Review: Good but not enough to be great
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 10, 2013
Power and money is the name of the game. What will Brooke do and give up to be respected and feared? How will Brooke continue with her future when her past is always at the doorstep? Is success enough to erase the past that she tried everything to bury? The Ties That Bind is a story that will give you suspense right from the very start. It is not solely focused on Brooke but you'll also read other interesting characters who will give you a show.My opinion of The Ties That Bind is very undecided. I enjoyed the overall flow of how the story progressed however it's the little tidbits that factored my uncertainties in rating this higher (2.5 stars) than I already did. My first issue was the characters or rather some of them. This story had a lot of character to track and follow, there are times that you'll lose track of who is who and how they are connected to each other. Some of the characters are introduced in passing and then forgotten but will resurface later on. What I am trying to say is that, there were a few undeveloped characters that I didn't really feel connected to me as a reader or as part of the story itself. Another is how the first few chapters of the book is connected with the overall story. I saw what the author was trying to do but failed in really convincing me on the idea of it. This story has a lot of side plot, include that to the increasing number of characters and it can be a pain sometimes.With that said, not considering the bigger picture, parts of the story was good. It was interesting how each character acts and how they fit in the story. It was great to read a lot of variety which helped me read this book on. There are good suspense and action scenes, a little bit of drama and a lot of out maneuvering and plotting against each other. In addition to that, I can really feel the emotion of some characters. They are brutally true which makes it good.With that said, I can wrap my review by saying that the author has a story, has the characters and I can see that Tandori can write; however where she did good in other areas she failed in the delivery and development of the story as a whole.