Anita Shreve has always been a bit of a "hit or miss" author for me. I either love her books or hate them. TESTIMONY is the first book of Shreve's that falls somewhere in between.

I did find the story intriguing. For anyone who thinks this book is about nothing more than teenage sex and drinking, let me assure you it is not. This is a book about how the decisions we make can alter and impact our lives forever. Shreve tells a truly interesting and compelling story in that respect. For anyone who is bothered by graphic sexual descriptions, be advised that this only occurs in the first chapter and not throughout the rest of the book.

My one problem with the book was the way that Shreve assigned different chapters to different characters. Some told in the first person, some in the third. This caused me to find the flow of the book to be a bit disjointed at times.

This is one of Shreve's better books, not her best, but still worth reading.

I am a fan of Ms Shreve's, but I was disappointed with her previous work, Body Surfing. This book deserves a place on her impressive list of very good books. Set in a small Vermont town, the book is told from several character's viewpoints. It is almost as if they truly are giving the "testimony" of the title. Seemingly unrelated occurrences set in motion events that culminate in a night of drunken mistakes by 4 students of a prestigious boarding school. The ripples of disaster that spread from the poor choices of that evening seem to echo on forever through the lives of the students and their families, faculty, and townspeople. The tension the author maintains as the story unfolds is almost unbearable. The reader is drawn into the sadness and pain as each character walks their path through this miasma, making their own mistakes, finding comfort where they can. The over-arching theme, that actions of a moment can change a life, is not a new one. In a less skillful author's hands, it might seem trite. This book makes you think once again of the moments that changed your own life; where you were when you met your spouse, how you coped with overwhelming confusion, how your life might be totally different had events transpired in a different way. This over-worked theme becomes riveting again as the plot, with all it's ramifications, unfolds.
I can't however, rate it as 5 star. While it is wonderful to have the author back on her game again, there are sentences that strike such a discordant note, they detract from the book as a whole. As a teenage female protagonist watches her boyfriend play an uncharacteristically savage game of basketball she wonders, "Or is Silas, in some strange way, angry at me?" I have often wondered if people were angry with me for a strange reason, or were acting out their anger in a strange manner. The concept that someone could be angry in a strange way stopped me cold, I'm still not sure what it means. In another part the same character describes the metamorphosis of the student center for a dance from work-a-day drabness to a promise of magic at night, "But, at night, with the overheads dimmed and tea lights on the tables, it is just possible to believe in romance." A fine sentence in itself, when it is coming from the mouth of a 17 year old high school student, it is truly unbelievable. Perhaps a better editor would have smoothed the jarring edges, but it is hard to believe that Ms. Shreve's books don't get the best the industry can offer. Still, quibbles aside, I enjoyed reading this book very much. But it should come with a warning label, "Begin when you have the time to finish it" or you will join the bleary eyed like me.

Have you ever wondered how far-reaching one action can be? Have you ever considered how many lives might be impacted by something you do? Testimony is a wonderful novel by Anita Shreve that explores these questions. A scandal at the prestigious Avery Academy, a New England high school boarding school, is revealed. But is everything as it seems? Ms Shreve discloses the secrets little by little, showing us the impact one action can have on so many. Shreve does this in an unusual way. Each chapter is narrated by a different person touched by the event. The shocking ending has a memorable impact on the reader.

Although this story is an interesting read, it is also somewhat predictable and very disturbing. To me, it seemed that the cascade of events was a bit exaggerated, bordering on the unrealistic. In addition, there were not many likable characters. Many seemed one-dimensional and empty.

I love Anita Shreve books, especially my favorite the Pilot's Wife. This book is comprised of short chapters involving each person's life that is affected by the sex tape of a 14 yr old girl at a prestigious academy. It was very interesting to me as to how each life was changed or affected. I would recommend this book, it is a darker side of life, but kept my attention highly.

The fall-out from one drunken night for one school in one town is seemingly endless. When a tape of three male students, and one younger female student falls into the hands of the headmaster, his decision on how to handle it to keep it within school walls has repercussions for many. This book covers the time leading up to that night, the event itself, the fallout for the students, and their families.

This book started out incredibly convoluted for me because it's written in alternating voices. Almost too many to keep straight. And then it alternated between first, second and third person narratives and jumped from two years ago to current many times which didn't really add much for me initially. But the story the book told outweighed the writing style and by the end, I really felt that the book was better for the writing. We're privy to the girl's accusations of rape, the boys' denials of rape, and their stories. Not to mention the girl's roommate who witnessed the initial accusation of rape. Indeed, two of the most heartbreaking voices were Silas, one of the accused, and his girlfriend Noelle. Silas has the most rigid understanding of morals, and right and wrong. And his guilt at his part, and the aftermath for him is painful to read about. The love he felt for his girlfriend was as fierce as I've read about in any book before and his heartache over the betrayal of her, and fearing the hurt he would cause was one of the most resonant aspects of the book.

Altogether, I'd very much recommend this book but I'd add that it's potentially slow going at first and even a bit frustrating initially until you're so immersed in the story that you enjoy the many different accounts.

Testimony is a story of consequences. In an elite co-ed boarding school in New Hampshire, an orgy between four students (3 male & over 18, 1 female & 14) is taped & the tape is passed around. Eventually it comes into the hands of the headmaster who must decide how to handle the situation.

The novel gives us the words - the testimony, if you will - of people who were impacted by the events of the book. From the headmaster to the students involved to staff, faculty, & townspeople the...more Testimony is a story of consequences. In an elite co-ed boarding school in New Hampshire, an orgy between four students (3 male & over 18, 1 female & 14) is taped & the tape is passed around. Eventually it comes into the hands of the headmaster who must decide how to handle the situation.

The novel gives us the words - the testimony, if you will - of people who were impacted by the events of the book. From the headmaster to the students involved to staff, faculty, & townspeople the events & their aftermath are examined from many different sides. If the discovery of the tape in the first chapter is the rock thrown into the pond, the rest if the book is the ripples that spread out from that rock into many life-changing (& a few life-ending) events.

The multiple perspectives are fresh & interesting & there are some finely drawn characters here - precise, exact, believable. This approach also has its flaws - a certain kind of enforced distance from events & characters, not enough of any one character to "know" them & care about them. The male characters are for the most part complex & fully fleshed, particularly the adult males. The female characters are problematic for me - stereotyped as vixens or good girls the virgin/whore dichotomy is on full display.

The novel has multiple settings, but two primary - Vermont & the elite boarding school where events take place. The sense of place in Vermont is palpable, that of the boarding school is more mushy. There are parts of this that reminded me of Midwives, also set in Vermont - the snow, the black ice, the oppressive cold, the warmth of family life seen through windows. The school environment isn't nearly as well imagined & in many ways the author keeps all of the teenagers at arm's length, mentioning their many transgressions, but refusing to explore them. This refusal to explore leaves its own ripples of missed opportunity throughout the novel.

Despite its flaws & missed opportunities the book is a quick read because it's difficult to put down. The story is compelling, although not always enjoyable & deftly illustrates the fact that actions do indeed have consequences.

For me, the mark of a really good book is that I continue to think about it for several days after I've finished reading it. 'Testimony' did not disappoint. Anita Shreve has outdone herself with this compelling story of a scandal that rocked a New England prep school, destroying numerous lives and ending in tragedy.

What makes this book so powerful is the narrative. Shreve uses dry narrative from numerous characters to build to the dramatic, although not terribly surprising, conclusion. Each "voice" adds to the story from his or her point of view. The reader is able to consider the events from different angles and ultimately draw his or her own conclusion.

Despite having at least 18 different characters telling the story, the narrative is never confusing as each person has a distinctive voice.

What I appreciate the most from this novel, however, is the powerful statement it makes about the ramifications of a single event and how given a different set of circumstances, none of this might ever have happened. Teenagers especially do not consider how their actions can impact their entire lives, and parents might be wise to suggest their teens read this book.

I highly recommend 'Testimony' as yet another gem in Anita Shreve's career.

As with all Anita Shreve books, this book held my interest from beginning to end. She offers a great blend of interesting storytelling and literate prose in all her books. I liked the idea of telling the story from various viewpoints; however, there were just too many people telling the story, and it made it hard to care much about the characters. Even in the middle of the book, new characters were being introduced to tell their part of the story.

I was a bit surprised at what a one-dimensional character the "victim", Sienna, was written to be. Shreve writes this girl with no redeemable qualities that I could see, she is just a rich little trollop with no morals. Whereas with the boys, we get more nuance, and by letting their parents narrate, we get a feeling for their good and bad qualities. Wonder why Shreve did this? She is such a good author, she could easily have made the character of Sienna if not more likable, at least a bit more relatable.

i didnt think her last two books were that great, but this one im happy to say i couldnt put down....good or bad i always savor her books, im not that way with every author. I think the characters all came through with their own pain, and i liked them all. Look forward to her next one!!

It was an interesting and disturbing story. It reinforced the fear that is always in the back of a mother's mind that one mistake could ruin a person's life. Scary business. At times I found it hard to follow. It jumped so often between narrators and time periods. It could have been much more engaging from fewer perspectives. I found it hard to care deeply about any one character.