Tuesday, January 13, 2015

The Cottage Park Puzzle: A Book Review

Do you want to read a book that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next?  A book that will at times anger you, amaze you and leave you questioning how you would react?   This is how I felt when I finished reading The Cottage Park Puzzle by Richard M. Siddoway.  I was given a copy to review.

My Review:
The small town of Cottage Park is shocked when two boys are found beaten nearly to death at school; another student is found standing over them holding a bat; however his conviction isn't so cut and dry  as Corky, an extremely autistic boy is unable to speak and tell them what happened.

The people in the town find themselves unsure how to react, many ready to condemn Corky immediately, but others unsure what to do as how much does he really understand? Corky has never had a history of violence, so even his parents are left stunned and questioning what went so wrong.

I won't say any more about the book as I don't want to give any of the plot away, but I found myself very quickly sucked into this book. It is a quick read (at less then 200 pages) and I finished it in one afternoon, unable to put it down.

I love how the author told the story that really made you stop and examine all sides of the story. The Cottage Park Puzzle also teaches forgiveness and compassion even in times where it seems unwarranted. It seems like a book that would be good for a book club with some great discussion questions at the end.

This is what I call a clean book- though some of the subject matter is more intense, it is free of language, graphic imagery and sex. 


About the Author:

Richard M. Siddoway was born in Salt Lake City and reared in Bountiful, Utah. He was a professional educator for over 45 years. In 1994, he was asked by Governor Leavitt to create the nation’s first state-wide virtual high school—the Electronic High School—which served students nation-wide. Richard served three terms in the Utah House of Representatives; the last two years he served as Speaker Pro Tempore of the House.  He is the author of ten books including the New York Times best seller—The Christmas Wish which was made into a movie starring Debbie Reynolds, Neil Patrick Harris, and Naomi Watts.
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