When Cadence Archer's older brother was a student at Harvard, he was considered brilliant. Then he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and committed suicide by jumping from his fourth floor dorm window. Now Cady is a Harvard freshman determined to find out more about her brother, but she has started hearing voices. Should she tell someone, and who can she trust? ----- This book is like two disconnected stories being told simultaneously. The result is diffused and unfocused. I kept waiting for the two elements to merge somehow, but was disappointed to find that, while the voices' connection to American history was interesting, they ultimately added nothing to the real story. The secondary characters get a nice initial introduction and add some color even if they do eventually fall to the side. The ending begins with a revelation squarely in ho hum territory before snapping you back into attention with a really good twist. What kills any satisfaction with the ending is an overly long and melodramatic attempt at closing all the loopholes. Really, a five-years-later analysis of Cady's coming to terms with life AND an epilogue?
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