Thursday, July 2, 2009

Review & Giveaway: The Local News by Miriam Gershow


The Local News by Miriam Gershow is a story about the aftermath of change to a family when a young teen boy goes missing. As a reader, you follow Lydia who shares her thoughts and experiences as a 15 year old girl and then later as an adult looking back.

Lydia is torn between the grief she feels that her brother Danny is missing and the relief that he is not there to tease, harass and ignore her. These are complicated feelings of a young girl that are very well played out in this novel. She is challenged to deal with the depth of her own emotions and balance that with the attention she is receiving at school. She was once a quiet girl with few friends and then suddenly she is getting attention that has taken her to a celebrity like status among her peers and Danny's friends. Lydia grapples with the attention and overall finds it unwanted. She finds herself in situations that she would never have experienced if Danny was around.

Lydia must also deal with her parents neglect as they seem to forget about her as they focus on finding Danny. Danny was the favorite child, at least from Lydia's perspective and she is left to fend for herself in many ways. Everything changes in an instant when a family member goes missing. This novel explores this issue from the families perspective and specifically from a sibling perspective, and does so in a depth and style that is gut wrenching at times and easily relatable at others. Many of us who grew up with siblings understand the mixed emotions and love-hate relationship that you can have with a sibling.

The story ends with Lydia as an adult, 10 years later and brings a closure to the story that I found worked very well. I was glad to see how Lydia had grown as a woman and what happened to her and other family members and friends as they moved forward in their lives.

This is Miriam Gershow's first novel and I think that she has shown excellent strength in her story-telling abilities and writing style that this novel showcases. The Local News is haunting and compelling and you will find yourself drawn into the story all the way through to the end.


For more information on The Local News, including a Reading Group Guide and an excerpt, check out the author’s website HERE.


Thank you to TLC Book Tours for inviting me to participate in this tour.





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Giveaway Details:


I am pleased to share with you that Miriam Gershow and her publisher, Spiegel & Grau have graciously offered to give away a copy of The Local News to one lucky winner. Here are the details, you have up to 5 chances to win:


For each entry, please leave a seperate comment, this will make it easier to draw a winner as I won't be able to go back and count each entry. Also, make sure that you include your email or that your email is in your blog profile. If I have no way of contacting you by email, your entry will automatically be withdrawn.


  • For One Entry: Leave a comment about this post.
  • For a Second Entry: In a SEPARATE comment, Blog about this giveaway and share a link(posting in your sidebar is fine).
  • For a Third Entry: In a SEPARATE comment, Twitter about this giveaway and share a link, if you can.
  • For a Fourth Entry: In a SEPARATE comment, Facebook about this giveaway.
  • For a Fifth Entry: In a SEPARATE comment: Follow my blog or subscribe to my blog(let me know if you are already a follower or subscriber).



This giveaway is ONLY open to U.S.



I'll use random.org to draw a winner and the contest will end on July 16th, 2009
at Midnight EST. Good Luck!!



59 comments:

  1. Don't enter me in the giveaway since I have the book. I'm anxious to read it after reading your great review.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Please enter me.

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Haunting is a good way to describe the story. I read it in June (loved it) and am still haunted.

    Thanks so much for participating in the tour! I'm going to go Tweet about your giveaway now..

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is a great review. I've been wanting to read this one so please enter me!
    joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am also a follower.
    joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great review -- I am hearing fantastic things about this novel. Please enter me in the giveaway.

    jedziedz@hotmail.com
    jess
    barney's book blog

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am a follower.

    jedziedz@hotmail.com
    jess
    barney's book blog

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi! Just posted this on Win A Book.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is one of those books that I've been wanting to read for a while, and your review just makes me want to read it all the more. :)

    akreese (at) hotmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Don't enter me Bonnie. I just wanted to say that I'm just starting this book and that you wrote a wonderful review.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This sounds fantastic! Please sign me up.
    stacybooks at yahoo

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is going on my wish list. I can't wait to see how she turns out as an adult. Please enter me!

    jgbeads at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am a subscriber :)

    jgbeads at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. This sounds like a heartwrenching read but from your review, it seems that it is dealt with in a good way. I'd love to read it.

    melacan at hotmail dto com

    ReplyDelete
  15. So many books out there that focus on missing kids. It breaks my heart every time I hear of one locally.

    No need to enter me though. I just wanted to comment on the nice write-up. Nice job :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. You've written such a great review I really want to read it now. Please count me in.
    jessica(at)fan(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Looks like a good book, please enter me into this drawing.

    Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
    jake.lsewhere[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I thought Gershow did a great job writing Lydia and imagining how this situation would effect a teenage girl. My review is here:
    http://litandlife.blogspot.com/2009/06/local-news.html

    ReplyDelete
  19. This has been on my TBR list since I first saw it. I would love to win it!

    kherbrand at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  20. I follow your blog.

    kherbrand at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  21. This sounds really good. Would love to read it. Please enter me. :0)

    Thanks!
    librarygrinch at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I've seen several reviews on this book. After reading yours, it makes me want to read it more. Please enter me.

    sharon54220@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I am also a subscriber.

    sharon54220@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I blogged about your contest here.
    joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks for the review-I hope I get to read it.

    chocolateandcroissants at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. great review! please enter me:

    dd DOT bookgoddess AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  27. I'm already a follower; thanks so much

    dd DOT bookgoddess AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  28. I follow.

    mj.coward[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thanks for the giveaway. I'd love to read this book.
    oheeyore at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  30. I follow your blog.
    oheeyore at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  31. This sounds really good. I would like a chance or two to win. I am following you on Twitter.

    I will try to remember to stop back here later and link you to my page on giveaways.

    Have a great 4tho f July!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I would love a chance to read this book thank you!
    unforgetable_dreamer_always(at)hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I would love to read the book!
    carla
    cpullum(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  34. This looks great. Please enter me. I'd like to read it. Sounds good for my book club.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Please enter me, I would love to read this book, your review was great!

    Cheers,
    julie.sherritt[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  36. I follow

    julie.sherritt[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. I'd love a chance to win!

    Valorie
    morbidromantic@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  38. Blogged: http://www.morbid-romantic.net/2009/06/30/book-giveaways-0629-0705/

    Valorie
    morbidromantic@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. Tweet: http://twitter.com/morbidromantic/status/2487499727

    Valorie
    morbidromantic@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  40. I am a subscriber.

    Valorie
    morbidromantic@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  41. I want to win this book!
    delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  42. I subscribe via google reader!

    ReplyDelete
  43. I would love to read this, it sounds great!

    marielay@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  44. This book sounds great - please sign me up for the contest! I also just signed up as a follower!

    ReplyDelete
  45. My email address is laarlt78 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  46. Sounds like a great read!

    dlodden(at)frontiernet(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  47. Please include me! Thanks!
    gotts567[at]aol[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  48. Your review of this book is wonderful! It's even better than the review that made me want to read this book!
    Please enter me in your contest!

    Amy
    Aimala02@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  49. I'm a follower of your blog!

    Amy
    Aimala02@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  50. I'd love to read this book - please count me in!

    Thanks,
    megalon22 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  51. I already follow.

    megalon22 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  52. I'm now a follower.

    dlodden(at)frontiernet(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  53. I would love to be inlcuded in your giveaway.
    Thanks
    Debbie
    debdesk9(at)verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
  54. I am a subscriber.
    Thanks
    Debbie
    debdesk9(at)verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
  55. Please enter me.

    Thank you,

    Christine
    womackcm@sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
  56. I am a subscriber.

    Thank you,

    Christine
    womackcm@sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
  57. I'm anxious to read this book after reading the review.

    I'm a subscriber

    Dutchlvr1(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  58. Following on twitter

    chocolateandcroissants at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete

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