Disclaimer: I bought this book to read to give it an honest opinion!
After
Author: Kristin Harmel
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publisher Date: February 9th 2010
Pages: 240
Overview:
Lacey's world shatters when her dad is killed in a car accident. And secretly? She feels like it’s her fault. If she hadn’t taken her own sweet time getting ready that morning . . . well, it never would have happened. Her mom wouldn’t be a basket case. Her brother Logan wouldn’t drink. And her little brother would still have two parents.
But life goes on even if you don’t want it to. And when Lacey gets the chance to make a difference in the lives of some people at school, she jumps at it. Making lemonade out of lemons is her specialty. Except she didn’t count on meeting a guy like Sam. Or that sometimes? Lemonade can be a pretty bitter drink to swallow.
My Review:
I saw the cover of this book online and immediately was drawn to it. I clicked on the overview of the book and knew I had to get this book to read.
After a few days sitting in my house, I began to read this book. I could not put this book down. Lacey has her normal routine starting out in the beginning of the book and then the tragic event strikes. I felt Lacey was a great realistic character.
Of course Lacey ends up helping out another student who lost her mother to cancer which gets her mind thinking on things. She somehow creates a group for those who have lost a parent. I thought that was kind of nice to do since others would know how it felt to be treated. Some do not know how it is like until they lose a parent. Everyone deals with the loss differently but the group made it more normal for everyone.
During this process, Lacey also sprouts a romance with a the new guy, Sam. Sam has something major to tell her but then something else pops up and makes Lacey wonder. That secret got my attention!! Great suspense there.
Lacey's family also deals with her father's death differently. Her mother seems to be stuck in the process of grieving and not living. Towards the end of the book, her mother eventually reverts to back to her old self and lives for her family. Her brother Logan ends up drinking and then gets himself in a bad situation regarding to this matter. A big wake up call! Her other brother Tanner is always quiet. The family seems apart but in a way they are grieving in their own ways. Slowly the family gets back together. I liked how the family deals with grief a different way but should be done in more of a healthy manner.
On a personal note, the book did hit close to home, since my dad was killed in a car accident by a truck driver. At the end of the book where Lacey felt like it as her fault, I had those moments too. Life goes on. It's a great book for those who have lost a parent.
Cover Rating: A
Story Rating: A
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I hadn't heard of this book before, but it sounds really interesting! I haven't lost a parent so I won't have the same connection, but I may understand people a little more after reading it.
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