About the book:Life in the small Texas community of Graham Camp should be simple and carefree. But not for Sammie Tucker. Sammie has plenty of questions about her mother’s “nerve” problems. About shock treatments. About whether her mother loves her.
As her life careens out of control, Sammie has to choose who to trust with her deepest fears: Her best friend who has an opinion about everything, the mysterious boy from California whose own troubles plague him, or her round-faced neighbor with gentle advice and strong shoulders to cry on. Then there’s the elderly widower who seems nice but has his own dark past.
Trusting is one thing, but accepting the truth may be the hardest thing Sammie has ever done.
My thoughts:
I have to be honest here....I almost did not finish this book. It started off so slow and sad that I just knew it wouldn't be a book that I would enjoy. But since I cannot leave a book unfinished, I persevered and continued on with Sammie's story. By the time I made it halfway through, I couldn't put it down.
The story was written very well, but it's very heartbreaking. Sammie had more thrown on her in one short year than most of us, as adults, have to endure in five years. And while I'm used to reading novels featuring kids, this is the first time that I've read an adult novel that revolved entirely around a kid. This is where Carla's talents as a writer shone the most, in my opinion. Sammie was portrayed as a completely normal 12-year-old trying to find her way through school, having her first almost-boyfriend, and praying that nothing ever happens between her dad and Aunt Vadine. She was a very well-mannered child trying to mature, while occasionally having an outburst that's all too common at that point in life.
Carla definitely has a bright future as an author, and I, for one, cannot wait to read more of her work! I'm really hoping there will be some sort of sequel in the future because I would love to visit with the people of Graham Camp again.
**This book was provided to me by the publisher through CFBA in exchange for my honest opinion.
Yay! So glad you pointed this out to me as I hadn't seen it. I'm so glad you liked Chasing Lilacs. Sadly, a sequel isn't in the works although I do have an idea of what happened to all the characters. Someday, maybe. The good news is that I have another novel coming in June called Broken Wings. I hope you like it - it's one I really like.
ReplyDeleteBlessings! Carla
Carla,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for stopping by! A little sad that there won't be a sequel to Chasing Lilacs, but I'm eager to read your new release. :o)