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Testimony
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Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here
At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that ...more
At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices--those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal--that ...more
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Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
November 10th 2008
by Little Brown and Company
(first published 2008)
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Such a sad but compelling story beautifully told. The first chapter is very confronting as the scene is set for what is to come. Then the author presents the sorry tale bit by bit, using each chapter for a different point of view. I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for the final horrible thing that I knew must happen but when it did, the reason for it was not what I expected.
I thought it was all very thought provoking and very cleverly done. So sad that a few short, ill judged minute ...more
I thought it was all very thought provoking and very cleverly done. So sad that a few short, ill judged minute ...more
I had trouble rating this book; it is definetly a page-turner, so why only two stars? I found the storyline riveting, but the writing style took me many pages to get used to - overly simplistic at times. I also felt that it had too many frivolous descriptions; I found myself skimming to find actions, feelings, and more dialogue. During the first half of the book, I was saying, "I do not like this book at all," but as I read further, I discovered the value of it as a lesson to be learned about ho
...more
This was a bookclub read and would not be my usual choice in a book as I am not a fan of Anita Shreve and having read the blurb on this book thought the story sounded different and interesting.
The story is about a sex scandal involving 3 boys and one 14yr old girl and is told from the prospective of all those involved and affected by this scandal. The opening few pages shocked me and I wondered how Shreve would handle the rest of the story how in depth she would go with her characters and their ...more
The story is about a sex scandal involving 3 boys and one 14yr old girl and is told from the prospective of all those involved and affected by this scandal. The opening few pages shocked me and I wondered how Shreve would handle the rest of the story how in depth she would go with her characters and their ...more
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I really enjoyed the book Testimony by Anita Shreve. Once I started reading I found it very hard to put down and finished it within 2 days.
The story revolves around Avery Academy, a small private High School where a sex scandal involving the students was captured on video tape and has shocked the small community. A retelling of the events leading up to the tragic night told by many of those directly and indirectly involved.
I was quite drawn in to the characters sadness and pain. I felt for the ...more
The story revolves around Avery Academy, a small private High School where a sex scandal involving the students was captured on video tape and has shocked the small community. A retelling of the events leading up to the tragic night told by many of those directly and indirectly involved.
I was quite drawn in to the characters sadness and pain. I felt for the ...more
I made it to page 83 and in the middle of a random paragraph asked myself "Why am I reading this?"
The writing style... flipping between characters and times... is a tad confusing. There are too many people involved, which meant I didn't give a flying leap about any of them. I suppose we're meant to feel sorry for some, but I didn't...
There are too many GREAT books out there waiting for me to read them, so I'm not going to force myself to finish this one. ...more
The writing style... flipping between characters and times... is a tad confusing. There are too many people involved, which meant I didn't give a flying leap about any of them. I suppose we're meant to feel sorry for some, but I didn't...
There are too many GREAT books out there waiting for me to read them, so I'm not going to force myself to finish this one. ...more
Although I've read many books that alternate between narrators, I found this one a little confusing at first. The first few chapters seem to jump around a lot, but it doesn't take too long to get used to the style.
This was a very interesting book and I liked how it showed the event from so many different angles. However, at the same time I also found that with so many voices involved, some of the characters got a little lost in the shuffle. It would have been nice to hear more from certain key ...more
This was a very interesting book and I liked how it showed the event from so many different angles. However, at the same time I also found that with so many voices involved, some of the characters got a little lost in the shuffle. It would have been nice to hear more from certain key ...more
I wasn't at all sure I was going to finish reading this book when I first started it. The idea of a graphic sex scandal involving a very young teen did not appeal to me. I hate reading about that stuff. I ordered it just because it was a new Anita Shreve, not even really paying attention or caring about the premise. This author always manages to draw me in with her writing, however, and this book was no exception. Within the first few chapters I was hooked and stayed that way. The graphic stuff
...more
4.0 out of 5 stars Sexting...this story is taken right from today's headlines...
This review is from: Testimony: A Novel (Hardcover)
This was a sad but interesting novel about 3 boys who were caught on videotape committing various activities that were labeled a sex crime because the girl involved was only 14 and the boys were 18 and 19 years old. The scandal and resultant fallout from the event affects the young female victim, the boys, their families and friends, the students, as well as the ent ...more
This review is from: Testimony: A Novel (Hardcover)
This was a sad but interesting novel about 3 boys who were caught on videotape committing various activities that were labeled a sex crime because the girl involved was only 14 and the boys were 18 and 19 years old. The scandal and resultant fallout from the event affects the young female victim, the boys, their families and friends, the students, as well as the ent ...more
This one's a definite sleep stealer. I stayed up until 3:30 a.m. to finish it, then couldn't get to sleep for thinking about it! It's quite a departure from Shreve's usual style and content, so give it a try even if you think you don't care for her work.
The story revolves around some drunken sexual antics in a boarding school dorm room that are caught on video tape.
Shreve uses a large number of voices or points of view, which has the potential to be cumbersome. I thought she handled it very def ...more
The story revolves around some drunken sexual antics in a boarding school dorm room that are caught on video tape.
Shreve uses a large number of voices or points of view, which has the potential to be cumbersome. I thought she handled it very def ...more
I had high hopes for such a compelling plot, but I was ultimately disappointed. The structure was appealing: chapters are the voices of alternating characters and members of the community touched by this prestigious high school sex scandal. This structure also created a building momentum, and I was waiting and waiting for bigger revelations, but the twists and turns were obvious, and in the places where the author had room to startle the reader, she just seemed to fall flat.
Mar 06, 2013
Lani
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
chicklit,
laundry-room
I haven't read anything by Anita Shreve before, so I didn't really know what to expect. Her writing style is pleasant enough, so it's a shame her book has me so angry that I don't want to read anything else she's written.
You know what the world really needed? Another story about how girls 'ask for it' and cause the downfall of those poor beloved student-athletes. Because there isn't enough stigma around rape victims and whether they 'cry rape' and those poor manipulated rapists.
This kind of BS ...more
You know what the world really needed? Another story about how girls 'ask for it' and cause the downfall of those poor beloved student-athletes. Because there isn't enough stigma around rape victims and whether they 'cry rape' and those poor manipulated rapists.
This kind of BS ...more
The first chapter is pretty graphic but you have to get through it to understand the rest of the book. The chapters are told from the perspective of different people involved in a sex scandal at a prep school in Vermont. You learn how this scandal affects people in different ways, and in the end you wonder how it could have been prevented. I think this would make parents think twice about shipping off their teenagers to a high school many miles away from home -- who's really watching them and ar
...more
I've read a few of Anita Shreve's novels and liked them. Testimony was no different. It's a very powerful story that grabs your attention from the beginning and keeps you hooked to the end.
The beginning of the novel introduces us to a devastating videotape that involves two boys 18 years old, one boy 19 years old and a very young girl, aged 14. The tape shows them involved in very explicit sexual acts. They are all very clearly drunk. This tape ends up falling into the headmaster's hands and he ...more
The beginning of the novel introduces us to a devastating videotape that involves two boys 18 years old, one boy 19 years old and a very young girl, aged 14. The tape shows them involved in very explicit sexual acts. They are all very clearly drunk. This tape ends up falling into the headmaster's hands and he ...more
Anita Shreve has done it again. Each time I pick up one of her books it's a brand new experience; a completely unpredictable and entertaining experience. It feels as though she's reinvented her style with each book. Testimony was no exception. Told through the voices of 23 different characters - yes 23 - with snippets of information delivered in seemingly random order, and primarily in the third person I can't believe how well it worked. Somehow she gave distinctive voices to each character, the
...more
What a page-turner! This whole story is told from multiple perspectives and each chapter is a different voice in this story. I loved how the chapters represented different emotions and told the story one step at a time using multiple voices. It was a great way to develop the characters. I was attached to many of them and deeply rooting for them, all the while knowing that it wasn't going to wrap up with a happy ending.
Avery Academy is a private school in the outskirts of Vermont, gearing studen ...more
Avery Academy is a private school in the outskirts of Vermont, gearing studen ...more
I was lucky enough to get a galley of this book, and I zipped right through it. It's likely inspired by the Duke Lacrosse scandal, as it revolves around a similar scandal at an upscale New Hampshire prep school. The chapters are told from the various points of view of the people involved, from the basketball players, parents, alleged victim, friends, and school administrators. The story moves very quickly and definitely makes the point that every story has multiple interpretations and how the ac
...more
I am a sucker for a boarding school book. And this one has it all. Scandal, scandal, scandal. Great for a plane or a beach or anyone who can't resist snowy high school drama.
...more
Finished a while ago. I liked it. Very good, very readable, inherently depressing, ultimately satisfying.
Definitely just an ok read. It was quick. Margins were wide and lots of space between the lines. Some reviewer of a different book saw this as a sign that a book of little substance was somehow being made to appear larger. Surely applies to this book. The chapter format was annoying; too many changes from first person to narrator to whatever. The entire premise was bogus: two years after a some kids at a private school are caught up in a sex scandal, a researcher contacts various individuals who
...more
It is the first Anita Shreve I read and it was a book that travels. It landed at our place, left by a guest. So it was not a book I would normally buy and did not know what to expect. The private school sex scandal, starting the book in graphic detail almost had me put it down. It was not my kind of book at all. But then the story pulled me in. The different characters relate their involvement one by one in each chapter and although it was annoying in the beginning, it soon made sense.
Although ...more
Although ...more
Three older star basketball players at a fancy private high school have sex with a drunken 14-year-old girl. A video recording surfaces. Lives are destroyed. The book sucked me in and held my attention. But two major problems made me dislike it. The event that triggered the “good” boy to participate in the gang rape certainly could have been believable, but the author never established why it would send him off the deep end. More problematic was the victim. Having her be a shallow “slut” — there
...more
Sep 26, 2008
Serena
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
anyone that loves Shreve or wants to give her a try
Testimony by Anita Shreve, which will be released on Oct. 21, was such a surprise in my mailbox from Hatchette Group's Miriam Parker. Thanks, Miriam! I met Anita Shreve at the 2002 National Book Festival signing in Washington, D.C. I've been in love with her writing since I first read The Pilot's Wife many years before that, and I will admit here that I've tried to emulate her style in my own writing, though my writing has not met muster.
Testimony is one of those novels that slowly draws you int ...more
Testimony is one of those novels that slowly draws you int ...more
In a small Vermont village, most-known for its private boarding school for the privileged children of the wealthy, and some who are there on scholarships, a scandal is brewing.
We see the story unveiled, piece by piece, in the voices of the participants. First we learn of a tape, discovered by Mike Bordwin, the headmaster of Avery Academy. It is a sex tape and it reveals the activities of some of the best and brightest – along with the unfortunate appearance on the tape of a fourteen-year-old gir ...more
We see the story unveiled, piece by piece, in the voices of the participants. First we learn of a tape, discovered by Mike Bordwin, the headmaster of Avery Academy. It is a sex tape and it reveals the activities of some of the best and brightest – along with the unfortunate appearance on the tape of a fourteen-year-old gir ...more
I found this book profoundly unsettling, as a mom, and a past wild child/boarding school attendee. There is a passage where a mother ponders "The Phone Call" and as a mother how every day you wait for the phone call, and you worry, and you wonder, what is it going to be, and am I going to be the lucky one that never receives the phone call, that never meets the police at her door in the dead of night. It reduced me to tears and cost me some sleep.
That said I think that this book also touches on ...more
That said I think that this book also touches on ...more
My first Anita Shreve book and I really enjoyed it and read in 36 hours. The book is a bit 'jerky' as it is told by a lot of different characters.
What is fascinating is how a bit of bad behaviour spirals into catastrophe for a lot of people.
I will definitely read more by her. ...more
What is fascinating is how a bit of bad behaviour spirals into catastrophe for a lot of people.
I will definitely read more by her. ...more
Excellent audiobook - narrated by several outstanding readers. The story unfolds in a Vermont elite boarding school when several older boys are involved in sexual activities with a 14 year old girl. The story is told from the point of view of the kids involved, the girl, the girl's roommate, the parents, the headmaster. All insightful. As the mother of 3 boys, much of the thoughts of the parents are thoughts that ran through my mind at one time or another. Not that I ever had these issues with a
...more
I didn’t appreciate the graphic sex, nor did I actually appreciate the fiction. I found myself wanting to read the police reports, court reports and pyschological profiles of the incidents and people who inspired this fiction book.
Here is a quote from the book that I thought had merit.
“I held on to the story at the Globe for as long as it lasted. I received a Pulitzer for my work on it. I could go on and on about the ethics of accepting a prize for a sordid tale about alcohol abuse, sexual assau ...more
Here is a quote from the book that I thought had merit.
“I held on to the story at the Globe for as long as it lasted. I received a Pulitzer for my work on it. I could go on and on about the ethics of accepting a prize for a sordid tale about alcohol abuse, sexual assau ...more
Jul 09, 2016
Glenna Pritchett
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
literary-fiction,
recommend-to-friends
This is one of the saddest, most disturbing books I have ever read. My stomach was in knots most of the way through, yet I am glad I read it and I hope you will read it, too. I don't want to discuss the plot or the writing, I only want to say I don't think I'll ever forget the story, and I want to share a couple of quotes that twisted my heart and took my breath:
"... and you'll remember, and it'll catch you up, and you'll realize how fast, how fast, a life can get all twisted around."
"A single a ...more
"... and you'll remember, and it'll catch you up, and you'll realize how fast, how fast, a life can get all twisted around."
"A single a ...more
WOW, just wow. This book was a masterpiece. You know, I was very excited to read it. I started it, and for some reason the first 30 pages didn't really grab me so I set it down for a few days. I picked it back up and never let go! The book definitely keep me in its grips from that point forward.
There are many powerful things going on here. For one- the variety of perspectives and voices makes this about the easiest book to read, there is no chance of getting bored when the voice rotates from pe ...more
There are many powerful things going on here. For one- the variety of perspectives and voices makes this about the easiest book to read, there is no chance of getting bored when the voice rotates from pe ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| test | 4 | 7 | Nov 01, 2016 02:20AM | |
| Madison Mega-Mara...: #74 Testimony by Anita Shreve | 1 | 4 | Jun 10, 2016 09:51AM | |
| Goodreads Librari...: update cover art | 2 | 18 | Sep 04, 2015 05:23PM | |
| good | 6 | 33 | Jan 19, 2013 01:21AM | |
| review | 7 | 72 | Apr 19, 2012 10:33AM |
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Anita Shreve was an American writer, chiefly known for her novels. Shreve's novels have sold millions of copies worldwide. She attended Tufts University and began writing while working as a high school teacher. One of her first published stories, Past the Island, Drifting, (published in 1975) was awarded an O. Henry Prize in 1976. Among other jobs, Shreve spent three years working as a journalist
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