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What if?

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What if? by Robert Ed. Cowley and Stephen E. Ed. Ambrose. Berkley Publishing Corp.,1999

Unknown Binding

2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read

About the author

B.S. Casey

3 books33 followers
B.S. Casey is the pen name of Bee Casey, a writer, book reviewer, copy editor but above all - a book lover. They wrote their first ‘novel’ when they were eight years old, the exciting tales of Desmond the Bear (written in beautiful purple crayon and unfortunately lost to time)

They have released two novellas, What If and Constellations, available now from most online retailers.

Healing in ReVerse is their first poetry collection, inspired by their own experiences with trauma, disability, and healing, failing and healing again. Thank the Goddess for therapy.

Connect with them at
@On_Bees_Bookshelf (IG)
or bethanyswrites@gmail.com


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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Bookread2day.
2,573 reviews63 followers
November 16, 2021
My review is on my website www.bookread2day.wordpress.com
This story is gut wrenching. It’s the most upsetting fictional story I have ever read about a young girl who is totally alone.

The author is extremely talented to write a short story that is very believable. So much is packed into this short story.

Every reader will fall in love Evie. I wanted to hold her and give her a big hug. I wanted to be her friend.

Evie Jackson’s mother is an alcoholic therefore Evie doesn’t have a good relationship with her mother.

It’s difficult for Evie to finds friends as everyone makes fun of her hates her, bullies her. The one friend she does have soon deteriorated, and then when she finally meets a boy, that tragically destroyed her.

With Evie’s depression and mental well-being everything became to much for Evie which sadly she wants to end her life by jumping into river.

This story while fictional is a true story for so many people who are struggling with unseen mental illness.

This story is not biographical, but it’s based on real life experience and should not be used in place of medical advice, it’s just to raise awareness and open a narrative. If anyone is dealing with any of these issues that are written in this story please don’t be afraid to seek help, if you are affected by subject such as depression, suicide, or substance abuse, please take care when reading.

Stay safe and be kind
Profile Image for mrsbookburnee Niamh Burnett.
1,065 reviews21 followers
November 7, 2021
There are no words to describe how amazing this novella is, the authors writing style completely resonates with how a person can be affected by events in their life and in dealing with mental health. I love how honest Evie was as a character and how we saw her raw emotions and her honesty.

The book portrays such an important message that some people with trauma/mental health are just doing their best to get through the day, but unfortunately these people can be lost/hidden amongst the people who shout the loudest and expect the world to be moulded to fit their personal experience. I mean you don’t have mental health issues, unless you’re posting a meme/quote right?

I think that the author has portrayed certain subjects in a sensitive manner, I do feel books like this are important for all to read, especially those who are currently experiencing similar as this may help with their processing/understanding as life unfortunately does not come with a trigger warning
Profile Image for Toni Glitz.
295 reviews3 followers
November 10, 2021
A poignant, evocative and educational look at the impact of mental illness.

This is a beautifully written short standalone novella covering the very emotive topics of childhood neglect, mental illness and suicidal ideation. The book does have a content warning for those who may find the subject difficult.

The book is written from the perspective of a young person who is discussing their trauma whilst deciding whether or not to end it all. It’s not all doom and gloom though. It’s a fantastic insight into the human condition and how fragile we all are at times.

I read through this in an hour and spent the next hour processing the feelings it evoked. Even if you’ve never experienced the subjects raised in this book, I’d definitely recommend reading it. It’s educational, thought-provoking and for me personally, I hope its helped me see the world more clearly through the eyes of others who had less fortunate upbringings than I did.
Profile Image for Sam | Sambooka23.
694 reviews31 followers
November 5, 2021
Beautifully, heart-wrenching, poignant read.

This book was very bittersweet and hard to read in parts but excellently written. Bethany has written something so difficult yet masterful as she has captured the emotions in such a few short pages.

The book is 94 pages and you can tell so much thought went into Evie (main character) her thoughts and feelings. It must be so hard to write a book about suicide, negative thoughts and get it so on point. In places I felt it hard to read because the emotion was so overpowering.

I am so thankful to have been given a beautiful signed copy of Bethanys new book and to be on tour with the others thanks to @instabooktours !

@bethanysbookshelfuk you have written this so expertly, with so much pain, emotion and heartache. I thought it was such a gorgeous read despite the topic.
Profile Image for Carol-ann  Gibson.
161 reviews3 followers
November 16, 2021
This novel by @bethanysbookshelfuk covers the topic of mental health and the impact that can have on someone's life.

I felt so sad reading about Evie and the way that people treated her just because she wasnt like everyone else. I wanted to jump into the book give her a big cuddle and be her friend.

The book covers difficult topics such as depression, alcohol addiction, neglect, bullying and revenge porn however Bethany has written it in a way which helps readers to see there is always a way to get help to get better.

This is a very well written book and I look forward to reading more by the author.

Thankyou @instabooktours and @bethanysbookshelfuk for running this tour. Glad I got an opportunity to read this.
Profile Image for Layla Penfold.
311 reviews22 followers
November 6, 2021
Well, I’m completely speechless. Even though this book is a short book, it definitely hits you with such a strong force it leaves you with a massive hole in your soul.
I was constantly wanting Evie to have a change of luck, all she needed was that support, that love, just somebody that actually cared for her.
I think unfortunately once you go down that dark path, and nothing goes in your favour, it’s extremely hard to come out the other side especially by yourself.
All she wanted was peace and not be in any pain anymore. But everyone should never give up on hope. I’m a strong believer in things happen for a reason.
A absolute heartbreaking, soul crushing incredible book.
Profile Image for Abbie Morrison .
181 reviews7 followers
November 10, 2021
‘What If? 💔’ by B.S Casey
🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5
.
My name is Evie Jackson. I am twenty-one years old, and a Gemini. My mother is an alcoholic waste of space and my father is just a distant memory. It is 2.30am. I am sitting on the pier, staring into the dirty river water. And I am going to die today.

People, much like waves, always have things hidden under the surface that most of us will never see. A muffled cry on the back of the bus, a hidden scar under a cosy jumper, another cancelled plan. There are so many hidden signs that someone is struggling, but is anybody really looking?
.
My stop on the @instabooktours book tour today for @bethanysbookshelfuk self-published novella!

What a heartbreaking read. The author focuses on mental health and sensitivity shows how some people are really struggling, yet go unnoticed as they just try their best to get through each day.

This book is raw, emotional, powerful, real, honest and really inspiring. I really felt for Evie, I wanted to jump into the book to give her the biggest hug & give her a safe place to stay. I wanted to tell her that it’s ok not to be ok & be that shoulder to cry on and be that person who would listen.

Mental health is such an important topic and affects everyone either directly or indirectly. It can be difficult to write about but the author captures it in a delicate and enlightening way, it should be a must read for everyone.

✨ 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉. 𝑺𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅! ✨

I’ve included the book tour schedule in case you want to check out other reviews! Thanks @instabooktours and @bethanysbookshelfuk for the copy 💖 AD - PR Product.
Profile Image for Vicki (chaptersofvicki).
640 reviews19 followers
November 9, 2021
The book does start with trigger warnings about depression, suicide and self-harm I do feel this novella is a must read for anyone struggling to find their way in life. Also for those who are wanting to help and support someone going through these issues.

Evie is at a crucial point in her life where her next move could literally mean life or death. We look back over the choices she made in her life that bought her to this point.

I thought this book was written beautifully. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Profile Image for Novelle Novels.
1,652 reviews51 followers
November 14, 2021
4 stars
This book packs so much into such a short book and it’s done really well. We start off with the leading lady Edie at a dangerously low point in her life where she is questioning life and wether life is is worth living. Mental health issues are central to the story so go into it be prepared. For a fellow sufferer it’s good to see it handled so honestly. The writing style is great and the chapters are short so you can dip in and out although I read it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down.
Profile Image for Jade Adams.
69 reviews1 follower
November 2, 2021
The author perfectly captures what it's like to live with a mental illness, how even the smallest thing can to someone on the outside can be a huge thing to the person suffering from the illness.

Beautifully handled and wonderfully written. A gorgeous novella - I hope to read more by this author in the future.
26 reviews1 follower
November 10, 2021
Thank you so much @bethanysbookshelfuk and @instabooktours for allowing me to be part of this book tour. I'm so glad I've read this book and I think it's so important for others to read it too 🥰

This book comes with a trigger warning and while it is fictional I totally felt that this was real life. The author has wrote a novella about such a difficult topic and done it so well. I felt this book was a letter from the author giving me an insight to her life 🥰 She didn't hold back with details and that's what I loved so much about it. It's raw, real life!!! It Shows how some real life struggles and shows how nasty and unkind some people are. 😭 The book gripped me from page one and it is less then 100 pages. I read it in one sitting and honestly did shed a tear. It's such a great book and I highly recommend it 👍 I look forward to more from this author and wish this book was longer ❤️
1 review1 follower
March 5, 2020
I love this story from this new author. It's a beautifully sad story that I can relate to and am so happy that this author managed to put in into writing. Will always follow what this author writes as she writes G O L D
1 review1 follower
March 29, 2020
The subject matter of this book is of a serious nature, but handled beautifuly in the telling of this story.
I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it highly.
Profile Image for Jessica.
173 reviews16 followers
November 9, 2021
Would give it an extra star but seems no one was paid to proof read this novel before it was printed or no one cared about doing it. Good short story though otherwise.
Profile Image for Aisha.
376 reviews
November 24, 2021
Following Evie Jackson through her childhood filled with addiction and neglect to the present day where she has suffered so severely mentally that she is contemplating suicide.

What if? is excellently written, a deep dive of a character exploration told with amazing sensitivity and beautifully poignant detail.

I would’ve loved this book to be just a little longer - I feel there was lots more to Evie’s story we could’ve discovered.

Thanks so much to Vic at InstaBookTours for having me on this tour and to Bethany, the author for writing such a moving little novella.
Profile Image for Duckfacekim09 (Kim Howell).
428 reviews41 followers
October 30, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
So the first thing that needs mentioning, because it really threw me off, is that this book has no page numbers... But I counted and there are 94 pages, so now you can fill in your reading trackers appropriately.

This is one young woman's raw exploration of the choices she made and the choices which she believes are out of her control as she looks back over her life. It was powerful and honest and although not a true story, it could well have been.

Although it starts off with a trigger warning about depression, self-harm and suicide, I actually think it's a really important book for someone to read if they're in a place where they're struggling to find the joy in life. It will make you stop and think.

A full novel would be great, especially of her time in school, as I feel there's a lot more stories there.

Overall a very good book and I look forward to reading more by this Author.
Profile Image for Kyle.
Author 1 book31 followers
June 10, 2020
A beautiful book from a talented writer.
Gripping from the very first word, until the very last.
I can't wait to see what this author will bring out next.
Profile Image for B.S. Casey.
Author 3 books33 followers
Read
September 29, 2025
Well, I wrote it. I'd like to think so anyway! Currently Free with Kindle Unlimited or 99p on Amazon.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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