"People who stay in the same town with the same friends for their entire lives never get a chance to find out who they can really be, because they will always be considered as who they were." - Fragile by Lisa Unger.

I really enjoyed this book on audio. Once again, the newer writers in this genre continue to wow me with their thoughfulness and insight into human nature. Unger clearly belongs in the same league with Chevy Stevens and Teresa Schwegal. These women are awesome and are now on my "authors that I must read list".

The story is about different families in a small town, the parents of which grew up together and now have children of their own. The story centers around a girl of one of the families who runs away, which sounds pretty basic, but the real story is around what the people around her do once they find out that she has gone and how the impact of their past decision making and conduct impacts their actions in the present.

Moreover, throughout the unfolding of the story, numerous questions arise about human nature. Can people change? Are they more likely to change if they start over in a place where no one knows them? Why is it that quick decisions can lead one down a spiral path where everything that follows continues to unravel? If we had decided differently, would things have been actually different, and if so, just for that outcome or in general, over time? And so on...

For those of you who haven't read anything lately in this genre, please pick up something by one of the author's mentioned above. In my opinion, they and a number of others have taken this genre to a whole new level by making their stories relevant and current through the use of sound and refined literary techniques and the development of characters who are flawed, thoughtful and with whom most of us can relate.