Too Close to Home

September 15, 2015
Happy families don't stay happy for long in British author Lewis' world: here, the idyll of their charmed life is destroyed by an adulterous husband and a bullied teenage daughter. Though their move to the Welsh coast seemed an impetuous plan of Jack's after he was laid off, Jenna has to admit she loves their beautiful new home, the quaint town, the closeness to the sea, and the help of her mother, Kay, who lives nearby. Jack and Jenna's new online publishing venture, which they're starting with the help of business consultant Martha Gwynne, will soon be up and running, so Jenna will be able to concentrate on her third novel, though that will never be easy with 5-year-old twins, rambunctious 8-year-old Josh, and 15-year-old Paige at home. Paige, popular and outgoing, has thrived at her new school until recently, when someone hacked her Facebook account and began posting vile remarks in her name. Now she's nearly shunned at school, and the bullying begins to escalate. Paige keeps quiet at home, not wanting to add to the domestic misery. Though Jenna has suspected it for a few weeks, Jack finally admits he's having an affair with Martha, and he's moving out. To her credit, Lewis does what novelists seldom do, filling Jenna and Jack's dialogue with just the kind of lusty anger and backbiting one would expect under the circumstance. Things get worse: Jack has embezzled tens of thousands of pounds from their clients, and Paige has been visiting suicide websites. The layers of abuse both Jenna and Paige endure can be overwhelming reading, but Lewis knows her audience-the wrongdoers get their comeuppance while our heroines somehow make out better than before. A real page-turner that will make you glad of your own duller life.

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October 1, 2015

At first, the move from London to Wales goes smoothly for Jenna Moore and her family. Her husband Jack's idea of starting an online publishing company after he is let go from a major firm seems daunting, but it's a risk they are both willing to take. All four Moore children seem to be adapting well to the move, especially their eldest, Paige. But Jenna's idyllic life starts to falter as she notices Jack's increasingly secretive moods. Another concern is the increase of Paige's temperamental swings. At 15, she has become the target of a nonstop bullying campaign at school and cyberbullying at home. As Jenna's life begins to fall apart, she depends on the steady help from her mother, her sister, and her friend Bena, who continue to support her as she is hit with more life-altering events. VERDICT The U.S. release for UK best-selling author Lewis (Behind Closed Doors; No Child of Mine; Stolen) captures the emotional intricacies of a family undergoing major life changes. Her portrayal of the inner hell the persecuted teen endures is devastatingly accurate. For readers who appreciate the character complexities of Jodi Picoult's novels.--Joy Gunn, Paseo Verde Lib., Henderson, NV

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2015
Life in the Welsh countryside seems to agree with Jenna Moore and her family. Her independent publishing company is doing well, and her children are thriving in their new schools. Then Jenna starts to catch her husband in little white lies, and the truth comes out: he's having an affair and he wants a divorce. Caught up in her own problems, Jenna fails to notice that her 15-year-old daughter, Paige, is in the midst of a crisis of her own. A group of girls led by a notorious teenage bully are harassing Paige, and, as a result, she's withdrawing from her hobbies and her friends. When Paige disappears, Jenna is forced to confront the problems facing her formerly happy family. Lewis tackles a number of issuesbullying, infidelity, divorce, and parent-child relationshipswithout bogging the reader down in preachiness or unnecessary drama. Though the ending is a bit pat, the novel is satisfying overall, and readers who enjoy issue-driven women's fiction, a la Jodi Picoult or Diane Chamberlain, will appreciate this British import.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)