Hold Tight by Harlan Coben Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Hold Tight
Book Review: "Hold Tight"
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is very suspenseful - one of those page-turners that is hard to put down because you're dying to know what happens. You have to keep up, as there are a lot of different characters introduced throughout.Book Review: 4 1/2 Stars...Modern Technology, Age-Old Values
Summary: 5 Stars
Over the last few years, Harlan Coben's name has become synonymous with plot twists and family issues and pulse-pounding storytelling. His last book, "The Woods," was no exception, yet it moved toward caricature and implausibility. Apparently, though, he listened to the naysayers and came up with "Hold Tight."
Imagine you're a parent. Your teen son has lost a friend to an overdose of prescription pills. You worry that your son is headed down a similar path. And so, to alleviate your concerns, you have someone install spyware on his computer to monitor his activities. Soon, his activities have everyone spiraling toward confrontation, and no one is to be trusted.
Coben, once again, has mixed the ethical questions of modern technology with age-old values of family and trust. He touches on many angles of this, using plot-relevant dialogue to address parenthood, nature vs. nurture, as well as teen rebellion and Internet temptations. He blends these issues seamlessly into a fast-paced mystery. He provides his expected--or unexpected!--twists and turns, and he unravels them as clearly, yet as satisfyingly, as he's ever done. This makes the story more believable than his last effort, while somewhat taming its overall shock value.
For those familiar with "The Woods," there are fun surprises throughout, involving Paul Copeland and Loren Muse, not to mention a reference or two to characters from the Mylon Bolitar series. Coben continues to take current concerns and make them not only entertaining, but also thought-provoking. His writing has pared down a bit, with some loss in overall character depth, but there's a reason Coben has risen to the top of the bestseller lists. With stories such as "Hold Tight," I expect he'll stay there for years to come.
Book Review: 5+ Star Plot, 2 Star Ending
Summary: 3 Stars
I really thought this was going to be my favorite of his books. I am a working mother who needs her sleep and yet I stayed up until 3 a.m. both nights, to finish it (which speaks to how thrilling the first 350 pages are). I disagree that the characters were underdeveloped.
Where my problem lies- is the ending. It was overly contrived, unrealistic and frankly, not as shocking or exciting as the endings in the past. It was actually quite boring. Perhaps I have just read so much Coben, that I am constantly searching for and anticipating the most absurd and crazy ending and it simply fell short. My last thoughts were "I stayed up for this?!"
So I had to give it 3 stars because of the very disappointing ending. But as far as the pace, the characters and the subject matter, it is by far his most interesting novel to date.
Book Review: A Gripping Tale
Summary: 5 Stars
A woman is brutally murdered.
A troubled teen commits suicide.
Another teen apparently distraught over the suicide of his best friend suddenly disappears within days of his parents installing a sophisticated spy program on his computer.
The child of a neighbor is in urgent need of a kidney transplant and his mother confides a devastating secret to his doctor.
Another child is being tormented by classmates in the wake of an inappropriate remark by a normally good teacher.
How do all these disparate issues relate?
A master craftsman interconnects them and draws all these families into a tragic and violent web that will have you turning pages and staying awake at night to see what happens next.
Anyone who has ever worried when their child walked out the door will relate to this gripping tale.
Coben's Myron Bolitar novels are good. His stand alone novels like this one are great.
Book Review: A Suburban Mess
Summary: 5 Stars
Unexpected twists and turns complete with a surprising ending characterize the novels of this popular author, and this book is no exception. As with his previous efforts, Coben uses his New Jersey background for a setting, although for some strange reason the Bronx plays a vital role.
Mike and Tia Baye are a suburban couple with two children. He's a surgeon, she's an attorney. Their 16-year-old son has become withdrawn and sullen, especially after the suicide of his best friend, and they are unable to penetrate his withdrawal. So they go against their better judgment and begin spying on him. They place spyware on his computer to learn what he is surfing, and read his e-mails. Thus begins a trip down a dangerous path. The son runs away and his parents learn he plans to go to a drug and drinking party.
If that isn't enough excitement, there are a few other sub-plots with enough intrigue and danger to keep the reader on edge. Written with the author's accustomed tautness, the intricacies of the plot keep moving steadily forward to a rousing finish. Recommended.