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Because Of You
Liv and her best friends Travis and April have just started their last year of high school and things have gotten complicated—Liv has feelings for Travis, April is getting into trouble already, and Travis has a new girlfriend. But then Liv’s mom reveals a long-buried secret about Liv’s father, who took his own life when Liv was only two, and her life is turned totally upside down.
Reminded of unresolved trauma, Liv’s mom starts drinking heavily and Liv is haunted by the thought that her parents could have had good lives if they had never met. When Liv visits the antique shop of Travis’s grandpa, she discovers a grandfather clock they suspect can transport people back in time. As Liv’s life becomes increasingly chaotic, she’s forced to will she travel back in time to stop her parents’ complicated relationship, or will she endure an uncertain future?
Reminded of unresolved trauma, Liv’s mom starts drinking heavily and Liv is haunted by the thought that her parents could have had good lives if they had never met. When Liv visits the antique shop of Travis’s grandpa, she discovers a grandfather clock they suspect can transport people back in time. As Liv’s life becomes increasingly chaotic, she’s forced to will she travel back in time to stop her parents’ complicated relationship, or will she endure an uncertain future?
204 pages, Paperback
Published February 6, 2024
3 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Brands
1 book1 followerFiona Brands is a newly self-published author of Because of You from Canada.
She was inspired by her own life experiences while writing Because of You! This book was healing for her to write and she wants people with life struggles to know they are not alone!
Fiona lives with her "bugg" (Boston Terrier x Pug) named Jessie.
She has a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Family and Child Studies.
She was inspired by her own life experiences while writing Because of You! This book was healing for her to write and she wants people with life struggles to know they are not alone!
Fiona lives with her "bugg" (Boston Terrier x Pug) named Jessie.
She has a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Family and Child Studies.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 14, 2024
This story was something different from the usual books I read, but it was so good! Be prepared for a wild ride. You might feel a bit frustrated with the pacing at the beginning, but please hold on—Fiona really does a great job with it.
What you will absolutely adore is the friendship between our high schoolers Liv, Travis, and April. Each of them is unique, but they are still a close-knit group. Their bond is truly heartwarming.
I have read many science fiction novels and love to watch science fiction movies, and this book would be a GREAT introduction to that genre. You learn a lot about friendship, time, and love in Because of You.
This book is a beautiful journey and offers a fresh take on the themes of connection and growth. If you’re looking to dip your toes into science fiction, this is the perfect place to start.
And I finished this in one go😁
Thank you Fiona for a copy!
What you will absolutely adore is the friendship between our high schoolers Liv, Travis, and April. Each of them is unique, but they are still a close-knit group. Their bond is truly heartwarming.
I have read many science fiction novels and love to watch science fiction movies, and this book would be a GREAT introduction to that genre. You learn a lot about friendship, time, and love in Because of You.
This book is a beautiful journey and offers a fresh take on the themes of connection and growth. If you’re looking to dip your toes into science fiction, this is the perfect place to start.
And I finished this in one go😁
Thank you Fiona for a copy!
May 10, 2024
Whether platonic or romantic, love makes everything in life better.
I adored the close-knit friendships between Liv, Travis, and April. All three of them were kind and generous people who looked out for each other. Their banter made me smile, and I enjoyed seeing how they navigated their final year of school together as all three tried to figure out what the future might hold for them.
The pacing felt slow at times to me, especially in the first half of this novel. Based on the reference to time travel in the blurb, I was surprised to see so many chapters go by without a single mention of anything related to speculative fiction at all even though I later came to understand why the author made this choice. Some of the subplots also soaked up a lot of time in the beginning for reasons that I did not understand until much later or, in some cases, at all. The writing itself was nice, I simply felt that it could have been tightened up in the beginning so the characters could move on to the main conflict faster.
Most of the science fiction I read is harder and more definitive than this, so it was refreshing to see how lightly it was sprinkled into this tale. There were hints of it sprinkled here and there, but the majority of the scenes only contained moments that could happen in real life. This could be a good introduction to science fiction for readers who don’t generally read it because of that.
Because of You was heartwarming.
I adored the close-knit friendships between Liv, Travis, and April. All three of them were kind and generous people who looked out for each other. Their banter made me smile, and I enjoyed seeing how they navigated their final year of school together as all three tried to figure out what the future might hold for them.
The pacing felt slow at times to me, especially in the first half of this novel. Based on the reference to time travel in the blurb, I was surprised to see so many chapters go by without a single mention of anything related to speculative fiction at all even though I later came to understand why the author made this choice. Some of the subplots also soaked up a lot of time in the beginning for reasons that I did not understand until much later or, in some cases, at all. The writing itself was nice, I simply felt that it could have been tightened up in the beginning so the characters could move on to the main conflict faster.
Most of the science fiction I read is harder and more definitive than this, so it was refreshing to see how lightly it was sprinkled into this tale. There were hints of it sprinkled here and there, but the majority of the scenes only contained moments that could happen in real life. This could be a good introduction to science fiction for readers who don’t generally read it because of that.
Because of You was heartwarming.
July 14, 2024
This was such a good story! I was so intrigued by the MC Liv and her family’s backstory that I couldn’t wait to see how this one would end. The fantasy aspect with time travel is a trope I’m pretty particular about, but Fiona nailed this. Overall a wonderful debut!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews