Hold Tight Reviews

• A complex jigsaw that marks a change of pace

  
  By A3PHF9UV3F177L on 2008-05-06
  Harlan Coben specializes in writing intricate and suspenseful mysteries that keep you turning pages late into the night. His first (and to my mind, his best) standalone murder mystery was "Tell No One". Since then he has written several more novels which have been increasingly similar in plot. I was pleasantly surprised that "Hold Tight" marks a departure in formula, in that it doesn't center on an ancient murder case or the long ago disappearance of a family member. While this does mean that the book struggles a little to find its own momentum, at least Coben is trying something different instead of giving us more of the same.
  
  "Hold Tight" juggles a number of different stories, all of which in some way center on the theme of parents trying to protect and/or understand their children. While initially they seem to be quite disparate plotlines, eventually the connections between them become apparent and it is this process of putting the jigsaw pieces together that is the most satisfying part of reading "Hold Tight". One of the things that I really like about Harlan Coben's writing is that there are never any loose ends or things that get left unexplained.
  
  "Hold Tight" is a little slower in pace than his other novels and at times it gets confusing keeping track of so many people, but it's still is a satisfying mystery that keeps the suspense going right until the final pages.
  
  
  
  

• Coben can do much better

  
  By A2F4ADOINJUXKR on 2008-04-21
  Hold Tight, Harlan Coben's newest entry into what can now be considered a fairly sizeable body of mystery writings, is a disappointment. Actually, it is more that that - it is seemingly a total sell out by an author who had previously developed fun and interesting characters and wove them into a very good and taut story line. Now it appears (and one can obviously never be sure) that Coben is on some 5 book contract and he is just pumping them out. Hold Tight is all plot, and plenty of it. In fact - way too much and the author contrives to weave multiple sub-plots into an often disjointed main "theme". For those who have enjoyed his rich development of both characters and plot - keep hunting or read an earlier book. Coben is going the way of Grippando, but I remain hopeful and will give him one more book. After that his books will go on the shelf at my summer house that allows, nah, encourages visitors to bring the books home with them - no need to ever sent them back. Mr. Coben, you can go the way of Crais and Connelly or the shameless way of James Patterson. Your fans are holding tight.
  
  

• Great Thriller By a Master of the Genre

  
  By A2B52XN1VH9W3R on 2008-05-29
  Harlan Coben has a tendency to create mulitiple plot threads that never seem like they will ever come together. This book is no exception.
  
  In his new book, Coben, explores a problem in today's society. Privacy. He explores how the internet changed everything. Now, that anyone can post anything they want about you and there isn't much you can do.
  
  At the center of these themes is the Baye family (pronounced "by"). Mike and Tia have recently installed a spy program to keep an eye on their sixteen-year-old son, Adam. They do this after a friend of Adam has recently commited suicide. After a cryptic IM, Mike tries to keep Adam home but then he runs away. So begins the search for the teenager. The search takes Mike into the seedy part of the Bronx.
  
  Meanwhile, a killer is at large and killing what seems to be random women. The reason behind it all will keep you guessing until the end. Also, a patient of Mike and his partner needs a kidney transplant and the mother holds a devestating secret. A father tries to come to terms with the fact that he cannot keep his daughter from harm after a popular teacher embarrasses her in class. We also see the police working the killer's case.
  
  All threads converge very nicely into a sweet bow. Some are a little too forced but all in all, the suspense never relents and Coben once again keeps you guessing until the very end when the final secret is revealed.
  
  

• Fasten The Seatbelt On Your Favorite Reading Chair And Get Ready For A Roller Coaster Of A Read!

  
  By A2CVXUY1EYQGGA on 2008-04-15
  Hold Tight is definitely one of Harlan Coben's top three books -- and it may be his best yet! It is a book that grabs your attention from page one and never lets go until the last word on the last page. Hold Tight is largely plot-driven, although Coben's characters are mostly interesting and ones that people, and particularly parents, will be able to relate to. They are not characters, however, whose visual profiles came strongly to life for me. Further, if you have read Coben's Myron Bolitar series, I think you'll consider the characters of Mike Baye and his friend Mo to be pretty reminiscent of his characters, Myron Bolitar and his friend, Win. As I said, the strength of this book is its plot, not its character development. But what a plot it is! Basically, the book revolves around two story lines: (1) Mike Baye and his wife trying to deal with the increasing withdrawal of their 16-year-old son after a friend's suicide, and (2) a pair of brutal, seemingly unrelated killings, which serve to highlight the domestic troubles that ensue and draw the Baye family, their friends and neighbors in a sea of tragedy. In addition to Hold Tight's exciting plot, Coben wraps the story around the following highly relevant ethical questions that most parents have to wrestle with: How do you weigh a child's privacy against a parent's right to know? How do you differentiate normal teenage rebelliousness from out-of-control behavior? When and how do you intervene if suicidal signs appear? Be prepared to put off whatever you were planning to do once you start Hold Tight, as you won't want to put this book down. I highly recommend Hold Tight to all readers of exciting, suspenseful plot-driven thrillers.
  
  
  

• 4 1/2 Stars...Modern Technology, Age-Old Values

  
  By A1CHM200OEN65X on 2008-04-18
  Over the last few years, Harlan Coben's name has become synonymous with plot twists and family issues and pulse-pounding storytelling. His last book, "The Woods," was no exception, yet it moved toward caricature and implausibility. Apparently, though, he listened to the naysayers and came up with "Hold Tight."
  
  Imagine you're a parent. Your teen son has lost a friend to an overdose of prescription pills. You worry that your son is headed down a similar path. And so, to alleviate your concerns, you have someone install spyware on his computer to monitor his activities. Soon, his activities have everyone spiraling toward confrontation, and no one is to be trusted.
  
  Coben, once again, has mixed the ethical questions of modern technology with age-old values of family and trust. He touches on many angles of this, using plot-relevant dialogue to address parenthood, nature vs. nurture, as well as teen rebellion and Internet temptations. He blends these issues seamlessly into a fast-paced mystery. He provides his expected--or unexpected!--twists and turns, and he unravels them as clearly, yet as satisfyingly, as he's ever done. This makes the story more believable than his last effort, while somewhat taming its overall shock value.
  
  For those familiar with "The Woods," there are fun surprises throughout, involving Paul Copeland and Loren Muse, not to mention a reference or two to characters from the Mylon Bolitar series. Coben continues to take current concerns and make them not only entertaining, but also thought-provoking. His writing has pared down a bit, with some loss in overall character depth, but there's a reason Coben has risen to the top of the bestseller lists. With stories such as "Hold Tight," I expect he'll stay there for years to come.
  
  
• Another Addicting Masterpiece!
  By A1Y7PVYQ9NOHLB on 2008-04-15
  Mike and Tia Baye are worried about their son, Adam. Ever since Adam lost a good friend to suicide, he has withdrawn from the family. After much deliberation they decide to install spy software on his computer to keep track of his internet activity. Everything seems normal until an instant message from a mysterious source turns the Baye's world upside down.
  
  Betsy Hill mourns like any mother would over the loss of her son Spencer. As troubled as he was no one thought he would ever take his own life. While reading her son's Myspace memorial page she comes across a photo that changes everything she thought about her son's death. Now she must confront Spencer's best friend, Adam, who is the only person who may really know what happened the night Spencer died.
  
  Soon both families are intertwined in a desperate search for truth that will reveal shocking answers. As the questions are answered more families become involved and connections to a baffling police case come to light. Now Mike and Tia must dig through all the layers of secrecy if they hope to save their son before it's too late.
  
  Harlan Coben holds nothing back in his latest offering. This is high caliber suspense, gut-wrenching drama, and engrossing mystery all rolled into one. Coben brings the thriller genre full force into suburbia and gives us an eye-opening glance into the very real dangers that threaten families in our society. In Hold Tight we are effectively thrown into the middle of every parent's worst nightmare and what a scary and sobering experience it is. As always Coben's writing proves to be second to none as he effectively weaves several storylines together and somehow manages to link them all together without ever revealing where the story is heading. Coben's fans will also enjoy some character cameos from his last novel, The Woods. Hold Tight can certainly be read as a stand alone title, but I highly recommend readers pick up a copy of The Woods to get the full effect of both stories.
  
  Coben has not only created another addicting masterpiece, but he has blessed us with an unforgettable cautionary tale about parenthood. This one will no doubt keep you up all night nervously flipping through the pages. However, in the end you will want to hug your kids tightly and tell them how much you love them. If you haven't read Coben before you will indeed wonder why after this one.
  
  
  
• Not his best work
  By A3360DTJTA88YD on 2008-04-25
  This is not Coben's best work. Very preachy - sometimes spending several paragraphs to beat us over the head with his theme, sometimes having his teenage characters engage in unbelievable conversations. The two main story lines - otherwise unconnected - come together in the Baye family: way too much coincidence. Then he throws in a third story line with the neighbor's son's medical problems and that - of course - also ties in. Give me a break.
  
  
• Another great thriller by Coben!
  By A25HYPL2XKQPZB on 2008-04-29
  HOLD TIGHT is another great thriller from one of the best in the business, Harlan Coben. I've read all of Coben's recent work and but only two Bolitar novels. I'm an aspiring novelist, and Coben is one of the few authors that truly inspires me. I love the feeling and emotion he instills into a story. His novels follow a familiar formula. A good man is thrust into some incredible circumstances where his life is turned upside down. The hero always prevails in the end, usually after living through some incredible twists in turns.
  
  In HOLD TIGHT, Coben has taken a slightly different approach. The complex plot revolves around a group of families living in the same neighborhood. They all have their own problems and as the plot unravels, the problems of the families come together, resulting in an exciting climax.
  
  Mike and Tia Baye are concerned about their son Adam. He's changed since his friend Spencer's suicide. Mike is distraught that the once greate relationship he had with his son is unraveling. They decide to install software that will allow them to spy on Adam's every move. These leads them to areas they could never imagine. Susan Lorriman is the Baye's next door neighbor. She is beautiful but holds a dark secret. She is also fighting to save the life of her [...], who needs a kidney transplant.
  
  In a photo memorial for Spenser, his mom Betsy Hill discovers a picture that indicates she might not actually know everything about the night Spenser died. She does some digging and finds out Adam might know more that he is letting on. Then there is Guy Novak, the single dad who is trying to help is daughter recover from a devestating insult hurled by her fifth grade teacher.
  
  To top the plot off, there is a pair of crazy demented souls kidnapping women and killing them. The women also live in the neighborhood.
  
  HOLD TIGHT is a really good book, but it is defnitely not one of Coben's best. I applaud his effort to create more of an ensemble novel that spans a short time period. The characters work, no problem there. The problem lies in the plot twists. It is believable for Coben's crazy plots to happen to one person. Here, he takes just as many crazy plot twists, has them all happen to separate families, yet ties them all together in the end. There were just a few too many coincidences to be believable. Still, that doesn't change the enthusiasm I had for this novel. Coben is at the top of his game and has once again written a great thriller.
  
  
  
• Not Coben
  By A1XGLO9XNXRJ7M on 2008-04-27
  I am a Harlan Coben fan; I've read and enjoyed most of his books. I am convinced this book was not written by the Harlan Coben I am a fan of. It lacks his humor and pacing. It lacks his feel for place, character and nuance. It lacks his workmanship and attention to the subtleties of language. This Coben's cops aren't real; his kids aren't real; his suburbanites aren't real.
  
  The dialog is wooden, uninteresting, unfunny and untrue. The narrative is windy; it is filled with pseudo-philosophical excursions that contribute nothing to the plot. The characters are two dimensional, dull and drawn without care or art.
  
  A lot of the exposition is aimed at establishing the author's intelligence and specialized knowledge; it lacks Coben's usual self-confidence. A lot of the exposition attempts to explain the obvious; it lacks Coben's usual trust and respect for his readers.
  
  Normally I finish Coben books in one or two sittings. I am struggling with this one, wading through the poor writing to find out what happened.
  
  This book was not written--it was assembled from used parts--and not by a master craftsman.
  
  
• Coben delivers once again; a real nail-biter
  By A2U83VDVJMAB2U on 2008-04-18
  Harlan Coben is skilled at devising very unusual thrillers with twists and quirks that take the reader all over the emotional and psychological map, and this book is no exception.
  
  This time around, the parental nightmare of a teen suicide is the launching pad for an excursion into the world of adolescent angst and the dilemma parents face in how to deal with it, particularly when it spirals terribly out of control. Throw into the mix a psychotic killer trying to appease his own demons, and you have Coben's portrayal of a middle-class neighborhood that could almost be set in a Bosch landscape.
  
  What really goes on behind the placid facade of our neighbors' public personas? This is essentially the question Coben poses in this engaging novel.
  
  Vividly-drawn characters, taut pacing, and clever plotting help drive this work, and deliver a very fun and satisfying experience for the reader.
  
  The only reason I held back that fifth star was that the ultimate fates of a couple of the "bad guys" were somewhat vaguely resolved, and this detracted a bit from the satisfaction factor of the book's finale. But it's a minor point, and doesn't at all affect my recommendation for this work.
  
  
• "Are you saying that a person is entitled to their secrets?"
  By AC1K4OQOZ90RS on 2008-04-22
  Harlan Coben's "Hold Tight" starts out with a bang. A woman named Marianne is sitting in a bar nursing her drink and "marveling at her endless capacity to destroy any good in her pathetic life." Before you can say psychotic serial killer, she is tossed into a van and brutally tortured. Who is Marianne and why has this crazed man targeted her?
  
  Coben segues to his main characters, Dr. Mike and Tia Baye, who live in a beautiful split-level home in Livingston, New Jersey. The Bayes have reluctantly decided to spy on their sullen and secretive sixteen-year-old, Adam, using a program called E-SpyRight. Thanks to this nifty software, they will be able to monitor his every keystroke. They will know whom he emails, who emails him, the contents of his messages (including IMs) and which Web sites he visits. Why are they invading their son's privacy? After his friend, Spencer, committed suicide, Adam's personality changed. His grades slipped, he barely speaks, he spends hours in his room playing on his computer, and often disappears without telling anyone his whereabouts. He visited a therapist once and refuses to go back for further treatment. When Mike expresses his qualms about keeping tabs on Adam, Tia counters by saying, "He might be drinking or doing drugs or who knows what. Stop burying your head in the sand." She adds that protecting Adam is more important than letting him have his space.
  
  Tia, who works for a high-powered and aggressive lawyer named Hester Crimstein, is having difficulty balancing the demands of her job and her personal concerns. Crimstein lets Tia know in no uncertain terms that if she chooses to puts her family before her career, she will be summarily fired. Another subplot deals with the Baye's downcast neighbor, the gorgeous Susan Loriman, whose ten-year-old son, Lucas, desperately needs a kidney transplant. (Mike Baye is a transplant surgeon.) However, she is harboring a troubling secret that could determine whether her son lives or dies. The Baye's eleven-year-old daughter, Jill, is a precocious young lady whose BFF (best friend forever) is Yasmin, the child of a broken home. The two girls share all of their inner thoughts with one another, and Yasmin suffers greatly when one of her teachers derides her physical appearance in front of the entire class. The child bitterly resents her teacher for his lapse. What should have been a minor but regrettable incident will turn out to have devastating consequences.
  
  A series of clues send Mike on a perilous expedition to find out where his son is and bring him home. When he gets close to the truth, the doctor is severely beaten and nearly killed. Exactly what is Adam up to? Mike's good friend, the blunt Mo, weighs in with his opinions, as he always does. Meanwhile, what started as a routine case of nervous parents looking out for their son's welfare morphs into a crisis that may cost people their lives and freedom.
  
  Coben sets up his plot masterfully. He provides just enough information to hook the reader but withholds vital pieces of the puzzle until the very end. I had very little idea where the book was headed, and I turned pages quickly, anxious to learn what the outcome would be. Eventually, all of the pieces come together in a climactic and somewhat violent final confrontation.
  
  The author raises timely questions that concern today's parents: Have we given our kids too many material possessions and too much freedom? How deeply should we be involved in their everyday lives? If we invest too much time and energy in them, will we smother their development and prevent them from engaging in normal rebellion? Should we use the incredible technology that is available today to spy on our loved ones? There are no easy answers to these questions and Coben makes no attempt to provide any. As the novel comes to a close, some of the twists and turns that he throws in strain credulity. Still, "Hold Tight" is a crisply written, intense, and riveting contemporary drama about the dilemma of well-meaning parents who are desperate to control their children's destiny in a perilous and unpredictable world.
  
  
• Disappointed fan
  By AXD16J4XAWR3 on 2008-04-26
  After first reading "Tell No One" 5-6 years I became a Harlan Coben fan and all his titles now sit on my bookcases. "Hold Tight" was pre-ordered and eagerly anticipated. Much to my surprise, it disappointed.
  On the positive side, its premise does make you think, raising larger issues of privacy and child rearing in an age of advanced technology. And, yes, Mr. Coben's writing style still keeps you turning pages at a rapid rate. However, I found the connections among the related subplots contrived and simply unbelievable. The number of coincidences you're asked to accept here was too much for my taste. For some reason, perhaps insufficient character development, I found myself not really caring how this mystery would end.
  Other reviewers have obviously praised this effort, but I'd have to rate it as Mr. Coben's most disappointing.
  
  
• The title says it all
  By A1H0632J3MQTMS on 2008-05-21
  Hold tight--that's what you need to do once you've gotten into this book. Coben has crafted a chilling tale with a complex plot and a diverse cast. He brings it all together at the end, a point that I could hardly wait to reach. This is a book that brings life to that old saw about being hard to put down.
  I love the Myron Bolitor books, and I can hardly wait for the next one. But Coben has a real winner with this one.
  
  
• Not up to his standards
  By AE8KYVJ7PSNHJ on 2008-04-25
  If Coben's name wasn't on the cover, I'd think this was a first novel by someone who doesn't really get it. Weak character development: I didn't care about any of them; many stereotypes. The plot was all over the place. The only saving grace was that it had the expected twist-and-turn Coben ending. Loved The Woods, but this was the worst Coben effort to date.
  
  
• A gallant attempt by Coben falls just a little short
  By ABWF7YVZAU1QP on 2008-05-03
  First of all, I have always enjoyed Coben's work and I also feel that just about every one of his stories falls short of what it could have been. Coben seems to have a very powerful positive gene that forces his stories to be created with great moral characters and purpose. It is impossible to pick up one of his novels and not feel as though you are drowning in the most all American family you will ever come across. Coben also has a fault in my mind for getting way too attached to his characters. Myron Bolitar, his primary alter ego for example was slowly transformed into a comic book super hero, and the further the series progressed, the further Coben became attached to the character, and the further the character lost any semblance to reality.
  
  What makes Coben's stand alone novels such as `Hold Tight' more engaging than his Bolitar series is that he has no real attachment to the characters and you are left with the idea that something bad just might happen. Characterization is not a primary concern of Coben, from one book to the next; the protagonist is pretty much the same. Here as with his other stories, you find a man with no real flaws other than being blinded to his everyday life due to pressing work concerns... the normal everyday life disassociation effect. But you don't read Coben for great characters, you read him for the action that he occasionally pulls off with great success.
  
  So I am primarily giving this book two stars not based on the 2 dimensional characters, not based on the better than average but not great prose style, but on the plot. I have to hand it to Coben here. He really goes for his greatest triumph with this book. The plot is totally complex, original, and interwoven. You follow a dozen or more characters over the course of two days and it fits together fairly decently. A lot of the threads felt underdeveloped or utilized, but this was a stretch for Coben and I appreciate that. On the down side, there were so many characters and the story jumped so often, I had to take a moment time and again to remind myself just who and what this or that person were and what they were last doing. The story also added weakly, Coben had so many threads, you could see him trying to wrap up maybe three dozen of them over the last few chapters and only a couple felt complete.
  
  I like Coben a lot; I will read him again and again as his new books come out. I don't think that this was his most successful effort. I think he gave it a good try. I hope he broadens his scope even more with the next one and pulls it off.
  
  
• One of his best ever -- hooray!
  By A25TT4IFNXUU2H on 2008-04-19
  Hold Tight sets up a range of stories in one community: a teacher who in a moment of temper mocks a student and ruins her life; a brooding teenage son clearly in trouble who disappears, his parent desperately trying to track him down; a sick little boy seeking a kidney transplant; a mother mourning her son's recent suicide; a pair of killers pursuing suburban women -- and more. Each individual story is tense and exciting in its own right, but I also loved wondering how they would come together. I won't give anything away but to say he did not disappoint; the stories do connect in ways that made me gasp. This Harlan at his best: real people in situations that could happen to anyone, struggling to survive, wondering what went wrong. Loved every minute of it.
  
  
• an excellent read
  By A3KZR6CGTNLQWN on 2008-04-22
  I have read all of Harlan Coben's books - I was totally addicted to Myron, Win & Esperanza and at first, was disappointed that his new books did not include these favorite characters. But once I read the first non-Myron book, I had a different opinion about Coben's literary skills. I believe he not only develops interesting and pertinent plots and subplots, but does so with a commanding literary skill. I do not believe the Myron books were as skillfully written as his recent books.
  
  I could not put this book down once I started reading. It took hold within the first pages and I felt this is the best book he has written. I especially like how he develops subplots that seamlessly come together until there is only one plot. I also like the way he chose a topic that is very prevalent to every parent today - internet, text messaging. Before the advent of this technology it was easier to keep track of your child/teenager without totally invading their privacy. With this technology, it becomes almost impossible to know what your child is doing.
  I can't wait for his next book! or the TV series being developed on Myron.
  
  
• Not up to Par
  By A3GPAL07JCOJ77 on 2008-04-22
  I have read all of Harlan Coben's books and I couldn't wait for Hold Tight to be released. Coben's books are the only ones that I buy in hardcover. However, I was disappointed in this book. Usually Coben's books are so surprising that I cannot even figure out which direction he is going in and once you think you have an idea the book heads in a completely different direction. In Hold Tight I found that the plot was somewhat predictable and I was holding out for something more but it never materialized. If you are looking for a good Harlan Coben book to read I would pick up Tell No One or Gone for Good. I would wait until this book comes out in paperback.
  
  
• A Tepid Chiller
  By A15IUZHRDUTH84 on 2008-05-08
  Harlan Coben, once known for his edgy, sassy Myron Bolitar series, has staked out suburbia as his domain for thrillers that... well, aren't all that thrilling. Part of the problem is that he jumps repeatedly from one person's point of view to another. None of these stereotypical characters is very memorable, and there's no mystery about their words or actions because they're always analyzing their motivations for us. The only suspense is when someone opens an e-mail, gasps in shock -- and then Coben starts a new chapter in another POV without telling us what the first character saw. Maybe the story is scary if you're the parent of a teen (a situation that's scary enough by itself), but I couldn't summon enough empathy for any of the characters to care what happened to them.
  
  
• parent's Worst Nightmare
  By A1VOK74TNU6TY on 2008-04-21
  A Parent's Worst nightmare is when a teenager turns into a sullen person that they no longer know. Parent's have their view, teenagers another. What happens when parent's decide to spy, is it too late, will it do more harm, and what has changed so much from the time teenagers turn into parents....Harlan Coben takes us on a trip that scares and teaches us at the same time.
  
  
• Implausible
  By A10GOC22QSQWTM on 2008-05-01
  I'm glad that I didn't shell out cash to buy it; fortunately the library came through. I've been a faithful Coben reader, but this must be the worst. This is a page-turner of a quick read; however the implausability of many events are so difficult to dismiss. Definitely not a book for the serious, thoughtful mystery reader. Just a quick shocker for a beach read. All plot, no substance. And.........what is a telephone box?
  
  
• Really Hit Home
  By A2PMIM84P1RQV5 on 2008-04-18
  I was waiting for Mr. Cobens' next book since I finished the last page of The Woods. This book did not disappoint.
  
  Their are two threads going at once; a teenage son who is becoming increasingly withdrawn after a friends suicide, and two brutal murders. The Mother and Father (very sympathetic characters that any parent will be able to identify with) are concerned with the first thread, and seek to protect their son. To their dismay they find his safety is threatened by a menacing third party.
  
  It's hard to go into too much more detail without entering the land of the dreaded spoiler, but rest assured you will not want to put this down until the (startling) last page. It is the kind of plot that, in the hands of a lesser author might seem contrived, but in the capable hands of this story teller it seems riveting and all too possible.
  
  One aspect of the plot revolves around the parents using spy software to monitor their child's computer. This really hit home for me; my wife and I recently did the same thing. It was a hard decision but we felt it was our duty to protect our child. Amazon has a great product, similar to that in the book; it's called Spector Pro 6.0, we are really happy we bought it. It has been a real eye opener.
  
  
• Nice blend of enjoyment--and thought provoking read
  By A21NVBFIEQWDSG on 2008-04-25
  Harlan Coben is a master at writing novels with twists you didn't see coming and when they arrive, you never feel cheated. His current novel, Hold Tight, is a page turner. My only criticisms are that there are so many sub plots that it is sometimes distracting and occasionally frustrating.
  
  Coben starts fast and makes sure he's got you at the edge of your chair. A woman (Marianne) is sitting in a bar. Her internal dialogue is about her ability to screw up anything good in life. She's drawn into a conversation with a man and a woman sitting on either side of her, and the next thing you know, she's brutally murdered.
  
  The novel switches to Dr. Mike Baye and his family; wife Tia and their two children. The Baye's teenage son, Adam, has become withdrawn, sullen and difficult, following the suicide of a friend. The Bayes are concerned and use a computer monitoring program to see what is going on in his life. While they are uncomfortable about spying, they believe it is their job as parents to keep Adam safe. The Bayes learn that Adam may be in some trouble.
  
  The threads of the book begin fanning out as we meet Hester Crimstein, Tia's no-nonsense boss who demands work be number one in her employees' lives, The Lorimans have a critically ill son, Lucas, and it seems Susan Loriman has been keeping secrets from her husband.
  
  Jill Baye is eleven and friends with Yasmin, who is being raised by a single father. Yasmin's been targeted by an unthinking teacher, and the result is devastating. We visit the local police and get involved in department struggles and whew! it is a lot to work with.
  
  After Adam Baye disappears (he was supposed to see a hockey game with his father), his father Mike searches for him and is assaulted. Mike knows there is more going on than a missing son who is going through a troubling adolescence. It's his job as a parent to find out the truth. But the truth may cost some lives.
  
  Armchair Interviews says: There is a lot of entertainment in Hold Tight, but there is also much to think about.
  
  
• Hold TIght
  By A2VK9NDHZJMQ8S on 2008-04-19
  A must read. Could not put it down.
  And best part, as usual with Harlan Coben novels,
  everything comes together at the end.
  
  
• Jill and Yasmine
  By ADP8ROI8NMNL2 on 2008-04-26
  The delicatley woven plot swirling within the pages of 'Hold Tight' was in reality two seperate stories linked by the friendship of two very smart young girls.
  
  Mike and Tia had concerns for their sixteen year-old son Adam. Jill, their eleven year-old daughter, was onto their surveillence on the boy and manipulated the circumstances. She was tech-savvy and innocent - or was she?
  
  The world of perscription drug abuse, teens making their right of passage in rebellion, technology and parents left at the mercy of it all are the essential elements composing the story.
  
  The second story is an exciting saga of a serial murderer who has creative ways of killing women. Nash had gone headlong into madness. He lost his beloved wife and cannot get past that. Someone had to pay.
  
  The two young girls, Jill and Yasmine, tied this neatly developed story together with a great ending.
  
  Page for page, an awesome read.
  
  
• Harlan Coben is Up There With the Best of Them
  By APRY1W9VFEFQ6 on 2008-04-27
  
  Harlan Coben continues to prove that he is one of the best thriller writers around at the moment. A page turner is a much used phrase but in this case it is really appropriate. The author's books are always so well structured and his character's well rounded. He is obviously comfortable with his style and ability and this transmits itself to the reader making the reading of his books sheer pleasure from start to finish. Coben has now got a string of best selling crime novels behind him and all I can say is that I hope he continues to write for many years to come. The author lives in New Jersey with his wife and four children.
  
  The author is always there or thereabouts in the best seller lists and his books are consistently good and this one is no different, although having said that I did not think it was his best, but still eminently readable. Always one to keep the reader guessing the books has lots of twists and turns but Harlan Coben has the happy knack of keeping the reader guessing almost until the last page.
  
  It is difficult to provide a synopsis of the storyline without spoiling the enjoyment of the reader, suffice to say that a pair of overprotective parents, worried about the welfare of their sixteen-year-old son install a spy programme onto their son's computer, only to find out far more than they had bargained for.
  
  
  
• 5+ Star Plot, 2 Star Ending
  By A2LWWG1SFVVKI3 on 2008-04-29
  I really thought this was going to be my favorite of his books. I am a working mother who needs her sleep and yet I stayed up until 3 a.m. both nights, to finish it (which speaks to how thrilling the first 350 pages are). I disagree that the characters were underdeveloped.
  
  Where my problem lies- is the ending. It was overly contrived, unrealistic and frankly, not as shocking or exciting as the endings in the past. It was actually quite boring. Perhaps I have just read so much Coben, that I am constantly searching for and anticipating the most absurd and crazy ending and it simply fell short. My last thoughts were "I stayed up for this?!"
  
  So I had to give it 3 stars because of the very disappointing ending. But as far as the pace, the characters and the subject matter, it is by far his most interesting novel to date.
  
  
  
• CONTROL IS AN ILLUSION
  By A26UNIPEVYE9DE on 2008-05-01
  Harlan Coben rewards his fans with yet another quality mystery, HOLD TIGHT written in typical Coben style: he writes about ordinary families with secrets that cause extraordinary problems, and he does this quite well.
  
  The central family in this particular novel is Dr. Mike Baye, his wife Tia, their fifteen-year-old son Adam, and their eleven-year-old daughter Jill. Average family. The problem starts when Dr. Baye and his wife, who up until recently had the illusion that they were in control of their children, have enough reasonable motive to start spying on their son's internet activities and whereabouts. Like many of Harlan Coben's books, there are four or five sub-plots going on at the same time that seem to have no common denominator. Just when I started to grow a little weary of all the short stories within the story, they all started to tie together, then the illusions start to shatter and crumble like a house of cards.
  
  What I like most about this book was that it brought up some viable situations concerning young people, technology, and parenting. Also, it was fun to have some old characters make an appearance here. However, HOLD TIGHT was not as thrilling as some of his other novels were and nowhere near as funny as his Myron Bolitar series.
  
  
  
  
• Disappointed
  By A12MV8E9I05KLP on 2008-05-05
  The synopsis for this book lured me in. I enjoyed the first 75% of the book. But I was disappointed in the end to see how all the events are actually related. It seemed really far-fetched. This is my first Harlan Coben book. I plan to give him one more chance. All of his other books sounded interesting as well.
  
  
• Well, it was not quite what I expected from Coben
  By ALIPGF0IFMLWY on 2008-05-06
  I am a Harlan Coben fan and have enjoyed all his books. This one is a bit different. While it has his usual plot twists and turns- and he excels at that- in this book he failed to develop characters that we really understood or even cared about very much.They seemed to be more of a plot device than real people. Secondly, he did have to stretch to tie all the elements together, and it wasn't particularly believable. However, despite these flaws, I still enjoyed the book. So 3 1/2 stars.
  
  
  

• The Whole Truth
• Nothing to Lose (Jack Reacher, No. 12)
• Phantom Prey (Lucas Davenport Mysteries)
• Compulsion (Alex Delaware, No. 22)
• Sail