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mxunsmiley's review
4.0
I'm going to hold back on a rating because I still need to stew in it, but here are my initial thoughts. The biggest reason I'm hesitant to give it a rating is because it hit way too close to home for me so I feel like that colors my feelings toward it. At the same time, I adore Alice Hoffman's writing and books, so it's not surprising that I got really into this to where I didn't put it down.
It's very hard to write characters with PTSD (or mental illness in general, but reaction to trauma is more specific and comes with its own challenges) that are believable and don't miraculously get better. Shelby's recovery was very progressive, and though the book itself is short, it felt slow and natural. It's very common for people with PTSD to wallow and while I think that can be cathartic for us to read to assure us that we're not alone in how we process trauma, I think it's more helpful to see others like us eventually succeed even if there are bumps along the road and regretful decisions we end up making.
I honestly was in Shelby's place for a very long time so I understood her character too well, especially in the beginning. It was eerie how similar our situations were though of course the similarities ended at some point. This is a book very much rooted in faith (hence the title) and perhaps even in unspoken prayer; many of the events occur as though they were meant to happen, in which Shelby was in the right place at the right time, which I suppose is the magical realism element, which isn't surprising coming from Alice Hoffman.
Maybe one thing I wish could've been cleaner and less rushed was Shelby and James's relationship. I did enjoy it, but I felt like it was more thrown in. It didn't feel as natural as the rest of the book; his reveal felt very abrupt, unlike the parts before. I think I would've liked to read more from James's perspective even though he already reveals a lot. Maybe I would've liked more initial interaction between them? I'm not sure how I would've improved this aspect of the book. I don't think it really bogs everything down though.
I think this is a book I really needed right now. Maybe my own kind of magical realism except in real life!
It's very hard to write characters with PTSD (or mental illness in general, but reaction to trauma is more specific and comes with its own challenges) that are believable and don't miraculously get better. Shelby's recovery was very progressive, and though the book itself is short, it felt slow and natural. It's very common for people with PTSD to wallow and while I think that can be cathartic for us to read to assure us that we're not alone in how we process trauma, I think it's more helpful to see others like us eventually succeed even if there are bumps along the road and regretful decisions we end up making.
I honestly was in Shelby's place for a very long time so I understood her character too well, especially in the beginning. It was eerie how similar our situations were though of course the similarities ended at some point. This is a book very much rooted in faith (hence the title) and perhaps even in unspoken prayer; many of the events occur as though they were meant to happen, in which Shelby was in the right place at the right time, which I suppose is the magical realism element, which isn't surprising coming from Alice Hoffman.
Maybe one thing I wish could've been cleaner and less rushed was Shelby and James's relationship. I did enjoy it, but I felt like it was more thrown in. It didn't feel as natural as the rest of the book; his reveal felt very abrupt, unlike the parts before. I think I would've liked to read more from James's perspective even though he already reveals a lot. Maybe I would've liked more initial interaction between them? I'm not sure how I would've improved this aspect of the book. I don't think it really bogs everything down though.
I think this is a book I really needed right now. Maybe my own kind of magical realism except in real life!
midwifereading's review
3.0
I liked it. I almost put it down, because the beginning chapters are so very depressing and heavy. The focus is on Shelby Richmond, who was driving with her best friend at 17, and got into an accident that put her friend into a somewhat vegetative state, never to recover. At the beginning of the book, she's a walking ball of despair and trauma 2 years after the accident.
By the end, she has come into some cautious hope again, slowly, imperfectly, and with the kind of help we all know -- community. People who accept her and walk with her even through some pretty major mistakes. She learns, grows, changes, and moves forward. I only wish there were illustrations of the postcards...(read it and find out)
It's a solid character-centered story, rather than being plot-driven. It's not particularly deep, but it feels close and familiar. Shelby's growth feels natural, not forced, and is much closer to reality than many similar stories.
NOTES: There is more language than I would have liked, but it's realistic, not gratuitous, and is used well in context. It's not there just to be there. There is also sexual assault in the early chapters. Again -- not gratuitous, and is treated like the horrendous act that it is. But you need to know if you pick it up.
By the end, she has come into some cautious hope again, slowly, imperfectly, and with the kind of help we all know -- community. People who accept her and walk with her even through some pretty major mistakes. She learns, grows, changes, and moves forward. I only wish there were illustrations of the postcards...(read it and find out)
It's a solid character-centered story, rather than being plot-driven. It's not particularly deep, but it feels close and familiar. Shelby's growth feels natural, not forced, and is much closer to reality than many similar stories.
NOTES: There is more language than I would have liked, but it's realistic, not gratuitous, and is used well in context. It's not there just to be there. There is also sexual assault in the early chapters. Again -- not gratuitous, and is treated like the horrendous act that it is. But you need to know if you pick it up.
megn317's review
4.0
At first I thought this book was going to be too somber for me. And I started not to like the main character but as time went on and I kept reading I started rooting for her. Loved how it ended. Second chances are important.
books_yarn_and_the_moon's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
5.0
Alice Hoffman is the queen, I've never read something of hers I haven't loved.
ktswings's review
5.0
I really enjoyed watching Shelby's ebbs & peaks of wearing her guilt, and Hoffman's portrayal of how we accept the love we don't think we deserve. I loved all the supporting characters.
When I lost my mom, I said how alone I felt because the person who loved me best no longer existed, seeing those lines were my own cardinal in the backyard.
When I lost my mom, I said how alone I felt because the person who loved me best no longer existed, seeing those lines were my own cardinal in the backyard.
abaugher's review
5.0
another enjoyable hoffman read, with deep feelings hidden beneath mundane actions, and reading between the lines about what characters might be experiencing. Hoffman does a great job of taking her characters from their lowest level and gradually healing them into stronger people. one of the many things I like about her.
tarawe's review against another edition
5.0
I started off not having a hard time getting into the book (audiobook) but as Shelby matures through the story, I found myself having a hard time turning the book off.
shareen17's review
3.0
A teenage girl is driving a car when it slides on the ice and wrecks, severely disabling her best friend. Her life takes a very dark turn from this point. This book is both about how her guilt upends her life and how she eventually rebuilds. The relationship between the girl and her mother is really realistically and beautifully portrayed. I also liked how she is eventually - years later - able to build a meaningful life, even though it is quite different than how she pictured her life going before the accident.
tstanley's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0