Heartbreaking, yet wonderful story
583586
>Book review  Dollars

>I am an independent reviewer. This book is the second in the Dollars series. The story takes up exactly where the last book ended, with Pimlico bleeding and Elder saving her from her cruel Master A. Elder lives on a yacht. He employs a doctor to heal Pim, but is not freeing her. Pim has gone through so much trauma that Elder seems to forget that once she is physically healed, her mental capabilities may be permanently damaged. The doctor is the most compassionate character in this book. He gives Pim advice on coping and is actually the first person she responds to. Pims greatest concern is the unknown with Elder. She is still not free.

>I felt it was interesting that Pims permanent physical issues were mentioned. After all, no one can take that much abuse and just heal normally. Pims confusion when she is kissed by Elder is also interesting to see. She correlates sex with pain, yet feels pleasure with Elder.

>Elder teases the reader with some great tragic secret. We find he used to be a thief and tends to obsess about things. He inadvertently does a few things correctly with Pim. He gives her choices to make and treats her with kindness. He seems to be alert to her feelings and can communicate with her, even without her words.

>The big questions in this story are what is Elder expecting from Pim, what is his big secret and will Pim ever decide to speak to him? Some of these questions are answered by the end of the book. This book wasn't as hard to read as Pennies, the first book in the series. This book deals with the aftermath of the abuse, so a bit of hope is present.

>This book is appropriate for an adult audience. I am giving the story 5 stars. The underlying themes are fascinating to see play out and Pims true self starting to come through is a warm spot in an otherwise heartbreaking life.
3843327
I got into this book not realizing that it would contain one of those rare stories where it's almost too hard to read because of the emotions it evokes.  I almost stopped reading it because it was actually depressing me but knew I couldn't put it down without finishing it. I'm glad to say I did finish the book, had a good cry and felt that I was actually a better person for reading this story of how a family deals with devastating news.  It certainly made me realize that I, like so many others, trivialize my many blessings while overlooking the fact that millions of people deal with heartbreaking news of a terminal illness every day.  The author is so good at creating real characters and situations, the story hooks you in from the beginning and never lets you go.  Just be ready to shed a few tears.
2818025
I was deeply enthralled by the story of a young mother lost in the wilderness, fighting to save herself so she could in turn save her daughter. The images of baby Elisabeth treating the whole ordeal as one big adventure were vivid and wonderfully written. I don't want to give too much away, but this book is gut-wrenchingly, bone-grindingly sad. I would have sobbed out loud had I not been at a playground surrounded by strangers. With all respect to the author, I wish I had never read this book which has left me in a funk. I get the central theme of the story, which is the study of an unbreakable bond between mother and daughter, and after some reflection I suppose it had to be this way. Still, my tender, young mother's heart almost couldn't bear it. Yes, it was very, very good, but you'll be needing two boxes of hankies for this one, and perhaps the counsel of some sympathetic friends!
4238758
This book started off slow for me, but progressed onto a beautifully, heartbreaking, and wonderful story. I really loved all the character's and how they interacted with each other. This is a great book and would recommend.
1226403
I truly liked this book. J.L. Campbell is obviously a very gifted writer because I was hooked from the very start. It was so heartbreaking at points, especially the tragedy that happened for such young children. it was awful but the author really portrayed it well. Ma'am was a horrible mother and wife but she was such a complicated character that I wanted to learn more about her frame of mind from the time she met Maxwell. It's easy to call her selfish but I still wanted to delve deeper into her character. Which is my same feeling for Maxwell, I wanted to know even more about him and what made him make the choices he made like staying with a woman who obviously disliked his daughter, and having even more children with her.

Even at the end though and Christine got everything she wanted to be happy, I was still so sad for the rest of the kids :( It was a great book thoughand I would highly recommend it!
3148294
I really liked this book. As it sometimes happens I do find gems within the free books.

For me it was one of those books that I just couldn't put down, it had me hooked from the very first paragraph.
It's a heartbreaking, horrifying, traumatic story. It deals with some hard subjects - physical and emotional abuse, rape, cutting - difficult to put down on paper and at the same time keep the readers engaged in the story without being put off. But, it's also a story about overcoming all of these, finding ones self worth and learning how to love oneself, but also others.
The characters were very well written, I was able to connect with all of them and understand they actions all trough out the book. Nothing was rushed between the main characters, Jessie and Will - they both had important lessons to learn before being able to trust one another.

Although I loved the story and it was mostly well written, my only complain would be that some words/phrases were quite repetitive in close sentences/paragraphs.

All in all its definitely worth the read, with a box of tissues next to you.
1742933
I'm going to do what Zach doesn't do for the first half of this book; I'm going to be honest. I gave the book 5 stars for the story, not for the writing. It felt a bit forced, and the prose didn't "flow". It was slow to start, but once the plot unfolds the book takes off. I had to put the book down a few times because I was in tears, it's heartbreaking, but it's a beautiful story. Walking besides Zach while he sobers himself up and deals with his "monsters" is difficult. There are parts in the book that are raw and deeply emotional, and that will haunt me for a lifetime. The ending was amazing, and I was a bit sad to put it down. Amazing story, heartbreakingly beautiful. The only two words I can think of to describe this book.
782429
I was addicted to this book. When I couldn't read it, I was thinking about it. Sherry knows that her behaviors are self-destructive, but she really can't help it. She wants to stop. Each time she tells herself it will be the last. She thinks maybe if she humiliates herself enough, it will prevent her from doing it again. It is heartbreaking. We are told what her actions are, but they are not really described, so it is not graphic. The focus is on how her actions affect her as opposed to the actions themselves. The story manages to be both sad and full of hope. I highly recommend, but keep the tissues handy.
*I received a copy for my honest review.
320265
OMG this story was so heart breaking, it truly kept me attached to my kindle till I could finish.  My younger sister was molested by our father, which I never knew till years later, and this story made me realize how horribly this could have affected her throughout her entire life.  This was a huge eye opener, and very thought provoking.  Holder was such a blessing, and I doubt I would have been able to guide someone through something this so traumatic as well as he did.  My best regards to the author, for a remarkable story.  It will keep me thinking for a very long time.
4477579
This is a story that will stay with you long after "the end". While it's about the loss of a child, and how a family deals with the aftermath...or rather the way they don't deal with it for a long time, it's also a story of hope.

I got so caught up in the story that I stayed up much later than I meant to. I really identified with Abby. Ann Marie Stewart really captured the thoughts and feelings of an eleven-year-old. In fact, she captured each member of the family perfectly. Sometimes, watching the brother in the story was like watching a train wreckabout to happen.

I greatly admire Stewart's ability to pull the reader into the world of the McAndrews. Great story, extremely well-written and an ending that fits perfectly. I highly recommend it.
2630723
This is a heart-wrenchingly, beautiful story of one woman wading her way through the tragic loss of her husband and the subsequent grief that follows. The theme of the story is one I've read before: Widow loses husband, is now a single mother, finds new love that helps her through. However, what really made the story for me is the author's approach. She outlines which stage of grief, Liz, the main character/narrator is in, and follows each in order. The emotions are so strong I I felt each and every one of them. I FELT like this was MY loss. MY heart was shattered right along with Liz. I worked through the grief with Liz.

Well, obviously Liz is the one who loses her husband, Grady. He tragically dies of cancer after a hard fight, leaving behind Liz and their four young children. Understandably, she is a wreck. It is hard for her to go on. She is a stay at home mother and the every day things that were so simple, like getting get children to school on time, before Grady died is now monumentally difficult. She meets her new neighbor, Ben, on an especially difficult day, and at first finds him annoying. No reason, she's just moody, so she doesn't like him.

Ben knows the situation and slowly begins to help Liz. As she starts to accept his help, they forge a strong friendship and he becomes someone she trusts and relies on. Then feelings develop. Of course they are hard for Liz to accept. She is still mourning the loss of Grady and still loves him very much. And Ben...SIGH... He is so gentle and patient with her. He doesn't push, doesn't try to take Grady's place. He just wants her to make room for him. He makes this speech to her  Oh my heart! I think it is one of the most beautiful speeches and now my favorite out of all the books I've read!

There is so much I want to tell about this story, but I can't. No, I WON'T. This brilliantly written story HAS to be experienced first hand. The Five Stages of Falling in Love is the perfect example of what I'm looking for in books. Not just a story, but an experience. This book hit me on a level that only my most cherished stories have. It broke my heart and put the jagged pieces back together again. I was left with a bittersweet joy for the characters.
2929173
I started reading it at university before a lecture, I'd heard about the book through a friend.
I ended up skipping my lecture to continue reading it.
This is a beautiful, heartbreaking story of wisels' life as a boy, and his fathers', during the persecution of the Jews. Tears ran down my face many times, and after I had finished I just felt so incredibly sad, it gives you a really deep beautiful insight into the lifes of the Jews that were persecuted. Not just '6 Million Jews' but each indiviual life, each single person suffered during that time. Words just can't describe the power of this book.
1587098
This is a great story of pain, love, and tragedy. It will leave you heartbroken and yet grateful to feel the sting of loss.
1799300
What a wonderful yet heart wrenching story.  The two main characters, Sarah and Handful have such strong personalities and beliefs about their lives and how to live them.  The story gives such great insight on the slavery issue in the South. I learned a lot more about slavery than I ever learned in school.  I highly recommend this book.
4192904
This story is not for the faint of heart. Its probably not for readers who have lost a soldier or been abused, either. But its a wonderful story. Theres a lot of heaviness and I cried not a few tears, but this hero is a hero. And he doesnt like it when men pick on women. Especially when one picks on the woman he thought hed be marrying once he got home from the nightmare in which he was imprisoned for five years.

Camryn has been through a hell of her own. Partially, its of her own making and she therefore feels defeated. She has a small son to protect and always puts his security above her own safety, which is a certain brand of strength.

There are all kinds of gray areas in life, and this story touches on some important ones. Five stars.
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.
3086008
I'm not good at writing reviews, but this book was so heartbreaking, I felt I needed to try. As the other reviews indicate, it was truly difficult to put down.  I believe this was one of the free books I bought for my kindle. As a result, it took awhile for me to start reading it.  But once started, I had to finish, to see the end.  The style of writing made me believe it was a true story, and until viewing a picture of the author a few minutes ago, I was sure it was his own story. For some reason, I've always been captivated by stories of WWII.  And while the story is so sad, I must say, it is one of my favorite.  Simple, short, and truly a heartbreaking tale of two survivors of this awful war! Thank you L. L. Fine, I will be reading more of your books.