4 out of 4 stars
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Spin is a moving and touching crime novel written by Tina Sayward
Lexi Howard is born into a wealthy family. Her parents spend most of their time making money and she is usually left in the care of her older brother Spin. Spin is overprotective of Lexi and he barely lets anyone come near his baby sister except for their kind, sensitive, and gentle neighbor, Cody McAlister. Having grown up together, Spin, Lexi, and Cody become best friends. That friendship is put to the test when Spin steps up to save Cody from an unthinkable fate one terrible day.
That incident binds them even closer. As they harbor a deep, dark secret between them, Lexi gets herself into something that nearly destroys her life. Spin and Cody, however, are there for her, and together, they help her get herself back on her feet. Just when Lexi thinks her life is getting pretty amazing, an abominable deed occurs, leaving someone savagely abused while another one brutally murdered. Now, Lexi feels all alone and with tremendous amount of guilt weighing her down. With her protector gone and a long-buried secret on the brink of being uncovered, she must muster enough courage to fight, and enough strength to see things through, not for herself but for the ones she loves.
Told in the first-person perspective of Lexi, this is a fast-paced and suspenseful book about family and friendship. It also features abuse, neglect, addiction, death, guilt, and a little court drama. It is relatively short but very substantial, and devoid of irrelevant details. It is an easy read with graphically portrayed scenes including those of violence and abuse. Characters are well-developed and are described through their actions and dialogues.
On one hand, the most important part of the book, for me, is the depiction of neglect by parents of wealthy children. The book illustrates how some parents easily disregard their children in favor of their work, and how this constant absence endanger their children and may even cost them their future.
On the other hand, the part of the book I like most is the characters’ display of weakness. It is very realistic. No matter how strong and determined a person is, he or she would feel like giving up at some point. For me, it is a sign of being human and is totally understandable.
Needless to say, I enjoy this book a lot. However, other readers may find the story too dark. Moreover, I find the courtroom scenes too short and less intense than I hope. I understand, though, that it is not the focus of the story. Also, the climax seems a little anticlimactic, while the ending feels a little rushed. Finally, I notice some errors within the entire book which are thankfully very few.
I, therefore, rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is touching, moving, and suspenseful. I recommend it to fans of crime and thriller novels. Some scenes of violence, abuse, and drug use, however, may not be suitable for young readers.
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Spin
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