Book Review: Endangered

Title:  Endangered
Author:  C.J. Box
Pages:  369
Publication Date:  2015
Version:  Soft Cover
Genre:  Adult Fiction, Mystery 

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"She was gone. Joe Pickett had good reason to dislike Dallas Cates, even if he was a rodeo champion, and now he has even more—Joe’s eighteen-year-old ward, April, has run off with him.

And then comes even worse news: The body of a girl has been found in a ditch along the highway—alive, but just barely, the victim of blunt force trauma. It is April, and the doctors aren’t sure if she’ll recover. Cates denies having anything to do with it—says she ran away from him, too—and there’s evidence that points to another man. But Joe knows in his gut who’s responsible. What he doesn’t know is the kind of danger he’s about to encounter. Cates is bad enough, but Cates’s family is like none Joe has ever met before.

Joe’s going to find out the truth, even if it kills him. But this time, it just might."

My Review:

This was a heck of a book, that I must say had me fooled from page one.  There was a LOT happening in this book that's for sure.  It was pure action and mystery from the get go.  I loved how there may have been multiple plot lines happening, but I was never confused or mixing them up.  It was very well written.  It was definitely a book based off a Father's actions because of his love and bond with his daughter.  He was not willing to give up on finding all the answers he was seeking, even if the other authorities had stamped the case "closed".  Joe shows just how far a Father will go to find answers when someone does harm to his family.  I loved the twists and turns in this book!  It took me a bit to finish this book, but it was no fault of the book, haha, it was life that got in the way of hours of reading at a time.  It was a book that was easy to read, easy to follow, yet more interesting than any I have read in a long time.  This book is part of a series, which I didn't really realize until after I was into it.  It is a pretty decent stand alone book, a few references to past books, but it was nothing that hindered the current book.  Mainly it was a few "inside jokes" if you will that I knew would mean more had I read more of the series before this book.  I did find that there was one ongoing type of mystery that was going on though.  It, again, was interesting and being that it wasn't the main plot of this book was not something that I was mad about really.  I did finish the book and was starting to write this review when I thought, hey...that particular plot never really had a hard end end, but I wasn't mad, it had a pretty conclusive point that lead me to make my own conclusions about it.  Not sure if it was meant to be that way or if it will be brought up again in the next book(s).  Again, wasn't a big deal to me or a deal breaker for liking the book.  The book was excellent!  I loved the characters as well and hated others, but not because of writing development of them, but because of how they were in the book.  I loved seeing the development of Joe, the main character, and he quickly was one I came to love in the book for many reasons.  He is determined in both his work and family life.  This book had a way of him putting his daughter and family first all while also putting his work, not first per say, but a dang hair of the chin close second.  I would definitely recommend this read whether you are picking it up as a stand alone or if you are continuing on in the series.

5 out of 5 Stars!

Picture Taken By Me

Book Review: True Colors

Title:  True Colors
Author:  Kristin Hannah
Pages:  491
Publication Date:  2009
Version:  Paperback
Genre:  Adult Fiction

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"True Colors is New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah's most provocative, compelling, and heart-wrenching story yet. With the luminous writing and unforgettable characters that are her trademarks, she tells the story of three sisters whose once-solid world is broken apart by jealousy, betrayal, and the kind of passion that rarely comes along.

The Grey sisters have always been close. After their mother's death, the girls banded together, becoming best friends. Their stern, disapproving father cares less about his children than about his reputation. To Henry Grey, appearances are everything, and years later, he still demands that his daughters reflect his standing in the community.

Winona, the oldest, needs her father's approval most of all. An overweight bookworm who never felt at home on the sprawling horse ranch that has been in her family for three generations, she knows that she doesn't have the qualities her father values. But as the best lawyer in town, she's determined to someday find a way to prove her worth to him.

Aurora, the middle sister, is the family peacemaker. She brokers every dispute and tries to keep them all happy, even as she hides her own secret pain.

Vivi Ann is the undisputed star of the family. A stunningly beautiful dreamer with a heart as big as the ocean in front of her house, she is adored by all who know her. Everything comes easily for Vivi Ann, until a stranger comes to town. . . .

In a matter of moments, everything will change. The Grey sisters will be pitted against one another in ways that none could have imagined. Loyalties will be tested and secrets revealed, and a terrible, shocking crime will shatter both their family and their beloved town.

With breathtaking pace and penetrating emotional insight, True Colors is an unforgettable novel about sisters, rivalry, forgiveness, redemption—and ultimately, what it means to be a family."

My Review:

I must say this book was surprisingly amazing to me!  I picked it up thinking, well I know murder mystery isn't the whole true plot of this book, but it looks like it could be decent so I'll give it a shot.  I am so so so glad I did!  True, murder mystery wasn't the sole plot of this book, but it played a role in the plot.  Also included were family dynamics of three sisters and their lives, ever changing and difficult for others to understand.  Three sisters that shared an unbreakable bond were pulled so far apart with such different views on things going on in their lives that that bond was tested and pulled to the point of breaking some of its strands, but not the whole rope of the bond.  This was such an emotionally charged book from page one to page 491.  I very rarely go through the emotions of the characters or find a book so emotionally charged that it pained me to read it at times in my own emotions, but this book did just that.  I cried, I laughed, I found the hope in the situations and had it crushed just like the characters did, and I found myself torn about how to feel about so many of the things happening in the book...just like the characters.  I was overcome at times even with emotions so much that I had to put down the book to take a break and regroup myself.  Even having to do this I found myself rushing back to reading it to continue on the journey along with the Grey family.  I related to a lot of this book too, I think that was why it was so emotional for me.  To say I felt every emotion Vivi Ann had would not be far off the mark.  I wanted to just hug her through the pages and tell her to stay strong and never give up.  This may have been an emotion filled book that really was trying on my own emotions at times, but I am so glad I picked it up to read and I couldn't be happier to have read it and experienced it.  It was very well written and very easy to be sucked into and to forget it was a work of fiction and not happening in your own community or with your own best friend or family member.  I highly, very highly, recommend you take time to read this wonderful book!

5 out of 5 Stars!!!

Picture Taken by Me