Big Little Lies in Bound Together

Feb 25, 2015 Dale Harcombe rated it liked it

Rating and review to come. Need a serious think before writing it.
I’m finding it hard to rate this book. But in the end I've settled on 3 and a half stars.
Did I enjoy it? No, enjoyed wasn't the word I would use, but I did find it a compelling read. By the end was I glad I read it? Not sure. Firstly the things I liked about it:
At the Pirriwee Public School Trivia Night someone dies. Is it murder and if so who is responsible? Not only is the reader left to ponder who the victim is but also who is Rating and review to come. Need a serious think before writing it.
I’m finding it hard to rate this book. But in the end I've settled on 3 and a half stars.
Did I enjoy it? No, enjoyed wasn't the word I would use, but I did find it a compelling read. By the end was I glad I read it? Not sure. Firstly the things I liked about it:
At the Pirriwee Public School Trivia Night someone dies. Is it murder and if so who is responsible? Not only is the reader left to ponder who the victim is but also who is responsible and why. These facts are not revealed until close to the end of the book. I thought this was cleverly done. For me this was probably the biggest motivator to keep reading. I had to know what happened, who died and who was responsible.
The characters are well drawn and you can picture them easily, even though I could not relate to them at all. At first it can seem some of them are superficial, but then the reader comes to know more about them and their lives. This is where I struck trouble. At times I had to put the book aside because I could not stand reading about these unlikable people and their toxic relationships. There are ex husbands, victims of assault, bratty children, and an even brattier teenage daughter, and a kindergarten aged child accused of bullying? Is he guilty? That topic alone divides the school into two camps. Renata, whose child is the one being bullied, and Madeline who takes the side of Jane, the young single mother of Ziggy, the boy accused of bullying. So that is another thing that keeps you reading to find out how it pans out. Then there is the graphic issue of domestic violence. I know it happens, but I still find it hard to read about. And I got annoyed with the way at times the victim rationalised this behaviour. To me there are no excuses ever for domestic violence.
As well as the characters, the other thing I didn’t like the crude language, scattered throughout and in particular when it came to comments on the website set up. I’d put the book down at such points. Yet it kept calling me back to find out about the crime that happens at the Trivia Night. By the time I got to the end I was happy to have those questions resolved and yet at the same time I felt sorry I’d read so much about the behaviour and lives of these characters. I felt rather like a voyeur. After this I needed to read something that showed another side to humanity.
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Feb 04, 2018 Jen from Quebec :0) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: aty-challenge, disney-challenge, books-read-in-2018, reading-challenge-books, school, female-authors, foreign-authors, books-i-ve-been-putting-off, totally-overrated, 2018-tbr-challenge

Huh! Too tired to write a proper review atm, but I will say that this book BECAME SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST FLUFF by the end. Also, it is wickedly funny but has a lot to think about beneath its' biting humour. --Jen from Quebec :0) ...more

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Oct 20, 2016 DeAnn rated it it was amazing

Loved this book and the way the author wrote it with little snippets from various character's perspective. Moriarty kept me guessing right up until the very end. I've seen this one recommended in a lot of places and I totally understand why now. I'm putting her other books higher up on my list! ...more

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Aug 31, 2014 Kelly Cosio rated it really liked it

Quick easy read-don't let the 480 pages turn you away. Pages are short, as well as chapters. Fun but not too thought-provoking! ...more

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Oct 09, 2017 Nuvaira rated it really liked it

I wasn't all sure why I was reading this book until the story progressed and I ended up finishing it sooner than expected. It revolves around some pretty sensitive issues which we normally disregard and not even realise.
Can't say much without giving in spoilers.I recommend it to mothers and educators who work with children of all ages. ...more

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