Testimony: A Novel

Anita Shreve

Oct 2008 · Sold by Little, Brown

About this ebook

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices -- those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal -- that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment.

Writing with a pace and intensity surpassing even her own greatest work, Anita Shreve delivers in Testimony a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. No one more compellingly explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

Ratings and reviews

While this book was an easy read, it's not a bad thing. Yes, it was easy because the level is a bit lower, but it was mostly an easy and quick read because it is one of those fast-paced, interesting books that one does not want to put down. Shreve attacked touchy subjects very well. She attacked underage sex, drinking, affairs, and many other problems of a teenager or even adult. Shreve did not leave anything to the imagination for the sex scandal. However, for all of the other problems, she approached them in a way that the reader will develop their own opinions and inturpret them as they please. She did a good job developing characters and using Sienna to represent things such as stereotypes of a teenage girl. The only negative thing that I have to say about the character development is that I wish she had gone back to Noelle one last time to show her reaction to Silas death and how it affected her later life. I do feel that the content was a much higher level than the actual writing. Overall it was a very good book and I would reccomend it.

I loved this book. This was my 1st Anita Shreve book. I don't know about her other works, but I liked the way this one read. I liked getting into the mind of the characters. I also liked the message behind the book. Very good read.

Great read. Being the parent of a teen boy it was pretty scary but it really kept me turning the page .

About the author

Anita Shreve is the acclaimed author of more than fifteen novels, including Testimony; The Pilot's Wife, which was a selection of Oprah's Book Club; and The Weight of Water, which was a finalist for England's Orange prize. She lives in Massachusetts.