Thrills in the 'burbs - that opens debate!

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	• Hold Tight Harlan Coben Dutton Adult, 2008 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 138 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Thrills in the 'burbs - that opens debate!

I'm one of those that like Harlan Coben solo novels far better than the Myron series. They always seem to have uniquely better concepts that make for great discussion and thought afterwards. This one is no exception.

Set in the 'burbs - in a very Desperate Housewives type neighborhood - with as many secrets - it's actually a lot like Desparate Housewives on steriods.

After reading it, and without children of my own, I brought up the question with a group of friends whether they would ever use some of the tools available now to spy on their kids... the answers were eye-opening. The possibilities in this book are more than real - and the issue between trusting and spying kids puts it in a different league.

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Ahh the Happy Suburbs

Think about all the worst things that can happen in an upper class suburban neighborhood and throw in some high tech computer stuff, stir it around, turn it into a mystery and you have "Hold Tight". In this piece of surburbia, there is teen suicide, teen runaway, teen drugs, teenager dying in need of a transplant, teachers abusive to students, students taking revenge, parents trying to protect their teens and a murder or two. Of course, the parents are trying to figure it all out. There are several, as you can tell by the above list, strands to this mystery. At the beginning and in the middle are two gruesome murders. It is not until the end, however, when all the strands come together to form a coherent rope. Frankly, the murders were almost superfluous. The book would have worked just as well without them.

Coben is the master of NJ suburban mysteries. He captures the flavor and personalities in suburbia well. To make this novel work, he has to have every family suffer some tragedy, so it gets a bit depressing after a while. It also took a long time for all the disparate story-lines to begin to come together. Once they did, though, it was hold onto your horses suspenseful.

The characters are all realistic and very good. Like any neighborhood, there are some more likeable than others and some who offer more to the telling than others. The leading parents are especially good as they agonize over issues of their child's privacy versus his safety - a major theme of the book. The issues are steeped in the brave new world of every day consumer technology - the things we can do with phones and computers! These and other issues are touched upon such that this is a rare mystery that could make good reading club fodder.

As noted, this book can be depressing at times - isn't any family in tact and functional? Those who first fell in love with Coben's humor in the Myron Bolivar novels will be disappointed. There is no humor here. However, for those looking for a thought-provoking novel that engages issues of parenting and tecnology wrapped in a mystery, this is the book.

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Loved it....

I have to say that Harlen Coben has not wrote a book that I did not like. "Hold Tight" was a very good novel, I finished that book in about 48 hours. It held me..you connect with the drama and how everything comes together. I recommend this novel, and it will have you up in the A.M reading. I'm looking forward to his next novel 4 I am a fan of his work.

A Suburban Mess

Unexpected twists and turns complete with a surprising ending characterize the novels of this popular author, and this book is no exception. As with his previous efforts, Coben uses his New Jersey background for a setting, although for some strange reason the Bronx plays a vital role.

Mike and Tia Baye are a suburban couple with two children. He's a surgeon, she's an attorney. Their 16-year-old son has become withdrawn and sullen, especially after the suicide of his best friend, and they are unable to penetrate his withdrawal. So they go against their better judgment and begin spying on him. They place spyware on his computer to learn what he is surfing, and read his e-mails. Thus begins a trip down a dangerous path. The son runs away and his parents learn he plans to go to a drug and drinking party.

If that isn't enough excitement, there are a few other sub-plots with enough intrigue and danger to keep the reader on edge. Written with the author's accustomed tautness, the intricacies of the plot keep moving steadily forward to a rousing finish. Recommended.

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Hold Tight - Wow!

this has got to be Coben's best novel to date. Fab-u-lous! I'm not a fan of his Myron novels, but of his stand alones, and Hold Tight is definitely a cleverly plotted book. His books always portray a good sense of family and I love the one he has created here. Well done, Harlan!

reviews: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, page 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

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