Saving Phoebe Murrow Book Review

October 27, 2017 / 0 comments

Saving Phoebe Murrow Book ReviewSaving Phoebe Murrow by Herta Feely
Published by Upper Hand Press on September 2nd 2016
Genres: Fiction
Format: eARC
Source: ARC
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A story about the timeless struggle between mothers and their teen daughters with a razor-sharp 21st century twist. This heart-wrenching, harrowing debut novel for fans of Big Little Lies (Liane Moriarty) and Reconstructing Amelia (Kimberly McCreight) will make you question what's needed to keep your children from harm.

Phoebe's mother, Isabel, is precariously balancing her career and her family. Hard-working and caring, worried but supportive, all Isabel wants, in a world of bullies and temptations, is to keep her daughter Phoebe safe. With her busy schedule, though, she fails to recognize another mother's mounting fury and the danger Phoebe faces by flirting with a mysterious boy on Facebook. A cyber-bullying episode aimed at Phoebe pushes her to the edge with horrific consequences. In her search for justice, Isabel, a DC lawyer, sets out to find the culprit behind this cruel incident.

Saving Phoebe Murrow, set amidst the complicated web of adolescent relationships, tells a story of miscommunication and malice, drugs and Facebook, prejudice and revenge.

Angie’s Thoughts:

Saving Phoebe Murrow is a harrowing tale of what one mom went through, a daughter who had nowhere else to turn and an unexpected bully hiding in the shadows. The story is all too real and makes you want to hold your children closer.

When I first started this book I was so excited. I love books filled with drama, angst, and suspense. I got those things but in a long drawn out way.

I loved the parts where we were in Phoebe’s mind and even her moms and dads. I loved the POV of the bully too. Phoebe is such a sweet girl. She doesn’t do anything wrong. She listens to her parents. Only acts out as normal teenagers do. Hello, hormones! I really liked her. I wish we read more from her POV. I think it would’ve made this book fantastic and unputdownable.

Isabel is a very controlling and overprotective mother which I can understand why but at some point in your child’s life you have to let them breathe. If you don’t the consequences will be bad. This book was mainly in her POV and it drove me crazy after awhile. I didn’t mind it at first but the more I read the more she annoyed me. I really thought this was Phoebe’s story but after awhile I felt like it was about Isabel and what she was doing wrong.

I wished we had more background on Phoebe and what happened in the past. I needed more of her. I needed to know what was going on in her head even a small POV of Jessie. I just needed more and I’m so sad I didn’t like this book as much as I wanted to.

The writing was flawless. Ms. Feely really does know how to tell a story. There were parts that left me guessing and close to tears. I think I’m in the minority here about my review but I’m glad others loved it.

The Verdict:

Purchase @ AMAZON for $0.99

About Herta Feely

Herta B. Feely is the author of numerous short stories and memoir, published in literary journals and anthologies. She received two fellowships for a novel in progress – the James Jones First Novel Fellowship and an Artist in Literature from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities – and an American Independent Writing Prize in Personal Essay.

She is the co-editor and publisher of an anthology of 22 authors’ short stories and memoir, titled Confessions: Fact or Fiction?, in which she explores the blurred line between true stories and fictional ones. She organized readings for the anthology in bookstores in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and St. Louis.



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