Not perfect, but still emotionally honest and real
353508
This is a story of darkness retribution, heroes,villains, love, and renewal. The characters are set in a distinctly corrupt city, and are humanely flawed. There us much if this book to love, some to dislike, and a great amoiunt to enjoy. While this is a unique story, it is a bit dark but undoubtedly meant to be. This is not for small children, and while more aimed for mature audiences, it ius bvest aimed at for young adults. I truly believe this an unconventionally great, and emotionally real story.
2919939
It's a very honest take on what it's like being a woman with these issues. Though the situations can be drastic, they aren't over dramatized. It's real.
2877540
Whats Broken Between Us from Alexis Bass is a story laden with regrets, what-ifs and bad choices. For me, I found some decisions by the characters are pure selfishness, while others were tinged with youth, carelessness and even some bravado.

What emerged for me was a story that was an all or nothing response: I either loved or hated the characters (some flip-flopped from one to the other), empathy varied from hurting for them to actually thinking some of the responses were justified, but no matter the emotional tumult, this is a story that forces you to think.

Amanda is trying to move forward after her brothers drunken escapade resulted in the death of his girlfriend and the maiming of another girl, all while living in the same small town. Of course there is judgment and questions from everyone, but dealing with those questions and finding answers to her own questions about her brothers behavior before, during and after the accident.  A difficult girl to find sympathetic, her own dysfunctional history (and family) seem to feed into this spiral of bad choices followed by thought and attempts to change/adjust after consequences hit.

Henry has his own issues, with a sister who now lives with the consequences of Amandas brothers accident, and his apparent lack of remorse (especially after an interview that showed him as callous and cold) makes their budding relationship problematic. And, Amanda is having honesty issues: taking responsibility, learning to think then act and not the reverse. Quite an interesting pairing that will give readers plenty to think about and consider: both characters voices seem to compete and contrast with elements that are solidly understandable and wholly unimaginable.

Instead of graduation and the promise of youth sparking potential, often these characters were mired in their bad decisions and behaviors from the past, and finding a way through the muck and mud that cluttered up potential was a task for both readers and characters in this story. Im not completely convinced that it all worked for me, but I cant stop thinking about the story so thats certainly to the authors credit.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
2676564
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My Review:  This was one of those books that surprised me.  It has some rather heavy subjects that it addresses but also has a rather quiet feel to it as the reader gets an intimate look at both Carla and Alice's lives as they tell their stories in alternating chapters.

Both Carla and Alice's story lines focused on their daily struggles which were interesting and touching.  Carla's story was emotional, raw and showed that a child could endure so much more than you'd expect.  My heart went out to her as she struggled with what life (and her mother) left her to deal with.  She was naive but courageous and ultimately risked everything in order to save herself and her brother.

Alice's story was, for me anyway, less interesting than Carla's. Maybe it was because I found her to not be as likable as Carla.  Maybe that was because I wasn't fond of some of her choices - how she treated her husband, how she allowed Evian to take advantage of her repeatedly. I suppose Alice's struggles seemed to pale just a bit compared to Carla's because, while they were important to her, they weren't life threatening like Carla's. But on the other hand, if Alice's story was as dark as Carla's the book would have taken on too much of a somber tone.

While this book deals with some heavy subjects it also gives the reader a chance to step into two very different people's shoes and get a very intimate take on their personal struggles.  Ultimately it is an emotional story that showcases how hope can endure in even the darkest of places.

My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
*** This book review, as well as hundreds more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca) where I also share hundreds of my favourite recipes. ***
3026751
I do my best to avoid spoilers when writing about books, but this is more of a warning than a spoiler, the story does touch on some very strong emotional triggers, and some folks might find some of the incidents in the book a bit disturbing.

The author works in family counseling and draws from her experience to write this book that is often torn between love and hate, and sometimes the blurred lines between the two.

Mayu seems to hear the unspoken cries of the suffering, and sometimes does things that cross the line between good and bad in order to do what she believes will help those in pain.

The lessons she learns about life take on a stronger influence on her life, when she realizes that her marriage, to a man that seemed to be perfect turns out not to be what she expected.

More an emotional story, but with many true to life facets, I ended up reading this in one day, because I became so caught up in the story and wanting to know what would happen.
1845503
an honest coming of age story with the anxieties of childhood and adolescence well described
4663263
I really enjoyed this book because it felt real and honest to me. So much of what you read and see about travelling with kids makes it seem so easy all of the time, and if it's not easy, then you're doing something wrong and your kids are terrible. But this book told it like it is. There are struggles, it's not always easy. Reading this made travelling with my daughter seem more doable. It's not going to be perfect, and my daughter is gonna throw tantrums, but that's all OK!
1381480
This story will resonate with anyone who's ever had to deal with not fitting in, being bullied, or struggling with family drama. However, the language/dialogue Sugar used often felt like this author's, rather than that of a teenage girl. It sometimes felt like it was trying too hard, and at other moments, like it wasn't trying hard enough. Still an enjoyable, touching read, nonetheless.
4926039
This is a memoir of 26-year-old Elizabeth Wurtzel, about 10 years of her life dealing with a chronic clinical depression.

At first glance, it might seem to some readers that this is Wurtzel's way or `excuse' to whine. But in truth, this memoir actually paints a very honest picture of a person dealing with this disease. The author also stated that her main intent in writing this memoir is to let others know and understand how it is dealing with her disorder. She also stated that she wants people to understand and differentiate between a diagnosis of a clinical depression as opposed to someone who is lousy, and sad all the time.

Personally, I found this a really interesting, honest, and revealing book. I found her writing to be engaging, simply because the way she talks is marked by the younger generation. I felt that it was easy because it was like talking to a friend, but I could see how maybe a much younger AND older generation will not find this book easy to relate to.

It might come off initially that the author is taking the chance to whine and be sarcastic but in truth, this is a way to understand people that are dealing with depression. The writing was a little bit self-indulgent at times, even coming off as narcissistic.

Would I recommend it?

I will tell you that this is one of those books that it's either you like it or you don't. It is definitely not your traditional kind of novel, and that is why sometimes, it could be a little hard to get through this. Just cut the author some slack, try to read it for its honesty, and imagine yourself in her place instead. Maybe that will make the book a great read for you.
4923575
For me, the Edge of Never was just perfect. I think it could've been a stand alone book. I did like this one but I wasn't that into it although it's not a bad read at all. Maybe I just wanted everything to end there but as I'm writing this review I'm thinking that life is not that easy for many people and having this second part makes me realize that. Things are far from perfect with Camryn and Andrew but hey... real life couples don't have it easy. There's always something to deal with, it can be a little thing or a big one but there's always something to overcome.
257115
This book "tells it like it is"--the author is incredibly honest about what the Christian life really looks like.  I am at a point in my life where I see how Christian community really is and I long for something better.  It's hard to reconcile the two---this book discusses this yearning, and doesn't necessarily give any nice neat solutions, but it is comforting to know that this is something that other Christians struggle with.
4512918
4.5 stars

Almost perfect, right down to its brevity.

This is the story of Susan, a young woman marked for misery and loneliness before she's 5. Her parents favor her younger brother, but leave the two of them alone all too often. And of course, this leads to tragedy.

More tragedy waits for Susan in the aftermath of the accident that defines her life. Yet eventually she catches a break or two, and makes the most of it. But when she finds love, she isn't quite ready for a loving, trusting relationship, or what comes with that. Still, she won't give up on love when it finds her. But she has some reckoning to do to get to her happy ending.

Ellis writes this story not quite in second person, but almost - it's written from Susan to her brother, Mark, and so often she is addressing "You." I've read a couple books like this lately, and it's a very engaging tactic - you feel like you're overhearing a confession.

And Ellis writes this in such a way that you feel the horror mounting, you feel Susan caving under the pressure. Yet there is tenderness for her, forgiveness and understanding. You know as much as she does, so you just want to hug her tight and tell her it's okay.

Ellis also keeps this short, under 200 pages. Sure, she could have fleshed out some things, but the brevity keeps the story tight, and keeps it moving quickly. I think this was the right choice.

Thanks to the author and publicist for a copy of this to review. I look forward to picking up more books by Ms. Ellis.
2417253
The book as a whole is much better than some of the parts. Dave Eggers has written a raw, emotional memoir of the years immediately following the death of both parents. He becomes the guardian of a younger brother and is also trying to begin his own career as a writer. Eggers is witty, sarcastic, pretenious and possibly genius, but this book was not easy for me to read. Some parts were laugh out loud funny. Some were gut-wrenchingly brutal. Some were loving, poignant and sad. Then, there were parts that I felt I would never get through and it wasn't until I was finished that I really appreciated what Eggers had accomplished. Several times in telling his story, Eggers goes off on narrative tangents that don't really move the story. These border on stream of conscienciousness, but are just hard to follow, as are some sections of dialogue. (I was torn between 3 or 4 stars, because it was just hard to get through at times.)

So why does this book have such high praise? Eggers is funny and honest. This memoir succeeds in giving an clear picture of one young adult's life and his thoughts as he strives to deal with his grief, become a parent to his much younger brother and carve out a successful career as writer and publisher. Eggers was idealistic enough to think he could do just that. I found myself wanting to like this book because of what Eggers was trying to accomplish.

If you pick up this book and make it through the preface and first chapter (it may not be easy), go ahead and finish. I think you will be glad you did. Then check out Eggers work as a philanthropist and teacher-at-large. Now that deserves high praise indeed!
2191183
While I will admit this book could stand a bit of editing (there's numerous misspellings and grammar issues), the content is honest and compelling. Grief is dark and ugly. It's unpredictable and deeply personal. I am honored that Emily chose to share her personal thoughts and feelings with the world. I can only imagine how writing this book helped her process through some of her grief, as she brought honor to her fallen brother. If you want an honest look into the life of one of our Navy SEALs and the journey his family traveled after he gave his life for this country, this is the book for you. If you're a literature snob...keep walking. If you're interested in sharing in the real world, with real people...buy this book today.
3792367
This memoir written by a mother after a catastrophic accident to her son feels both candid and incredibly tender. Not every mother's worst nightmare (thank God, he survived), it's still pretty high on the list of things we *don't* want our children to face. Rogers gives us a window into the horrors and frustrations, as well as the joys. Not overly medical, she shares the overall perspective, the impact of the accident not only on her son's body but on the lives of her loving and chaotic family.

The story of Kasey does not make up as large a part of this book as you might expect, although Ellen Rogers does wisely weave information about her background through the early chapters of her story, in which Kasey does not feature. The title may be a little misleading; Kasey is an important part of Rogers' story, but this isn't the story of a "monkey and a miracle" so much as it is the remarkable story of hard work, love, and dedication that go into giving a paralyzed young man the best outcome they possibly can. The monkey that brings Ned Rogers such joy certainly matters, but any rescuing in this book is performed by the mother who bathes the monkey and feeds her, who drops everything to fly out to be by her son's side and transforms her life for love of him.

A few notes for potential readers: Rogers is honest, but not maudlin. She does not wallow in emotions, though she shares them, but focuses rather on the practicalities. There *is* a certain amount of luck here, beginning with the fact that the Rogers family has access to money (and friends or acquaintances with private planes), which opens options to them that less fortunate families would not have. (I don't begrudge them it in the least bit! It certainly doesn't take away the pain of their experience, and I'm very glad they had the resources. But money --to remodel, to hire nurses, etc.-- is another major factor that goes into giving Ned the best outcome possible, and it factors pervasively into the memoir.) Finally, while Kasey's impact on Ned's mood and the quality of his life are profound and profoundly important, we do not see much of the practical side of her assistance. It left me wondering a bit how people in Ned's position who do not have Ellen nearby would work with their monkey companions. The official website for the Helping Hands program that trained Kasey made for interesting viewing: [...]
1933161
Emotional and honest. The author goes through the struggle with this unique disorder and gives hope to others like her.
3904314
This is such an honest portrayal of the painful process of growing up or coming of age.  The already painful process is aggravated by abandonment and betrayal, which it would make this an unpleasant read for those with high sensitivities.  I don't know if its portrayal of the "foster care" system in California is accurate, but it certainly seems plausible.  The descriptions of the emotions the main character feels are honest and clear to the point of being too graphic, the descriptions of the landscape and situations that the main character goes through are almost poetic.