Comments on: REVIEW: Beyond Reach by Karin Slaughter

By: Stephen

Stephen — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 23:14:06 +0000

I loved this book. Yet another excellent adventure in the Grant County series. The ending was brilliant, I really didn’t see that coming. Was almost close to tears.

By: Tee

Tee — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:48:14 +0000

For all of you who have sworn off Slaughter for future books, I would seriously encourage you to reconsider. First of all, if you read her books because you enjoyed her particular writing style, that hasn't changed. You are really denying yourself some great future reading if you stay away. "Fractured" was an excellent book and continues the adventures with Will of "Triptych." I guess I didn't realize that another book will be coming out after "Beyond Reach" in the Grant County series. Even though I was one of those originally that said I wouldn't read more of her stuff, I'm glad I changed my mind and I know I will read this one if only just to see how she plans to go on. She's the author; it's her baby and she can do as she wants. She took a chance and only time will tell how successful that will be for her. And, the second point is, as Richard T posted earlier--it's only fiction!

By: elizabeth margosiak

elizabeth margosiak — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:43:33 +0000

im in shock, i cant believe they killed jeffery off i never thought they would ever do anything like that im sorry to say i wont be reading any more of your books this has up set me so bad sara and jeffery were so good together its unfair to end it all like that, what ever made u decide to do that why couldnt it have been a happier ending, maybe u can fix this and not really make him dead but it was so wrong to end the book like that

By: Olive

Olive — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:22:40 +0000

Skin Privilege/Beyond Reach — what a breath of fresh air. I cried — yes — i was angry — well obviously. I felt close to the characters but, that’s what they are characters and it takes a brave person to kill off one of their main characters but i feel what it does is it makes for unpredictability, never really knowing what will happen. I think of the genre of film and how, as viewers, we all know that the main character won’t be killed off, and we quite like the comfort of knowing the characters we like are safe. We are in our comfort zone. Slaughter keeps us on edge, never quite knowing what’s round the corner. I think that’s brave. i think that she’s someone who really cares about keeping things fresh. She knows that she could have continued building Jeff and Sara’s relationship — churned out another few moneyspinners but she didn’t she made it a memorable book, reminding us life changes in an instant. I’m half way theough Tryptyct and WOW her best book so far — for me anyway.

By: Alyssa’s Book Blog » Blog Archive » Grieving

Alyssa’s Book Blog » Blog Archive » Grieving — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:10:03 +0000

[…] been reading some of the buzz about the upcoming book in Karin Slaughter’s Grant County series. I’m not sure I would […]

By: Avid Reader

Avid Reader — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:03:05 +0000

Thanks Zoe, I will look for them.

Hi Wendy, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I am not curious so you’ll have to tell me how Genesis works for you.

By: Zoe

Zoe — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:13:59 +0000

Dear Avid Reader

Just to let you know that I’ve just read Mo Hayders 3rd book in the Jack Caffrey Series and it is brilliant. Check out her other 2 books — Tokyo and Pig Island. As for Karin, I really do understand where your coming from with the trust issue. I’ll keep the faith and keep reading her stuff , but I must admit, I find it very hard to forgive her.

Zoe

By: wendy

wendy — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:54:04 +0000

hi,
I read the books in Dutch, and though I found the end hard to believe (I read it over and over to make sure I read it right), I can’t wait to read “Genesis”. Really want to know how it ends…

By: Avid Reader

Avid Reader — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:06:56 +0000

Hi Zoe! Thanks for your comments. Also, I'll make sure to try Brian Freeman and as for Mo Hayder, I have those two books in my TBR pile so thank you very much for mentioning these authors. She seems to have disappeared from the publishing world at present. As for Slaughter, it's a matter of trust for me - I don't trust her. This series had so much darkness in it that killing off Jeffrey was adding insult to injury. I can understand wanting closure but I cannot bring myself to read Genesis because this series wasn't just about Sarah but Sarah and Jeffrey for me and I personally don't or can't bring myself to read about how Sarah goes on without Jeffrey. Just can't. I think Karin Slaughter is an awesome writer, no doubt but I've moved on. One author I was really excited about was Jodi Compton. She wrote The 37th Hour and Sympathy Between Humans. Ignore those reviews on Amazon as I read the first book and enjoyed it, rated it a B+/B. I am hoarding the second one. She is currently MIA.

By: Zoe Beresord

Zoe Beresord — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:06:09 +0000

Also, I would like to recommend Brian Freeman’s books, starting with Immoral. He has a lead male Detective called Jonathan Stride and he reminds me of Jeffrey a little and the books are fantastic reading.

Another is Mo Hayder. Her first book with Detective Inspector Jack Caffrey was brilliant and her sequel, The Treatment was unputdownable!!!!!

By: Zoe

Zoe — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:04:07 +0000

Like many of you, I have read all of the Grant County books and I was also saddened at the ending of Skin Privilege (UK). I cried for 3 days and I wrote to Karin via her website to tell her how the book had made me feel. When i read her letter, I felt that she wasnt so much as apologising for her decision but trying to justify it to us, the reader.

Unlike many of you, I will be reading Genesis when it is released next year. I need to know what happens to Sara, as it is important to me that she has started the healing process. If i chose not to read it, she would always be unhappy to me and she deserves more. I dont think that Karin will carry on with Grant County after Genesis but will continue with Will Trent from Tryptych.

One point I would like to make is this. You must all surely agree that Karin Slaughter is an outstanding writer. If she wasnt, none of us would feel so strongly about Jeffrey.

By: Richard T

Richard T — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:32:00 +0000

I have enjoyed reading these posts.

I felt shocked and numb at the ending. I too re-read it trying to understand.

That is the point.

Many of these posts start out with a comment on how they have developed an emotional bond with the characters.
As such, the climax to the book is illiciting from its readers the natural grief process:

Numbness and shock. Anger (in this case directed to the responsible party — Karin Slaughter) Yearning and bargaining (like the Dallas Bobby Ewing fiasco). We also see here denial (Cutting out the last two pages and pretending they all thive happily ever after).

Eventually will come acceptance. I am on that road now
As such, I will be buying the next book. I am glad to hear that there will be one.

Life goes on.

Remember as well.…..it’s only fiction!

By: Sue R

Sue R — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 23:59:23 +0000

I just finished Beyond Reach in one afternoon. I sincerely wish I had stopped before the last few pages. I have loved this series even through all the darkness. Isn’t time that Lena get a grip. Isn’t it time for Ethan not to get so much ink. I can only take so much creepy. I could live with that, but I can’t live with what happened to Jeffrey. I don’t know why authors think that their readers want to be depressed at the end of the story. If Jeffrey had to be killed, did it really have to be right after he learns that he will be a father. Talk about a double whammy. This is the last Karin Slaughter book I’ll be reading.

By: CindyS

CindyS — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 01:05:39 +0000

One of my best buds read this while she was on vacation and has a few pages to go. I didn’t know she read the series so we never talked about it. When she came for a visit she was telling me about this book where she was gutted with the last few pages. I knew immediately which book she was talking about. She said she wished she could forget she ever read those pages and just end the series with that book and him alive.

I pointed her to the authors letter but she’s so not buying.

CindyS

By: Dana

Dana — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:45:29 +0000

It makes it easier for me to know that other people feel the same. It eases my pain a bit. I still won’t read Karin Slaughter anymore, but I don’t feel as devastated because other people understand.

By: Avid Reader

Avid Reader — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:27:14 +0000

Exactly. A lot of us felt manipulated and betrayed. The author did only to evoke an emotional response from her readers. I won’t be following her. This series has ended for me.

By: Dana

Dana — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:06:05 +0000

Hi, thanks for getting back so quick! That’s awful…I’m so disappointed. I don’t care how Sara and Lena deal with Jeffrey’s death — I want it to not have happened. I felt like she ripped out my heart and stomped on it with that ending! Why make us care for Jeffrey so much and then have him die such a painful gruesome death?

By: Avid Reader

Avid Reader — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:24:08 +0000

Hi Dana, the brief version: Ms. Slaughter says that the events that happened at the end of the book is not a dream sequence, it’s the real deal. The next Grant County book, Genesis, which won’t be out in another couple of years, is about Sara and Lena dealing with the events that happened at the end of the book.

By: Dana

Dana — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 03:14:46 +0000

The letter won’t load for me…I’m dying to know what she said. Can you give me the brief version? I’m so upset by the ending…I wish I didn’t finish it at night. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.

By: Rosemarie

Rosemarie — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 03:54:39 +0000

Beyond Reach was the sixth book I read about lena, Sara and Jeffery. To have this last book end with Jeffrey being blown up just took the life out of me. I will not read another slaughter book. Thre was so much more that could have bee written in at least another three of four books., but you ended it.….……