Strings Attached (ARC)

Strings Attached

Author: Judy Blundell

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pages: 320

Read Time: 3 Days

Rating (1-5): 4.5 

Tag Words: showgirls, dancer, New York City, mobsters, informing, murders, death, 1950’s

My Summary:

Kit Corrigan has made it to New York, but to make it in New York she'll have to rely on an old friend who may be her greatest of enemies...

My Review:

This is a great work of fiction. I was completely captivated by the plot and so invested in Kit and her success, happiness and pursuit of the truth. I have always loved historical fiction and this novel really shows why it is such an intriguing genre. 

Blundell stunned me with her knowledge of 1950’s Broadway and all things Showgirl! Even being a Broadway Baby a lot of what I learned from Strings Attached was news to me. I learned a bit about the mob, but due to the fact that Kit is barely a snitch, let alone connected, the gates were a bit barred. 

Blundell wrote true tragic hero’s and heroine’s in this book, honorable, but for one tragic flaw, Billy being the best portrayal of the Tragic Hero Aristotle first wrote on. The love interest is by no means perfect and Kit is by no means weak, or naive; I was proud of her for the choices she made.

My only regret is how things end between Billy and Kit, I know that is spins the plot to a perfect ending, but there was still something that didn’t feel good about their end. 

The first fifty-or-so pages are a bit hard to cipher as the web of a plot is built entirely on secrets that lead to revelations, which lead to more secrets. The truth comes at you in bits and pieces, so you will not step into the story and have Kit explained to you- you have to walk it all out with her. 

Notes on the Names: 

Kit Corrigan is amazing. I’m falling in love with Kathleen, Kit and most especially Kitty right now! The Corrigan Three are: Margaret, called Muddie, James, called Jamie, and Kathleen called Kitty, or Kit. 

Thoughts on the Cover: 

I love the vision for the cover, but have problems with the details. The model has brown hair and blue eyes, were as Kit is Irish with red hair and green eyes. Too bad; the pink and blue are gorgeous together! 

Parental Book Review *spoilers*

Sexual Content: 

Mild.

Billy references escaping his life by losing himself in Kit and Kit knows what he is referring to. 

Billy and Kit share her bed one night, but only sleep. 

Delia and Nate are having an affair, it is reveled throughout the plot, but never do we read an explicit scene between them. 

It is referenced that James is thought to be gay, but nothing is ever confirmed. 

Language: 

Mild.

Violence: 

Mild/Moderate

There are two murders and two tragic accidents between the pages. 

Billy gets into a heavy fight with a guy who likes Kit. 

Other Notables: 

Nate is a Mob Lawyer. This book has Mob references. 

Kit is a Showgirl at the Lido.