Jill MacSweeny just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she's somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.
Mandy Kalinowski understands what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she's sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It's harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?
As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy--or as difficult--as it seems.
Thoughts:
4.5/5 stars.
This was a great realistic novel. Not only was the writing so very superb, along with an enticing synopsis, but it also had a diverse, dynamic set of characters that by the end, you felt were actually real.
This novel is about two girls from two very different lives, but both having problems that are quite difficult to overcome. Jill is in the middle of mourning the loss of her father, someone she was undeniably close to, and Mandy is pregnant, planning to give her child up to Jill's mother, going through very different grieving process than Jill.
I enjoyed how these two characters, who were also the narrators, were so different from each other, one being very naive, while the other is dark, and sarcastic, for you got to see how the two personalities interacted and such. Though there were moments where you wanted to slap the character in the face, there was the other part of you that actually felt for the character. To be honest, I really felt like every single character I read about were people I knew, for Sara Zarr was able to give all of them such realistic characteristics and sayings.
In most books you see absent parents, or people who seemingly never eat or sleep, and I think that by adding simple gestures and scenes that seem so menial added a lot to the story and how I connected with it. All situations the characters faced were true to real life, and though some problems were tough, Sara Zarr handled them delicately and overall, well. I also like how there were pretty much no cliffhangers. AT ALL. It was great. Usually when chapters switch between two narrators, you will encounter many cliffhangers, but nope, seemingly none in this book.
Another stupendous addition to this book was Zarr's writing. It was fantastic. I'm not kidding, she was able to dig deep into these characters and pull out real emotions and put them into words s breathtaking. I'm not afraid to say it, I freaken' cried like a lost parrot at some moments. But that's the sign of a terrific novel.
Though there are some gutting moments, overall, this was a great and enjoyable read that I would recommend. To anyone. Yup. Even you.
4.5/5 stars.
This was a great realistic novel. Not only was the writing so very superb, along with an enticing synopsis, but it also had a diverse, dynamic set of characters that by the end, you felt were actually real.
This novel is about two girls from two very different lives, but both having problems that are quite difficult to overcome. Jill is in the middle of mourning the loss of her father, someone she was undeniably close to, and Mandy is pregnant, planning to give her child up to Jill's mother, going through very different grieving process than Jill.
I enjoyed how these two characters, who were also the narrators, were so different from each other, one being very naive, while the other is dark, and sarcastic, for you got to see how the two personalities interacted and such. Though there were moments where you wanted to slap the character in the face, there was the other part of you that actually felt for the character. To be honest, I really felt like every single character I read about were people I knew, for Sara Zarr was able to give all of them such realistic characteristics and sayings.
In most books you see absent parents, or people who seemingly never eat or sleep, and I think that by adding simple gestures and scenes that seem so menial added a lot to the story and how I connected with it. All situations the characters faced were true to real life, and though some problems were tough, Sara Zarr handled them delicately and overall, well. I also like how there were pretty much no cliffhangers. AT ALL. It was great. Usually when chapters switch between two narrators, you will encounter many cliffhangers, but nope, seemingly none in this book.
Another stupendous addition to this book was Zarr's writing. It was fantastic. I'm not kidding, she was able to dig deep into these characters and pull out real emotions and put them into words s breathtaking. I'm not afraid to say it, I freaken' cried like a lost parrot at some moments. But that's the sign of a terrific novel.
Though there are some gutting moments, overall, this was a great and enjoyable read that I would recommend. To anyone. Yup. Even you.
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