Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

Hold Tight by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you have read any of my reviews, you might already know that once I discovered writer, Harlan Coben, I have falling in love with his ability and stories. I love the way he writes, how done to earth and real life his books seem to be and how engaging they are. So when I found this book at the local Goodwill store, I was in seventh heaven!

On the surface, this seems like a book that any parent would read and be involved in. Tia and Mike Baye are spying on their own son, well at least his online activity. He has seemed so changed and different since his best friend committed suicide recently that they feel the need to spy to see what is going on and hopefully prevent another suicide in their community. What they discover is that what is going on is much deeper than just a teenage boy committing suicide, there are so many more levels and so many more people are involved, and a young child is faced with trying to protect his family without understanding the truth of what is going on!

I was sucked in from page one. I understood the parents, I felt for them and I understood why they made that choice, not that I agreed with it, but I could feel their pain and concern and why they felt this was the option they needed to go with. Again, as in other books, as the story progresses you hear some names you already know, they were mentioned in this book or that book, background characters, but it gives that homey feel, like in my small town where it seems like every person you run into knows another person you know and such. It just really makes it so much more believable. But the twists and turns that the story ends up taking is nothing I could have imagined, or thought of, but yet it was realistic.

If you haven't read a Harlan Coben book, I would recommend this one as a great starting place. Try this one, let me know, but I feel very confident that you will enjoy it and be hooked on the author the way I am!

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Best Laid Plans...

So the kids have been on Holiday Break from school since school let out on Friday afternoon, December 16th. Today was the first day back to school.  I was so ready to get my house back, to not hear kids shows on the tv, and to get some work done.

I had so many plans for today. I was going to sweep my living room, and it was going to stay swept till after everyone got home from school, instead of being messed up again in 5 minutes. I was going to get the kitchen back in shape, and write up and post the new house rules we agreed on during break. I was going to turn on Food TV, or watch the Top Chef Masters Marathon on Bravo all day while working. I was going to be an adult, and not have to do anything kid related all day! So much for the best laid plans of mice and men.

All my plans went out the window around 5:30am this morning when I woke to my youngest daughter throwing up on my bed! Yep. Not sure how this happens, but she comes in to tell me she is sick and ends up throwing up on my bed, at least it wasn't on me this morning!  All my kids have done this. They will get up and come climb in my bed, only to say Mommy, and then threw up all over the bed! At least the older two have stopped. Somewhere about this age, they started just going into the bathroom, they finally realized that I would hear them and come running. Hopefully the youngest will realize that soon!

She hasn't run a fever, but she has been throwing up about every hour. Have been trying to get small sips of gatorade in her, but she keep bringing it back up. On the good side, she did fall back asleep for about half an hour.  She says she is feeling better, but it was only about half an hour ago that she last threw up, so we'll see if she continues to feel better when we reach that hour mark.  Thinking she might have a bit of a stomach bug. At first it seemed like just water, maybe she got up and got some water and drank it too fast, but when she repeatedly threw up, changed my mind. Knowing that she is not running a fever makes me feel a little better about it all.

It's one of those things about being a Mom, that you can never really count on the plans you make, something can always pop up and change those plans. But the other thing about being a mom, is that I am here to hold her, soother her head, and get her through this. You know what, I wouldn't change that for anything in the world.