This book was powerful in how it was written. ...
937035
This book was powerful in how it was written.  So many times  you hear of slaves going into freedom but this was the first account of going into slavery from freedom.  It is so applicable for everyone even today.  The biggest thing for me to capture was that slavery hurts the slave as well as the master.  People are born into a culture of ideas and actions and until you are forceabley removed and suppressed, you never see the evils or pains of the other side.
2520170
This was a powerful and emotional story about the strength most people carry within them. Sarah sees herself as weak and deformed, yet must find the inner strength that others see when they look at her in order to survive a terrifying ordeal. Not just survive, but overcome.

I was blown away at the sheer amount of emotion the book generated. I haven't read a Cheryl Rainfield book before, but you can bet I will be reading her other books now. This book was full of raw emotion. I couldn't put the book down once I started. I had to know what would happen.

I loved the alternating viewpoints between Nick and Sarah. It let the reader see both sides of the action, and both sides of Sarah, how she felt, and how others saw it. This difference between internal and external views is a powerful one that most people need to seriously consider when they are feeling down on themselves. Sarah didn't see herself nearly as positively as Nick saw her, and I think that's true of most people.

Overall, I cannot even begin to express my love for and amazement of this book. It is so powerful and emotional that all I can do is stress that you need to read this. Everyone should read this. Especially the YA audience it is intended for, but I think most adult readers would appreciate it too. I know I did.
3468956
The writing in this book is phenomenal, and the subject of combat veterans with PTSD and other post-combat psychological problems is so heart-wrenching, important, and brutal. The honesty of this book shook me to the core. This is a powerful book. Highly, highly recommended.
2591633
A powerful book, well written.
From Power Memorial to the powerful memory of Coach Wooden.
3560048
I received this book in an exchange for an honest review

This book is one of the most powerful political books I have ever read, I normally stay away from dystopian books because of how heavy the book can get in terms of the plot and scenes. I don't really like reading something like that. But for some reason I felt compelled to read this book having no idea what to expect, apart from what I was hearing of how powerful it is from other readers.

Celestine is a very mathmatical, logical person. For her every identified problem has a solution, and that is exactly what costs her life to be turned around and change the course of the book. I must admit when I first started the book I was very bored of it, I didn't understand what the hype was about especially since I was slowly getting out of my reading slump. You must have imagined my surprise when I read what will happen to her and the horror, I cannot believe the enormity of it. I literally brawled like a baby. SO badly. I kept telling myself 'see this is why I cannot read books like this, its too much for me'. I went back and forth trying to get in to the story but it was so hard, I couldn't get through the harsh realities of what she had to go through, I mean all she did was try to help a person? In reality that is a everyday occurrence where you see one human help another, what is so imperfect about that? Why did they have to punish her so severly and make an example out of her? Is she not human? One thing I learn everyday is compassion and kindness goes a long way, such a long way that it could turn a person's bad day in to a good day and that makes you feel good about yourself. We need more kindness in this world not hate, we have enough of that already just by turning the television on or hearing the news. I suppose this is why this got to me on a personal level, I just....I couldn't take it really. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to carry on with it. I know Ahern is a fanastic writer since I have read some of her other novels which never fail to make me fall in love with her writing. This book made me feel more than hollow inside, I felt empty.

Celestine is a very strong character. And I have to applaud her for her courage and bravery. She made a conscious decision to do the human thing and show compassion, she gave voice to the weak and help those in need. With any political situation, everyone has an agenda and no one is any different in this book, Celestine is a pawn for everyone to use to their own advantage. Sickening really. I can't say I was impressed with her boyfriend Art and sister Juniper, they didn't really support her in her time of need.

Carrick was the one light in all of this, I think I will like his character very much and I hope there is romance between him and celestine. I cannot wait for the next book.
1544083
It took me a while to get through this book. It is intense. The writing is beautiful and it has a very strong sense of place. It is well worth reading.
4068970
I saw myself in this woman.  Her writing is compelling, her story is inspirational.  She went from a toxic job to a million dollar business by manifesting, dreaming, and putting work into action.  I read it in one night, it was that powerful.
170433
Wintergirls is a haunting and powerful book that takes you into the world of eating disorders. It is emotional and raw and it is a powerful and gripping story. I found that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, I was enthralled. This is not a book that I would typically read. I have read wonderful reviews about this book and Ms. Anderson's powerful writing skills. I have wanted to expand my reading into the Young Adult (YA) genre and this is an amazing book to start with. It's hard to put into words how this book touches a reader. Ms. Anderson takes a difficult subject and allows the reader to understand that world through her characters and her amazing style of writing.

The story is told through the voice of Lia, who is 18 and a senior in high school and struggling with anorexia. Her best friend Cassie, who she has known since third grade , has ended their friendship 6 months prior and then a tragic turn of events occur. Lia must deal with so much, the loss of a friend, her family issues and her own struggles with anorexia.

This is the first book that I've read by Laurie Halse Anderson and it packs a powerful punch in her prose and unique style of writing. Each word and sentence has strength and power to deliver that depth of emotion and feeling that accompanies this story. It's sad, it's touching, it's painful..it takes you to the depth of a girls struggling soul. It is written in such a way that it helps you understand, as an outsider looking in ,what this experience may be like for the person going through it as well as those it effects in such emotional ways. I haven't experienced this personally so I am not an expert. I do believe that this would be a helpful book for teachers, professionals working with teens who have eating disorders and high school students. If you have a daughter who reads this, I would suggest that you read it yourself as well as this book lends itself to discussion.
3419378
I think the division between those who have reviewed this book actually speaks to its intensity, both in its content and the powerful way that it was written. Whether you agree or disagree with writing a book the commemorates the death of a friend through one's own memoir is less interesting to me than the stories of both of the women that are portrayed in this book. I choose to read this book because I love real life mysteries (Sword & Scale podcast is great!!) but this took the mystery to a new level - that of the females who are often so poorly contextualized beyond being victims. Additionally, it covers the mysteries of female friendships and how we evolve as we grow - some times together, some times apart. The story of this friendship is visceral, even if the details don't match those exactly of my relationship with my childhood best friend, the plot points feel both nuanced and universal, it resonates deeply.  Worthy of a book club read with a good group of friends.
259354
I loved this book.  The story was captivating and powerful, but even more than that, Julie Cantrell's nearly poetic prose painted a picture that engaged all of my senses and emotions and drew me in from the first pages.  I highly recommend this powerful, captivating and beautifully written book.
4808929
WHAT A STORY... It has every emmotion in this book and the way she wrote it , I almost feel like I was sitting outside watching what is goin on. If you like powerful books, this is one you def. have to read.
700718
I could not decide if I should give this a 5 or a 1 rating. It is a well written book and very powerful story following Lucia. In fact, I identified with her view of her sisters ministry. Lucia's speech near the end on TV, was some of the things I would want to say to others that have sometimes warped views they push onto you. So, I found this book very easy to identify in that sense, along with Lucia holding everything in, I enjoyed her.

I did not read the first book in the series so when I got to chapter 6, I thought maybe it was a kindle mistake, who was this Sullivan guy, what is he doing in the book. It took a few pages to realize his connection, and later on realize he was one of the key members of the book. I enjoyed him too. I liked having the therapist view in the book, it seemed to gain you extra insights into the character in the book (Lucia). I could skip the game show buzzing.

I found the ending of the book, without giving the ending, heartbreaking. I guess I wanted rose colored glasses making the world right and perfect. duh, it's not. I also found this book difficult to read for long periods of time, it is intense with pain and emotion, well, I guess i am sensitive, I found that I liked to give time between readings to absorb what I read (or relief). I did finish this book over about a three week period. Am I glad I read it, yea, very much so as it has me thinking about people in my life that pushed warped views on me that hurt me very deeply.
4338362
A wonderfully written book.  Jasmine shares her story of domestic abuse and how it has impacted her life.  Her story illustrates many of the things that we know about domestic violence such as the inter-generational cycle of abuse, how many tries it takes before a woman can leave, and the manipulative behaviors of an abuser.  It also illustrates how religion can be twisted to support abuse.  A must read.  A truly powerful account.
4499602
This is one of the most powerful works of literature that I've ever read. It combines a powerfully unique literary style, a philosophical dilemma threaded through lives of a set of well developed characters set against a  background of one of the most important historical developments that has  defined the rest of the 20th century. This is the kind of a book, where  every other page "asks" to be quoted. It will wrench your heart,  focus your mind and make you look inward questioning the significance of a  man in the context of a historical momentum. Awe inspiring..!
3980650
Wow.  This book awed me with it's power.  It makes you think...  is our essense really so savage and bloodthirsty?  The speed of their decline into savagery shocked me... surely they had been trained well by then.  How could they discard their taught social characteristics so easily?  What also left an impression on me was Ralph... at the first of the book he was pliant to the whims of the mob, pleasure-seeking and immature.  By the end he is a leader who laments the loss of innocence and reason. I guess, though I don't usually like books with so much description of the foliage, the reason it is such a worthy book is that I will remember it... I will remember Ralph being manhunted, his fear almost palpable.
1325383
It's a powerful book. I tried some of the processes and they work.
2353988
Wow, this is a disturbing and powerfully written book..  I was angry while reading it and that is a clear sign of great writing. Very disturbing to know that kind of violence existed then as it still exists now.  This writing is a perfect example of the mob mentality