[8G2]≡ PDF Hush Little Baby Suzanne Redfearn 9781455573202 Books

Hush Little Baby Suzanne Redfearn 9781455573202 Books

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Hush Little Baby Suzanne Redfearn 9781455573202 Books

** This book review, as well as many more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca)

Note: My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchanged for my honest review.

My Review: I loved this book. How's that for an opening line of a review?

It not only had me on the edge of my seat a few times but the short chapters kept the pace high and the emotions that Ms Redfearn's writing pulled out of me surprised even me. Let's just say that it takes a lot to get an emotional response out of this reader but this book did.

As Jillian's home life is described at the beginning of the book I found myself making stereotypical generalizations of Jillian -- the battered, powerless wife (I had failed to remember, after quickly skimming the book synopsis, that Jillian was a successful career woman). Due to this oversight I'm ashamed to say that I made assumptions about Jillian from the get go. That is, until the author turned those assumptions upside down. Well played, Ms Redfearn, well played. I loved the fact that this book put me in my place and helped me to open my eyes to the truth about spousal abuse. It can affect anyone. You just never know someone else's story.

Hush Little Baby is filled with shorter chapters and I think that this helps to propel the storyline and keep the reader engaged. It takes off right away on an emotional and suspenseful rollercoaster with the reader seeing and feeling Jillian's fear, uncertainty and abuse. Reading certain passages, I felt myself tensing up and willing Jillian to make a different choice. You can feel the tension that Jillian and her children, especially her son Drew, live with on a daily basis.

But it was her conflicting emotions regarding her husband Gordon that got to me the most. Her self-doubt and feelings of worthlessness were palpable and made me want to reach in and get her to realize, before it's too late, that it doesn't have to be this way.

The mental abuse and degradation that Gordon commits against Jillian are just as appalling and hurtful as the physical marks he leaves on her. To see this powerful woman denigrated and reduced to the point where she only views herself as a bad mother, useless and ugly was heart breaking, frustrating and maddening.

What I found frustrating was seeing how quickly Jillian's mindset reverts to forgetting about the horrible parts of her marriage when she's in a calm/peaceful time with her husband. During those times she chooses to believe the image that Gordon portrays to everyone else. The cop who coaches Little League and the hands on Dad who's a devote Christian. It may be self-preservation and/or fear but seeing her talk about missing foot rubs and Gordon asking about her day even after he brutally hurts her was hard to read ... and yet I could see where she was coming from at the same time. I think that Ms Redfearn truly got into the head of an abused woman and helped me to better understand what it's like to be in that position.

I really don't have any negatives about this book but I do have more of a 'wish list' of sorts. I think adding the points of view of Drew and Gordon could have added an extra layer to the book. Seeing how Drew truly views his dad and his mom as well as how he feels when he witnesses his mom being abused/denigrated would have possibly given a broader understanding of spousal abuse.

As for Gordon? I hated Gordon but he was such a pivotal character and I would have loved to have gotten inside his head at least a bit. Why does he do what he does? The way he uses manipulation, shame and sabotage against the woman he supposedly loves was astounding and eye-opening but how did he view his actions?

I also wish that we could have found out what happened to Paul, Goat etc. They helped play an important part in revitalizing Jillian's sense of self so I would have loved to have heard if they were still a part of Jillian's life.

My 'wish list' is meagre and I had to really hunt for things that could have possibly made this book even better. Like I said earlier, I loved this book. It's filled with emotion and edge-of-your-seat action that had me rooting for Jillian and so scared for her too. This was a hard to put down book and I'm very eager to read more from this new author.

Highly recommended.

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Favourite Quotes:
"I'm surprised at the depth of his cruelty, amazed how irrelevant I've become. Even as I hate him, I'm hurt by him, and a perverted part of me wants him to still love me." - Jillian

"A beautiful day. A beautiful family. I'm happy to pretend." - Jillian

"Fear paralyzes. It replaces logical thought with a numbing inability to alter your destiny."

"Until you've almost died, you don't appreciate the tenuous tether you have to life, but when you come within a breath of your mortality, suddenly you become very aware of its precariousness. And as insane as it is, and I acknowledge it's insane, I'm never so grateful for my life than the moment I realize Gordon didn't kill me." - Jillian


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Hush Little Baby Suzanne Redfearn 9781455573202 Books Reviews

They looked like the perfect family. Gordon, a police officer, Jillian, an architect, with two beautiful children, Drew, 8, and Addie, 4 they all live in a gorgeous home in the upscale community of Laguna Beach. But behind closed doors, havoc reigns. For nine years, Jillian has suffered abuse, fear, and the threat of escalating violence at the hands of her husband Gordon.

But nobody would believe her even if she did tell. Which is why Jillian does the unthinkable one day. She grabs the kids and runs.

In the suspenseful page-turning Hush Little Baby, the reader is reeled into the kind of existence that only an abuse victim lives with everyday, and as the story unfolds, we come to realize that there will be only one kind of conclusion one of the two, either Gordon or Jillian, will end up dead.

Themes of domestic violence and the kind of family dysfunction that allows it to flourish are at the core of this story that will appeal to anyone who has ever lived it, as well as those who have worked to help change things for victims.

There were times that I shook my head at the poor choices made by the characters, even Jillian, who kept staying long after she should have. But all of these behaviors are completely understandable when one considers the options available. 4.5 stars.
In my 65+ years, I've never once viewed a couple and had the slightest thought as to whether or not abuse was taking place. I'm not stupid, but my upbringing and life thereafter had no room for such dark thoughts. I therefore am drawn to stories surrounding this theme because it's so foreign to me (outside of books/movies). The only other book I've read to date about spousal abuse was Anna Quindlen's Black and Blue - which I personally found more harrowing and stunning than this one. HOWEVER, with that being said, I rated this novel 4 Stars because the story is told very well. I had my moments where I could not fathom how Jillian had not left way earlier - but then, that's the educational part of reading such stories you come to understand why certain paths are not taken. One can question women who "stay because of the children" - consider the psychological damage being done to them - on the other hand, they sometimes stay for fear of what will happen to those children if they DO leave. What an unimaginable, horrific position in which to be. Jillian's resulting pregnancy from her affair - and her decision to bring the child into her world - brought not a shred of sympathy nor understanding to me. She was careless, especially given her circumstances. You will find yourself asking MANY questions about the characters and their actions in this compelling novel. And the fact that there are those who side with Gordon blew me away. Redfearn's provocative "Note From The Author" should be in the beginning of the novel, not at the end. The Reading Group Guide at the end is one of the better I've read - more questions to answer!
This book was a little slow for me in the beginning, but when it got going it went fast. The last half of the book had me literally on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, anxious and waiting. I have never been physically abused by anyone and it breaks my heart to know there are women (and men) out there having to endure such hurt and pain. Jillian's husband, Gordon, is a pure psychopath. He's one of the cruelest characters I've come across in a book. I really hated him. You'll cheer for Jillian, and you'll hurt for her, and you'll hold your breath for the explosive ending.
** This book review, as well as many more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca)

Note My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchanged for my honest review.

My Review I loved this book. How's that for an opening line of a review?

It not only had me on the edge of my seat a few times but the short chapters kept the pace high and the emotions that Ms Redfearn's writing pulled out of me surprised even me. Let's just say that it takes a lot to get an emotional response out of this reader but this book did.

As Jillian's home life is described at the beginning of the book I found myself making stereotypical generalizations of Jillian -- the battered, powerless wife (I had failed to remember, after quickly skimming the book synopsis, that Jillian was a successful career woman). Due to this oversight I'm ashamed to say that I made assumptions about Jillian from the get go. That is, until the author turned those assumptions upside down. Well played, Ms Redfearn, well played. I loved the fact that this book put me in my place and helped me to open my eyes to the truth about spousal abuse. It can affect anyone. You just never know someone else's story.

Hush Little Baby is filled with shorter chapters and I think that this helps to propel the storyline and keep the reader engaged. It takes off right away on an emotional and suspenseful rollercoaster with the reader seeing and feeling Jillian's fear, uncertainty and abuse. Reading certain passages, I felt myself tensing up and willing Jillian to make a different choice. You can feel the tension that Jillian and her children, especially her son Drew, live with on a daily basis.

But it was her conflicting emotions regarding her husband Gordon that got to me the most. Her self-doubt and feelings of worthlessness were palpable and made me want to reach in and get her to realize, before it's too late, that it doesn't have to be this way.

The mental abuse and degradation that Gordon commits against Jillian are just as appalling and hurtful as the physical marks he leaves on her. To see this powerful woman denigrated and reduced to the point where she only views herself as a bad mother, useless and ugly was heart breaking, frustrating and maddening.

What I found frustrating was seeing how quickly Jillian's mindset reverts to forgetting about the horrible parts of her marriage when she's in a calm/peaceful time with her husband. During those times she chooses to believe the image that Gordon portrays to everyone else. The cop who coaches Little League and the hands on Dad who's a devote Christian. It may be self-preservation and/or fear but seeing her talk about missing foot rubs and Gordon asking about her day even after he brutally hurts her was hard to read ... and yet I could see where she was coming from at the same time. I think that Ms Redfearn truly got into the head of an abused woman and helped me to better understand what it's like to be in that position.

I really don't have any negatives about this book but I do have more of a 'wish list' of sorts. I think adding the points of view of Drew and Gordon could have added an extra layer to the book. Seeing how Drew truly views his dad and his mom as well as how he feels when he witnesses his mom being abused/denigrated would have possibly given a broader understanding of spousal abuse.

As for Gordon? I hated Gordon but he was such a pivotal character and I would have loved to have gotten inside his head at least a bit. Why does he do what he does? The way he uses manipulation, shame and sabotage against the woman he supposedly loves was astounding and eye-opening but how did he view his actions?

I also wish that we could have found out what happened to Paul, Goat etc. They helped play an important part in revitalizing Jillian's sense of self so I would have loved to have heard if they were still a part of Jillian's life.

My 'wish list' is meagre and I had to really hunt for things that could have possibly made this book even better. Like I said earlier, I loved this book. It's filled with emotion and edge-of-your-seat action that had me rooting for Jillian and so scared for her too. This was a hard to put down book and I'm very eager to read more from this new author.

Highly recommended.

My Rating 4.5/5 stars

Favourite Quotes
"I'm surprised at the depth of his cruelty, amazed how irrelevant I've become. Even as I hate him, I'm hurt by him, and a perverted part of me wants him to still love me." - Jillian

"A beautiful day. A beautiful family. I'm happy to pretend." - Jillian

"Fear paralyzes. It replaces logical thought with a numbing inability to alter your destiny."

"Until you've almost died, you don't appreciate the tenuous tether you have to life, but when you come within a breath of your mortality, suddenly you become very aware of its precariousness. And as insane as it is, and I acknowledge it's insane, I'm never so grateful for my life than the moment I realize Gordon didn't kill me." - Jillian