Night Road

I understand why one reviewer would say it's geared toward teenagers except for the mothers perspective and depth of loss would be too much for a younger person to relate to. It took a bit to get into, but the author takes her time to develop the intricacies and inner turmoils of the relationships with the characters so once the true drama begins you are so familiar with them that it was worth going thru.

The storyline was good. I did appreciate the fact that it didn't sugar coat the issues in the book. It presented them realistically and kept the message going throughout the story. When my kids are teenagers, this is a story I'd like them to hear.

However - the mother - she spent the first half other the book smothering her children with everything her time and money could provide - and the second half of the book, she litterally checked out. Of course until the last 1hr 44min. Then somehow she put herself back together in the span of a day or two... even though she apparantly couldn't function for years. I was so irritated with her behavior - that I found myself cringing.

This should be required reading for all teenagers. It shows the major consequences of making the simple but very bad decision of drinking and driving. It was heart wrenching. And after showing all of the pain of making certain life choices, it also showed how to forgive and move on from the past to live in the present and have hope for the future.

I have mixed feeling about this book and it could be because I listen to it rather than read it. For me it started out very similar to Firefly Lane and prayed it would not be the same story written with different characters. Well it turned out it was not. I felt the 1st half of the story really was geared to teenagers in high school - parties, drinking, drugs and some hints of sex ???

I found this part of the story somewhat annoying ??? and it could because of the narrator.
The story spans around Farraday family ??? an over bearing mother Jude, her doctor husband, Miles and 2 twins, Mia and Zach. Lexi Baill, a former foster child the small town with her aunt and is welcomed into the Farraday home with open arms. Lexi and Mia become the BFF and in senior year Lexi and Zach fall in love. In one night and one bad decision cause will tear the family apart and cause Lexi to lose everything.

What I found frustrating with the story was the mother ??? the 1st half of the story she was better than a ???mother of the year??? ??? the second half of the book .. she mentally abandons her family and drowns in self-pity. I found the ending very predictable ??? not that was bad .. we needed some happiness in the book.

I did come away from the book that the message that love and forgiveness does heal and the courage to get there.

The writing is overly dramatic and forced. The story is dull and full of cliches. Save your money.

The audience for this book should be teen-age girls. Very predictable. Narrative is frequently repetitive.

I think Kristin Hannah's books can be a little sappy, but I really enjoyed this one, and was sorry when it ended. The narrator does a fantastic job, which always helps, too!

I was worried that I would be disappointed by this book since Kristin Hannah is not generally so dark. But she did not disappoint.

I loved this book. The charachters are so real and the circumstances in this book could happen to anyone. It reminds me of Jodi Picoult's books. I highley recommend it.

AN excellent and thought provoking story, that deeply connects with the reader's heart. An excellent narrator that enables the book to pack a double punch. Cried through much of it, but loved it!