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Jagged Little Edges
Jagged Little Edges. That's how it had felt for her as long as she could remember. Like cuts, coming first in words as they tore little pieces of her innocence, trust and self worth, evolving into the physical form with a smack to the head, a cuff to the ear and at times, welts and bruises on her back side. By far the greatest damage of all was what couldn’t be seen. A soul torn asunder, left with an open wound, a vast emptiness and a hunger that screamed to be fed.
Lyndsey wanted nothing more than to be on her own. Problem was that's what she'd been doing her entire life. She didn’t trust others and always held a piece of herself back. Lyndsey knew something was missing and she was determined to find it. Not comfortable in her own skin and trying to fill the vast emptiness, she stood on the edge.
Needing to belong to somebody, Lyndsey discovers love, the kind of love that's sick and leaves her needing more. She'll do anything for him and does. Lyndsey learns that love hurts, but still, she searches for her happy ending. Not able to find what she's looking for in people, places or things, Lyndsey descends into a spiral of hopelessness.
This story follows a ten year journey on the need for love and leads readers through the depths of despair and addiction. It will move and inspire. It will leave readers on the edge of their seat wanting more...
Lyndsey wanted nothing more than to be on her own. Problem was that's what she'd been doing her entire life. She didn’t trust others and always held a piece of herself back. Lyndsey knew something was missing and she was determined to find it. Not comfortable in her own skin and trying to fill the vast emptiness, she stood on the edge.
Needing to belong to somebody, Lyndsey discovers love, the kind of love that's sick and leaves her needing more. She'll do anything for him and does. Lyndsey learns that love hurts, but still, she searches for her happy ending. Not able to find what she's looking for in people, places or things, Lyndsey descends into a spiral of hopelessness.
This story follows a ten year journey on the need for love and leads readers through the depths of despair and addiction. It will move and inspire. It will leave readers on the edge of their seat wanting more...
410 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2013
34 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
Lorelie Rozzano
9 books37 followersLorelie Rozzano now works at Edgewood Treatment Centre in Nanaimo, BC and is dedicated to helping others with their lifelong struggle against addiction, Rozzano hopes her books become a vehicle to get people thinking and talking about addiction and examining the role it plays in their lives. Gracie's Secret is Lorelie's first book. A powerful little book, that helps kids find their feelings and voice. Currently available for free download at www.jaggedlittleedges.com.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 9, 2013
This would be the first book I have read based on addiction. Everyone hears a lot of things about drugs and such, but no one every really knows the story behind it. Jagged Little Edges tells the story of not only the physical pain, but the mental torment that our main character Lyndsey goes through.
Though Lyndsey is the main character, I don't believe the point of the book was to tell HER story. I think it was meant to tell the story of every drug addict. I personally enjoy books that allow you to see the "other side" of things, and I believed this book accomplished this. Not only is there subject matter on drugs/addiction, the novel highlights topics such as abusive relationships, family problems, pregnancies, and other things. So basically there is something in there for everyone.
Within the first few pages, I was able to fall into Lyndsey's story. The novel takes place over a ten year period, and I thought it was amazing to see how she changed, and in some ways, how she didn't. We can watch the emotional scares that addiction and social problems has inflicted upon her. What Lorelie was able to accomplish with Jagged Little Edges is incredible.
Sometime's I wished the book would've included more dialogue, though I understand that the book was more of a mental thing. The format will take some getting used to, but I don't think it'll be too hard to catch the gist of.
Overall, I choose to keep Jagged Little Edges on my bookshelf.
Though Lyndsey is the main character, I don't believe the point of the book was to tell HER story. I think it was meant to tell the story of every drug addict. I personally enjoy books that allow you to see the "other side" of things, and I believed this book accomplished this. Not only is there subject matter on drugs/addiction, the novel highlights topics such as abusive relationships, family problems, pregnancies, and other things. So basically there is something in there for everyone.
Within the first few pages, I was able to fall into Lyndsey's story. The novel takes place over a ten year period, and I thought it was amazing to see how she changed, and in some ways, how she didn't. We can watch the emotional scares that addiction and social problems has inflicted upon her. What Lorelie was able to accomplish with Jagged Little Edges is incredible.
Sometime's I wished the book would've included more dialogue, though I understand that the book was more of a mental thing. The format will take some getting used to, but I don't think it'll be too hard to catch the gist of.
Overall, I choose to keep Jagged Little Edges on my bookshelf.
April 16, 2013
Lorelie pens "Jagged Little Edges" in her own unique writing style, taking personal experiences and putting them to words. Filled with emotion and relate-ability, the story line revolves around a young woman's addiction and takes place over several years. A must read for all parents and older teens.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author which was provided for an honest review.
April 10, 2013
Jagged Little Edges dives into the world of a young woman’s spiral into addiction. It’s a novel that makes you rethink the concept of addiction as a disease instead of just a choice. Lyndsey is almost destined to be drawn into a world of drugs, abuse, and alcohol. Her father is an alcoholic who regularly beats her as a way of dominance. Her mother ignores the abuse, distracted by the stresses of life such as feeding and clothing her young family. Lyndsey learns at a young age that the only one she can count on is herself.
This novel does a good job of keeping you guessing. While it is obvious that Lyndsey is not going to have a wonderful happy life you don’t quite know how far she will fall down that pit of despair and addiction. In the beginning she limits her abuse to just cigarettes and alcohol, feeling confident she will never succumb to drugs such as cocaine and heroin. She will never be the junkie in the corner with a needle in her arm she observes at a party.
Lyndsey’s self-esteem and self-worth has already been battered down from an early age so she falls easily into an abusive relationship with a man whose name we are never given. He is just him which I think is telling of Lyndsey’s true feelings regarding this person. However, we also never learn the name of her little dog that was clearly very important to Lyndsey. She loved her little dog and believed this creature was the only thing in her life that loved her back.
Lyndsey ends up pregnant by her boyfriend and I think if she had the support of her family and was allowed to keep the child, she may have never become addicted the way she ultimately ends up. Through the pregnancy she demonstrates a willingness to change her habits for the betterment of her child’s health. Unfortunately the baby is taken away and Lyndsey is sucked into the life she never believed she would be part of.
Her life is an absolute train wreck, obsessing about more. More what? We aren’t told exactly but it is clearly drugs, alcohol, anything to make her forget about the horrible circumstances she is in. When her boyfriend, a man who has his own addiction issues but actually cares about her as well, leaves her it triggers something and Lyndsey decides that life isn’t worth living. She takes the assorted pills she has on hand, slices her wrists and tries to commit suicide. The attempt isn’t successful as a boy and his mother finds her in her car (it is suggested that this boy is in fact the child Lyndsey gave up as a baby). From this point Lyndsey is given a chance to climb out of her pit of darkness and addiction and to lead a happier, sober life.
The author has personal experience with these issues and that is clear from the descriptions of the various highs Lyndsey experiences. I don’t think you could craft those hallucinations and sensations if you haven’t experienced them for yourself. That aspect alone made this a more engaging story. However, I didn’t enjoy the author’s writing style. The sentences didn’t flow well at times, there was too much telling and not enough showing of what Lyndsey experienced. Sentence structure wasn’t varied and the language was repetitive. The opening sections had too many long sections of text without any dialogue or setting to break it up. And in the end when there was more dialogue there were huge chunks of one person talking without any blocking.
Overall I enjoyed the story and it does make me question the concept of addiction as a disease based on how the counselors tackle the problems. But I also think we all have choices. We can fall into what is easy and seems to make our problems go away or we can change our paths and step away from that. Yes, it is difficult. And yes, some people with a home life such as Lyndsey’s would have that much more of a challenge rising above the lure of drugs and alcohol. I found it interesting that her sister, living in the same setting, did not appear to suffer the same fate as Lyndsey. So it is possible.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review
This novel does a good job of keeping you guessing. While it is obvious that Lyndsey is not going to have a wonderful happy life you don’t quite know how far she will fall down that pit of despair and addiction. In the beginning she limits her abuse to just cigarettes and alcohol, feeling confident she will never succumb to drugs such as cocaine and heroin. She will never be the junkie in the corner with a needle in her arm she observes at a party.
Lyndsey’s self-esteem and self-worth has already been battered down from an early age so she falls easily into an abusive relationship with a man whose name we are never given. He is just him which I think is telling of Lyndsey’s true feelings regarding this person. However, we also never learn the name of her little dog that was clearly very important to Lyndsey. She loved her little dog and believed this creature was the only thing in her life that loved her back.
Lyndsey ends up pregnant by her boyfriend and I think if she had the support of her family and was allowed to keep the child, she may have never become addicted the way she ultimately ends up. Through the pregnancy she demonstrates a willingness to change her habits for the betterment of her child’s health. Unfortunately the baby is taken away and Lyndsey is sucked into the life she never believed she would be part of.
Her life is an absolute train wreck, obsessing about more. More what? We aren’t told exactly but it is clearly drugs, alcohol, anything to make her forget about the horrible circumstances she is in. When her boyfriend, a man who has his own addiction issues but actually cares about her as well, leaves her it triggers something and Lyndsey decides that life isn’t worth living. She takes the assorted pills she has on hand, slices her wrists and tries to commit suicide. The attempt isn’t successful as a boy and his mother finds her in her car (it is suggested that this boy is in fact the child Lyndsey gave up as a baby). From this point Lyndsey is given a chance to climb out of her pit of darkness and addiction and to lead a happier, sober life.
The author has personal experience with these issues and that is clear from the descriptions of the various highs Lyndsey experiences. I don’t think you could craft those hallucinations and sensations if you haven’t experienced them for yourself. That aspect alone made this a more engaging story. However, I didn’t enjoy the author’s writing style. The sentences didn’t flow well at times, there was too much telling and not enough showing of what Lyndsey experienced. Sentence structure wasn’t varied and the language was repetitive. The opening sections had too many long sections of text without any dialogue or setting to break it up. And in the end when there was more dialogue there were huge chunks of one person talking without any blocking.
Overall I enjoyed the story and it does make me question the concept of addiction as a disease based on how the counselors tackle the problems. But I also think we all have choices. We can fall into what is easy and seems to make our problems go away or we can change our paths and step away from that. Yes, it is difficult. And yes, some people with a home life such as Lyndsey’s would have that much more of a challenge rising above the lure of drugs and alcohol. I found it interesting that her sister, living in the same setting, did not appear to suffer the same fate as Lyndsey. So it is possible.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review
September 21, 2014
Life proves to be too much for Lyndsey in an increasingly broken family household. To gain solace, she gives herself to what makes her feel better, be it alcohol or drugs. As the years go on, so does her addictions, which eventually control her and the way she lives.
(I received this book for my honest review. Many thanks to Lorelie Rozzano. Please be aware that this review may contain spoilers before reading further.)
I've never read a book quite like this one before and it made me think a lot about the topic of addiction in general. It’s all around us, isn't it? Nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and of course the illegal substances essentially make us feel better, one way or the other, but whilst they can be a quick and short-term fix, they certainly aren't a cure. Admittedly the only weakness I have is coffee, but when times get rough and life becomes unbelievably hard, the thought of something that can make it all go away is ridiculously tempting. It's those very thoughts that are dangerous to everyone. I'll just try it, once. But it rarely works that way and the consequences can ruin.
It’s tragic that life can push us to make the wrong decisions. With Lyndsey, her broken home eroded her spirit and her love, leaving her a shell, but most unfortunately a slave to her addictions. It was terribly sad her journey to adulthood inflicted so much pain upon her. Often I wanted to reach into the page and help her, but alas, all I could do was be a silent witness to her misery.
This isn't a feel-good book; therefore it was quite a challenge to read at times. It was dark and powerful entwined with some utterly fantastic descriptions regarding Lyndsey’s feelings, thoughts and experiences; however most of the writing remained overly straightforward and somewhat bland for my usual tastes. In the beginning, the constant use of the term ‘him’, when referring to her boyfriend continuously irritated me, even though I understood the point of it. It’s not that I was annoyed to never know his name; it was merely the wording that pushed a wrong button – simply something I couldn't help. Truthfully I can get bothered very easily with books, which leads me to nit-pick certain things. Even Lyndsey’s selfish behaviour annoyed me in the end and I began to dislike her, whereas I initially respected her.
Divided into three parts, the book spans over ten years, or so I believe, it wasn't necessarily clear. There’s less dialogue in the first two segments, but it definitely makes up for it in the final. The dialogue itself seemed a tad off, perhaps a little too fake. I just found it difficult to imagine the characters saying the things they did. As for the characters themselves, there were many to dislike and none to particularly feel attached to. I regularly wondered what happened to certain people, such as Dee and him, but I never found out, unfortunately.
Nevertheless the concept was interesting as well as eye-opening; reflecting the suffering of addicts and how they think and when more is never enough. The fact that it's based off of the authors own experiences is fascinating and it's apparent Lorelie is a beacon of strength and hope as she strives to help people shackled to their addictions.
© Red Lace 2013
(I received this book for my honest review. Many thanks to Lorelie Rozzano. Please be aware that this review may contain spoilers before reading further.)
I've never read a book quite like this one before and it made me think a lot about the topic of addiction in general. It’s all around us, isn't it? Nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and of course the illegal substances essentially make us feel better, one way or the other, but whilst they can be a quick and short-term fix, they certainly aren't a cure. Admittedly the only weakness I have is coffee, but when times get rough and life becomes unbelievably hard, the thought of something that can make it all go away is ridiculously tempting. It's those very thoughts that are dangerous to everyone. I'll just try it, once. But it rarely works that way and the consequences can ruin.
It’s tragic that life can push us to make the wrong decisions. With Lyndsey, her broken home eroded her spirit and her love, leaving her a shell, but most unfortunately a slave to her addictions. It was terribly sad her journey to adulthood inflicted so much pain upon her. Often I wanted to reach into the page and help her, but alas, all I could do was be a silent witness to her misery.
This isn't a feel-good book; therefore it was quite a challenge to read at times. It was dark and powerful entwined with some utterly fantastic descriptions regarding Lyndsey’s feelings, thoughts and experiences; however most of the writing remained overly straightforward and somewhat bland for my usual tastes. In the beginning, the constant use of the term ‘him’, when referring to her boyfriend continuously irritated me, even though I understood the point of it. It’s not that I was annoyed to never know his name; it was merely the wording that pushed a wrong button – simply something I couldn't help. Truthfully I can get bothered very easily with books, which leads me to nit-pick certain things. Even Lyndsey’s selfish behaviour annoyed me in the end and I began to dislike her, whereas I initially respected her.
Divided into three parts, the book spans over ten years, or so I believe, it wasn't necessarily clear. There’s less dialogue in the first two segments, but it definitely makes up for it in the final. The dialogue itself seemed a tad off, perhaps a little too fake. I just found it difficult to imagine the characters saying the things they did. As for the characters themselves, there were many to dislike and none to particularly feel attached to. I regularly wondered what happened to certain people, such as Dee and him, but I never found out, unfortunately.
Nevertheless the concept was interesting as well as eye-opening; reflecting the suffering of addicts and how they think and when more is never enough. The fact that it's based off of the authors own experiences is fascinating and it's apparent Lorelie is a beacon of strength and hope as she strives to help people shackled to their addictions.
© Red Lace 2013
May 7, 2013
Description: This book is the tale of a girl named Lyndsey who is from a dysfunctional family and who struggles with mental illness and drug addiction. Her story spans from high school through her adult life as her drug problems worsen until she hits rock bottom and then must face the challenge of recovery.
In Short: This book has an interesting plot with a lot of strange developments. You get a close up look into the dark life of a drug addict who is dealing with intense emotional pain and sickness. It took me to a world I have only ever glimpsed before in TV shows and movies but now have a much better interpretation of. This book made me feel so grateful for my life and my family. Overall it was a good book and if this topic appeals to you I think you will really enjoy it.
Pros: This book has good pacing. The beginning is especially fast paced and exciting as her whirlwind into darkness begins. This book has the most in-depth and believable main character that I have ever read about. Her personality is consistent and though you may not understand her and even find you dislike her at times she is amazingly realistic. Even though she makes a number of bad choices she isn’t a bad person and you can really feel for her and wish she would get better. You truly feel like you are reading the diary of a troubled young girl. This book isn’t overly graphic making it a safe read for teens. There is violence but there is no graphic sex scenes. This book had a full story with a satisfying ending. Jagged Little Edges has helped me have a better understanding of drug addiction and how it is a disease.
Cons: The bulk of this story had all downs and no ups making for a depressing and draining read. Even dramas need high points in order to give the reader some emotional payout. Even though the sympathetic main character experiences a lot of hardships I never really felt her pain. I think this is due to too much telling instead of showing which left me a little detached from Lyndsey. I am a very empathetic person who gets very involved in stories and cries easily but this book never brought me to tears even though it is an incredibly sad story.
I was sent a free copy of this book by the author for an honest review.
Reviewed by: odbookreviews.blogspot.com
In Short: This book has an interesting plot with a lot of strange developments. You get a close up look into the dark life of a drug addict who is dealing with intense emotional pain and sickness. It took me to a world I have only ever glimpsed before in TV shows and movies but now have a much better interpretation of. This book made me feel so grateful for my life and my family. Overall it was a good book and if this topic appeals to you I think you will really enjoy it.
Pros: This book has good pacing. The beginning is especially fast paced and exciting as her whirlwind into darkness begins. This book has the most in-depth and believable main character that I have ever read about. Her personality is consistent and though you may not understand her and even find you dislike her at times she is amazingly realistic. Even though she makes a number of bad choices she isn’t a bad person and you can really feel for her and wish she would get better. You truly feel like you are reading the diary of a troubled young girl. This book isn’t overly graphic making it a safe read for teens. There is violence but there is no graphic sex scenes. This book had a full story with a satisfying ending. Jagged Little Edges has helped me have a better understanding of drug addiction and how it is a disease.
Cons: The bulk of this story had all downs and no ups making for a depressing and draining read. Even dramas need high points in order to give the reader some emotional payout. Even though the sympathetic main character experiences a lot of hardships I never really felt her pain. I think this is due to too much telling instead of showing which left me a little detached from Lyndsey. I am a very empathetic person who gets very involved in stories and cries easily but this book never brought me to tears even though it is an incredibly sad story.
I was sent a free copy of this book by the author for an honest review.
Reviewed by: odbookreviews.blogspot.com
May 30, 2013
From the time I put this book up on my computer screen, I had a very hard time trying to get any thing else DONE! What an awesome read for anyone who has been touched by addiction or not. As I began to read, the author slowly builds her main character, Lyndsey's "Eternal Journey" with whispers of the authors. They become as one Heart, one woman. It becomes obvious that the author starts to drawn in from her own life experiences of good, and so much heart break. Being in recovery my self, I greatly appreciated the insightful way the author shares Lyndsey's rehab. Connecting to those wrenching underlying issues that make us turn to addiction in the first place. As she transforms, you can feel it from the writers words and in-depth journey. Not only do I recommend this book to all, but strongly recommend it to anyone in recovery, or is thinking of it! I also urge you to stop by her helpful Blog as well: http://www.JaggedLittleEdges.com/ Great recovery resource! Author, Catherine Townsend-Lyon
July 8, 2013
It's clear from the first chapter of Jagged Little Edges that teenage girl Lyndsey has hit the down-slope of a difficult adolescence. Receiving no love in her unhappy, alcoholic home, she transfers her love and need to her boyfriend, who remains symbolically unnamed and distant. Lyndsey quickly discovers the effects of drugs almost simultaneously, showing how interwoven the forms of emotional abuse and addiction can be.
Rozzano uses strong visceral details and emotional intelligence handling the stages of addiction and the lonely hunger that motivates the spiral downward. The scenes using more dialogue and fleshed out action bring the narrative alive; selected "close-ups" of her family members help establish more dramatic tension. Toward the conclusion of Jagged Little Edges, the description of Lyndsey's "upward" spiral is hopeful and should encourage readers wanting to leave their own addictions and start anew.
Rozzano uses strong visceral details and emotional intelligence handling the stages of addiction and the lonely hunger that motivates the spiral downward. The scenes using more dialogue and fleshed out action bring the narrative alive; selected "close-ups" of her family members help establish more dramatic tension. Toward the conclusion of Jagged Little Edges, the description of Lyndsey's "upward" spiral is hopeful and should encourage readers wanting to leave their own addictions and start anew.
October 3, 2013
You will be obsessed with this book after one read. You will want to read it over and over again because the storyline is just that good.
From the first chapter you connected with her struggles that are akin to many we know who took a wrong turn in life and has yet to recover. You have to open your mind to be transported to a dark world that not many want to talk about but does exist. Lyndsey’s silent cry for help could not be heard as many just saw her outward appearance and she seemed fine so no one bothered to watch the behavior to see the real her.This book is a conversation-starter, and author Lorelie Rozzano is a great talent who understands how to inject life and relevance in a novel. Excellent read, one I would recommend!
From the first chapter you connected with her struggles that are akin to many we know who took a wrong turn in life and has yet to recover. You have to open your mind to be transported to a dark world that not many want to talk about but does exist. Lyndsey’s silent cry for help could not be heard as many just saw her outward appearance and she seemed fine so no one bothered to watch the behavior to see the real her.This book is a conversation-starter, and author Lorelie Rozzano is a great talent who understands how to inject life and relevance in a novel. Excellent read, one I would recommend!
October 3, 2013
this is a well written book about the struggles that those with addiction have. being a recovering addict/alcoholic myself , I could relate to the main character. With all our flaws , we are all still human and humans have faults and struggles. They may be different for each of us, but most of the emotion is the same,lack of self esteem, sadness, abuse etc. This book was really good. It touched my heart and soul. I received this book for an honest review and honestly, I loved it!
August 3, 2016
This is a different genre than I generally read, but I really enjoyed the story. I have a b.s. in psych and am a child welfare worker and work with people first hand that struggle with addiction. This book kept my interest and I felt gave my an inside look from an addicts perspective. Great job!
August 5, 2016
This book is suppose to be a work of fiction. But this author goes into great details. She must of done some major research.
I really enjoyed this book. While it is kind of on a dark topic the book is written well. And fully covers the path of addiction.
I really enjoyed this book. While it is kind of on a dark topic the book is written well. And fully covers the path of addiction.
July 16, 2017
Typos and errors
Although it was a great story of recovery, there were many typos and punctual errors that should have been corrected before the book was published.
Although it was a great story of recovery, there were many typos and punctual errors that should have been corrected before the book was published.
April 27, 2025
I feel like this could’ve been two different books. Very long and hard for me to keep going. The story was good but to me somethings were unnecessary. The author had a great way of writing though and i could easily picture these scenes and i truly feel this was a good representation of addiction, specifically the patterns that switched up the casual use to full blown addiction i liked the being in denial point of view and I like how you’re reading about Lindsey and not in her point of view.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2017
As it turns out I have read all three of these Jagged Books and they are wonderful. As the mother of a drug addict.... the last seven years has been a horrific experience. These books helped me on many different levels and being they were based on a true story just made me feel.... not so alone. This was a hard story to tell... not sunshine & rainbows... just one persons story on their journey with addiction. This book I feel is perfect for an addict or anyone sober involved with the life of an addict.
September 27, 2023
Great story of addiction and how trauma leads to it. I loved the story and am working on the second book. But there are so many grammatical errors and misspelling words in this. The editors missed a ton. Great book but these little issues irked me.
January 16, 2018
True to life story following the life of addiction, helpless, hopelessness into recovery, newness of life, and futures of purpose.
May 2, 2018
amazing. raw.. and brings you down to the real life of an addict.. just started reading part 2
May 24, 2023
Incredibly well written, this book had me sitting on the edge, crying, relating to a past version of myself.
March 29, 2013
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.
This book is divided into three parts, which span somewhere around 10 years, although time between parts is pretty vague. In fact, the book itself is very uneven, and might have been better if the three parts were three separate books. The first part deals with Lyndsey's initial addictions, and her terrible home life. She has a boyfriend, who is always referred to as "him". To be honest, if there is one thing I can't stand, it's a pronoun without any antecedent. He does appear in the narrative of the second two parts, but it nearly always required a double-take to figure out it was talking about her ex when it said "him", and not whatever guy was being written about most recently. The first part is not written very well, with each chapter ending with a catchy single sentence of foreshadowing, i.e. "Little did she know, it was about to get much worse." End of chapter. It was a bit obnoxious. The second part is somewhat better because it is a more traditional narrative, and uses less vague description. The third part is better still, describing Lyndsey's time in rehab, but it is weighed down by whole pages of dialogue that read like a self-help book on addiction. I feel like the first part was added to what was a semi-decent book to provide background and a little more heft to the book. What's left is a heavy, muddled downer of a book, with the uplifting parts rushed and undeveloped.
This book is divided into three parts, which span somewhere around 10 years, although time between parts is pretty vague. In fact, the book itself is very uneven, and might have been better if the three parts were three separate books. The first part deals with Lyndsey's initial addictions, and her terrible home life. She has a boyfriend, who is always referred to as "him". To be honest, if there is one thing I can't stand, it's a pronoun without any antecedent. He does appear in the narrative of the second two parts, but it nearly always required a double-take to figure out it was talking about her ex when it said "him", and not whatever guy was being written about most recently. The first part is not written very well, with each chapter ending with a catchy single sentence of foreshadowing, i.e. "Little did she know, it was about to get much worse." End of chapter. It was a bit obnoxious. The second part is somewhat better because it is a more traditional narrative, and uses less vague description. The third part is better still, describing Lyndsey's time in rehab, but it is weighed down by whole pages of dialogue that read like a self-help book on addiction. I feel like the first part was added to what was a semi-decent book to provide background and a little more heft to the book. What's left is a heavy, muddled downer of a book, with the uplifting parts rushed and undeveloped.
March 28, 2016
Great read!
I loved this book because it gave such a clear picture of what addiction is and can do to destroy families. Very helpful for those dealing with an addict. I never wanted to stop reading till the book was finished!
I loved this book because it gave such a clear picture of what addiction is and can do to destroy families. Very helpful for those dealing with an addict. I never wanted to stop reading till the book was finished!
July 20, 2015
Good book. Kind of helps you understand how you can get caught up & really not want that life. I been there - done that.....18 years ago!
March 30, 2016
I loved this book she had a clear understanding of addiction without glorifying any part of it,
April 4, 2017
This was a great book, especially if you have been impacted any way at all by addiction. Knowing the author has personal experience with addiction, and is now leading a life helping others made me want to give this book a fair chance. I admit that I had a hard time with the beginning of this book, the story line, and just getting used to the writing style. I thought of quitting on this book at one point, as the author painted a picture of how the main character developed her addiction, and I am SO glad I didn't quit. The thoughts and emotions of what it must feel like to be an addict, of how one doesn't just become an addict, and how the main character came to face major life changes seemed real. The family issues were touched on and were very authentic in my opinion.
April 25, 2017
Very good read. Can't wait to read the next in the series.
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