I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy.
“It’s only this that can untangle the dark snarl of emotions inside me. Only this pain can sharpen my focus, drown out the roar inside my own head.” (7%)
This book is a powerful journey through the pain of a abused teenager’s story – her only coping mechanisms, cutting herself and lashing out at those around her. When I got to the end and read the author’s note, it all became clear. I couldn’t see how someone could write a story with such raw emotion and truth in the pain without having known it herself. While the story itself is fiction, it’s based on real events from Stone’s and her mother’s lives.
Sidney starts out on her own but through her senior year becomes friends with Lucas and Arianna. The three of them struggle through personal struggles, hazing and bullying in school, and having their families fall apart.
Unfortunately it is fiction and all the good things that happened don’t always happen in the real world. Girls don’t always survive their eating disorders. Cutters don’t always feel the need to stop for themselves and can unfortunately escalate into a full suicide attempt. While Sidney got her freedom from her father many don’t.
The worst character I’ve ever encountered in a book may just be Sidney’s mother Susan. I can’t say I didn’t see it coming when she turned on her daughter when she asked for help. What actually surprised is the reason she confessed to Frank’s murder. I had actually hoped she had a change of heart and wanted to be the mother she failed to be four years earlier. Boy was I disappointed.
This book really got to me. I cried several times because the author did a great job of sharing the characters pain. It’s probably the most real fiction I’ve read in a long time.
5 stars.
True Blue 