David Matthew Klein

I kept turning the pages of Stash because I wanted to know what would happen. The plot is definitely gripping, and the multiple viewpoints are especially effective in building suspense. I did have a few issues: First, the characters, to me, were completely flat, like they’d been modeled after stereotypes. Second, I must say, I didn’t love the ending; everything was too wrapped up and pretty. Overall, my two beefs with Stash weren’t enough to turn my opinion of it, and I did enjoy the book. A quick, complicated plot, lots of viewpoints, and interesting moral questions kept me reading, even if my love for the characters did not.

My full thoughts are posted on Erin Reads.… (mehr)

This is one of those novels that, when I turned the last page, I thought: "What was the point of all that?" Yes, there will be ***SPOILERS AHEAD***, but ultimately I'm not going to recommend the book to anyone... so if you don't plan to read it, you can keep reading this review.

If you want the long synopsis, go over to the Amazon page and read it there, but otherwise, here's my quick overview:

Suburban wife is bored with her life -- her husband works ridiculously long hours, she has 3 kids who demand all her time -- so she buys a bag of marijuana from an old flame to help her "relax" with her hubby on their planned upcoming vacation. On her way to pick up one of the kids, someone swerves into her lane and there's a terrible accident. She's not the one at fault, but the cops find the little bag of pot in her car, and -- since there's been trouble with drugs at the local high school -- they throw the book her her.

Precedent for the case should be that she gets off with a slap on the wrist, but the pressure mounts and she may be looking at jail time. Her husband's career is in danger. Her children are having trouble at school. Her friends start to abandon her, one by one. She's a pariah in the community... and when she reveals her source's name, everything goes crazy.

Of course, in time, the police catch their guy, the issues with her husband's job are solved, she's off the hook, and the vacation is rescheduled.

Cut to a scene of the family on a friend's farm, the kids around a bonfire and our main character and her only remaining female friend taking a walk to chat. Next thing we know, the main character -- our calm, suburban housewife who has just narrowly escaped having her entire life destroyed -- has pulled out a joint and is sharing is with her friend.

This is where I thought: "WHAT?!?!?!"

Maybe it's supposed to be ironic. Maybe the message of the book is that people can't change? Or won't change? Or that drugs aren't as bad as they were made out to be? Or...?!?! I have no idea.

What I *do* know is that I wasted an entire book feeling sorry for this woman who just wanted a little release from her monotonous existence, eventually cheering her on and hoping she'd get her life straightened out again, only to realize by the end of the book that she hasn't learned anything.

Aren't characters supposed to learn and grow from the beginning of a book to the end of it?

All I can say is... this book is waste of time. Don't bother.… (mehr)