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Scars Run Deep
Millie is an innocent 15 year old who knows little of the harsh world around her. Protected by her best friend, she has a unique ability to switch off from the world around her. After an arson attack on her school, she is betrayed, even by her best friend. Despite her ability, she is unable to deny the events unfolding before her and must take an emotional journey of betrayal, perseverance and trust. Millie discovers that she can trust no-one, including those in authority, and learns that the aim of this cruel world is to take advantage of her vulnerability. Her innocence shatters, she hits rock bottom and faces a decision that no-one should have to make on their own. Ultimately she can cope no more and asking for help seems her only option. Carried by her strength of character and an unseen guiding hand, Millie is destined for more than the world would want for her. This moving and often sad story of injustice, hurt and betrayal will rekindle the hope within us all.
- GenresYoung Adult
171 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2015
801 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 10, 2016
First off, I'd like to say thank you to Goodreads' First-reads and Mark Mansfield for a copy of Scars Run Deep. Due to my hectic senior year, I have been unable to really get into it until today.
Emily's story is one that will move anyone with a heart, and it is not always an easy one to read. This poor girl has hurdle after hurdle thrown in her path, and sometimes it seems like it is just not possible for her to have a good life. Of course, Emily is not one to bury her head in the same. She keeps going no matter what, and I couldn't help but root for her as the novel continued. If I'm speaking about the story and just the story, I'd give Scars Run Deep four stars. Emily's story, while a tad cliched and cheesy at some points, had genuine emotion infused into it. You can't help but want to feel something once you're done with Scars Run Deep.
Sadly, Scars Run Deep has several structural and developmental problems I can't ignore. Mansfield shows more often than he tells, and it almost feels like you're reading Emily's file rather than watching her story unfold. None of the characters are given much in the way of development. Even Emily, the main character, feels like a stranger to the reader until much later in the story. There just wasn't enough time spent fleshing the characters out and making them feel alive. I guess that problem could also be attributed to the fact that this is a short novel. Some much is crammed into the plot in a short time that you lose the opportunity for that important character development. I also feel like several of the plot points were skimmed over. I was never clear on the details of the fire, and many things felt rushed to me. Andy and Emily's relationship hit me out of the blue, and I think that the prologue was misleading. It would've been better if it had been Emily meeting with Rick or one of her parents and having to tell that story. Or even having her tell it to a grown Lara. Having Emily tell the story to Andy takes you out of present time for a little bit and then pops you awkwardly back in for a few more chapters. On a completely unrelated side note, I hated Emily's parents. Enough said. Another problem for me is that Mansfield's writing style isn't really much of a style. The words themselves aren't lyrical or smooth, and it reads like someone who is not sure how to tell their story. There isn't anything that sets Scars Run Deep apart stylistically.
Despite the flaws I have pointed out, I did like Scars Run Deep. It wasn't a perfect novel by any means, but it also was not one I regret reading. Emily's story is a moving one, and I desperately wanted to see how her story would end. I also loved how Mansfield brought God into the story. (It maybe could've been done a little more smoothly, but I'm not complaining.) If nothing else, this novel will definitely make you grateful for the blessings in your life. For me, I thought of the things I have and the people I love.
P.S. Thank you, Mr. Mansfield, for the note inside my copy! I appreciated it!
Emily's story is one that will move anyone with a heart, and it is not always an easy one to read. This poor girl has hurdle after hurdle thrown in her path, and sometimes it seems like it is just not possible for her to have a good life. Of course, Emily is not one to bury her head in the same. She keeps going no matter what, and I couldn't help but root for her as the novel continued. If I'm speaking about the story and just the story, I'd give Scars Run Deep four stars. Emily's story, while a tad cliched and cheesy at some points, had genuine emotion infused into it. You can't help but want to feel something once you're done with Scars Run Deep.
Sadly, Scars Run Deep has several structural and developmental problems I can't ignore. Mansfield shows more often than he tells, and it almost feels like you're reading Emily's file rather than watching her story unfold. None of the characters are given much in the way of development. Even Emily, the main character, feels like a stranger to the reader until much later in the story. There just wasn't enough time spent fleshing the characters out and making them feel alive. I guess that problem could also be attributed to the fact that this is a short novel. Some much is crammed into the plot in a short time that you lose the opportunity for that important character development. I also feel like several of the plot points were skimmed over. I was never clear on the details of the fire, and many things felt rushed to me. Andy and Emily's relationship hit me out of the blue, and I think that the prologue was misleading. It would've been better if it had been Emily meeting with Rick or one of her parents and having to tell that story. Or even having her tell it to a grown Lara. Having Emily tell the story to Andy takes you out of present time for a little bit and then pops you awkwardly back in for a few more chapters. On a completely unrelated side note, I hated Emily's parents. Enough said. Another problem for me is that Mansfield's writing style isn't really much of a style. The words themselves aren't lyrical or smooth, and it reads like someone who is not sure how to tell their story. There isn't anything that sets Scars Run Deep apart stylistically.
Despite the flaws I have pointed out, I did like Scars Run Deep. It wasn't a perfect novel by any means, but it also was not one I regret reading. Emily's story is a moving one, and I desperately wanted to see how her story would end. I also loved how Mansfield brought God into the story. (It maybe could've been done a little more smoothly, but I'm not complaining.) If nothing else, this novel will definitely make you grateful for the blessings in your life. For me, I thought of the things I have and the people I love.
P.S. Thank you, Mr. Mansfield, for the note inside my copy! I appreciated it!
January 13, 2015
I received this book from the GoodReads First Reads program!
I enjoyed this book, and I enjoyed reading about Emily and everything she had to go through to find happiness again. I especially liked when she and her family made up; it gave a happier ending to this mostly sad story. If Mark Mansfield writes another book soon I will most likely read it!
I enjoyed this book, and I enjoyed reading about Emily and everything she had to go through to find happiness again. I especially liked when she and her family made up; it gave a happier ending to this mostly sad story. If Mark Mansfield writes another book soon I will most likely read it!
February 26, 2015
What started out as an averaged and quiet life for one Emily Brown was very quickly turned upside down by a single event that should have never occurred. The girl who was quiet and immune to bullying found herself accused of setting her middle school on fire on the night of the big dance. She is convicted of this crime which she never committed and is whisked away from a family that no longer wants anything to do with her, all while she is just fifteen years of age. This sets the ball in motion for a serious of events that leads to her ultimate self-destruction that include bullying, drug and alcohol abuse, allowing her probation officer to sexually harass her, and eventually pregnancy at the age of sixteen. She is then taken in by the only person to show her any sympathy and believe in her innocence: her arresting officer, a woman named Sarah. Eventually Sarah convinces Emily to start volunteering at a church and helps her get her feet back on the ground where she meets the man of her dreams and soon gets engaged. Someone who is struggling with personal issues might be interested in reading this book because it has a very positive ending and proves that no situation is too bad to turn around if you put forth the effort to do so. This is encouraging and if a person were to learn from Emily’s life experiences, they could very easily live their life in a highly productive manner. Another group that might be interested in this book would be those who enjoy a small amount of romance because towards the end, a romantic story develops and that is the major cause for Emily to try and make a positive turn around in her life. I really did not enjoy this book at all. It was highly predictable and there is only so much drama you can put into a book before the readers would rather jump off of a bridge. Mansfield went way overboard with all of the events that transpired in Emily’s life. He could have easily left out a few things and the story would have benefitted greatly. Also the, “and they lived happily ever after,” style of ending just made this book way too cliché for me to enjoy it. I ended up reading it quickly just so I could wash my hands of the story and be done with it. Though one point of praise I have, even though the plot would have been better written by monkeys, was that Mansfield has a great gift with words and a great sense of how to use the English language, so even though I did not like the story he told, I really enjoyed the way he told it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2015
I won this book on Goodreads
Scars Run Deep is a story that pulls you in! This book is about Emily and the bad things that happened to her at the age of 16, the people who let her down the most, and the positive way she turned her life around, the friends she made in the midst of all her troubles, finding a true relationship with Christ and mending her broken relationships.
I really enjoyed this book. It is really sad in the beginning and I found myself shedding tears for Emily and her pain. As I read further and Emily began to learn to take care of herself and turn her life around, I also shed tears of joy for her. I was happy to read that Emily found her way to God and a true healing from all her wounds! This story is a true testament to how God takes such great care of us even when he is waiting for us to find our way to Him! I loved reading how God placed Sarah in just the right place at just the right time to help Emily because Sarah was willing and wanted to be used by Him to help others! We can all learn how to reach out to others in need and be Jesus to them just by looking for the opportunity and being willing to put someone else first! Mark Mansfield has written a great first novel that I hope he will return to at some point and take us further on Emily's journey . It would be very interesting to learn what Emily and Andy do to help others in their new life as husband and wife and what Lara grows up to be!
Thanks, Mark for a great book. I am excited to read your next one!
Scars Run Deep is a story that pulls you in! This book is about Emily and the bad things that happened to her at the age of 16, the people who let her down the most, and the positive way she turned her life around, the friends she made in the midst of all her troubles, finding a true relationship with Christ and mending her broken relationships.
I really enjoyed this book. It is really sad in the beginning and I found myself shedding tears for Emily and her pain. As I read further and Emily began to learn to take care of herself and turn her life around, I also shed tears of joy for her. I was happy to read that Emily found her way to God and a true healing from all her wounds! This story is a true testament to how God takes such great care of us even when he is waiting for us to find our way to Him! I loved reading how God placed Sarah in just the right place at just the right time to help Emily because Sarah was willing and wanted to be used by Him to help others! We can all learn how to reach out to others in need and be Jesus to them just by looking for the opportunity and being willing to put someone else first! Mark Mansfield has written a great first novel that I hope he will return to at some point and take us further on Emily's journey . It would be very interesting to learn what Emily and Andy do to help others in their new life as husband and wife and what Lara grows up to be!
Thanks, Mark for a great book. I am excited to read your next one!
January 28, 2015
First of all, I would like to thank Mark Mansfield very much for sending me a copy of this book. I really appreciate it.
Though this book has an interesting premise, the writing is a bit dull.
The book is about a girl named Emily, who gets accused of a crime she did not commit. Forced into terrifying situations, Emily learns about the cruelties of the world. She also learns about hope.
In my opinion, this book was very rushed at the beginning and very drawn out towards the end, which made it feel unbalanced. The writing was not very descriptive, and the absence of description made it hard to imagine the story in my mind, not letting me feel immersed in Emily’s world. The author tells us about one event, then the next, then the next, etc. We learn that Emily has lived in many places but we never get a sense of what those places are like. As my English teacher would say, the book needs more show and less tell. Also, in this story, Emily’s parents abandon and turn against her; but the author provides no explanation of why this happened, so I was left feeling confused.
I am not of Christian faith and I understand that this book relates heavily to Christianity, so that could have been one reason why I did not connect with it.
The plot of this book is intense and shows how unfair people in authority can be. I greatly respect the work of the author, Mark Mansfield, and am glad he wrote a novel based on his experiences as a foster carer.
Though this book has an interesting premise, the writing is a bit dull.
The book is about a girl named Emily, who gets accused of a crime she did not commit. Forced into terrifying situations, Emily learns about the cruelties of the world. She also learns about hope.
In my opinion, this book was very rushed at the beginning and very drawn out towards the end, which made it feel unbalanced. The writing was not very descriptive, and the absence of description made it hard to imagine the story in my mind, not letting me feel immersed in Emily’s world. The author tells us about one event, then the next, then the next, etc. We learn that Emily has lived in many places but we never get a sense of what those places are like. As my English teacher would say, the book needs more show and less tell. Also, in this story, Emily’s parents abandon and turn against her; but the author provides no explanation of why this happened, so I was left feeling confused.
I am not of Christian faith and I understand that this book relates heavily to Christianity, so that could have been one reason why I did not connect with it.
The plot of this book is intense and shows how unfair people in authority can be. I greatly respect the work of the author, Mark Mansfield, and am glad he wrote a novel based on his experiences as a foster carer.
July 3, 2015
I won this book several months ago from a Goodreads giveaway, but due to a recent move, new state and new job, I haven't gotten around to reading it until now.
I was not overly impressed. The basis of the story was good; however, the writing left a little bit to be desired. It was a lot of dialogue as opposed to any character building or descriptive writing. Also, the timeline and progression of the story was very jagged. You turned the page and suddenly it was months later, with no real explanation of what happened between then and now.
Again, it wasn't bad. I read it and I wanted to know how it ended. The writing style just left it a little bit flat and hard to digest in my opinion.
I was not overly impressed. The basis of the story was good; however, the writing left a little bit to be desired. It was a lot of dialogue as opposed to any character building or descriptive writing. Also, the timeline and progression of the story was very jagged. You turned the page and suddenly it was months later, with no real explanation of what happened between then and now.
Again, it wasn't bad. I read it and I wanted to know how it ended. The writing style just left it a little bit flat and hard to digest in my opinion.
Want to read
June 17, 2016I'm very excited to read this! It's a new story for myself and I hope I will have a chance to read it :)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews