Dismantled audiobook

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Jennifer McMahon has the most disturbing covers in the book business.....real pictures of creepy children staring out at you. It's like a whole shelf of "Children of the Corn" and "Village of the Damned" at the bookstore. I told you before that I read "Island of Lost Girls" on vacation and did not want to do anything else but read. I was so anxious to read "Dismantled", McMahon's latest. Wow! It did not disappoint!One of McMahon's strong points is going between time periods throughout her stories. With a less-talented author, this can be extremely jarring. In "Dismantled", the effect is seamless, alternating between the summer when four people formed the Dismantlers and a decade later, when two of them are unhappily married with child. This child, Emma, is desperate to get her parents back together. One seemingly innocent act sets off a chilling chain of events that will answer the questions about the summer of the Dismantlers.Part murder mystery, part character study, part ghost story, I can easily see this turned into a movie directed by Hitchcock, if he was alive. The spine-tingling ending will make your heart beat out of your chest.MY RATING - 5See this review on 1776books.net...http://1776books.blogspot.com/2009/07...

Holy cow... I had no clue what I was getting into when I started this book!! Dismantled was such an enthralling and utterly absorbing read! I absolutely loved this book and spent every free moment I could find reading more. Despite its 422 pages, it's likely one that could be read in a sitting (or a day) because of the way the story hooks the reader; (unfortunately, I literally don't have the time right now to read that much in one go so it still took me a couple days.)Dismantled is a superbly written and well-plotted story about a 9-year-old girl, Emma, her parents, Henry and Tess, and a big secret from their past. More so, it's about Emma's childhood innocence, her efforts to keep her parents together, a chain of events seemingly started with a suicide, about family, guilt, fear, and a little bit of a ghost story too. Without giving anything away (won't tell more than what's on the back cover), Henry and Tess were once part of a group of 4 in college called The Compassionate Dismantlers. Initiated and led by their friend, Suz, the radical group embarked on missions to "stick it to the man" (my words, not in the book) -- to "dismantle" things because per their motto, "To understand the nature of a thing, it must be taken apart." Their acts of vandalism and other pranks transitioned from innocent to dangerous and, ultimately, Suz dies. Her death is hidden by the other members of the group and they all drift apart.Ten years later, the story focuses on Henry, Tess, and their daughter, Emma. Something happens which I won't reveal, a former acquaintance commits suicide, and it sets off the events and tension that continue for the rest of the novel.There were so many things I loved about this book! First, I wasn't quite sure how I'd like the ghost story aspect since I'm not all that into supernatural things. But the author did a spectacular job of including this element but leaving it subtle; she managed to simultaneously add it to the story while keeping the reader guessing about it which was fun and spooky at the same time! There were moments when I was a bit scared to go to sleep after reading... I used it as an excuse to continue on to the next chapter even though it was past time for bed just in case I could reach a good stopping point when I wasn't so spooked. ;)The character development was also fantastic. The author excelled at showing the character, allowing the reader to learn about the characters through their actions, rather than telling the reader what to think. In that sense, Suz, the leader of the Compassionate Dismantlers, could be considered the main character. Though she's deceased, the memories of her are a large part of this book because of the long-lasting effects she has on the remaining group members. And although I despised her character, it's possible that others may see a different side of her because, again, the author doesn't tell the reader what to think. And seriously, what a strong, intense character she is.Ironies of all kind consumed the book, increasing the tension. And the pacing was perfect. Though the story continued to progress, I had the opportunities to savor the writing and characters too. I can't fail to mention how significant the character of the daughter, Emma, was to the story. Her innocence and desire to be liked by her cool friend, Mel, play a large part in the craziness of the story! And she plays a part in the ironies I mentioned!The ending surprised and gripped me, and suspense filled the last 50 or so pages of the book. I laughed at myself when my jaw dropped during one of the revelations near the end because of the sheer unexpected and cunning qualities that moment possessed. I'll admit the last couple pages just slightly disappointed me, but then making up for it, the last paragraph was the perfect ending and answered the one question I feared would go unanswered. And I loved the answer.In many ways, Dismantled, was a portrait of a family, their struggles, and the child's efforts to keep it together. As you can tell, this book completely enraptured me! On a somewhat different note, I was able to have a copy of this book signed by the author, Jennifer McMahan, at BEA (after I had already signed on for this blog tour) and I wish I had read this book before that so I could have let her know in person how much I enjoyed this book!Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com

There’s a simple truth about me when it comes to books. If you tell me that something is a lot like The Virgin Suicides or The Secret History, then I’m going to read it. I don’t care if the books don’t live up to what they may or may not be imitating. I’m just happy to have more books that are a lot like two of my favorites. So, while reading Dismantled, I was pumped about its comparison to The Secret History. Since I haven’t read the latter since 2000, I couldn’t do a minute-by-minute comparison. Maybe that helped me appreciate Dismantled that much more. This book just had all of the perfect elements for a thriller – a dead body at the bottom of the lake, flashbacks to a somewhat “secret society” of four college friends, a recovered journal, an imaginary friend, & a cabin in the woods. The list of "Bradbury-esque factors" goes on & on, but I refuse to say more. This book is too wickedly delicious for any spoilers. If you’re not too jaded to enjoy a thriller that’s not profound but is simply damn good, I suggest you check this one out. Upon finishing it, I had that excited feeling that I often felt after finishing a Christopher Pike novel back in the day, except this is no young adult novel. Cheers to that! I can’t wait to check out more from Jennifer McMahon. Up next – Promise Not to Tell.

I ummed and ahhed about what to give this book - it is not a book you read because you love the people in it, or even relate particularly well to the story. But boy oh boy did it grab me and keep me wide-eyed reading till the early hours of the morning.So what was it that gripped me so tightly in a book of characters that filled me with distaste much of the time?The basic premise is one of an 'I know what you did last summer' type of story. Suz rides in to town (college) and inflicts herself upon the other art students with her brash, daring style. She sucks them into her world of Compassionate Dismantling - a world where taking things apart becomes a statement. In reality, the things they are taking apart are silly pranks, or manipulative, unkind things Suz constructs to get what she wants.We know early on that Suz is dead. We do not mourn this as the book progresses. But neither do we support those that seemingly covered up her death. The story of the compassionate dismantlers is told alongside the present day life of 2 of the group of 4. Henry and Tess have since married, had a child, built a life and are now separated but still sharing the house (in a way). Their child is... interesting. Emma has many quirks, few friends, and wants her parents to fall back in love with each other. She involves her only friend (real life - she has a very intriguing, very real seeming imaginary friend, Danner) in her plotting of a way to convince her parents to be together again. In that cyclical way, Emma's so-called friend is also very manipulative and interested only in her own gratification, and she sets off a chain of events which brings the dark past of the Dismantlers into the present.There were times that I was glued to this book, not wanting to hear any creaks on the floorboards, and feeling very pleased that I wasn't home alone - the tension created was that disturbing in parts. This, along with wanting to know what was going to happen meant that you were invested in the ending (sometimes dislikeable characters can meant that you don't care enough to invest in a novel - this was not the case with this book at all). And the ending did not disappoint.I can see from the reviews that opinion is very divided on this book, and I totally understand that. It would be a hard book to recommend to others because it is such a divisive sort of story. But I ended up loving it, even while I hated aspects of it. Now that is talent!

Haunting and thrilling. Loved it.

What. The. Fuck. That's what I've been asking myself throughout the whole book. The last time (and only time) I've felt mind-blown was while reading Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl. This started out confusing and I almost DNF; however, I picked it back up after setting it down for over a month. The confusion continued for me throughout the book, but the pull of the unknown, the fucked up, made me devour it after I kept going. This was quite the whirl wind of a book. No clue how to classify it - Thriller? Mystery? Psychotic? Even after digesting everything that happened and all was explained, I'm still feeling thoroughly confused. 4/4.5 stars

For my written review, please check out the link below:Debra's Book CafeDebs :-)

(My copy is published as "Girl in the Woods")Desperate to re-unite her parents, Emma sends their old university friends a postcard with the message DISMANTLEMENT = FREEDOM. To understand the nature of a thing, it must be taken apart This seemingly innocent act creates a chain of events that none of them could have anticipated or forseen the havoc that it wreaks on their lives. The story plays out in the present with flashbacks to the past in which we learn what the Compassionate Dissemblers actually got up to that infamous summer. While I suppose if I was completely honest I would have to say that some parts - & maybe Suz's character too - weren't wholly credible but for the purpose of the storyline they were perfect - if that makes sense! This was just the sort of book I love, it kept me enthralled throughout & wondering where it would go next. it also kept me asking...just who is Danner? That final sentence finished it all off nicely :o)

This was an awesome thriller. With a tinge of supernatural. Jennifer Mcmahon has gotten so much better since her debut, this book was nearly impossible to put down and thanks to its lightning quick pace, I didn't have to out it down that much, cover to cover in 4 hours. Not your typical basic whodunit, better written, more literary, but so interesting and twisted. Past and present separated by a decade converged through well timed revelations. The ending particularly was a piece of work. Highly recommended.

I finished this book awhile ago so I don't remember a ton of details but overall it was definitely an interesting book. This book (like the other book I read), goes back and forth to the past and the current day. But it has some meaning and actually builds character development. It has a lot of plot twists which I enjoyed. It kept me interested in book and I looked forward to reading it. I rated it 4 stars and not 5 because I remember being confused on whether or not there was paranormal activity, if this was going to turn into a ghost book, or if it was like "real life" and this is just a child's imagination? In the end it mostly clears it up, but there is a few things that I was confused about and that still lean towards paranormal.

Jennifer McMahon has become one of my favorite authors. I really enjoy the suspense of her books, which keeps me interested, until the end of the book. Easy read. Characters are easy to follow.

Amused, interesting ending, not at all what I was expecting.College kids, drinking, art, love, fun, mystery and murder.

This is a classic book for me. A good book both read and audible. I do and will continue to recommend this book for anyone looking for a psychological thriller.

Until the very last paragraph, I would've rated this book a solid three stars. Good but not great, but a book I definitely wanted to see through to the end. Parts of the story seemed a little implausible; the whole Winnie/Suz/Spencer triangle plodded along to the point it didn't make a lot of sense. All that aside, the story wound to a very satisfying end with most of the questions answered; loose ends tied up in a pretty cohesive conclusion. Except one part. The main character's daughter Emma had an imaginary friend that I kept thinking should figure into the ending more than it seemed to be doing. Then with the very last sentence - boom - there it was. Changed the story to the point that I woke up in the night thinking about it. A very satisfying read, deserving of 4 stars in my mind. After this author's "Promise Not to Tell" left me disappointed, "Dismantled" left me wanting to read more of her work. "Dismantled" is a huge step in the right direction, and I'm really glad I've found this author.

Ok, so that was extremely different from Jennifer McMahon’s previous books that I’ve read, but I totally loved it! Four young adults make a life changing decision right after college, and 10 years later it comes back to literally bite them in the rear. The numerous twists and turns made my head spin. I finished it in one sitting and was left with my mouth hanging open, thinking “damnnnn”.