Rating: 
Summary: Slow but steady wins the race.
Review: Jessica Shattuck turns a witty eye to the world of "old-money" in her debut novel "The Hazards of Good Breeding." The Dunlop children fumble their way through growing pains as they attempt to deal with their mother's abandonment and their father's insular, puritanical behavior. A great study in character development, Shattuck also manages to infuse the story with an atmosphere of slow decay prevalent in old WASP neighborhoods. Despite its slow-pace, I enjoyed "Hazards of Good Breeding" for its sharp-focus details and unexpected plot-twists, which kept me entertained throughout. Worth the wait!
Rating: 
Summary: TOP NOTCH
Review: Really, truly, and genuinely great. HAZARDS tells the story, in shifting perspective, of the rapidly unraveling Dunlaps, high-WASP New England family. Great and big cast of characters...amazing specificity...surprising momentum and build. And it's a first novel. Kind of frightening.Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Save your money or gift certificate
Review: This book got so many five stars, I took a chance. But it was unreadable for me. I stuck with it for 40 pages and it is the kind of book I never like. A hodgepodge of introducing too many characters and I didn't care about any of them. So if you like depth of character and plot right off the bat, pass this one up. I am donating it to the library.
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Summary: Book DID come out in Jan and I read it!
Review: This book is terrific. Witty, smart and compelling. The NY Times Book review was incredible and deservedly so. That this is a first novel makes the book that much more important.
Rating:
Summary: Snoozefest
Review: This book was so boring, I forced myself to read half of it before I just could not go on. I did not care one ounce for the characters. I was hoping something horrible like a nuclear attack or that their town would catch leaprosy just to make it interesting. I figured out the "surprise" instantly. (I flipped through the last chapter just to see if I was correct.) BORING book.
Rating: 
Summary: WELL-WRITTEN BUT LACKING
Review: This feels like a debut novel. Shattuck shows great promise as a writer. She has a wonderful command of the language, and there are some fun turns of phrase. However, there is an odd sense of distance in the tone that makes it difficult to care about the characters or what happens to them. It's interesting that Shattuck has chosen to write about a family that's unable to connect with each other, and she seems to have the same issues connecting with both her characters and the reader. This is clearly one of those first novels where the author thinly veils herself. Perhaps, like her characters, Shattuck is so close to the story that she has put up an emotional wall. However, it is just that flaw that makes this interesting as an artifact of the decaying WASP society where the story takes place. It will be interesting how Shattuck's work evolves as she moves into places that are not so close to her heart.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is a lyrical and lovely first novel, one characterized my much deft perception and acute description. Shattuck has brilliantly captured the WASP-y world, and her insights into such diverse things as visits to the dentist and the sensations of skinny dipping stay with the reader after the novel has ended, its spell unbreaking.
Rating:
Summary: Great writing, compelling characters
Review: This novel is a compelling book, with wonderful descriptions of the characters and of the settings in Massachusetts. You'll be transported into the wonderfully authentic family life, rife with the complex psychology of family relationships. I loved this book and am anticipating more from this author. (Don't let the other reviews about the typos dissuade you from purchasing this book -- they are prevalent, but are surely outweighed by the energy of the narrative. And buy it -- don't check it out at the library. Authors need to eat too.)
Rating: 
Summary: In actuality it is 3.5.
Review: Well I picked this up after hearing good things about it and reading a interview with the author. I was attracted to her personality and I went out and bought this book. I think my money was well spent, it wasnt a fantastic book. But for a debut novel this is very good and promising. The plot revolves around the troubles of the Dunlap family who live in a W.A.S.P.y town in Massachusettes. Jack and Faith Dunlap are recently divorced, and their daughter Caroline has just returned home from college then there is Carolines younger brother who is troubled by the leaving,not of his mother but of the familys maid,Rosie(who ends up being pregnant with Jack Dunlaps child). The book basically deals with issues each of them face and how they deal with them. Their are some very interesting characters besides the Dunlap family that come into the story and this book is worth your time. To tell the truth I had to read it twice to really appreciate it.
Rating:
Summary: Actually...
Review: Well, I've got a few things to say. First of all, this is a pretty darn great book. But I don't usually post reviews unless I dislike a book...This is a very eloquently written, insightful book that I would encourage others to read.
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