Believe

by Shelly Hickman

The alternate cover edition for this book can be found here.

Believe. A message that still taunts her years after the passing of her daughter. In the days of her daughter's illness, she considered herself a seeker, open to the possibilities of prayer and faith. Now cynical and guarded, she is forced to reexamine her beliefs and relive her past when an old love resurfaces, with a sick child of his own. Believe is a story that examines fractures to our foundations in the face of tragedy. It is a story that asks if prayers are always answered, but often in ways we do not see.

NOTE: Despite the spiritual tone of this work, please be aware it contains strong language.

Genres: Fiction

133 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 21, 2011

About the author

Hello there! A little about me. A long-time Las Vegas native, I spend my days teaching computer technology to hormonal middle schoolers. I live with my husband of 20+ years and have a teenage daughter, grown son, and child of the furry persuasion.

I'm a huge fan of "The Walking Dead" and "Game of Thrones", as well as movies with stupid humor. "Zoolander", "Austin Powers", and "Monty Python" are some of my faves. And if you asked me where the best place in the world is, it would have to be Disneyland. I mean, it *is* the happiest place on Earth.

I love to write about relationships, family as well as romantic, and my aim is to explore life's challenges with honesty and humor. Hearing from readers is such a treat, so please feel free to visit me on Facebook or Twitter, or both!

www.shellyhickman.com
www.facebook.com/shellyhickman.author

Reviews

[Dalene W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. It was inspirational. The story of a child lost to leukemia and the aftermath as her Mother tries to go on in life. Well done.

[Corie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I approached this book with some trepidation but it was recommended by a friend who said, "It will surprise you." And, it did. This book is not some sappy new age manifesto; neither is it, "find Jesus and find Nirvana" crapola. It is simply one woman's response to the unthinkable loss of her only child and the struggle to avoid a nihilistic response to that most horrible of human experiences. At times Hickman's protagonist seems likely to drift into a bitterness so overwhelming and so utterly powerful that she might never recover. This seemed entirely believable. There's no preaching in this surprising little novel, (a huge relief!), instead just a flicker of hope that even after the worst happens, there could be a little joy wrenched from this "vale of tears" that is human life and the inevitability of loss within it, if only one manages to "believe". If Hickman meant to write a work of allegorical fiction, I think she succeeded nicely with a VERY difficult topic. One significant flaw bothered me though...what happened to Adam after Beth got pregnant? Did she tell him? Did he freak out? I would have liked a little more realistic drama between them. Did he really just go off to care for his dad? That relationship seemed too significant to be dismissed so abruptly. And, one minor, minor personal note: at one point Rachel, the protagonist says something kind of uptight and prune-y and she thinks to herself, "my god, I sound like a 60 year old woman"...This made me laugh out loud and feel REALLY misunderstood. Ms. Hickman, you need to come hang out a bit with me and my home-girls. We will show you how REAL (60 Year old) WOMEN talk. (And, think.) An enjoyable, thought provoking and yes, surprising first novel. I look forward to more from Shelly Hickman. I'll be putting "...Black and White" on my kindle today!)

[Stephanie (Between the Coverz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of heartbreak, healing and hope!

Believe is a story of one individual’s loss of a loved one. It tells of how she dealt with her feelings and the experience as a whole. It is a story of heartbreak, healing and hope. Believe will take you on a journey that will step on all of your emotions. This story is one that you can relate to on different levels – whether it is the loss of your child or the loss of a close relative. Every person goes through similar feelings and starts to question what they believe. Believe takes you through the journey and can help you to know that you are not alone; others out there go through the same thing.

I thought the author did a great job of putting into a story the different emotions and experiences that happen when you lose someone you love. You start to question things you might not have questioned before. Believe is well written and will keep your attention to the very end. This is not a romantic book or a spiritual book. It is simply a book that will give you hope.

Shelly Hickman did a great job with the narration. She had a clear and crisp voice that was easy to follow.

Anyone that is struggling with a loss or just wants confirmation that his or her feelings are normal then this is a book for you. This story will give you a sense of peace and hope.

[Debra Chiaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

I'm generally happy when I'm reading but I had to set this book aside for awhile before I became upset with the main character. She had so many doubts. But when I got back to it I was happy with the ending. This author works well at pulling you job the story. Thanks for your story Shelly.

[Georgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over too soon

I liked this story about looking for meaning in life and loss. When it was over I wanted more. Recommend.

[Nicole Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional

Very emotional and touching account of one’s life after losing a loved one. All the raw, gritty feelings that we slug through. So relatable on so many accounts.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good!

This story was very good. I felt like I was able to really feel Rachel's feelings, good and bad. This was a not an easy book to put down.

[Bridget Sampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an incredible experience to read a book about a woman who struggles with the same issues I do, but also has had the unimaginable experience of losing a child. I could relate to her on so many levels. The questions about faith and spirituality, the feeling of being a little lost and not knowing where to go or what to do, were so realistic and made me feel I'm not alone. As a mom, I was nervous about how I would feel about reading a story that involves a mother who has lost a child. But the author handles that part beautifully. It's not unbearably sad, yet it's part of the story and is woven throughout everything happens in ways I imagine would be very much the way it would be in real life. The romantic aspects of the story are very engaging too, and I found myself excited about the possibility for true love and a real family for the main character, Rachel. I highly recommend this wonderful book

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got "Believe" by Shelly Hickman for free and am glad I didn't pay for it. While the story concept is nice, the writing style was disjointed, especially in the beginning. It was as if the author wanted to get a spiritual message out to the reader so she forced a story around that message. I gave it two starts because I think it could have been a much stronger book if it had gone through a more extensive editing session.

[Stacey Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline of this book had great potential but the way it was written left A LOT of unanswered questions. There were characters introduced that had no real purpose to the story and left you wondering who the heck they were. The ending was completely abrupt and didn't give the reader anywhere to go. I thought there were parts of the book that were tender and pulled at your heart but for the most part the story was very scattered.

[Megs · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was very disconnected. Chapters bumped into each other rather than flowed. I found no resolution to the believe question the main character poses all throughout. The end was abrupt. Started put with the promise but bogged down quickly.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first chapter didn't seem to go with the rest of the book. Who was Conner? That storyline was just dropped for some reason. The abrupt ending left me still wondering what she was supposed to believe. Very strange book, but light reading. Parts of it were very enjoyable.

[Darlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Believe deals with Rachel’s doubts about her faith/beliefs and also fear in her life after her daughter dies of Cancer. This was a very casual story, with not really a plot and void of intrigue or suspense.

[Eunice Pangiochi · Rating 5 out of 5]

We must believe

Loved the main character and as a parent I understand her. I was able to relate to her emotions. I would have liked the book to end differently and know the out come of the baby.

[Jesse Coffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. I'll be back later to post the link to my "official" review in my column.

[Tracy Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed. Struggle with faith in God.

[Bobbie]

I have no idea where this book was supposed to be heading.