Book Review: Anita Shreve's Testimony

Anita Shreve's Testimony is one of the more unique books I've read this year because the writer uses a storytelling device where instead of allowing the plot to move forward as each chapter unfolds, Shreve uses the viewpoint of all the characters of the story to tell the story.

The story revolves around a sex scandal that has happened in a private boarding school and how the event sends shock waves to the small town where the school is located.  I feel empathy and sadness for each of the main characters who were complicit in the sex scandal.    

Is it really possible for people who have made wrong decisions early in life to pick up the pieces and move on with their lives?  I guess so.  I also made a bad decision when I was their age, although the gravity was not as big as their mistake, but a mistake nevertheless.  And I bounced back.  When you're that young, you have the luxury of time to make up for the mistake and build your life back.

This book was another fast read for me since I really wanted to know what happened to the main characters.  As long as the characters are interesting, it's not very easy to just drop the book.