Alive Day: Tom Sullivan

Alive Day is primarily about a blind psychiatrist named Brenden and his guide dog named Nelson. Brenden lost his sight due to a civilian accident while climbing a mountain. He is encouraged by his colleague, Dr. Barnes, to take on some pro bono work in the form of newly disabled military personnel. Dr. Barnes, also a blind person, feels that Brendan can bring a sense of camaraderie to sessions with disabled veterans. It was his hope that those veterans would be more likely to open up to someone who has been in their shoes. 

BRENDEN'S STRUGGLE:

"Brenden, you can't fight for your country because you went blind, but you can serve your nation by making a difference in the lives of some of these young men."

Brenden fights his conscience at first over whether to take on this work. 

"Is every person with a disability obligated to get involved?"

"Do I have a responsibility to get involved with these vets?"

After much of his own therapy and the help of Nelson, his guide dog, Brendan no longer reacts very much to his disability and therefore does not feel like the vets would identify with him. Between Dr. Barnes, Brenden's wife, Brenden himself, and even Nelson, Brenden decides to take on just one case to start. 

THE PATIENT:

Enter Marine Antwone Carver, freshly labelled a Paraplegic by the very clinical and low-blow neurosurgeon Dr. Craig. Dr. Craig proceeds to tell the young marine, with absolutely no heart at all, that not only is he now permanently a paraplegic, but Antwone will no longer be physically able to satisfy his wife in the bedroom. And, as if Dr. Craig just wants to rate himself lower in my book, he proceeds to hit on the wife right in front of the freshly devastated husband. 

Antwone's career and his wife are his entire world, so nothing could have been worse for the young man to hear. This news, however premature it was, causes Carver to push away his wife. 

Carver closes himself off from the world, becoming extremely bitter in a short amount of time. He feels that the world has abandoned him, especially the Marines. By the 2/3 point of the book, Carver has devolved to extreme resolutions and actions in order to keep from coping. 

THE WIFE:

Considering how much contemporary romance I have been reading, my first thought when he pushed her away was that she would eventually move on with someone else. However, I underestimated her commitment to her husband. 

While she did not know what to do at first, Antwone's wife did make the right decision in letting him ask her to come back later on. She could have barged her way back into his hospital room, demanding he accept that she was not going anywhere. She let him come back to her on his own terms and in his own time. 

One of my favorite quotes was from Brendan's wife herself: "When a woman loves a man – I mean really loves him – she adapts, no matter what." That is exactly what Carver's wife did from minute one. I admired her strength and commitment to her husband

NELSON THE WONDERPUP:

I just loved Nelson in this story. As a guide dog for Brenden, Nelson has a big job - being a walking guide, a danger spotter, a best friend, and a family pet. 

However, not only does Nelson do his job well, He goes above and beyond in every way. Nelson more than once saves Brenden, and even gets Carver to open up in his sessions with Brenden. 

I highly recommend this book to pet lovers as well as anyone who wants a heartwarming read. Five stars!

Stealing Harper

This is going to be a hard one to read. Not sure if my heart can deal with it!

SLIGHTLY SPOILY REVIEW OF STEALING HARPER BY MOLLY MCADAMS

This is a companion novella to the full-length novel Taking Chances.

Oh, my twisted up, aching heart. Chase…

Yet again, Molly, you have crushed my heart in your hand, wrung it out, and stuffed it back into my chest with this continuation of chase's story.  

I knew this would be a tough read; I was fully prepared for that. What I was not prepared for, however, was how this made me love Chase even more, even over Brandon. Oh, Chase... The tattoo. You slay me.

Chase broke my heart over and over throughout this novella. He was so desperate for Harper to love him the way he loved her. 

""Why not Brandon?"

I snorted. Because I'm right freaking here wanting nothing more than to love you forever."

"I'd change everything from here on out. I needed her."

"I knew Brian was right. I was in love with her. I wanted her in my arms forever, I wanted to take care of her when she was sick, hold her when she was upset, and kiss her senseless during the happy times."

Sigh. Swoon. Above are three of the many quotes that had me melting into a puddle while I was reading. 

Chase's possessiveness was not even a turn off to me ("Why can't you just leave him alone?" "Because he's with my entire world."). In fact, it was more endearing to me than anything. It was hard for me to find fault with him at all, really. He was simply a boy in love who would do anything to get his girl. 

By the end, I was literally boohoo-ing on my couch. Knowing what would happen did not make it any easier for me to read the second time around. 

I do have to ask: What if Chase had his phone on him? Would everything have happened the way it happened? Would he have called Harper? Would he have avoided the inevitable, or would Harper just have been there to hear it? I almost want to see an alternate reality of this whole story, right from halfway through the last chapter. I would pay good money to read that story as well. 

I am grateful to Molly McAdams for writing Chase's POV. I think it was needed to tie up the loose ends of  Taking Chances. 

BROADER TOPIC:

The underlying disconnect I have with many of the stories I have recently been reading, including this one, is lack of communication between characters. By no means is this a flaw of any author, though. It's simply a frustration that I get after reading a character's inner dialogue, and the one thing I would ask them about if I were a character in the story. Over and over, I have asked, out loud, why don't they just tell the person what they're feeling?  So many problems and misunderstandings would be remedied with a three minute conversation. For example, Chase would have gotten the girl right from the start, or at least had a better chance at her. 

Of course, I realize that from an author's standpoint, the above is not conducive to anything more than a short story, so please take that soapbox with a grain of salt. 

Five stars, Molly. Five stars and you've wounded me yet again. Thank you for sharing Chase's story.

This review was posted to <a href="http://phantompiccolo.blogspot.com/">Soulless Gingers Do Read!</a>.

Callum and Harper: Fisher Amelie

Are you kidding me, Fisher Amelie? You get me hooked on a girl, a guy, a book AND a band? In one sitting, folks.

Cried. My. Eyes. Out.

Then did it again. This one is a keeper for sure. Woman, you had me staring at my dang wedding band intermittently throughout the read! What are you doing to me?

Spoilers on this one. Just can't help myself. Read the spoiler-free reviews goodreads.com if you wish. Starting... now.

Callus and Harper both just broke my heart in so many ways. Their story was exhilarating, cute, frustrating, heartbreaking, triumphant, determined, stubborn, funny and sad, all in one. Oh, I could go on.

And my, how the angst flows. Harper and Callum both frustrate me to no end for two solid years worth of miscommunication. Two years! Why? Geez, I had my share of being a wallflower in my dating days, but even I could have squeaked out a love confession in that amount of time!

But boy, did Callum come through for my heart every step of the way. :swoon, sigh: Never let Harper down for a second. And no, I don't consider John Bell getting to her a letdown on Callum's part. You can control what irrational people decide to do. That's why it is irrational.

And the main character you write about in book two? Oh, you devil. If I'd been asked who I wanted in a second book, that would have been spot on. Tye-Dye Tom? Thank you for that. I can't wait to read it. He's a closet romantic and softie; I just know it.

Five stars. Obviously. Wish I could have given a hundred times that. Probably staying as a permanent resident on my kindle, which is a first.

Oh, the band, you say? Yes... Barcelona. Go get the song. Good grief, just go get the album.

Get the books. Album, playlist, freaking poster for your wall if one exists. I briefly considered even renaming my cat Callum. Ok, maybe not seriously. But it did cross my mind.

Unlovable (Jane Doe by choice)

Unlovable is a heartbreaking story about a young girl named Jessica. In middle school, Jessica knows she's too young for many things. When she meets Eric, they immediately hit off and become boyfriend and girlfriend rather rapidly.

Over a relatively short amount of time, Eric shows his inherent possessiveness and jealousy of just about anything Jessica does. Even attending her grandmother's birthday party becomes a Defcon 5 blowup on his part. She "doesn't love him" if she doesn't drop it all and pay sole attention to him.

Things digress to the point where Jessica has to abandon everything she has ever done, everyone she has been close to, in her life before Eric. If she doesn't answer her phone, she's cheating on him; if she touches another boy, she's a slut; and his defining characteristic: if she doesn't sleep with him, she doesn't love him.

Eventually, all of these aspects collide violently, leaving Jessica feeling abandoned, completely alone and unable to ask for help.

And a side note on my part: where in the **** is her mother during all of this?! If she had taken even half the amount of interest a normal parent takes, she would have seen even the smallest sign of trouble her daughter was in. It makes me feel awful that this child, now an adult, was never able to tell anyone about her ordeal and has suffered her entire life. The one person she did tell was too young to be able to advise her properly and gave her bad information.

People, pay attention to your children! Yes, you do see clearer in hindsight, but you're not blind before then! Ask the questions, and pry if you have to. Would you rather have a child mad at you for interfering or a child who is subject to abuse?

I have been going back and forth as to who I would recommend this book to: parents, children or both? I still don't know, but the point is that the conversation needs to take place in the family. Whether the parent makes their child read a book like this or attend a class or just plain talk it out, get the point across and protect and empower your kids!

Five Goodreads stars for making me really think it out.

Unlovable can be purchased here: http://www.amazon.com/Unlovable-ebook/dp/B006BIRN32/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357687095&sr=1-2&keywords=unlovable

If You Find Me (Emily Murdoch)

First of all, thank you to St. Marten's Press For sending me my very first advanced readers copy of a book to review! I feel honored to get the chance to do so especially for such a wonderful book. That said...

Carey and Jenessa's story mostly broke my heart. At times, especially in the beginning, I would mentally refer back to the story Flowers in the Attic. Their mother had essentially locked them up in their situation. Whether the setting was an attic or a camper deep in the forest, they essentially had no way out.
The sisters' mentally ill mother has, for reasons not fully revealed, taken the girls away from everything they had ever known. They now live in a tiny camper deep inside a national forest.

Until the day a social worker and Carey's father show up to get them, the girls' lives consisted of living off of the land, dealing with their mothers increasing absences, fending off strangers in the night and worrying about where their next meal will come from.

Carey has had to grow up much earlier than the average girl: learning to shoot a gun, protecting her little sister, and singing her Winnie the Pooh nursery rhymes when her own mother was not there to do it for her, (and honestly never cared to do it when she was). On the "white star night", however, Carey learns things that no one should ever have to.

When they have been rescued, the girls must learn what it is like to be in society again. Can they ever truly be reintegrated? Or will they find themselves craving the solitude that the forest provided them? Will Carey take Jenessa and run? And what is the real truth about why their mother took them away? Was her father what her mother proclaimed him to be? Was he better? Or even worse? All of these questions make Carey doubt herself: her ability to adapt to and accept her new life. Her biggest secret, one that she feels will ostracize her from her newfound family and her little sister, is her Achille's Heel and threatens to break her down if she doesn't tell someone.

Abuse is abuse. Whether it happens in the forest, an attic, your neighbor's house or your own, it cannot be ignored.

Five stars well deserved. If I didn't now own a copy, I would have bought one!

Significance (Signifiance #1): Shelly Crane

 Purchase Signifiance

Significance was the first Shelly Crane book I read. I loved it, and have re-read the series time after time! I generally do not fall for the "love at first sight" books because they are usually not that believable. Not the case with Significance! Getting a look inside the characters' heads and understanding why they are feeling the way they are and what they're going through together made me love the story so much more.

Soulmates Maggie and Caleb meet by chance and are drawn to each other immediately. Neither knows what it is about the other that draws them closer, but soon they are permanently linked. They are both endearing people with nicely fleshed out character development. I always appreciate the effort that Shelly puts out when creating her stars and supporting roles, so much so that I would absolutely read any spinoff she would ever do for this series (even one for Kyle, and that's saying a lot, considering my extreme dislike of him for most of the series. He really needs additional redeeming qualities, in my opinion. Do not get me started on him! Though he saddens me, because he had potential to be a great guy, but he chose to be bitter instead. His later self-flagellation didn't being me back to him like I wanted to. I thought more "too little, too late." Not on Ms. Crane's part, just the character himself. There will never be any author-bashing here).

I have enjoyed the series so far and cannot wait for the final book, Independence. Shelly, keep up the good work! Your stories are heartwarming and your boys swoonworthy! Such a great combo!

Purchase Signifiance 

Blog Re-vamp

It's official - I have a purpose in the blogosphere. I am now a book blogger.

It's the easiest thing I consistently keep up with and thoroughly enjoy, and it gives me an opportunity to review independent authors who probably have not been advertised as much as the average Stephen King-esque author.

You'll still hear about my music escapades and the occasional drama, but mostly... books!

Look for some reviews very soon!