Entertaining & heartbreaking at the same time!
345584
Wonderful read even for those not interested in tennis.
Barry is a fantastic writer.  I'm looking forward to more from him.
I highly recommend this book!
2051118
It's been a while since I've read a YA novel & I'm glad I picked this one up. While not a  YA full of romance & relationship angst, it was full of real emotional depth & dealt with the subject of suicide in a thoughtful & poignant manner. Jersey was a great character & I felt quite a lot of empathy for him as he tried to figure out what led him to the fateful moment when he attempted suicide. I was on pins & needles with him as he made lists, asked people about himself before & he and his parents tiptoed around each other & what had happened. He basically has one friend left, Mama Rush, the grandmother of his former best friend, Todd & their relationship is one of my favorites in the story. Also in Jersey's corner is Leza, Todd's younger sister & I'll just admit right now that I was pulling for a mutual crush situation.  It was nice to see that for all he'd been through, being a teenager still remained & he was concerned about his appearance, making a fool of himself in front of girls & having just enough autonomy & independence from his parents. Nothing about resuming a regular life was easy from family to school & not everyone was nice either.

I must admit that while I understood Jersey's mother was scarred from what he'd done, I found that I understood & empathized with her the least. I kept wanting more explanation from her to get a better handle on her but in the end, I just had to accept that it wasn't coming & be content with that. I did think Jersey's father was portrayed very well & I found that I only found one thing that he didn't do highly questionable but the way the story proceeds was entirely necessary. It was frustrating that often Jersey would ask a question about Before & the reaction he received from others was basically, "Really? How can you even ask that?" Many times, I just wanted to scream "Why doesn't anyone just tell him what he did or how he was already?! Don't you know he doesn't remember?!" I get that he had to work it out & that was the point of his journey but I honestly felt like someone would have just told him. I suppose the case could be made that all those he asked had their own fallout from his attempt so they were of course, dealing with their own feelings as well. I also felt desperately that his family should have had a nearer therapy date than six months out from his rehab hospital discharge. That struck me as woefully inadequate given the situation. I hope that isn't true to life & was just done to maintain the story structure of Jersey & his family working out some important things.

I won't give up the major plot points but suffice it to say, it's a page turner to the very end. There isn't a neat tie up of happy endings for each story thread but it is hopeful & believable.
3423248
I was really moved by this book...I could truly understand Jane's dissatisfaction with her life, and her inability to shed her sadness and feeling that she did not deserve happiness. Because she was unable (not allowed) to REALLY grieve the loss of her sister, her anguish manifested itself in other self destructive ways. Honestly, how can parents be so incapable of seeing when they are damaging a child (as in this case), and to a great extent causing the problems that confront (and frustrate) them? What made this story so satisfying to me is Bernstein's decision to learn the entire story related to her sister's death & to finally grieve her properly. This then allowed her to assess the brokenness of her abusive marriage, leave it, and come to a point where she was no longer harboring hatred & anger toward her husband. What a testimony this is to following through with a commitment to repair a broken life.
1831521
I literally could not put this book down, read it in a single day! I picked it up at the library thinking I "should" read it & fully expected it to be a dull chore. Quite the opposite. Touching, sad, poignant, funny, all in all a unique & great read.
765395
This is an emotional story of a daughter (Amy) searching for her long-lost father and trying to re-establish their relationship.

With well-timed multifaceted plots of twists and turns: assumed dead father (Bill) is still alive; daughters much older boyfriend is married; fathers pal solder died from friendly fire; her father has dementia... etc.; the story kept me interested until the very end.

It also deals with some serious social issues, such as veterans treatment, mental health issues, homelessness, loyalty... etc. All the characters are multi-dimensional, well-portrayed, well-developed and well-acted. The interaction between Amy and Bill is not only heartfelt and funny, but also sorrowful and heartbreaking. Her wacky tarot card psychic mother (Norma) seemed odd on the surface, but she had complicated legit thoughtful reasons to behave like that covering the truth  to protect her daughter. I came to love her character at the end as well. Ive actually met someone like her in terms of appearance and traits in real life in Los Angeles.

Im glad that Amys determination, perseverance and resilience eventually paid off (somewhat). She finally had some sort of closure and reconciliation of relationship with her father as well as her mother. BTW, the best acting & most realistic character is the V.A. doctor to me. He is incredibly real! This is a truly mesmerizing and moving story indeed. I highly recommend it.
503169
This is a heartwarming, heartbreaking story of two damaged kids who find are able to find happiness in spite of the hand that life has dealt them. This is not a light easy read - it deals with sexual abuse and child neglect, so if those are triggers for you, you have been warned. This book drew me in, and was very hard to put down. In some ways it was a very easy read - I flew through it. And in other ways, it was very hard. The alternating persons is not always my favorite but I loved the striking differences between Shaye's outlook on life, and Cameron's more optimistic. This is a great book for a hopeless romantic! I loved the ending, and the surprises along the way!
3693715
I couldn't  put it down & was on the edge of my seat the entire time!
4262909
Cracks in the Sidewalk is a heartbreaking story of a family in crisis. When JT's wife Elizabeth is diagnosed with an unoperable terminal brain tumor, he doesn't have the strength it takes to deal with the situation, so he withdraws with the couple's three children. After Elizabeth is released from the hospital, she lives with her parents where she can get the care she needs. The rest of the book is the struggle this family has---of a mother who just wants to spend time with her children and assure them of her love, and grandparents denied the opportunity to know their grandchildren. I truly felt for Claire and all she went through with her only child Elizabeth. I hated JT and his selfishness and his using his children to get back at his wife and her parents. Sadly this kind of thing happens all too often....tragedy brings out the worst in some people. A well written story that I read quickly and enjoyed. It was just so overwhelmingly sad...but the ending does leave you smiling.
1449922
I couldn't put "I'm Not Her" down!  The story, told from both characters, allows you to feel sympathy and contempt, for each of them at different times throughout the book.  I also was not expecting the ending at all - I'd actually love to see where both women end up in a few months...
4972956
I was about a third of the way into this book & almost stopped reading it a couple of times. I found it sad, depressing, too much like real life - frustrating, too, because I couldn't understand why Vivvie, Elin & Kate were estranged.  However, since it was one of the Kindle First choices this month, I thought it should get better & it did!  The story brought tears to my eyes too many times for me to count. Very embarrassing, especially when I was reading in waiting rooms.

"Things We Set on Fire" depicts a dysfunctional family. Eventually, the full story unfolds to reveal just how circumstances, choices we make &  the cards we're dealt in life  all come into play to not only affect our life, but the lives of those around us.

If you feel like you're lost while reading the story, hang in there...the story eventually unfolds. You will understand the reason  for the family's interactions, but you may never understand the reason for some of the choices they make.
3317570
Jazz Baby is a remarkable read from a highly skilled writer who, as a male, writes this novel from the perspective of his female protagonist - and pulls it off brilliantly! I find it to be a gut wrenching experience as she finds herself bouncing from one tragic experience to another. Her navet leads her to make one bad decision after another and none of the adults in her life are fit to guide her.

I found Weeks' descriptive narrative in the Mississippi jargon of the day absolutely believable and quite entertaining. No doubt, this is a finely crafted story and I highly recommend it!
60227
I just loved 'The Last Goodbye'. Beautifully written and very easy to read, I found it compelling and very difficult to put down. I was almost disowned by my friend as I sat in the airport and openly wept whilst reading some of the final scenes! The scenes between mother and daughter are particularly touching and heartbreaking at the same time. But it's a good kind of heartbreak.. and a book you will think of for some time after. I loved the way each character had their flaws and made mistakes along the way, for example you found yourself torn between rooting for Kate (the main character), and wanting to give her a good shake! After reading this book, I had to pick up the phone and call my own lovely Mum, and was so thankful that I could do so. For mothers and daughters everywhere.. a must read.
3631590
Heroin Heartbreak, started off a bit slow for me. But as the story progressed and the author began 2 pull u more & more n2 Ashley's world, it definitely took a turn 2 peak my interest & curiosity.  From there my emotions developed maternally as I began 2 ask myself, "what wud u do, if this was ur child?" The reality of the issues that our children face these days is enuf 2 guareantee HEARTBREAK. Personally, I was rooting for Ashley thru it all! I just knew that she & her support system were going 2 make this story have a happy ending. As 1 other reader recommended, I think this wud b a gr8 read 4 high schoolers and their parents, simultaneously. The uncomfortable conversations hafta occur & we as parents hafta b aware & involved so as 2 guide our children thru the many obstacles that lay ahead...
3763020
This was a great read - heartbreaking, of course, but great all the same. It points out a few tragic truths about abuse. First, it's frustrating just how much our emotional make-up seems almost designed for abuse. Children generally love their parents, regardless of their behavior. Children often don't have an understanding of what is "normal", what is not, or even what is "acceptable" and what is not until it's too late to even try to remedy a situation (or at least until after staggering amounts of damage have already been done). Children tend to be easily manipulated with guilt and shame. And the thought of child abuse is "unsavory" enough that it is all too often easier for people to dismiss clues of abuse or even reports of it from a child, choosing the "easier" belief that their suspicions are unfounded or the child is not being truthful. This story also reminded me of the generational nature of abuse. As I read about Mama's behavior, I wondered about what abuse she may have never recovered from that likely [at least] contributed to her abusive behaviors. As I read about her parents, I wondered what possible abuse might have led the [maternal] grandmother to her drinking problem and her obvious "look-the-other-way policy" regarding the behavior of her husband. I even wondered about abuse the grandfather may have suffered that led to his abusive actions. It is for all of these reasons that I'm extremely proud of CeeCee for doing the near impossible - breaking the chain. She recognized and rose above the culture of abuse that plagued her family and began a new family with a new outlook and a new tradition of love and acceptance. This story could be interpreted as a tragic tale. I choose to see it as an inspiring "rising phoenix-type" story that showcases the triumphant strength of an incredible woman. Hugs to you, CeeCee, and thank you for sharing your story with us!
4126924
Ms. Tierney's story is full supreme highs and devastating lows. I read this book because I saw her in "Laura" & thought her acting wonderful. She stirred a curiosity in me. She relays to the reader the story of her upbringing which was from an upper middle class background, to her desire to act professionally, then her father whom she adored betraying her with divorcing her mother plus suing his daughter Gene for $50K, then a tumultuous & family-shunned marriage to Oleg Cassini, birth of a mentally retarded daughter, then the begin of her spiral downward into the chasms to mental illness. With clarity she evokes sympathy and shock, joy and admiration. She is a brave person to have been so open about a subject many people run from & avoid at all costs. I do admire her for this. I saw where someone criticized her "jumping around" as she told her bits & pieces of her stories. She did, but many authors do this, and I did not find it to take away from the novel one iota. Frankly the only negative I have is not about the book, but rather just that her mother accompanied her on dates well into her 30's. I found this beyond odd, but her lifestyle & family dynamic were far removed from what I am used to.
3829225
Funny & sad all at the same time!! This movie is a real eye opener to never judge a book by it's cover.
3379286
I enjoyed Pam's raw & honest story about love, valor & loss! Her willingness to share so much about her personal journey & Doug's love story made this a heavy and enjoyable read. The wounds of our military include not just the soldiers but the families they so often leave behind, and this story reminds us of that sacrifice with heart, humor & warmth. Though I never met him, a part of me now feels like I know Doug Zembiec & I am certain he will never be forgotten as he lives on in the heart & soul of so many!