Cried and cried. Took me on a hard ride.
344139
This book pulled at my heart strings. It made me realize the evolution that human beings go through, not just physically but mentally and how life's lessons are earned hard. That it's okay to be selfish sometimes but one must also be selfless.

It's a great read. A book I won't forget.
1297329
So when I first started reading this book I wasn't completely sold, but I needed to find out how the story ended.  I just finished and I feel as though I went on a roller coaster through a tunnel of emotions.  There were so many different situations that were covered in this book that happen in every day life to a lot of people, but I have not experienced myself.  I laughed and I cried and I was so angry through different parts of this whole wonderful story.  I am so glad that I didn't decide to stop reading.
2402021
This is a tour de force of the heart. Ive been literally crying through ninety percent of the story. Its made of feelings! Big, true, solid, outpouring, poignant feelings.

I must confess that I felt like giving up plenty of times. Too much sadness and unfairness. Yet I couldn't give up. I couldn't do that to this story or the spirit that inspired it. I guess Im too sensitive to these issues and thats why my reaction was so visceral. It was bound to touch me deeply. It scares me. And every page in The Empty Jar was filled with the real touch of love, of family, of terrible loss, and true understanding of the meaning of all those things.

I had to stop reading frequently to breathe. Every time, I convinced myself that Id come back stronger, capable of withstanding the overwhelming emotion, capable of withholding the waterworks. Well no. I wasn't strong enough. Every time the tears would just start again.

Im not really the kind of person who reads tragic love. I did it this time only because I know where it all comes from, whats behind this authors journey that she had to pour it in the most beautiful, heartbreaking words Ive ever read.

I want to say that it was worth every tear because of the quality of the writing and the depth of the story. Nat and Lenas love is the most courageous, beautiful treasure. I don't know how I survived till the end, but I finished with a quivering heart, and amazed.

Be warned: this is not an easy thing to read. Be strong because youll need to be, but at least TRY like I did. This is not read. This is experienced with all your body and soul.
433451
Wow, this book took  me for an emotional ride that i was not expecting. I felt like the little girl that was reading the horror book and  had to put the book in the freezer because I was too scared to  know what happens. It felt like that but in an emotional, gut wrenching way. I literally had to stop reading to ease the ache in my heart and stop the tears from flowing. This book touches on love, loss, anger and life. Such an amazing story and so worth the time to read and feel every emotion. Bravo to Katie for hitting another one out the park. I could definitely see this as a #1 movie in the box office.
2600995
An emotional story that really takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotion. Happy, sad, scared, happy, mad, scared, happy and then all over again. May be difficult to read for anyone hat has ever been in an physically abusive relationship.
2728605
At the start of this book I did not think I could finish it. I cried so hard at the beginning I did not think I could handle anymore. Then I needed to know what happend next. Read this book.
3607683
I knew reading Mad Dog's story was going to ve hard. I just didn't realize how hard it would be. Mad Dog had it all, a beautiful wife, 3 kids and his club. Until it all fell apart. He lost 2 children to club violence, then he lost his wife, and finally, his last son walked away from him. When that happened, he lost it. He bexame a person he couldn't stand. He did HORRIBLE things, all in the name of the club. In the end he redeemed himself, but what had to happen to him broke my heart.
421842
Brutally intense.  Very emotional and heartbreaking storyline between Jared, Sparrow and Hoyt.  The  inhumane parts are hard to take. The  harshness of the sex  and often implausible romance is relentless.  This is not your typical "curl up and relax book".
1942954
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book. It carried me on an emotional roller coaster ride.
I became angry due to the bullying of Tara, however, that is how she met Darren. The story will make you angry and sad. I cried a couple of times. I was outraged at one point. Tara wanted adventure causing her to move and go to college away from home. She was selfish, stupid, and foolish, but she had to learn some of lifes' lessons the hard way. She experienced fear, anger, joy, love of a best friend, false love, betrayl, tragedy,sadness, among others. She also experienced  the miracle of true unconditional love. This was a very good story.
1477878
A well paced emotional roller coaster of a book.  Unfortunately this is a true story.
1373461
This Heifer was bat sh*t crazy! This book took me through a roller coaster ride of emotions.
112640
I had a hard time reading this book. It was so good. So much trauma, emotion, love, heartache and loss. To put a reader through all of those emotions is amazing.

To put your own personal hell into a book and then let people know about it takes a big person. My 30th birthday was the worst to wake up to an 8 week miscarriage. It tore my heart out. I felt the pain that struck through both of them in the book.
Thank you for sharing in your acknowledgements your personal trials. It is a comfort to others. <3
4033249
It was hard to read, and hard to put down. The first book that has made me cry in a long time. My first Prowse but definitely not my last!
2566283
This book sent me on an emotional roller coaster. I grieved for the child who didn't fit in. I laughed at the young boys antics. I was disturbed by the violence and I was intrigued by the young mans continuous inner conflict associated with right and wrong.

It was personally difficult for me to comprehend the reality of such a complex lifestyle, yet I was so captivated by the brutal honesty and highly enjoyed reading it. The book contains many common themes such as survival, love and redemption that every reader can relate to.

Its not easy to expose yourself to criticism and I commend the author for the courage to share his story.
3831643
WOW....I mean WOW.  This story was so heart wrenching.  I don't even really know how to explain the feeling that I have right now regarding this book.  I was so enraged, and sad, and disgusted with human indecency during this book.  I was also totally and fully overwhelmed by the compassion I felt for the MC.  She was so "real" to me in this book.

Being a teenager is hard enough.  I cannot even grasp how hard it would be to find out that you were intersex and that the whole school found out about it.  Why is it when people are so threatened by what they don't know.  Why can't teenagers grasp that when someone finds out something so devastating to them it would be easier to just accept and support them, rather than to discard and ridicule them.  This is where the human indecency was just too much for me to handle sometimes.

Kristen's whole world was turned upside down.  As if her life hadn't been hard enough loosing her mother to cancer, but then she finds out that she is intersex.  She has some male chromosomes.  Her boyfriends first reaction is to throw her to the curb....Because he thinks it makes HIM looks bad.  Seriously.  That is the first time I cried in this book.  I knew that this girls life was going to be put under a microscope, and torn apart by here peers.

Thankfully there are a few who stand by her and try to help her though it.  This book made me realize that I hope I am teaching my kids that no matter what people matter.  Their sex, their sexual preference, their color, race, religion anything, doesn't matter.  They are human beings.  A child of  God.  Nothing else should ever matter.  Love is accepting all people no matter their circumstance.

Kristen's struggle through this book felt so raw, and so real.  My heart ached during this book.  Until a few people...not very many, but a few people finally made Kristen realize she is still loved no matter what.  It helped redeem some of the human indecency in this book.  She wanted to be accepted and loved.  Just like ever other teenager in the world.  I am not saying all teenagers are easy to love...hehe.  Kristen was though.  She had a great heart, was a loyal friend, and just so happened to be dealt a different card than her peers.

Her struggle to accept who she was made my tears flow freely.  I think there are so many great lessons to be learned from this book.  Awareness, being the most important.  When people understand things they fear them a lot less.  Even so,  it is never okay to make another human feel as though they don't belong.  Ever.

I think that every child and parent should read this book.  It does have some language in it, and I never condone teenage sex, so it totally would have been a 6 star book for me if there wasn't, but even with that I think it is an important book to read.  It's a work of fiction, but it doesn't matter.  There is such a gripping message to this story, in my opinion.  Even the authors notes, and suggestions at the end of the book were so fantastic.  Touched me more than I can even explain in words.

Source:  I bought this book for myself.  I was not compensated in any way for this review.  These are my own PERSONAL feelings about the book.

Content:  There is a little descriptive sex scenes, but not too graphic, and there is language.
1365301
Exceptional read. I cried. I smiled. I hurt. I went on an emotional rollercoaster with this one. Very well written and I couldn't find a thing wrong with one.
781943
This book took me on a ride, from derision to sympathy, to sorrow to joy.  I loved that there were actually two journeys here.  One journey was told from the man's point of view, the other from the dog's.  There were heartbreaking moments, times when, emotionally speaking, I wanted to grab humans and cage them, to beat them senseless for their cruelty, to punish them.  It really plucked my heartstrings, and not just to make me angry.  I felt every emotion in the spectrum at some point.

This book is excellent writing.  I will re-read it at some point in the future, and enjoy it all over again.  Well done, Ms. Wilson.  Well done.