What do readers think of Things We Didn't Say by Kristina Riggle? Write your own review.

I prefer books that allow for escape, or teach me something new; neither of which were present in Kristina Riggle's "Things We Didn't Say". Her characters were believable and fairly authentic, with an accurate, if not predictable storyline.

"Things We Didn't Say" could prove to be an interesting book club discussion. Would be appropriate for older adolescents and might be a beneficial discussion for the appropriate group.

I found this book thought provoking because I have never experienced much of what was written about. I have observed it, including the cut backs in the newspaper industry. Everything comes across as a viable way of living for many. Alcoholism, addiction to pills, divorce, step-parenting, grandparenting, runaway teens and keeping secrets slyly seeps into many relationships. It is a good book for young people. Either to have read to them or for teens to read themselves. Every once-in-a-while I felt the book slowed down or offered more information than necessary. You do learn that avoiding issues that matter will bog down any relationship.

This book is good at conveying the struggles of a family in crisis. The characters are well defined and easy to associate with. The plot and language is simple and could appeal to young adults who struggle with divorce and family issues.

I couldn't put it down! Kristina Riggle did an excellent job of drawing the reader into the middle of this family. The title certainly describes what happens in the story. I became very involved with the characters - flawed as they seemed to be. I would recommend this book to anyone who just enjoys a good, engrossing story!

Things we didn't say deals with themes of alcoholism, divorce, step-parenting, runaway teens and keeping secrets. However, none of these themes is presented in a new or interesting way. The characters are one-dimensional, without enough background to fully flesh them out. The reader never gets to know any of these characters well enough to like them. I was disappointed in this book since I am a step-parent and was hoping to find characters and stories to connect with in some way, but this was not the case. The book is readable but definitely not a page-turner. It left me wanting a better story with more interesting people.

Enjoyable quick read. The storyline is fairly predictable, but keeps your interest. At times, I wanted to scream at one of the main characters and say have confidence in yourself and leave. Many of us deal with problems of dysfunctional families and want to just walk away. I found the handling of an addiction/recovery believable.

Would recommend this for a book club for a thoughtful discussion about having a teenager and dealing with the teen years, living with someone and not being married, ex-wife, and insecurity.

The story begins with Casey moving in with Michael and his three children. Her sudden role as mother is daunting since Casey's ex-wife, Mallory, the children's birth mother, is a highly dysfunctional woman who is determined to undermine Casey. As with many patched together families there are many problems. Angel, the oldest daughter, remembers how bad life was with her mother but resents the new woman in her father's life and suspects Casey has secrets. Dylan has a good relationship with Casey and Jewel has made an adjustment. A family crisis brings Mallory into the house and the friction causes all the problems to rush to the surface. Each chapter is written by one of the main characters, a device to gain insight into the thoughts and actions of each. Though I became involved with the characters, their apparent inability to make good choices frustrated me . This is a book in need of someone with a cool head.

Kristina Riggle's current book is a nice piece of women's fiction. It deals with a dysfunctional family and their efforts to cope. The way she handled addiction recovery and lapse seemed quite realistic.The characters are well-drawn, so it is easy to care about them. Each of them is suffering in ways that seem age appropriate. There are enough topics within the book to make it a good choice for a book group discussion.