"Look Again" by Lisa Scottoline ~ And Freebie!

This is the story of a adoptive's mother's conflicts and angst after she sees a "milk carton" picture of abducted and missing children...which features a child looking exactly like her adopted 3 year old son. Since she is a devoted mother, a journalist and as driven as a freight train, the novel starts off with a kick and speeds along.
The characters are well drawn, there's a love interest, and I'm so sad for the little boy!
Before I begin a review in earnest of  "Look Again," I just want to say how very much I enjoyed it.  Well written, a plot and characters that had me sitting up straight and afraid to get up to freshen my Diet Coke!  I loved this book.  Scottoline isn't a sappy writer.  She's a real storyteller.  Actually, she is such a good writer that I forgot I was reading a novel.  It could have been taken from the headlines, or a Nancy Grace special program.
All of her characters are engaging and well filled out. At the end of the day, though, I felt most sympathetic toward the mother, Ellen. She was every bit the young journalist and single mother who wasn't about to let things happen to her...but who was all about getting to the truth the quickest and sharpest way, and deciding what to do at that point, thus attempting to assert her control over and managing how things would happen. It's a trait I'm not sure we'd all have in a similar circumstance.  But, in Ms Scottoline's hands, it was absolutely believable of Ellen.  Not that the best of intentions always come out as expected...

The book caused me to contemplate (though the action moved me along so quickly that I hardly allowed myself to think about it) what I might do in the same circumstances.  I'm really not sure I would have done "the right thing," whatever that might be, from a number of different perspectives.  You'd have to cut my arms off to take my children from me...and I'd still come after you with bloody stumps...not to put too fine a point on it!  The only criticism I would have, if any, of the story would be that I cringed a couple of times when Ellen left Will alone with the babysitter when I wouldn't have. 

You won't be disappointed with "Look Again."  If you like Jodi Picoult, you'll like this book alot.  It's Jodi with a sharper edge.  I thought that was just great, and I find I'll be reaching for more of Lisa Scottoline's books at the bookstore.

Also, stay tuned for a Freebie Offer coming up next blog entry!!!


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