Scars - A glimpse into the world of a tortured soul...

Details

Title: Scars
Author: Cheryl Rainfield
Publisher: WestSide Books
Release Date: May 31st' 2011
Available to order here: Amazon / Book Depository / Barnes & Noble

Synopsis 

Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. Scars is the unforgettable story of one girl's frightening path to the truth.

My Review

When I first saw the blurb for "Scars", I was deeply enchanted by it. I felt like I just HAD to read the book, especially given my own personal history with self-mutilation. I literally hounded the author, (who, by the way, is a complete and total sweetheart - and an immensely compassionate lady!), stalked the book and it's progress until I finally got myself a copy. What I didn't realize was how difficult it got, from there on out.

Day in, and day out, the book sat on the top row of the book-shelf right next to my bed. That's the row reserved for "books to be read ASAP!", and yet, every time I tried to begin reading this novel, the emotions that accompanied the story were all too real for me to face. I have to admit, and apologize, that it took me forever to find the courage to read this novel. But let me tell you this, I am beyond grateful that I did. This novel is one of the BEST books I've read in a very long time.

I must forewarn you as a reader, though, the subject matter of this book (self-mutilation, sexual abuse) is kind of hard to stomach - but I believe it is really important for us to face these issues, and to bring these issues to light. The story is heartbreaking, deeply affecting, extremely suspenseful, masterfully crafted...but above all, it is an important story, that needed telling. It might make you uneasy, or even queasy, but it will also give you a glimpse into the world of a tortured soul. She never sexualized abuse or rape, and did not linger on the actual act, but rather, on how the abuse made the character feel. I am in awe of the way that the author handled the subject matter, and how gingerly and delicately she developed her characters. Cheryl Rainfield has become my favorite, and I will read whatever she writes from here on out. 

My Rating : 5/5 Stars

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book via the author. I was not compensated monetarily, or in any other way, for my opinion. The opinions stated in this review are solely mine, and are not representative of views of the author, or publishing company, of this book. 


IMPORTANT NOTICE: SCARS is FREE just for today, on Amazon.com - so please go and get your copy, RIGHT NOW!!! http://ow.ly/bmQHL 

"The Liar Society" by Lisa & Laura Roecker - Pink Haired Madness

Details

Title: The Liar Society
Author: Lisa and Laura Roecker
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date : February 8th, 2011
Available to order here: Amazon / Book Depository / Barnes & Noble 

Synopsis


Kate Lowry didn't think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, she’s not so sure.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
Sent: Sun 9/14 11:59 PM
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)

Kate,
I'm here…
sort of.
Find Cameron.
He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell.
They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace’s death was more than just a tragic accident. But secrets haunt the halls of her elite private school. Secrets people will do anything to protect. Even if it means getting rid of the girl trying to solve a murder.

My Review

There are many books that begin with a bang, and then by the end, they fizzle out and have merely transformed into a throbbing headache. "The Liar Society" by Lisa and Laura Roecker is NOT such a book. In fact, it is the kind of book that begins with a bang, and ends in a grand finale of amazing fireworks, with a complete bandstand playing in the background. And all of this coming from a reader who is a COMPLETE skeptic when it comes to books like "The Liar Society".

From the very first page, and the very first few lines, "The Liar Society" sucks you right into the whirlpool of secrets and mysteries that are abound within the novel. I love that beneath the humorous narrative, the quirkiness of the characters, and the funny dialogue is a simple story of how far a friend will go for another friend. How secrets can compound and hinder so much of your life. Kate Lowry lost her best friend Grace to a fire on a night that still does not make any sense to her. When she finds an email written to her by Grace, it sends her spiraling into a quest for clues to her friend's death, and to find closure for a wound that never quite healed.

I love the world that Lisa & Laura Roecker have created. Pemberley Brown goes beyond being merely an uppity private school - it happens to be a world within a world. And although we see some stereotypes which are a given among any high school crowd, the authors have made sure that all the characters, even the minor ones, are truly multi-faceted. Just when you think you know all about a character, this book reveals to you a side of them you never thought was possible. This mastery of characterization, the wonderful mystery that kept me hooked until the very end of the novel and left me begging for more, along with the beautiful way in which friendship was portrayed in this book made this book truly an exceptional read. I would recommend it to all YA lovers who also enjoy mystery - just make sure you take a flashlight to bed, I know I did, I just could not put it down! :) 

 

My Rating : 5/5 Stars

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book as a prize for a contest won, I was not compensated monetarily, or in any other way, for my opinion. The opinions stated in this review are solely mine, and are not representative of views of the author, or publishing company, of this book.