Book Review: When the Bough Breaks by Miss Mae

Title: When the Bough Breaks

Author: Miss Mae

Website: www.missmaesite.com

Genre: Fiction/Young Adult/Mystery-Thriller

Publisher: Whimsical Publications

ISBN: 978-1-936167-01-2

Format: E-book, 189 pages

(avl in print only)

Release date: October 12, 2009

Reviewed: September 7, 2009

Rating: 5 pearls (4.8)

Warnings: None

Synopsis: 16-year-old Darlene Moore is not allowed to date until she turns 18. Despite her mother's rule, she finds herself drawn to Parker Shane, a young man newly returned from Vietnam who has the reputation of a playboy. Through betrayals by more than one person in whom Darlene once placed her trust, these two struggle to find a way to be together.

My two cents: This book started out with the feel of a typical young adult book. The heroine, Darlene, is 16 and in high school. Set in the late '60s with all the trappings of the period, it was an interesting journey into recent history. As the story progresses, however, the initial fluffy feel of the story is lost in a barrage of tragedy that left this reader in tears more than once.

I was surprised that this short novel managed to wring so many differing emotions from me. I chuckled, I cried and at one point, my jaw dropped. It is well-written, flows well, and has believable characters. This was a book that was hard to walk away from. If my copy hadn't been an e-book, I would have taken this book with me everywhere until I was done!

While the first few chapters were a little slow, getting to know who was who and what was what, the story quickly picked up pace. The author let tantalizing bits of mystery drop until all the pieces fell into place. In my opinion, it was very well done.

In conclusion, this is the first by this author that I have had the pleasure to read. It won't be the last.

Please note: Although my copy was an e-book, this book will only be available in print.

*Review based on ARC.