Official Review: Like A Mousetrap by Brandon Ellrich

Helene_2008 · Post by **Helene_2008** » 13 Sep 2020, 11:16

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Like A Mousetrap" by Brandon Ellrich.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Carolyn and her family were happy at one time. They used to spend time together and eat their meals with each other at the dinner table. Somehow they have drifted apart, and now Carolyn and her husband, David, have to find a way to tell their two teenage children that they want a divorce. Morgan, their daughter, is a senior in high school. She has always been able to make friends and will be going off to college next year. Most likely the news of the divorce won’t bother her too much. Josh, their son, on the other hand, has always been distant and rarely shows emotion. It’s hard to say how he’ll handle what they have to tell him.

Like a Mousetrap is told in a very unique format. One chapter will be told from Carolyn’s perspective, then the next from Morgan’s, and then finally from Josh’s perspective. The interesting thing is the scene is the same (cleaning out the basement, eating dinner) as the perspective changes. I liked this because you got to read each character’s thoughts on a situation. Also, a character might make an assumption about another family member, but then you find out the assumption is wrong when the next family member reveals their thoughts.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was short, but it got a great lesson across. I took away to not put off telling someone how you feel. Right now my children are young and it’s easy to snuggle and tell them I love them. I could understand that as they become distant, sulky teenagers it can be harder to express my feelings towards them. I also liked that a mousetrap periodically showed up in the book, since that is the title. I always enjoy it when I’m reading a book and the title connects with what I’ve been reading.

I don’t really have any dislikes about the book. I will say it is not a light-hearted read. It touches on a difficult subject, which I won’t mention so I don’t spoil the ending. I think it is still worth the read since the book has a unique format as I mentioned before. I appreciated Brandon Ellrich’s unique writing style.

I rate Like a Mousetrap 4 out of 4. I feel the book was professionally edited, as I didn’t find a single error. I think this book would be appropriate for young adult and adult readers. I think anyone could enjoy this book, but I would definitely recommend it to parents. Hopefully, they will pick up the same lesson that I did and find a way to express their feelings to their children.

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Like A Mousetrap
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AnnOgochukwu · Post by **AnnOgochukwu** » 14 Sep 2020, 04:41

This sounds like a really good book, and your rating is encouraging. I like the topics treated in the book : parenting and teenagers, really delicate topics.
I also enjoyed reading your review, nice one.

SweetSourSalty AndSpicy · Post by **SweetSourSalty AndSpicy** » 15 Sep 2020, 18:16

The unique format sounds interesting. It makes me wonder if the approach was necessary for conveying the message of the book. What was the effect on the reading experience?

Thank you for your insightful review.