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The Half Life of Molly Pierce Katrina Leno Books

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The Half Life of Molly Pierce Katrina Leno Books

3.5 stars

I really liked this book. Even though I only gave it 3.5 stars I do strongly recommend it! This review will have no spoilers, but I'll probably be a little vague because personally I think it'd be best to go into this not knowing a whole lot.

The best way to describe this book is that it's a little like We Were Liars and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. They remind me of each other because they all have a kind of unreliable narrator. Our main character, Molly, is having these blackouts, where for various amounts of time she won't remember anything.

This book was paced really well. I never wanted to put it down! It was hard for me to relate to the characters and I was lacking a connection with them. I still was really intrigued by this book, though. Overall I thought the author did a fantastic job writing this and recommend if it interests you. Although it's only around 230 pages, I thought the author crafted a great, mysterious read.


Tags : Amazon.com: The Half Life of Molly Pierce (9780062231178): Katrina Leno: Books,Katrina Leno,The Half Life of Molly Pierce,HarperTeen,0062231170,Family - Siblings,Social Themes - Emotions & Feelings,Social Themes - Friendship,Dissociative disorders;Fiction.,Multiple personality;Fiction.,Children's Teenage fiction & true stories,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Dissociative disorders,Fiction,Fiction-Suspense,JUVENILE,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14,Multiple personality,Social Themes - Depression & Mental Illness,TEEN'S FICTION SUSPENSE,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Emotions & Feelings,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Friendship,Young Adult Fiction Coming of Age,Young Adult Fiction Family Siblings,Young Adult Fiction Mysteries & Detective Stories,Young Adult FictionFamily - Siblings,Young Adult FictionSocial Themes - Friendship

The Half Life of Molly Pierce Katrina Leno Books Reviews

I really can't say enough about this book! From the start, I was invested in the lead character Molly and intrigued by what was unfolding around her. The supporting characters are just as rich, and I found myself sinking in to the book quite easily. As the story unfolds, I was surprised by how emotional my response was and how deeply personal the book feels. The underlying message behind the story is powerful and worth the read. Leno has a beautiful style, descriptive and deep without getting in the way -- it is hard to believe this is her debut novel and makes me excited to see what else she does. I've recommended this book to many of my friends and will continue to do so. It is a must read!!
I began the book and felt like it was a modern version of Catcher in the Rye about the confusion of being a teen. I pictured Molly as an outsider like Ellen Page's character in Juno and I thought I knew where the book was going. It then totally flipped on me and took me in a different direction. I couldn't put it down at that point. I planned on giving it it four stars because the book sucked me in and spit me out right at the point where I wanted more from it. I felt out of balance emotionally at the end and realized that was exactly what the author intended. Books don't normally have this effect on me. It was masterfully done and I realized it deserved six stars instead of four.

Classifying this book as young adult is dismissive because it is extremely thought provoking and provides deep insights into a serious issue. I would strongly suggest it for adults of all ages.
Half-Life
Warning this review does reveal something about the plot you may not want to know about until after you read the book (It is difficult to write a complete review of this book without revealing any plot spoilers). First, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed Katrina Leno's debut. In Half-Life, Ms. Leno masterfully unfolds her plot through Molly's limited view-point weaving her way through a complicated mental illness and holding her readers hostage in her can't-put-it-down YA mystery. Leno chose what I've found to be an all-too-rarely-used staccato style of writing that lends itself well to both the choppy reality of Molly's life and the urgency of what we find Molly delicately navigating herself through. I loved the supporting characters especially Hazel and Clancy who had just the right amount of depth and page-time. Not having much education or experience with dissociative identity disorder, I found the way Ms. Leno portrayed the mental disorder to be informative, understandable, insightful and respectful. When I finished the book, I felt like I completely understood why everyone did what they did from Molly to Mabel to Clancy to Sawyer. I felt satisfied and complete. I highly recommend this book not only for YA's but for adults as well. It's a quick, fully engaging, enjoyable read with a little education thrown in for good measure. Well done, Ms. Leno. I'm anxiously awaiting your next book.
I saw this on the reading list of a young woman of whom I think very highly, and who is the same age as my teenage son. Read it in a single sitting, and found myself absorbed by Molly's world from the first sentence. The writing is accessible without being patronizing; this would be a brilliant book for use with youth groups and other organizations centered around young adults, from middle school through college age, to encourage meaningful dialogue about mental illness. I would recommend it to adult friends as well, particularly parents and others who work with young adults. Very thought provoking, and left me with no choice but to seek more information and better educate myself about the issues it raises.
I'm not sure where to start with this one, because I have so many positive things to say about it. First off, the story itself is very smartly delivered to the reader and keeps you engaged throughout the process. It does one of my favorite things that a book can do Pull you along through a story arc, but leave you plenty of breadcrumbs that you can use to hypothesize what could happen next. It leaves you guessing but gives you enough space to have a little fun of your own and still be surprised at the outcome.

Second, it's a very brave book. While the author has created a very compelling story and mystery, she has also used a very realistic landscape. The reader views all of this through the eyes of a girl who is struggling with some heavy depression and mental illness, but at the same time, it's very relatable. I think many of us can remember difficult times we've had in our youth, or are having currently, and the humanizing element to the characters helps bring us in closer to the story. I really loved that aspect of it, it's very powerful.

Lastly, the writing itself is just beautiful. Very elegant prose that dances off the page and keeps you moving right along. The author has a unique voice, which in itself is worth the read, and I found myself reading some of the lines out loud simply because of how well crafted it was.

I can't recommend this book enough!
3.5 stars

I really liked this book. Even though I only gave it 3.5 stars I do strongly recommend it! This review will have no spoilers, but I'll probably be a little vague because personally I think it'd be best to go into this not knowing a whole lot.

The best way to describe this book is that it's a little like We Were Liars and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. They remind me of each other because they all have a kind of unreliable narrator. Our main character, Molly, is having these blackouts, where for various amounts of time she won't remember anything.

This book was paced really well. I never wanted to put it down! It was hard for me to relate to the characters and I was lacking a connection with them. I still was really intrigued by this book, though. Overall I thought the author did a fantastic job writing this and recommend if it interests you. Although it's only around 230 pages, I thought the author crafted a great, mysterious read.