Survivor

Rating:
Summary: Lingering emotions
Review: As is the case with many of Ms. King's novels, I found myself drawn more to her male characters than the females. Junior Clootie is hard to love, but he grew on me just like he did the story's heroine, Kissy Mellors. Their intensely sexual relationship is volatile and frustrating, but no matter how mad I got at both of them, I ached for them to be together where they belonged. When an author can make you laugh, cry, and get so mad you throw the book across the room, you don't forget the characters when you close the book, and that's the way it was for me with Junior and Kissy.

Rating:
Summary: I would read another Tabitha King book but...
Review: First of all, let me say this book is extremely well-written. Ms. King has a unique style and an excellent command of the written word. I do not do too many of these reviews because it is SO SO SO much easier to critique something than create something, and this is a thoughtful book that obviously took its author a great deal of time and energy to craft.

The content is where I had a problem. I found the character Kissy to be steadfast only in her inconsistency. This book should be entitled "Victim" rather than "Survivor". Its characters revel in their own pathos and anger and seem never to stop and ask why they are so angry. Kissy feels so morally superior for not having a substance abuse problem, yet she offers the book no moral compass. Even her visitation of Ruth seems to be a strange science experiment.

We are SUPPOSED to believe, I think, that Kissy is tough and doesn't take any crap from anyone. This is the biggest lie in the book. True toughness involves compassion, sensitivity, the desire to do the right thing and TRUE confrontation--answering the WHY of the behavior not just the WHAT. Kissy simply moves from one self-destructive place to the next, a victim of her own irrational anger at the world.

Does Kissy have any goals? I don't know. Why is she this way? I don't know. I think I could have given this book four stars if I had any idea WHY Kissy did one thing she did in the book. Why in God's name if she is that drawn to men and has fits of irrational behavior is she not on the Pill, like, ALWAYS? Why does she constantly erupt in anger and stalk out when an honest effort on her part might have healed at least a portion of her pain? She seems to hate men, all men, and yet she cannot resist them? This was all puzzling to me which is why I decided to write this review.

If you look for nobility and conscience and morality in your characters (I confess I do), this is not your book. If you are looking for something edgy and baffling, give it a read.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I have borrowed this book on Audio from the twice and listened to it. I have bought this book and read it again. I have never enjoyed a book so much in my life. I loved the characters and definately miss it now that it is finished. The plot was interesting and believable. Tabitha King really knows how to keep you interested. I can't wait for her to write another book.

Rating:
Summary: I hope the next book is better!
Review: I like Tabitha King as a writer . I think her caracters are credible and so the plots of her books .This book is written whit her usual skill and it's impossible the book doesn't take in your interest and makes you keep turning pages as far as you finish it .But this book has disappointed me becouse I don't manage to understand Kissy, the protagonist ; why she makes things that she makes . why does she lay down with Jimmy the first time ? , and even it's more incomprehensible to me why she did it twice . Why does she suffer Mike if she doesn't love him , even more when she is in lve with JUnior? . I think Kissy is too "promiscuos". Definitively I hope the next book of T. K. is better than this one , becouse I'm going to buy and read it ,surely . "Un saludo a todas las fans de Tabitha King , desde España !!!!".

Rating:
Summary: Hey! How about an ending?
Review: Not a bad book, an interesting peek into lives that are very unlike mine. My major, MAJOR gripe is the abrupt ending. It tied up one story line, but left a half dozen others just hanging. What about Junior? Who's pregnant and by whom and what will happen? Though not completely neccessary, I'd like to know if Kissy is blamed for what happens in the end or not. I really feel as though another chapter or two would have been nice. Reveal whether Kissy is a strong woman under the mess, how the marriage might fare, careers, etc.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating from the beginning.
Review: This book is very captivating from the beginning. It is the story of Kissy Mallor, a young woman who while driving on campus in her Maine college town finds herself daydreaming, and nearing hitting two co-eds crossing the street, only to then witness the horror of the driver behind her then striking the two girls killing one and putting the other into a lingering coma. She feels an inexplicable need (perhaps driven by guilt) to photograph the comatose girl and ends up falling into tumuluous relationships with three men involved in the accident: The boyfriend of the comatose girl, the premed who struck the girls and one of the officers at the scene of the crime...all of whom she has sex with at some point or another. Suddenly finding herself pregnant she marries Cootie, the boyfriend. Then finds herself in a loveless, violent marriage. It is at this point that the book falls apart slightly, as Kissy jumps from a marriage with Cootie to a marriage with Mike, the officer...even though the father of her child is probably the premed student. It get's ridiculous at this point yet remains captivating as you are interested in how it works out in the end (which I won't give away). This book starts out stong but weekends towards the middle and end.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating from the beginning.
Review: This book is very captivating from the beginning. It is the story of Kissy Mallor, a young woman who while driving on campus in her Maine college town finds herself daydreaming, and nearing hitting two co-eds crossing the street, only to then witness the horror of the driver behind her then striking the two girls killing one and putting the other into a lingering coma. She feels an inexplicable need (perhaps driven by guilt) to photograph the comatose girl and ends up falling into tumuluous relationships with three men involved in the accident: The boyfriend of the comatose girl, the premed who struck the girls and one of the officers at the scene of the crime...all of whom she has sex with at some point or another. Suddenly finding herself pregnant she marries Cootie, the boyfriend. Then finds herself in a loveless, violent marriage. It is at this point that the book falls apart slightly, as Kissy jumps from a marriage with Cootie to a marriage with Mike, the officer...even though the father of her child is probably the premed student. It get's ridiculous at this point yet remains captivating as you are interested in how it works out in the end (which I won't give away). This book starts out stong but weekends towards the middle and end.

Rating:
Summary: A must read book of a " Survivor"! Named Kissy
Review: This book will be somthing that you can not put down! It goes through the life of a girl that makes decisions that keep her from being happy! It's a tale that goes through a womans life from college girl to beautiful woman. An inspiring story for any woman! Although, the ending could have been a little better,it's a must read book! The ending is why i gave it 4 stars! I will be reading more Tabitha King books in the future! Just goes to show what a five dollar book can bring very enjoyable reading! Christie

Rating:
Summary: Not bad but..
Review: This is the first Tabitha King book I've read and it was very well written. The book kept me glued at first until I found Kissy's leaving Junior over and over to be getting old. I found the same to apply to Junior's drinking whenever Kissy left him. When they were single I applauded her for dumping him. Yet during their married life she left impulsively, whenever some little trouble arose. Not to mention there were so many characters I couldn't keep them all straight. Whew. It's a good read, but exhausting.