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Love in the Present Tense

By Catherine Ryan Hyde

(3)

| Paperback | 9780385610568

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Critics

Love in the Present Tense By Catherine Ryan Hyde

On one fateful night, 13-year-old Pearl becomes both a mother and a killer. Picked up by a cop while on the wrong side of town, Pearl caves to his advances and then accidentally shoots him as he takes his post-coital exit. Pearl's son Leonard comes a ... (read full critics)

bookpage published on Mon, 13 Sep 2010

2 Reviews

On my reading list due to being a Richard and Judy recommended read. According to the cover it is the magical story of a young boy’s search for his mother.
I have not read a book I have been so disappointed in for a long time finding it a thoroughly boring and disjointed story of unconditional ... (continue)

On my reading list due to being a Richard and Judy recommended read. According to the cover it is the magical story of a young boy’s search for his mother.
I have not read a book I have been so disappointed in for a long time finding it a thoroughly boring and disjointed story of unconditional love.
In theory it sounded Ok, three protagonists Leonard, the little boy deserted by his mother at the age of five. Pearl his very young teenage mother who leaves him a neighbour’s care one day and never returns, finally Mitch the neighbour. The chapters are narrated by each of the three and right from the very first one I had my doubts, finding it difficult to relate to the characters or the situation. I kept reading as far as page 120 in the hope it would start to make sense. It didn’t and I have so many other books waiting to be read that I finally decided it was a waste of time. I am sorry because I rarely give up on a book. I have read some other reviews to see if I was just missing the point and it appears I must have been Somehow I feel let down by this one but I appear to be very much in the minority!

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Lindyloumac said on Sep 28, 2009 | Add your feedback

Nice read - but forgettable

Review
I started reading this book on the train to London on Monday and realised that I’d read the beginning before… I seem to remember starting it last year and just not connecting with the character so I gave up. This time I decided to persevere with it - and I’m glad I did as it was a very ... (continue)

Review
I started reading this book on the train to London on Monday and realised that I’d read the beginning before… I seem to remember starting it last year and just not connecting with the character so I gave up. This time I decided to persevere with it - and I’m glad I did as it was a very nice read.
The book is written from the point of view of the three main characters in the book at different stages of their lives. First is Pearl, a teenager looking for love who ends up as a young mother on the run with her son. She loves him fiercely and will do anything for him - but one day disappears from his life.
Then there’s Leonard, the little boy left behind who believes his mum is dead, but still with him in spirit for he is a believer in *forever love*.
Finally we have Mitch, the kindly neighbour with nothing much going for him other than a business and a snatched affair with a married woman, who takes in Leonard and learns to love him as his own son.
There’s not a lot to the story - no twists or turns - but the theme of love in its different forms is what carries you through the tale. Hyde does a good job of wrapping up all the loose ends too - not in a rushed epilogue fashion but as part of the novel - I know some people like to imagine what happens to the characters next - but I prefer the author to finish the job they started - otherwise I feel like there’s some pages missing *lol*
If you’re looking for a nice Sunday afternoon read then you can’t go wrong with this book.
Rating
3 stars - Enjoyable read - but slightly forgettable

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apfopd said on Jan 30, 2008 | Add your feedback