5 out of 5 stars!!!!
WOW!!! I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this book. I'm not a big reader of YA books, but when I saw that Annie was looking for ARC readers and read the description I admit I was intrigued. I did not however, expect my mind to be blown the way it was. I am not an overly emotional person - and books RARELY make me tear up - but this one had tears rolling down my face three fucking times. I'm astounded that this is Annie's first book!
The book is about a young girl, 16 year old Anna, who is recovering from some horrific abuse at the hands of her step father and just now meeting her biological father. He hadn't known she existed until the events that had transpired putting her in the hospital. How does someone used to being treated like shit go about accepting a loving father who wants to take her home and take care of her? How do you accept being a part of a family when you've been told your whole life that you don't deserve any form of happiness? Anna feels unworthy of the love given to her by her father, her step mother and her step brother. All she has as a defense is her tattoo's and her drawings which help her to cope with the world around her. Add to that the fact that she now has to testify in the trial of the piece of shit step father who helped to destroy her childhood and this book takes you on an emotional roller-coaster that I did not anticipate.
This book was extremely well done and has some super funny moments that had me laughing out loud (her first shopping experience with Chirpy McSmiley made me powerlaugh) as well as moments that literally had me feeling emotionally drained - in the best way possible. What an amazing story. The only thing that I didn't like about it is that it ended. I'm not ready to be done with all of these characters that I've fallen in love with. <3
WOW!!! I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this book. I'm not a big reader of YA books, but when I saw that Annie was looking for ARC readers and read the description I admit I was intrigued. I did not however, expect my mind to be blown the way it was. I am not an overly emotional person - and books RARELY make me tear up - but this one had tears rolling down my face three fucking times. I'm astounded that this is Annie's first book!
The book is about a young girl, 16 year old Anna, who is recovering from some horrific abuse at the hands of her step father and just now meeting her biological father. He hadn't known she existed until the events that had transpired putting her in the hospital. How does someone used to being treated like shit go about accepting a loving father who wants to take her home and take care of her? How do you accept being a part of a family when you've been told your whole life that you don't deserve any form of happiness? Anna feels unworthy of the love given to her by her father, her step mother and her step brother. All she has as a defense is her tattoo's and her drawings which help her to cope with the world around her. Add to that the fact that she now has to testify in the trial of the piece of shit step father who helped to destroy her childhood and this book takes you on an emotional roller-coaster that I did not anticipate.
This book was extremely well done and has some super funny moments that had me laughing out loud (her first shopping experience with Chirpy McSmiley made me powerlaugh) as well as moments that literally had me feeling emotionally drained - in the best way possible. What an amazing story. The only thing that I didn't like about it is that it ended. I'm not ready to be done with all of these characters that I've fallen in love with. <3