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bibliobethica's review against another edition
4.0
Many teens in the midwest will connect to this story. The thought of a tornado hitting your town is very real where I live. Jersey, the main character, loses all that is important to her and has to find her way ("be my own hero") to find a way to cope with her losses. A page-turner that readers will find hard to put down. It's especially good for reluctant readers due to the few characters and explosive scenes.
helendeu's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
What a heart wrenching, gut wrenching, mind wrenching book. I hope this isn't disregarded as just another YA novel because this isn't (not that most YA books aren't good). It's so much more.
I was totally there with Jersey from the first chapter. I cowered with her under the pool table, I begged Ronnie for her and I even nodded along as she ripped her grandma. I was there and felt every bit of it. I may have connected more because I had a recent unexpected death in my family. But Torn Away reminded me of what I do have still, the majority of my family and I am grateful for that.
If you're considering this book, do read it: you'll come out the other side maybe looking like you've been through a tornado but you'll have a smile on your face.
What a heart wrenching, gut wrenching, mind wrenching book. I hope this isn't disregarded as just another YA novel because this isn't (not that most YA books aren't good). It's so much more.
I was totally there with Jersey from the first chapter. I cowered with her under the pool table, I begged Ronnie for her and I even nodded along as she ripped her grandma. I was there and felt every bit of it. I may have connected more because I had a recent unexpected death in my family. But Torn Away reminded me of what I do have still, the majority of my family and I am grateful for that.
If you're considering this book, do read it: you'll come out the other side maybe looking like you've been through a tornado but you'll have a smile on your face.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
1.0
"I realized the worst part about someone you love dying isn't the saying goodbye part. It's the part where you wonder if they knew how much you loved them. It's the part where you hope you said and did enough good stuff to make up for the bad stuff. It's the part where there are no second chances, no going back, no more opportunities to tell them how you feel about them."
don't take my rating to heart. I just think Jennifer Brown and I don't work well together.
I'm the kind of person that doesn't read the news. When there is a school shooting, I don't visit every website and news station to hear all the gory details. I'd rather gather others and start raising money, I'd rather make snowflakes to send to the rebuilt school than hear another horrible tale about the loss and devastation that is disaster and losing those you love.
So Jennifer Brown and I don't get a long because she loves the gory details. She loves the horrible history and the way things don't work. The horrible details of the death and how others can not love you or want your or take care of you even if you've lost everything. How even "family" can fail you and beat you and rob you when you have nothing left. How even those who were supposed to love you can fail to love you once you aren't a family. I haven't found a silver lining in her books or even a moral or lesson. I always walk away feeling dirty and horrible and wishing I'd never read it. It didn't teach me anything or help me understand.It just reminded me that people are ugly horrible creatures. and some of the worst ones are still out there, ready to take advantage of those at their lowest.
if i wanted to be this completely disheartened with the human race, I'd watch the news.
don't take my rating to heart. I just think Jennifer Brown and I don't work well together.
I'm the kind of person that doesn't read the news. When there is a school shooting, I don't visit every website and news station to hear all the gory details. I'd rather gather others and start raising money, I'd rather make snowflakes to send to the rebuilt school than hear another horrible tale about the loss and devastation that is disaster and losing those you love.
So Jennifer Brown and I don't get a long because she loves the gory details. She loves the horrible history and the way things don't work. The horrible details of the death and how others can not love you or want your or take care of you even if you've lost everything. How even "family" can fail you and beat you and rob you when you have nothing left. How even those who were supposed to love you can fail to love you once you aren't a family. I haven't found a silver lining in her books or even a moral or lesson. I always walk away feeling dirty and horrible and wishing I'd never read it. It didn't teach me anything or help me understand.It just reminded me that people are ugly horrible creatures. and some of the worst ones are still out there, ready to take advantage of those at their lowest.
if i wanted to be this completely disheartened with the human race, I'd watch the news.
nikkidreads's review against another edition
4.0
This is exactly the kind of book I needed right now. Granted, everything fell apart. And man, did it fall apart quickly. There wasn't a lot of ease into this tragedy. No we barrelled into it. But the journey that we traveled with Jersey as she tells with the enormous load of grief and abandonment she is feeling in the face of the destruction the tornado left behind. It's amazing how a tornado can physically destroy everything and yet leave even more emotional destruction behind.
In the face of all of the crazy surrounding me, it was nice to read a story of hope and renewal of a young girl figuring out what she wants her world to look like.
It's amazing how very unlikeable Brown made some of her characters. Jersey's father side of the family is horrible. Awful. Literally the worst kind of human beings. Other than her aunt, there was a part of the story that I hated because I cringed for what Jersey was enduring. It's a testament to how in such a short book, I had become so incredibly invested in what happens to Jersey.
She wasn't perfect. She didn't handle it all well, as we all do in the face of grief, but she kept trying to remember where she came from. I loved this story. I listened to it as I shopped for people today, and I literally finished it in one day. SO GOOD!
In the face of all of the crazy surrounding me, it was nice to read a story of hope and renewal of a young girl figuring out what she wants her world to look like.
It's amazing how very unlikeable Brown made some of her characters. Jersey's father side of the family is horrible. Awful. Literally the worst kind of human beings. Other than her aunt, there was a part of the story that I hated because I cringed for what Jersey was enduring. It's a testament to how in such a short book, I had become so incredibly invested in what happens to Jersey.
She wasn't perfect. She didn't handle it all well, as we all do in the face of grief, but she kept trying to remember where she came from. I loved this story. I listened to it as I shopped for people today, and I literally finished it in one day. SO GOOD!
giraffesandaudiobooks's review against another edition
5.0
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is one of those books I don't have to feel bad about being honest about because it was so fantastic! I loved this book so much. The story drew me in immediately. By the fourth chapter I was breathless because it was so intense and compelling. The author does an amazing job at making you feel the emotions Jersey was going through. Most of the time I felt as though I was the one going through it or that I was actually there observing it all. I was sad when I had to stop reading to eat, shower, and sleep because I didn't want to put this book down. Make sure to check it out now that it has actually released.
Check out my more in depth review here. [Contains spoilers, but I do forewarn when the spoilers begin.]
http://catscoffeebooks.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/torn-away/
This is one of those books I don't have to feel bad about being honest about because it was so fantastic! I loved this book so much. The story drew me in immediately. By the fourth chapter I was breathless because it was so intense and compelling. The author does an amazing job at making you feel the emotions Jersey was going through. Most of the time I felt as though I was the one going through it or that I was actually there observing it all. I was sad when I had to stop reading to eat, shower, and sleep because I didn't want to put this book down. Make sure to check it out now that it has actually released.
Check out my more in depth review here. [Contains spoilers, but I do forewarn when the spoilers begin.]
http://catscoffeebooks.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/torn-away/
angelreads's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of Torn Away as part of the blog tour, but it has in no way influenced my review.
I didn’t know what to expect going into reading Torn Away, all I knew was that it would be was quite devastating, and it was.
Torn Away starts off like any normal day, but then devastation strikes and I felt all the pain.
The writing style of Jennifer Brown was simply stunning. It captured me in so many different ways – the emotions that I experienced in Torn Away made it where I could not stop the tears from falling down, with the anger and the hurt. After the death of her mother and sister by a tragic tornado that hit her town, Jersey is shipped off to her biological father, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a baby. Her family, her father’s family are so frustrating and not understanding in any way. I cannot really explain how they acted in a way but let’s just they made my blood boiled. She not only had to go through the journey of grief but with people that don’t care, but people that don’t feel the same. It’s heartbreaking.
Jersey is a very interesting protagonist. She is so strong, I wouldn't have managed the way she did. Her loss made me, most likely make other readers, realise what really is important in life. It might also re-define your priorities.
There is no physical human in Torn Away that is the villain. The only villain here is the tornado - Their damage is unstoppable, even often unanticipated. They can destroy lives in a matter of seconds.
Torn Away is a really hard book to review, not because it isn’t good, but because it is so emotionally draining that you feel so torn and broken after reading it. It tells a tale of loneliness, loss and grief, but, fundamentally, it’s not a tale of hopelessness.
We as readers go on the grief journey with Jersey. We go through the hurt, frustration and finally understanding.
The thing that hurt me the most was how Jersey dealt with the death of her sister. I have 3 siblings myself and I have no idea how I would manage in any way shape or form if they died. Jersey’s memories of her little sister are so emotional. She held onto these memories, some positive and beautiful and some negative. You felt the hurt.
I believed and felt every emotion of Jersey – The hurt, the loss, the anger. Then finally we get to see some happiness in her life.
After her not so good experience with her father and his family, she moves in with her mother’s parents. Even though she is going through the grief, she finally starts to see some light. The little moments with her grandfather were just beautiful. And the moment at the end with her grandmother brought tears to my eyes, in a good way. Then there is Kolby. He is the boy next door, he becomes Jersey's support along with her grandparents. Jennifer Brown is talented writer who builds situations and people that are not only convincing, but appropriate too.
Overall, even though Torn Away was heartbreaking. The author reaches without much effort at all, breaks down your walls and touches you so you cry like a baby.
Check out more reviews on Angel Reads
I didn’t know what to expect going into reading Torn Away, all I knew was that it would be was quite devastating, and it was.
Torn Away starts off like any normal day, but then devastation strikes and I felt all the pain.
The writing style of Jennifer Brown was simply stunning. It captured me in so many different ways – the emotions that I experienced in Torn Away made it where I could not stop the tears from falling down, with the anger and the hurt. After the death of her mother and sister by a tragic tornado that hit her town, Jersey is shipped off to her biological father, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a baby. Her family, her father’s family are so frustrating and not understanding in any way. I cannot really explain how they acted in a way but let’s just they made my blood boiled. She not only had to go through the journey of grief but with people that don’t care, but people that don’t feel the same. It’s heartbreaking.
Jersey is a very interesting protagonist. She is so strong, I wouldn't have managed the way she did. Her loss made me, most likely make other readers, realise what really is important in life. It might also re-define your priorities.
There is no physical human in Torn Away that is the villain. The only villain here is the tornado - Their damage is unstoppable, even often unanticipated. They can destroy lives in a matter of seconds.
Torn Away is a really hard book to review, not because it isn’t good, but because it is so emotionally draining that you feel so torn and broken after reading it. It tells a tale of loneliness, loss and grief, but, fundamentally, it’s not a tale of hopelessness.
We as readers go on the grief journey with Jersey. We go through the hurt, frustration and finally understanding.
The thing that hurt me the most was how Jersey dealt with the death of her sister. I have 3 siblings myself and I have no idea how I would manage in any way shape or form if they died. Jersey’s memories of her little sister are so emotional. She held onto these memories, some positive and beautiful and some negative. You felt the hurt.
I believed and felt every emotion of Jersey – The hurt, the loss, the anger. Then finally we get to see some happiness in her life.
After her not so good experience with her father and his family, she moves in with her mother’s parents. Even though she is going through the grief, she finally starts to see some light. The little moments with her grandfather were just beautiful. And the moment at the end with her grandmother brought tears to my eyes, in a good way. Then there is Kolby. He is the boy next door, he becomes Jersey's support along with her grandparents. Jennifer Brown is talented writer who builds situations and people that are not only convincing, but appropriate too.
Overall, even though Torn Away was heartbreaking. The author reaches without much effort at all, breaks down your walls and touches you so you cry like a baby.
Check out more reviews on Angel Reads
adenise47's review against another edition
5.0
This was a very good book. It was another that I couldn’t put down. Being in a tornado myself, I totally related to this book.
bjkatcher's review against another edition
5.0
Why? Why was I given feelings? This was not an easy book to read. But then again, it's Jennifer Brown we're talking about, she never does write about light subjects.
bexlogic's review against another edition
4.0
Received an eARC from NetGalley.
I downloaded this book from NetGalley and intended to read just the first chapter or so while I waited for dinner to finish but I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. My heart ached for Jersey and for her Missouri town that was leveled by the tornado and I *needed* to know not only that she would recover but *how* she would recover.
Perhaps it's because I'm in Alabama and I knew people who were personally affected by the tornadoes we had a few years back. Perhaps it's because the relationship between myself and my own baby sister reminded me of Jersey & Marin's relationship. This book grabbed me at the beginning and kept me wrapped up in Jersey's head until the very end, with a few smiles and tears along the way.
I downloaded this book from NetGalley and intended to read just the first chapter or so while I waited for dinner to finish but I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. My heart ached for Jersey and for her Missouri town that was leveled by the tornado and I *needed* to know not only that she would recover but *how* she would recover.
Perhaps it's because I'm in Alabama and I knew people who were personally affected by the tornadoes we had a few years back. Perhaps it's because the relationship between myself and my own baby sister reminded me of Jersey & Marin's relationship. This book grabbed me at the beginning and kept me wrapped up in Jersey's head until the very end, with a few smiles and tears along the way.
danielledickow's review against another edition
3.0
Good book for teenagers, nothing special for adults. Easy, quick read.