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If We Had Known by Elise Juska
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If We Had Known (edition 2018)

by Elise Juska (Author)

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633408,441 (3.75)None
English professor Maggie Daley and her college-student daughter struggle with guilt, fear, and the dangerous bonds of family in the aftermath of a mass shooting in their small New England town when it is revealed that the gunman had been one of Maggie's students.
Member:jtree
Title:If We Had Known
Authors:Elise Juska (Author)
Info:Grand Central Publishing (2018), 320 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:****
Tags:mall shooting, mother/daughter, teacher, facebook, gun, collage, eating disorder, writing class, social media, reality check

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If We Had Known by Elise Juska

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"If We Had Known" was a unique read that gave me chills.

With all the shootings that have been happening, well...everywhere, I was honestly surprised I hadn't seen millions upon millions of books trying to hone in on the public interest. When I initially picked this book up, I was under the impression this book might try to do just that, but it was surprisingly and beautifully respectful.

I did enjoy this book. I think it was an interesting ride all the way along, and it kept me hooked. There were a couple chapters where it was slow and I became bored, but overall it was an addicting ride.

So, what are my pros and cons?

Pros:
1. Different POVs - There are many different point of views in this story, and one of them is NOT the shooter (believe it or not). I appreciated watching the lives of many people fold out, and not just one.

2. Story Telling - I LOVE how Elise Juska told this story. Her choice of words and pace of the novel really fit well with this topic. I wouldn't change a thing in relation to this.

3. Intertwining Stories - When stories intertwine I get so giddy! All of these stories having effects on each other (some positive, some very negative) made the book just a little bit more exciting. I could guess some of the effects that they would have on each other, but it was still nice to see that things do effect other people.


Cons:
1. Plot Device Characters - It felt like some characters were thrown in and taken out super fast just to move the plot along. I would have liked to see Anna's boyfriends a little bit more and see how things affected them.

2. Happily Ever After - Everything tied up so nicely at the end! I was kind of hoping to leave off on a weird note, and not a semi-happy note. Now, everybody who knows me knows I like happy/good endings, but I felt a little cheated with this one. There shouldn't have been a really good ending, and anybody who's been through something like this would tell you how honest that was.

Overall, I really liked this book! There are definitely some minor problems with this book, but it was a worthy read!

Four out of five stars!

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )
  Briars_Reviews | Aug 4, 2023 |
This book was incredible for what it does, and I'm surprised it hasn't garnered more attention as it comes in such a timely fashion. Though there wasn't much of a plot, I was engrossed throughout and I felt like it concluded in a satisfactory manner as well. (Well, almost. Maggie. Very thoughtfully written, this does an excellent job of delving into anxiety and the way events can spiral, though I wish they had taken place over a longer time period. ( )
  whakaora | Mar 5, 2023 |
If We Had Known is a book that I was not totally sure that I would finish. Why? Because there are several predictable moments in the book that felt a bit too much for me to take. The first one occurred after I had read 25% of the book when the main characters made a move that I just KNEW would bite her in the ass later on. And, then several more occurrences happened that made me mentally roll my eyes. However, I decided to keep going. And, I'm glad for it because I ended up liking the book very much.

Notwithstanding the fact that I struggled with some parts of the book is the story actually really engrossing, and if you stick with the book, despite, being annoyed with some of Maggie's decisions, etc., then you will find that this book is actually pretty good. Personally, I found how society dealt with the mass shooting to be the interesting part of the book, how quick people are to judge, how the internet can play a large part in judgment because you can be anonymous. Also, we have the big issue, how far do we go when it comes to seeing signs of a troubled youth? Should teachers and professors be more observant when it comes to essays? What role do they have, should they try to interfere, for instance, report students when they show signs that something is off? Isn't that a very big responsibility to put on teachers' shoulders, to try to see who's troubled or not?

I got a bit sidetracked there. What I want to say is that this book is a great book to read (and discuss). Yes, there were some parts that I found hard to digest because it felt so predictably, but overall is this book really good!

I want to thank Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! ( )
  MaraBlaise | Jul 23, 2022 |
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English professor Maggie Daley and her college-student daughter struggle with guilt, fear, and the dangerous bonds of family in the aftermath of a mass shooting in their small New England town when it is revealed that the gunman had been one of Maggie's students.

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