when a bloody crime takes place hundreds of miles away, it has an explosive effect on Willa’s peaceful life. The estranged father she hardly remembers has murdered his new wife and children, and is headed east toward Willa and her mother. Under police protection, Willa discovers that her mother has harbored secrets that are threatening to boil over. Has everything Willa believed about herself been a lie? But as Willa sets out to untangle the mysteries of her past, she also keeps her own secret—one that has the potential to tear apart all she holds dear.”

Ok, off to the races…

First, the writing was actually pretty good, it was the nature of the story (and how it affected the character development) that I took issue with. Here was this girl (Willa) who in the first several chapters appeared happy and healthy. Even though her dialogue was very obviously leading up to something tragic, the adjectives surrounding her family were of the pleasant sort, so imagine my surprise, when about 50 pages in, she all of a sudden started to rebel and (here’s the important part) blame everything on the people who had cared for her for years. The intention (I’m certain) was to convey this overwhelming sense of disconnect and misguided guilt, but instead, Pfeffer managed to turn Willa into an insufferable, whiny, inconsiderate, bitch. That’s right…I used the “B” word.

I am not insensitive, I can understand and even appreciate the complexities that loss will afford a person (especially a teenager) but in changing the way HER personality came across, it forced the rest of the family’s dynamic to morph as well, which made (almost) everyone in the story unlovable. (It’s kinda hard to like a book when you hate everyone in it…right?)

Now, characters aside, lets talk about the plot. In short…it was odd. We all know things like this happen, the news channels would be out of business if the world were all puppy dogs and rainbows, but the way that it all unfolded felt a little too bitter to be fiction. (Aka, Ms. Pfeffer watches a lot of CNN and this was a convenient way to vent her frustrations.) If Pfeffer had picked 1 very solid topic (the murder angle) then maybe the read (as a whole) would have come off as slightly less arrogant, but the fact that she chose a heaping helping of social/emotional issues to hash out in 260 pages (murder, guilt, greed, abuse, neglect, cutting, phschosis…etc.) made the book feel heavy, and in the end…not worth the effort it took to swim through it.

In the end…I vote for no. Spend your money elsewhere (maybe on her other books) and consider yourself lucky to have missed this trip down memory lane.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: If certain people of our past didn’t make it to our future, there’s probably a very good reason why. Don’t over-analyze it, just live with it.

(less)

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Dec 27, 2011 Kandee added it

Well, this isn't the first time I've stumbled upon Susan's name. If you have heard of her before, you know her from the imfamous, Life as We Knew It series. So, I stumbled upon it at the library and I first thought it was about a cutter and it is, don't get me wrong, but with a new twist. Willa's deranged father has murdered his family and is after Willa, but it isn't just about her cutting, it's about Willa never really knowing her father and about what he was capable of. It's about how his blo...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Angelina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

This is a story of facades and truths. It is a story of love and fear. It is a story of moving beyond ideas and taking action.

Blood wounds reads like a true crime novel. Willa is part of a seemingly tight-knit mixed family. She has a mother, a step-father and two sisters. Willa begins the story by telling us about the last day as a "happy family." It's the last happy day because right after that day she receives a frantic phone call from her mothers dear friend, Faye. Faye won't say at first wha...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Suz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Blood Wounds is a bone-chilling, suspenseful, keep reader's on the edges of their seat dark and thrilling read. It's rather interesting, that blood can both heal and wound at the same time, and to have Pheffer utilize that in a well developed, carefully crafted, and compelling novel is not only unique but quite a bit disturbing on some natural level. The writing and world building, were quite clever and her character's and their development throughout the novel as it builds to climax, were writ...more Blood Wounds is a bone-chilling, suspenseful, keep reader's on the edges of their seat dark and thrilling read. It's rather interesting, that blood can both heal and wound at the same time, and to have Pheffer utilize that in a well developed, carefully crafted, and compelling novel is not only unique but quite a bit disturbing on some natural level. The writing and world building, were quite clever and her character's and their development throughout the novel as it builds to climax, were written and executed flawlessly. It did a magnificent job of showing that the world is dark, gritty, and violent just as much as it's filled with horrifying and tragic news of events that happen everyday in life.

This is a book that will stay with readers, long after they've read it. It seems, in many ways, that it was one that almost needed to be written, so that the story could leave its mark on people however good or bad that would be. At certain points it was easy to connect and sympathize with Willa. She is strong, relatable, and incredibly brave, in the face of everything that she has to deal with as she's discovering who she is beneath the facade she presents to the world, learning how to be strong for herself, and discovering who her other half of the family is such as who her father is and her other siblings.

Blood Wounds provides a dark gritty outlook on what a lot of young adults might be struggling with, such as the secret Willa keeps of her cutting. The lies, secrets, and pent up resentment are exposed and brought to the surface, as a way of showing that things may not always appear as they seem on the outside and certain actions can lead to events followed through.

There is a broad range of psychological emotions and reactions to things that occurr, as the story progresses, that will keep the reader engaged as well as possibly causing them a bit of discomfort. It is a brillant mass of complications that is highly thought provoking and quite spectacularly written. At times, it appears difficult to take in some doses, but in other's reader's will be able to see there is a deeper meaning and reasoning for the story being told. Family is defined and re-defined in so many ways throughout this novel, that it's incredibly sad, yet beautifully illustrated in other's. For every action, there is a consequence or a price to be paid, and Blood Wounds will re-affirm that over and over.

For everyone who is capable of doing good in the world, there are other's who are just as capable of promoting evil, violence, and carrying out horrific tragedies with none other than their victims blood left staining their hands. Reader's will get a sense of this, while reading this novel and it will stay with them long after they've turned the last page.

It is a fast-paced, well written and developed, tension filled novel, that will chill reader's to the bone. It's likely a story that will be forgotten soon, perhaps that's the great thing about what Pfeffer has done with this story. (less)

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Nov 06, 2011 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ncbla, cutting

In this book, Pfeffer turns from a life-changing natural disaster to a more personal disaster with consequences for all those directly involved as well as those who are only the fringes of the event. High school junior Willa seems to have a perfect life. Her stepfather and mother are devoted to her, and she and her two stepsisters get along just fine. If their access to money through their mother means that they have much material objects than Willa, she has never really minded. However, there a...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Melissa Railey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I normally wouldn't have picked this book up but it was written by Susan Beth Pfeffer and I loved her Life As We Knew It books. I recommend those books to just about everybody I come in contact with (so if you haven't read them, go out, get them and read them. They're terrific.) Blood Wounds centers on Willa. Willa is part of a blended family and has two stepsisters who she likes but also envies and resents. Her stepsister's mother pays for them to go to fancy schools, travel and compete in very...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Willa is part of a happy family. Her Mother, Terri, left her abusive husband in Texas when Willa was about 5. Terri eventually met Jack who was divorced with 2 daughters of his own. Jack is the only father Willa has ever known.

One day, out of nowhere, the police are on Willa's doorstep looking for Terri. Willa's biological father has disappeared and there is an Amber alert out for a little half-sister Willa didn't she had. Actually, Budge, Willa's bio-Dad is a person of interest in the murder o...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer tells the story of Willa whose world is torn apart when she finds out that the father she barely remembers kills his entire family and is thought to be headed towards her home. Willa is forced to confront the demons in her past and figure out how everything relates to her present.

This is an interesting book that follows a girl coming to terms with the demons of her past. It is very heavy and also deals with her addiction to cutting and the unfairness that can e...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Julie Graves rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads

Willa lives with her mom, step-father and 2 step-sisters. They are an unusual blended family in the fact that they all get along, they love each other and they are one big happy family.

There are secrets being kept in Willa's family though. Willa's mom will never talk about Willa's real father. In fact she will not talk about her life before Jack, Willa's step-father. Willa has a few secrets of her own. She can never share how resentful she is of Jack's 2 daughters. But there is another darker se...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Kiki rated it 2 of 5 stars

I loved Life As We Knew it (and also enjoyed the accompanying novels), so I found this book to be somewhat of a disappointment. Pfeffer is dealing with several heavy emotional themes here--blended families, adolescent angst, "cutting" and murder (specifically, infanticide). Willa (love the name) is a nice girl a junior in high school, who gets good grades and is very respectful. She lives with her mom and her husband and his two daughters who are very priviledged (thanks to their high-dollar ear...more I loved Life As We Knew it (and also enjoyed the accompanying novels), so I found this book to be somewhat of a disappointment. Pfeffer is dealing with several heavy emotional themes here--blended families, adolescent angst, "cutting" and murder (specifically, infanticide). Willa (love the name) is a nice girl a junior in high school, who gets good grades and is very respectful. She lives with her mom and her husband and his two daughters who are very priviledged (thanks to their high-dollar earning mom). One day, Willa's father, a man she really has little memory of, is on the run (from Texas; Willa lives in Pennsylvania), accused of killing his wife and two of his children and kidnapping one other.

I feel like the story could have been more filled out, and we could have gotten to know some of the characters better. Brooke and Alyssa, the stepsisters are very stereo-typically "stepsisters," Willa's older brother from texas, Trace is drawn much the same way. Willa is just too godd to be true, and even when she starts to "let loose" she is immediately reigned in by either an adult character or her own conscience. The discussions on self harm or "cutting" are just too superficial. I felt like there could be so much more to this story, especially coming from a writer as talented as Pfeffer. The length of the book is a testament to this. My copy (an advanced reader copy) was large type and double spaced adn came in at 248 pages! Perhaps feedback will change the editing on this one before the book is actually released, or maybe Pfeffer feels her target audince (teens 14/9th grade and up)won't be interested in reading a longer book,which is really a shame, because I think most readers would love the story to be longer or continue past the present ending, with the excellent story line Pfeffer has created. It just didn't ring true, with myself or my 14 yo daughter who read it before me. We were both easily able to read the book over the course of a day. However, all that being said, this might be a great book fro a teen who isn't a big reader and who has some issues similar to the ones here. Not a bad book, just not Ms.Pfeffer at her finest.(less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Ellen Goodlett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Definitely an interesting read... Willa's family life is convoluted and complicated, but also probably similar to a lot of modern families, with all of her step-siblings and step-parents and parents of her step-sisters and her estranged father-turned-murderer back in the home town she doesn't remember. There was a lot going on, but not in a bad way. I think the author did a great job of keeping all the varied sides of Willa's life understandable.

Personally, I had some difficulty connecting to th...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Teri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Susan Beth Pfeffer is a master story teller in such a unique way, she portrays immense levels of human emotions in her characters.
Blood Wounds will be released later in the year and in it is the story of Willa, a high school aged girl who tries so hard at living the perfect life, that when her past catches up to her it comes in the grisly package of her estranged father and the horrible crimes he has committed against his family.
Susan brings into her story such immense emotion on some normal act...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Kat rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-angst, because-i-like-the-author

Not what I expected. I thought maybe it would be a crime novel from a runaways point of view, but it's not. I kind of felt like I was reading about someone who knew someone that something bad had happened to. I just felt removed from the story and didn't really connect with Willa in any way. After finishing the novel I would much have rather read it from her mother's perspective.

It was a quick and easy read, and I do like how Pfeffer writes, but there was almost too much crammed in too soon, ch...more

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Oct 14, 2011 Joy (joyous reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was such a disturbing read. It starts off with a picture of seemingly perfect nuclear family – each one supportive of each other. At one point, you couldn’t really foresee anything will go wrong to destroy Willa’s somewhat unusual family set up. She lives with her mother, her stepfather Jack, and his two daughters from another marriage. Everyone gets along - but like all other families, resentments and bitterness bubble close to the surface.

One blow was all it took for this house of c...more This book was such a disturbing read. It starts off with a picture of seemingly perfect nuclear family – each one supportive of each other. At one point, you couldn’t really foresee anything will go wrong to destroy Willa’s somewhat unusual family set up. She lives with her mother, her stepfather Jack, and his two daughters from another marriage. Everyone gets along - but like all other families, resentments and bitterness bubble close to the surface.

One blow was all it took for this house of cards to come tumbling down.

Right off the bat, we learned about Willa’s secret. What she does to escape the pressure of always wanting and never having. That secret alone was disturbing. I try to stay away from stories involving (view spoiler) but I was glad that in this book, it wasn’t really the main focus. It was about Willa’s biological father’s murdering spree. He killed his entire family – his wife and his three children. The murders were gory, violent and hard to comprehend. This was the catalyst for Willa’s awakening, to find out who she was and to stop ignoring the potent blood that gurgles through her veins.

I have read Life As We Know It by this author and I’ve enjoyed it as much as a book about an Armageddon scenario could be enjoyed. So I wasn’t really surprised when I felt the same way about this after reading. Ms. Pfeffer has a way with words – dark and gloom seem to be her area of expertise.

Honestly, it took a lot to convince myself that Willa will not end up like her father. The author did a good job of planting that seed in my head. That because, Willa likes to (view spoiler), she’ll somehow ended up like her father, one who has a penchant for blood and knives. I kept waiting for her to finally snap, and really who could blame her? I would’ve if I’d been in her shoes. Living with her stepsisters alone should’ve been cause enough to kill them in their sleeps, but hey, that’s just me. They’re really not that bad, if a little spoiled and privileged. They have their moments of decency. I can’t really fault them for having lived their advantageous lives.

I love Willa’s relationship with her stepbrother, Trace – brief, sad but tender just the same.

My heart was beating out of my chest when Willa was imagining how her father’s family met their demise. All the blood, all the violence and the disturbing way he cradled the youngest’ severed head in his arms. It was truly a scene out of a psycho thriller flick.

Blood Wounds had me from page one. Its disturbing and visceral writing make for a terrifying and realistic read. If a change of pace is what you want, I suggest trying this one on for size. Definitely not to be missed.
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Oct 03, 2011 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Reading this book was a weird experience. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it, but it has some issues. On the plus side, it has a unique story line and I think it would work for certain reluctant readers. Willa, a high school junior from a blended family, finds out in the third chapter of the book that her biological father has gone on a murdering spree wiping out a bunch of blood family members she didn't even know she had. On the negative side, pretty much all of the family members includi...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Josiah rated it 2 of 5 stars

"No saints in this world, sweetie. Just different kinds of sinners."

—Faye, Blood Wounds, P. 164

Susan Beth Pfeffer has a way with suspense. She can make readers feel as if the cold-blooded killer could be hiding around any corner, or could outwit even the most well-planned security net to burst through the door at any moment and commence his murderous rampage. And, for the first seventy pages or so of Blood Wounds, that's just the sort of tense, suspenseful writing that we get, loaded with all...more "No saints in this world, sweetie. Just different kinds of sinners."

—Faye, Blood Wounds, P. 164

Susan Beth Pfeffer has a way with suspense. She can make readers feel as if the cold-blooded killer could be hiding around any corner, or could outwit even the most well-planned security net to burst through the door at any moment and commence his murderous rampage. And, for the first seventy pages or so of Blood Wounds, that's just the sort of tense, suspenseful writing that we get, loaded with all kinds of potential energy in the plot and the possibility for the story to suddenly twist in any one of a million shocking new directions at any moment. This is Susan Beth Pfeffer near her best, at least judging from her books that I've read so far, and few authors do it better. Ultimately, though, Blood Wounds is much more a story of family drama than of scintillating suspense, the sad tale of a person who has spun out of control and can't get it back together again before crossing the line and committing a series of despicable acts that ranks up there with some of the most notorious violent crimes in recent history.

Willa Coffey is a daughter of a relatively well-adapted blended family, living with her stepsisters, mother and stepfather, when the first unsure reports begin to surface that her biological father, a man living with his own wife and children in Texas, has murdered his new family, and may be on his way east to track down his oldest daughter, Willa. Seconds can mean the difference between life and death as Willa's father is believed to be closing in on where she now lives, and the police waste no time in transferring Willa and her family to a secure hotel where they can be protected around the clock until her father is captured. Dwayne Coffey may be a resourceful man, but how can he track down where Willa is when the utmost care has been taken to ensure that no navigable trail was left behind? Even if he did somehow manage to find her, how could he possibly get past the police guard to actually come face to face with his daughter?

For years, Willa has known next to nothing about her old life from when her mother was still married to her father, and the sudden tragic killings stir within her an interest to learn more. There are relatives she knew nothing about in Texas, including her three little sisters, helpless young girls whom police reports confirm were, in fact, the victims of the horrific murders perpetrated by Willa's father. Answers to some of the most profound questions of her life lie in Texas, Willa knows, and deep down she realizes that only by going out there and confronting the excruciating details from her and her mother's dubious past will she have a chance to finally earn back a little bit of peace for herself.

Though her blended family had seemed so well-adjusted at the beginning of Blood Wounds, Willa actually had another personal problem before her father began the killing. Willa's standard response to the levels of stress in her life, stress caused mostly by the subtle disparity of treatment between her and her stepsisters by her stepfather, Jack, is that of a cutter. To release the tension when it builds, Willa routinely slices little cuts into her body. These wounds are just enough to make her bleed, and they cause enough pain to shut out all of the other worse feelings while never being life-threatening. Her mother and stepfather, of course, know nothing about it. As Willa embarks on her journey of self-discovery by looking to her past, though, she may also find that to come to grips with who she is and how she fits in with both sides of her family, she will also have to confront the basic instincts that prompt her to cut...and learn once and for all how to express her true emotions to her family even while knowing that they may not accept her for who she is.

In my view, Blood Wounds feels like two separate novels: the suspenseful manhunt conducted by the police while Willa hides out in presumed safety, and the drama of the family encounters that she endures while searching for the truth about a branch of her family that she hardly even knew existed. It's a good story, though, certainly worth being told, and will probably resonate with readers who have faced any of the various forms of trouble dealt with in the plot.

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Oct 20, 2012 Mary-Megan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Willa lives with her mother, stepfather, and two stepsisters. She's happy in her life, even though she's aware of certain advantages her stepsisters have that she doesn't given their wealthy mother. None of that seems to matter when Willa's father, whom she hasn't seen since she was four, disappears after murdering his family. Fearful that he might come after her, the bonds of her blended family get tested. When the threat is over, Willa begins a journey to discover what it means to be connected...more Willa lives with her mother, stepfather, and two stepsisters. She's happy in her life, even though she's aware of certain advantages her stepsisters have that she doesn't given their wealthy mother. None of that seems to matter when Willa's father, whom she hasn't seen since she was four, disappears after murdering his family. Fearful that he might come after her, the bonds of her blended family get tested. When the threat is over, Willa begins a journey to discover what it means to be connected to a man capable of killing his family and how that will affect the family she's grown up with.

This book was an enjoyable and quick read. It digs deep into family connections - the ones from blood and the ones created out of love. Most of this book is about Willa returning to her father's hometown, the town her mother desperately tried to escape. Willa goes out of duty to the dead sisters she never knew about in search of meaning behind what happened and how it affects her. Some of the legalise in terms of inheritance seemed really confusing and not entirely realistic if you ask me, but I'm not a lawyer so maybe it is all legitimate. It helps wrap up some issues later on in the novel, so whatever works (this is fiction after all). The characters are complex without being developed enough. Because the novel goes so quickly, it almost feels as if there isn't enough time for the more complex relationships to develop and get resolved, like the relationships between her and her stepsisters. Even with Willa, the writer throws in a certain self-destructive behavior at the beginning and end of the novel and seems to forget about it in the middle. Even the resolution of that problem seems too easy. Everything seems to get wrapped up in a neat bow at the end when there are clearly still issues these characters need to deal with.

The book is good, but it didn't send me over the moon. It definitely could have delved deeper into family dynamics. In the end, it is a decent book but not entirely memorable.
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