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Sweet so Fragile
During a robbery, Jace Sullivan’s wife, Cari, was murdered. If that wasn’t bad enough, she was seven months pregnant when it happened. Though medics were able to save the child, the unfavorable circumstances behind the premature delivery has left baby Colton with severe health issues. Now, while trying to pick up the pieces of his own shattered life, Jace must watch helplessly as his son desperately fights to keep his fragile life. Meanwhile, his teenage daughter, Jorry, seems to be carelessly throwing hers away.
310 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2011
5 people are currently reading
1004 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Chatwin
11 books62 followersI think I was a writer before I could even write. I can remember lying awake in my bed as a small child dreaming up characters and adventures for them to take. When I reached the age of thirteen, (which was a million years ago) my imagination could no loner be kept within the confines of my own head and I began to write them down. Many a summer I laid out in the back yard on the lawn chair with a pen and a note book. I’ve since graduated to a couch and a laptop, but I’m still writing.
My all time favorite genre to write is young adult. I’ve tried to grow up a few times and write adult novels, but I always find myself going back to my roots. YAY YA!
All of my books can be purchased at Amazon.com
And come hit “like” on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Margar...
My all time favorite genre to write is young adult. I’ve tried to grow up a few times and write adult novels, but I always find myself going back to my roots. YAY YA!
All of my books can be purchased at Amazon.com
And come hit “like” on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Margar...
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 22, 2012
I am really glad I was given a chance to read Sweet so Fragile by Margaret Chatwin. Had I not been given the chance I otherwise might have missed out and never run by such a talented author! She is now my newest favorite author. Her writing style reminds me alittle bit of Jodi Picoult who is another one of my favorite authors. Margaret Chatwin has an natural ability to put raw emoitions on paper and physically make her readers feel them! From page one I was hooked and had a hard time putting the book down. Something is always happening and there is never a dull moment! I also like how at the end she put a short and sweet epilogue summing up any unanswered questions about the relationships of her chartacters so we weren't left hanging. I have already recommended this book in hopes she gains more readers! She also has another book out called Taking the Fall which I will be looking for to read as well.
February 2, 2012
The description on the FirstReads giveaway drew me in so I decided to enter. I enter a decent number of giveaways through FR so it's hard to hope for one or two, I just sit back and wait for fate to bring a book to me. I got nervous with fate when this came.
I haven't had much luck with self-published books. It seems like I find the books written by people who want to be authors but aren't meant to be. Wanting isn't being. I can want to be a singer. If I can't actually sing I'm not a singer am I? Self-publishing a book, sticking your name and a price on it do not an author make.
So, this came, obviously self-published and I was concerned. I put it on the shelf for awhile, a few weeks I think, and finally picked it up one day last month. (I usually review immediately upon finishing a book but I'm way behind right now.)Chatwin surprised me. This is a good book. It's a good story. It's well written. The characters are actually characters that were thought about.
There are a few minor points that take slightly away from the book but nothing too heavy and certainly nothing that won't be fixed with experience and time.
The editing needs to be better for one. There are some simple mistakes that should have been caught.
The familial relationships between the kids, especially Jorry, and her Dad are borderline exceptional. Some of the speech could have flowed easier, more 'everyday', with the use of contractions it wouldn't have seemed so formal and stiff, but if you read between the lines Chatwin has character relationships nailed down.
Jorry and Shara - awesome. The reader can see things coming awhile before they really should with these two and in some other parts of the book but that's not a deal-breaker for me. I'd prefer not to experience it but if the story and writing are good I can deal.
All in all it's a damn good book. So good I'm going to Chatwin's page right now to see about any others she may have.
I don't know what I did to deserve such luck with my FirstReads wins but somewhere, someplace I must have done something right.
I'd definitely recommend although I'm not sure who to exactly. Many YA readers would like I'm sure. Chick-lit readers possible. Contemporary fiction readers I'm sure. Hell, I think a good number of men would like this if only because Jace is a total man's man and he's freaking awesome.
I'd recommend giving it a try. Finding a new author always makes up for the crappy self-pub's I put myself through from time to time.
I haven't had much luck with self-published books. It seems like I find the books written by people who want to be authors but aren't meant to be. Wanting isn't being. I can want to be a singer. If I can't actually sing I'm not a singer am I? Self-publishing a book, sticking your name and a price on it do not an author make.
So, this came, obviously self-published and I was concerned. I put it on the shelf for awhile, a few weeks I think, and finally picked it up one day last month. (I usually review immediately upon finishing a book but I'm way behind right now.)Chatwin surprised me. This is a good book. It's a good story. It's well written. The characters are actually characters that were thought about.
There are a few minor points that take slightly away from the book but nothing too heavy and certainly nothing that won't be fixed with experience and time.
The editing needs to be better for one. There are some simple mistakes that should have been caught.
The familial relationships between the kids, especially Jorry, and her Dad are borderline exceptional. Some of the speech could have flowed easier, more 'everyday', with the use of contractions it wouldn't have seemed so formal and stiff, but if you read between the lines Chatwin has character relationships nailed down.
Jorry and Shara - awesome. The reader can see things coming awhile before they really should with these two and in some other parts of the book but that's not a deal-breaker for me. I'd prefer not to experience it but if the story and writing are good I can deal.
All in all it's a damn good book. So good I'm going to Chatwin's page right now to see about any others she may have.
I don't know what I did to deserve such luck with my FirstReads wins but somewhere, someplace I must have done something right.
I'd definitely recommend although I'm not sure who to exactly. Many YA readers would like I'm sure. Chick-lit readers possible. Contemporary fiction readers I'm sure. Hell, I think a good number of men would like this if only because Jace is a total man's man and he's freaking awesome.
I'd recommend giving it a try. Finding a new author always makes up for the crappy self-pub's I put myself through from time to time.
June 1, 2012
This is a heartbreaking story of a family trying to survive after tragedy. When his much-loved, pregnant wife is murdered, Jace not only must deal with his grief and that of a five-year-old Kaylee and fourteen-year-old Jorry, but with the overwhelming needs of his premature, brain-damaged son, cut from his dead mother’s body. Jace is determined to care for his son himself, but the reader is soon drawn into Jace’s nightmare existence as the constant demands of Colton’s physical and mental handicaps leave him struggling to cope and too emotionally exhausted to care for his daughters’ needs or his own. He feels “there is no one to pull him out of the deep swirling, downward sucking current he felt trapped in.”
One theme of the book is the human need to feel understood and accepted. How many caretakers are out there like Jace, feeling lonely and that "they were unable to understand how it felt to run on empty”? What happens when the parent fails in balancing the needs of the healthy siblings with constant demands of caring for the sick one? Jorry’s damage is obvious, but Kaylee and Colton suffer also in the stressful home environment. Domestic abuse is shown as the result of feelings of powerlessness and lack of self-worth, the opposite of being understood and accepted.
Fortunately, for Jace, help does come; and he is able to fix some of the wreck of his life. The emphasis of both the storyline and Jace’s attention then shifts to Jorry as she spirals downward toward destruction. To say more would be too much of a spoiler; but the pace of the story accelerates, and all relationships are stretched to breaking point and beyond.
My only grievance with the book was the professional involvement of Shara. I had a hard time believing a doctor could devote so much time to one child. I understand why it had to be so for the sake of the plot, but I doubt that kind of help would have been available to the average parent. Colton’s problems seem to have been sewn up by the middle of the book, and he fades from the center of the family dynamics. I just don’t know if that is realistic.
I enjoyed the book and was completely absorbed by the struggles of very likeable characters to find happiness after all the tragedy and pain . I received this as a giveaway by Goodreads First Reads. The thoughts are mine.
One theme of the book is the human need to feel understood and accepted. How many caretakers are out there like Jace, feeling lonely and that "they were unable to understand how it felt to run on empty”? What happens when the parent fails in balancing the needs of the healthy siblings with constant demands of caring for the sick one? Jorry’s damage is obvious, but Kaylee and Colton suffer also in the stressful home environment. Domestic abuse is shown as the result of feelings of powerlessness and lack of self-worth, the opposite of being understood and accepted.
Fortunately, for Jace, help does come; and he is able to fix some of the wreck of his life. The emphasis of both the storyline and Jace’s attention then shifts to Jorry as she spirals downward toward destruction. To say more would be too much of a spoiler; but the pace of the story accelerates, and all relationships are stretched to breaking point and beyond.
My only grievance with the book was the professional involvement of Shara. I had a hard time believing a doctor could devote so much time to one child. I understand why it had to be so for the sake of the plot, but I doubt that kind of help would have been available to the average parent. Colton’s problems seem to have been sewn up by the middle of the book, and he fades from the center of the family dynamics. I just don’t know if that is realistic.
I enjoyed the book and was completely absorbed by the struggles of very likeable characters to find happiness after all the tragedy and pain . I received this as a giveaway by Goodreads First Reads. The thoughts are mine.
February 13, 2012
You wanna read this book.. I loved it I read all night and finished it in less then 24 hours because I could not put it down.. The family in the book became real for me I felt every emotion they felt.. I found myself hopping for baby colton and telling Jorry how dangerous Nic was I felt heartbreak for the father and Happiness for him too there was even a time at the beginning of the book I was a little angry at him.. I found that I wanted to be more like Shara and I rooted for Jorry and Chris.This book was well written easy to read and hard to put down.. And at the end if it I wanted to keep reading more of it.. I think Margaret does a great job of capturing emotion and putting it in the pages of her book for you to then experience in her pages is everything a good book should be..Like I said at the beginning of this review YOU WANNA READ THIS BOOK !!!
December 9, 2011
love it. I absolutely love how much emotion Margaret puts into her characters. I find myself caring so much for this family and wishing i could step in the book and make things work out better for them. There are people i want to slap, people i want to hug, and people who just need chewed out! Its very gripping and is hard to put down.
February 29, 2012
I got this book as a Goodreads giveaway. I really enjoyed this, it was a quick read. The characters were well described and drew you into their lives. The situation described in the story was realistic enough to make you feel the emotions of the characters. All in all a good book that I would recommend to my friends. I hope to read more of Margaret Chatwin's books in the future.
March 30, 2012
I read Sweet So Fragile in one day – I just could not put it down. The emotions conjured are so strong, I found myself wanting to comfort Jace or throttle Jorry. The animosity between father and daughter is so real I had to check myself that I wasn’t back in my teenage years. Sweet So Fragile has a little romance, a little heartbreak, a bit of drama, and plenty of action.
From the very first page, I was drawn into the lives of the characters. Margaret’s character development is very three-dimensional and I found myself identifying with each of them. After the death of his wife, Jace struggles with being a single parent while managing his grief. To add fuel to the fire, his 14 year old daughter is full of anger and rebelliousness and his 6 year old daughter is caught in the middle.
In addition to two daughters at home, Jace’s premature son Colton is in the NICU. Colton’s NICU stay is very realistic. My daughter was born 13 weeks early and spent a great deal of time in the NICU, and this book took me back to those days.
Once Colton comes home, things become even more complicated. How in the world is Jace going to put his life back together? As a father and police officer, he has his work cut out for him.
There is a wonderful love story that left me torn. Was it too soon? And then, Will Jorry figure out there’s real danger in her rebeliousness before it’s too late? Read the book and find out!
From the very first page, I was drawn into the lives of the characters. Margaret’s character development is very three-dimensional and I found myself identifying with each of them. After the death of his wife, Jace struggles with being a single parent while managing his grief. To add fuel to the fire, his 14 year old daughter is full of anger and rebelliousness and his 6 year old daughter is caught in the middle.
In addition to two daughters at home, Jace’s premature son Colton is in the NICU. Colton’s NICU stay is very realistic. My daughter was born 13 weeks early and spent a great deal of time in the NICU, and this book took me back to those days.
Once Colton comes home, things become even more complicated. How in the world is Jace going to put his life back together? As a father and police officer, he has his work cut out for him.
There is a wonderful love story that left me torn. Was it too soon? And then, Will Jorry figure out there’s real danger in her rebeliousness before it’s too late? Read the book and find out!
September 10, 2012
Click Here For a chance to win a free copy of this book. Giveaway Ends Sept. 16
The story overall was pretty good. I once read one of her interviews where she said she'd never like to live in one of her books... Now I'm understanding why. It seems that a popular theme in her books are the tough things that one would like to pretend don't really exist but tend to be the reality in people's lives.
Characters: Sweet So Fragile seems to revolve around three characters- they are also the narrators.
*Jace is my favorite character of the three. I found him to be realistic and relatable. He, I believe, had the toughest of struggles and I found myself emotionally attached to the book and his character. Chatwin really has a way of reeling the reader in.
*Jorry tended to really get on my nerves. I don't think I have ever encountered such an idiotic character. Although Chatwin does a great job of capturing teenage angst it was not easy to read. I think she perfectly captured the feeling of being misunderstood. But wow was it frustrating to see. Although I was never near Jorry scale of teenage stupidity, by the time I finished reading this book I felt the need to call my mom and apologize for all my teenage acts of rebellion. Needless to say, this book really got to me.
*Shara plays Jace's love interest. She loves with all her heart. She is selfless and endearing. She represents the struggles stepmoms and women who date fathers go through.
I sadly found the romance to be too realistic. Ridiculous, I know. When the attraction became apparent between Jace and Shara I was expecting to see some crazy world wind romance. The kind of thing that is only found in novels. But no, their relationship was very realistic. With all of the baggage that Jace had: his love for his dead wife, his children- one of them being sick, another an idiotic and suicidal seeming teenager, and a dangerous career. Im not saying they didn't have a nice romance, as they did. It's just that I wish it had a little more pizzazz, a touch of fairy dust or something equally magical.
Sweet so fragile is a pretty good book. It's captivating and I enjoyed reading it. However, this book wasn't always easy to swallow. It is very realistic and deals with some tough issues. I would recommend this book to people who tend to forget to appreciate the good in life and those who simply need to know that at the end of the day, things will work themselves out- that things will get better. It's definitely an eye opener. This a book that both teenagers and adults can gain something from.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
To See more of my reviews see http://tiffanylovesbooks.wordpress.com
The story overall was pretty good. I once read one of her interviews where she said she'd never like to live in one of her books... Now I'm understanding why. It seems that a popular theme in her books are the tough things that one would like to pretend don't really exist but tend to be the reality in people's lives.
Characters: Sweet So Fragile seems to revolve around three characters- they are also the narrators.
*Jace is my favorite character of the three. I found him to be realistic and relatable. He, I believe, had the toughest of struggles and I found myself emotionally attached to the book and his character. Chatwin really has a way of reeling the reader in.
*Jorry tended to really get on my nerves. I don't think I have ever encountered such an idiotic character. Although Chatwin does a great job of capturing teenage angst it was not easy to read. I think she perfectly captured the feeling of being misunderstood. But wow was it frustrating to see. Although I was never near Jorry scale of teenage stupidity, by the time I finished reading this book I felt the need to call my mom and apologize for all my teenage acts of rebellion. Needless to say, this book really got to me.
*Shara plays Jace's love interest. She loves with all her heart. She is selfless and endearing. She represents the struggles stepmoms and women who date fathers go through.
I sadly found the romance to be too realistic. Ridiculous, I know. When the attraction became apparent between Jace and Shara I was expecting to see some crazy world wind romance. The kind of thing that is only found in novels. But no, their relationship was very realistic. With all of the baggage that Jace had: his love for his dead wife, his children- one of them being sick, another an idiotic and suicidal seeming teenager, and a dangerous career. Im not saying they didn't have a nice romance, as they did. It's just that I wish it had a little more pizzazz, a touch of fairy dust or something equally magical.
Sweet so fragile is a pretty good book. It's captivating and I enjoyed reading it. However, this book wasn't always easy to swallow. It is very realistic and deals with some tough issues. I would recommend this book to people who tend to forget to appreciate the good in life and those who simply need to know that at the end of the day, things will work themselves out- that things will get better. It's definitely an eye opener. This a book that both teenagers and adults can gain something from.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
To See more of my reviews see http://tiffanylovesbooks.wordpress.com
April 20, 2012
I did enjoy the book, but not as much as I thought I would. I found it hard to keep my attention on it, and I really cannot point my finger as to why. It was a good book and well-written, and maybe I just was not in the mood for this kind of book. I will probably give it another shot in the future. I think my main problem was that I was not crazy about the daughter's character, as I found her annoying lol.
August 31, 2015
I won this book thru Goodreads.com and I love it. I absolutely love how much emotion Margaret puts into her characters. I find myself caring so much for this family. Its very gripping story and it was hard to put down. I read it in two sittings. This story has LOTS of action, Some romance and a lot of drama but if your into that kind of book. Go get this book you wont regret it!
July 11, 2013
Despite all the spelling errors and grammar mistakes, Sweet so Fragile was an incredible book. I would recommend that you should read this on a rainy day. I also recommend this to anybody in need for SAT or ACT prep.
December 31, 2012
It took me a long time to finish this book, which I won in a give-away. I did not like it much. I liked it at the beginning, but quickly got disenchanted, and it was not what I expected. I found the characters annoying and most of the adults immature and one-dimensional. What's with a parent constantly getting in yelling and screaming matches with a child? In the end, everything turns out OK, and I'm not sure if I found this a relief or even more annoying.
July 27, 2012
I wasn't expecting this book to mostly be about the struggles with a rebellious teen. it was really sad most of the time and very cringe worthy. some of the charscters' names were bizarre. decent book for the $2.99 price tag.
July 22, 2014
The book was okay. A little unbelievable at times but an easy read.
April 19, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews