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Posts Tagged ‘sad’

When We CollidedWhen We Collided by Emery Lord
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a four and half star read for me. I really, really liked it and it was so easy to read. I connected with the characters, Jonah and Vivi were both stars in this book, no matter how much they sometimes drove me crazy. The alternating chapters gave a good insight into the different aspects of the story.
I don’t want to give anything away but I found this story and the portrayal of the characters authentic and very real, which I think is one reason I was slightly frustrated, because this was just an example of a true story and what different experiences people go through. I really liked there were characters who understood that it is ok to be sad and to feel things and we don’t always have to be happy.
There were many passages that were written flawlessly and expressed the feelings and situations in such a beautiful way. Overall, A great 4 1/2 star read.

“I know I act like I don’t have a care in the world…. but Jonah, I’ve prowled the dirtiest back alleys of sadness, okay? And I know what it’s like to fight for your life on those mean streets. So if you need someone to vent to or someone to be quiet with or someone to talk you ear off, I can be that person. I’m not scared of the dark places.” pg. 89

‘Even the constellations can see us now: we are seventeen and shattered and still dancing. We have messy, throbbing hearts, and we are stronger than anyone could ever know.’ pg. 185

“I’ve always loved The Wizard of Oz, you know? Every girl wants to be Dorothy Gale or maybe Glinda. I never wanted to be the tornado.” pg. 317

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Salt to the SeaSalt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ruta Sepetys has a particular writing style that I thoroughly enjoy. Salt to the Sea took me on a unknown journey through history without being bogged down with lots of small details. If you like a fiction book based on an historical event then this is for you. The four characters which switched between being the storyteller were all different and with individual goals, and I found myself just wishing and hoping for a happy ending. I did cry and by the end was feeling sad, melancholic and even a bit hopeless – the fact that this story was based on a true event was just a reminder of what our world can be like. The tiny glimmer of hope at the very end was also enough to make me cry again, not all was lost.

Copy received via NetGalley.

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Bird by Crystal Chan

BirdBird by Crystal Chan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This started with a great first line, and by the end of the first page I had a lump in my throat and my eyes were threatening to tear up.
Reading this book was slightly heartbreaking but also very hopeful. Jewel was an amazing young girl who definitely was original. She was so clever and determined but I could feel her loneliness and so many times I wanted to jump into the story to just hang out with her. It was lovely seeing her friendship with John develop and how he made her feel, like she was real and that she mattered. They shared many happy and fun times together. And then it all went to shit.
But after making it through all of the hurt and heartbreak, through the grief of her parents and the anger of her grandfather and the betrayal of John, the ending was so hopeful and uplifting. Yes I was crying but they were happy tears. Because of Jewel’s bravery and honesty, her family were able to give themselves permission to live again.

“I nearly broke open with joy” – pg 99

“What do you do when your worries won’t go away? When even the entire earth can’t hold them? At some point, the wind quieted down and I slowly climbed onto the boulder, but I felt like a stranger there, alone and uninvited” – pg 188

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