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Losing Scars
Scarlett Stone had everything a seventeen year old girl could want; the perfect life.
When tragedy destroys what matters most, life becomes obscured.
What does existence mean? How can anything ever be normal again?
Scarlett is drowning inside of herself and everyone around her only diminishes the oxygen. When a risky encounter with a childhood friend stirs up forbidden feelings, Scarlett has purpose again; even if it’s not the kind she wants.
As light begins to filter through, Scarlett’s world is flipped once more and she’s left with more questions than answers.
Losing Scars is an unforgettable journey of life, loss and love.
When tragedy destroys what matters most, life becomes obscured.
What does existence mean? How can anything ever be normal again?
Scarlett is drowning inside of herself and everyone around her only diminishes the oxygen. When a risky encounter with a childhood friend stirs up forbidden feelings, Scarlett has purpose again; even if it’s not the kind she wants.
As light begins to filter through, Scarlett’s world is flipped once more and she’s left with more questions than answers.
Losing Scars is an unforgettable journey of life, loss and love.
Unknown Binding
First published October 1, 2014
3 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Gouin
5 books80 followersI love books.
I love reading books.
I love writing books.
I love talking books.
Books.
Writing is something that I've always loved to do; a hobby.
Being a published and respected author is more than a dream or a goal.
Besides my family; it's everything to me.
I take my writing career seriously and make decisions based on the long term.
What I want to achieve.
You can find out more at www.authorjessicagouin.weebly.com
https://www.facebook.com/jessicagouin...
I love reading books.
I love writing books.
I love talking books.
Books.
Writing is something that I've always loved to do; a hobby.
Being a published and respected author is more than a dream or a goal.
Besides my family; it's everything to me.
I take my writing career seriously and make decisions based on the long term.
What I want to achieve.
You can find out more at www.authorjessicagouin.weebly.com
https://www.facebook.com/jessicagouin...
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
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May 25, 2018My debut novel! Available on amazon.com. Please leave a review or comment and let me know if you enjoyed the book. I know I enjoyed writing it!
July 20, 2016
Okay, to be fair, I don't normally read YA romance novels. Heck, I don't read romance whether YA or not. So when asked to give a fair and impartial review of this novel I need to channel my inner teenage girl to get through it.
Squee!
All right, I think I'm ready. Losing Scars is your troubled love triangle established as a standard romance theme by Wuthering Heights. (I read that too.) Scarlett Stone, troubled by the death of her mother, has had the same boyfriend, Hunter, since she was thirteen. Now seventeen, her old childhood playmate, Grayson, the classic bad boy (tattoos, truck driver, long hair) has decided he wants her and will do anything to convince her they are made for each other.
As she falls for Grayson and falls out with Hunter, Scarlett examines her own decision making and the struggle to be correct yet friendly. Sadly, the two paths do not mix and she is face with difficult choices that only lead to more soul searching.
Not everything is sad. There are plenty of moments where she experiences joy, and yes, a few sequences where things heat up, scenes I'm sure every teenage girl will gush over.
My only complaint is a lack of foreshadowing what becomes a major turning point near the end of the novel, so my rating is 4.5, but I rounded up.
Squee!
All right, I think I'm ready. Losing Scars is your troubled love triangle established as a standard romance theme by Wuthering Heights. (I read that too.) Scarlett Stone, troubled by the death of her mother, has had the same boyfriend, Hunter, since she was thirteen. Now seventeen, her old childhood playmate, Grayson, the classic bad boy (tattoos, truck driver, long hair) has decided he wants her and will do anything to convince her they are made for each other.
As she falls for Grayson and falls out with Hunter, Scarlett examines her own decision making and the struggle to be correct yet friendly. Sadly, the two paths do not mix and she is face with difficult choices that only lead to more soul searching.
Not everything is sad. There are plenty of moments where she experiences joy, and yes, a few sequences where things heat up, scenes I'm sure every teenage girl will gush over.
My only complaint is a lack of foreshadowing what becomes a major turning point near the end of the novel, so my rating is 4.5, but I rounded up.
June 9, 2015
Losing Scars deals with some heavy, primal emotions. Namely love and loss.
The main character, Scarlett, is dealing with a personal tragedy which has caused her to fall out of step with her normal life. To make things more complicated, she suddenly finds herself thrust into a very unexpected romance.
This book was a fast read for me. I attribute this to the style of the writing. Jessica Gouin has a knack for using everyday language perfectly. Having characters talk and think like real people adds a lot of weight to the story and instantly makes the protagonist, Scarlett, relatable.
I found myself completely immersed in the emotional rollercoaster ride which unfolded across the pages. And as if that weren't enough, there is a humdinger of a plot twist near the end of the book that caught me utterly by surprise.
All in all, Losing Scars was a fun read and I'm looking forward to what the author gives us next.
The main character, Scarlett, is dealing with a personal tragedy which has caused her to fall out of step with her normal life. To make things more complicated, she suddenly finds herself thrust into a very unexpected romance.
This book was a fast read for me. I attribute this to the style of the writing. Jessica Gouin has a knack for using everyday language perfectly. Having characters talk and think like real people adds a lot of weight to the story and instantly makes the protagonist, Scarlett, relatable.
I found myself completely immersed in the emotional rollercoaster ride which unfolded across the pages. And as if that weren't enough, there is a humdinger of a plot twist near the end of the book that caught me utterly by surprise.
All in all, Losing Scars was a fun read and I'm looking forward to what the author gives us next.
June 29, 2016
Author Jessica Gouin does a great job creating a place and populating it with real people. Things tend to be on the dramatic side, but it's fitting for the type of book it is. While I'm not a fan of romance (the whole idea is foreign to me) she managed to keep me going, wanting to see how it would all unfold.
November 27, 2014
I love the book. You got to read it it was great
September 14, 2017
Jessica Gouin has created an unforgettable story of a teenage girl struggling after a tragic family loss. Scarlett Stone appears to be fine since her mother was killed in a car accident but she is far from it. Her seemingly perfect boyfriend Hunter is patient and caring, but completely oblivious to the fact that Scarlett is just going through the motions. Her neighbour Grayson, the tattooed bad boy next door, sees through her smoke and mirrors and challenges Scarlett to face reality. With his help, Scarlett finally starts to come alive again. Her choices turn her life upside down and the fall out might be more than her fragile heart can handle. This story has love, passion, and heartache and hope- everything I love in a YA novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this debut novel by Jessica Gouin and I look forward to reading more from her.
April 11, 2016
Title: Losing Scars
Author: Jessica Gouin
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult, Coming of Age
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Rating: ★★★★★
Review
When I go into a young adult story, which considering the majority of the books I write, is usually kind of a no brainer, I always think I know what I’ll be getting myself into. You’re almost always going to have two teens, especially in a romance, that are coming into themselves as well as finding what love is through the eyes, arms and heart of another.
But besides that, you’re usually guaranteed to find yourself immersed in quite the dramatic situation, because while growing and coming into their own, they’re also dealing with a mess of emotions and it can make things topsy turvy. This is YA fiction and at the root, at its very base, it’s real freaking life.
So when I came across this author, despite the blurb giving away just a little bit more, in terms of loss, I kind of figured I was good to go and knew how it was all going to go.
I knew nothing.
Seriously, I knew nothing. This book took me by surprise in so many ways.
Did it have all of the things I listed above? Yes, absolutely. It had them on an even grander scale too as this wasn’t just a story about a boy and a girl, but a triangle of sorts, even though it was pretty clear right from the jump which side I was going to come down on. Hell, given the way this story went, now looking back, I think it was there from the start, but hidden very well, just how it was all going to play out in terms of the main character too. What side she would fall on when she finally came to terms with the loss that she suffered and came back into the land of the living again.
Grayson. Okay. This was my team right from the start. Hunter, god love him, he read too nice for me. Too much of a “good guy”. Almost too perfect if that makes sense. I tend to go for the more realistic and flawed sort so when Grayson jumped out on the page, well that was all she wrote for me (sorry Hunter! Lol). He also had quite a few moments in this book where his thoughts, and then his spoken words came across a lot older than his years. He had this knowledge about him for being of the younger set that just pulled me right in. He got it. He got life. He got Scarlett.
When no one else did, Grayson stepped up to the plate and proved just why he was the one for her, long term friendship going into it or not. It was just a beautiful thing to witness and through their exchanges, as they came to be what I was so certain they should have been from the start, we get to see Scarlett coming more into her own. The version of her that she was meant to be and not the one she became after suffering a loss that I would wish on no one.
But that’s where this book differs from the rest because if you pay attention to the signs, signs that I swear now that I’ve gone back and gone over the book a second time, are clearly there if you know what you’re looking for, you’re being shown the way this is going to go. Just not in a predictable way and for that, and for the story that she presented here, the one that I’m sure Scarlett and Grayson demanded be written for them, stood out from the rest. Came across original.
The author, these characters, they got me. They took me on one hell of a ride and swerved me in a way that I haven’t really been swerved in a long time. I never saw this book coming at all and that for me is what makes reading so enjoyable. What makes a story stand out.
When what you thought you knew, is proven to be nothing at all.
Scarlett’s story wasn’t an easy one and the road was filled with a lot of teenage angst, age related nonsense and moments where I wanted to smack a few people around, but by the time I turned the last page, I could say with certainty that it was a road that while hard was one I was so very glad to have taken. It was worth it all. Messiness and all.
My thanks to the author for gifting me a copy of Scarlett’s story. It’s one that I am so glad to have taken the chance on and I can’t wait to see what you come up with in the future.
rated-reviewed
March 25, 2015Disclosure: I purchased “Losing Scars” from the author’s booth at the local Book Expo in November 2014. I have had limited communication with her about this book though we are members of the same writing group. I purchased a signed copy and as a courtesy, I contacted her regarding the below mentioned errors. The comments that follow are my own personal opinion. I received NO compensation of any kind, or from any one, to provide this review.
I did not read past Page 30 of this book. In those few pages, I found multiple errors in almost every aspect of writing including but not limited to spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, verb use, clichés, echoes, dialogue formatting, logic issues. POV is first person, but the protagonist constantly refers to thoughts and feelings of other characters. She wrote in present tense, but the tense is inconsistent.
I will not be giving a rating to this book since I have not read enough to become familiar with the storyline, pace, or voice. I’m not going to continue reading at this time.
I did not read past Page 30 of this book. In those few pages, I found multiple errors in almost every aspect of writing including but not limited to spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, verb use, clichés, echoes, dialogue formatting, logic issues. POV is first person, but the protagonist constantly refers to thoughts and feelings of other characters. She wrote in present tense, but the tense is inconsistent.
I will not be giving a rating to this book since I have not read enough to become familiar with the storyline, pace, or voice. I’m not going to continue reading at this time.
February 28, 2015
This book was well written edge of seat read , could not put it down read it in two nights ...!!! Love the characters fell in love with the town I felt like I was there amazing and great job keep the novels coming , can't wait for the next one . One talented author.
February 28, 2016
Once I finally opened this book, I just couldn't put it down. It is so intriguing and keeps you drawn in. Jessica has quite the talent and I look forward to reading anything she writes in the hopefully near future!!!
October 8, 2021
There's a lot of teenage drama in this story. I'm being honest here so do with it what you will. I'm a big fan of the high school genre which come in many facets & dimensions. Some are sports related, others have teasing & a bad boy/girl MC. This has none of the above.
Scarlett was in a car accident & returns to school weeks later for her first day of Senior year. She has a supportive family, Hunter her devoted boyfriend of three years & some close friends. Her next door neighbour & close friend Grayson has just broken up with his girlfriend Kayleigh. This news has her head spinning as she is confused about conflicting feelings for him & her boyfriend.
Scarlett was not my favorite character, in fact she drove me nuts! She had been through a traumatic experience, yes, was constantly stressed, over analyzed everything & her decision making flip flopped which lead to my head spinning. Her life was busy & was also crashing before her.
The heroes of this story were both Hunter & Grayson. They were wonderful, supportive & great guys, especially when considering their age. Grayson though, with his black hair, tattoos & rough appearance was such a dreamy sweetheart.
Many times throughout this book I was expecting to experience whiplash. I don't remember high school being this way but, hey, that was many years ago. Many times I was tempted to pack it in, give up, but then, oh Jessica you are sneaky...the author tricked me, a total unequivocal blindside!!!
The last few chapters made everything right again with a great ending.
Scarlett was in a car accident & returns to school weeks later for her first day of Senior year. She has a supportive family, Hunter her devoted boyfriend of three years & some close friends. Her next door neighbour & close friend Grayson has just broken up with his girlfriend Kayleigh. This news has her head spinning as she is confused about conflicting feelings for him & her boyfriend.
Scarlett was not my favorite character, in fact she drove me nuts! She had been through a traumatic experience, yes, was constantly stressed, over analyzed everything & her decision making flip flopped which lead to my head spinning. Her life was busy & was also crashing before her.
The heroes of this story were both Hunter & Grayson. They were wonderful, supportive & great guys, especially when considering their age. Grayson though, with his black hair, tattoos & rough appearance was such a dreamy sweetheart.
Many times throughout this book I was expecting to experience whiplash. I don't remember high school being this way but, hey, that was many years ago. Many times I was tempted to pack it in, give up, but then, oh Jessica you are sneaky...the author tricked me, a total unequivocal blindside!!!
The last few chapters made everything right again with a great ending.
November 2, 2016
Reading this book is so different to the ones I usually read but I really loved it. I loved the story between Scarlett and Hunter. It showed that they had a rocky relationship after a tragic event.
I also loved the way that she realized that she was falling for Grayson also. It was nice to see there relationship develop.
Towards the end threw me for a loop. I didn't that coming at all. All in all I loved it, however I dont want to give away to much. Awesome read for sure
I also loved the way that she realized that she was falling for Grayson also. It was nice to see there relationship develop.
Towards the end threw me for a loop. I didn't that coming at all. All in all I loved it, however I dont want to give away to much. Awesome read for sure
May 31, 2017
This is not your typical YA romance. These characters will pull at your heartstrings. It broke my heart, made me cry and I yelled a lot. I stayed up all night to finish this book because I could not put it down. The story just took off and kept building! What an emotional rollercoaster! I absolutely loved this book! This is a must read for any age group.
April 28, 2017
First of all, I should probably mention there are some errors in this book, grammatically, and some editing that still needs to be done, but it's not to the point of detracting from the story.
Scarlett (Scars) Stone is a conflicted 17 year old girl going through a tumultuous period in her life. Add in the romantic attention of two young men, her long-time boyfriend Hunter and her bad-boy neighbor Greyson, and things get complicated.
Typically I enjoy fantasy/sci-fi elements in the books I read, but the romance in this book was well done and enough to keep me interested throughout without those elements, though they may have helped set up the surprise ending. I really enjoyed Greyson and how he was contrasted with Hunter throughout.
What didn't work for me were the first few chapters. I found them bogged down with exposition and background details which didn't end up being necessary to the plot, especially given the 'twist ending' that resolves everything a little too perfectly for my liking. I also felt that the 'twist' at the end would have been better served with some foreshadowing earlier on. I was certainly surprised by it, but I didn't feel like it was a satisfying resolution to the story I'd become invested in.
All in all, I enjoyed the characters and the writer's voice and I'm looking forward to see what Jessica Gouin writes next.
Scarlett (Scars) Stone is a conflicted 17 year old girl going through a tumultuous period in her life. Add in the romantic attention of two young men, her long-time boyfriend Hunter and her bad-boy neighbor Greyson, and things get complicated.
Typically I enjoy fantasy/sci-fi elements in the books I read, but the romance in this book was well done and enough to keep me interested throughout without those elements, though they may have helped set up the surprise ending. I really enjoyed Greyson and how he was contrasted with Hunter throughout.
What didn't work for me were the first few chapters. I found them bogged down with exposition and background details which didn't end up being necessary to the plot, especially given the 'twist ending' that resolves everything a little too perfectly for my liking. I also felt that the 'twist' at the end would have been better served with some foreshadowing earlier on. I was certainly surprised by it, but I didn't feel like it was a satisfying resolution to the story I'd become invested in.
All in all, I enjoyed the characters and the writer's voice and I'm looking forward to see what Jessica Gouin writes next.
April 13, 2016
****Gifted book for honest Review*****
Well for a debut book this was a great Little read
I thought this book was your typical story of love and loss. But it really did surprise me.
Scarlett is dealing with losing her mother to cancer, which has caused her to close herself off to the world, but eventually she feels like she is ready to back to school.
Hunter is her boyfriend and has stood by her through all of this but.
Her next door neighbour Grayson has been her friend since they were little and as much as she tries to stay away from him he is always there where ever she turns; this is when things start to get complicated.
This was a quick read for me, really enjoyed the style of writing once I started I couldn’t put it down wondering where it was going to go.
The characters where easy to connect with you really feel for Scarlett.
It is such a rollercoaster of a read then just as I thought thinks might work out the Authors throws in a big twist near the end of the book that I really didn’t see coming.
I really enjoyed this book and I am really looking forward to see what else Jessica brings us next.
Well for a debut book this was a great Little read
I thought this book was your typical story of love and loss. But it really did surprise me.
Scarlett is dealing with losing her mother to cancer, which has caused her to close herself off to the world, but eventually she feels like she is ready to back to school.
Hunter is her boyfriend and has stood by her through all of this but.
Her next door neighbour Grayson has been her friend since they were little and as much as she tries to stay away from him he is always there where ever she turns; this is when things start to get complicated.
This was a quick read for me, really enjoyed the style of writing once I started I couldn’t put it down wondering where it was going to go.
The characters where easy to connect with you really feel for Scarlett.
It is such a rollercoaster of a read then just as I thought thinks might work out the Authors throws in a big twist near the end of the book that I really didn’t see coming.
I really enjoyed this book and I am really looking forward to see what else Jessica brings us next.
March 14, 2017
A Wonderful read
Just wow. I know a prior reviewer stated the misspellings and grammar issues. Mind you there were some but not on the authors error. Whoever placed this wonderful book into the system screwed it up.
As Jessica's first book she took the time to create something different. Throughout the book I thought I had it all figured out. Who will the girl choose, down to will they find out. Never did I suspect the twist she threw in there. Just to know that something like that can truly happen. Grayson, Hunter, and Scars story is one I will read again. What a great job Jessica. I can't wait to read your next one!
Just wow. I know a prior reviewer stated the misspellings and grammar issues. Mind you there were some but not on the authors error. Whoever placed this wonderful book into the system screwed it up.
As Jessica's first book she took the time to create something different. Throughout the book I thought I had it all figured out. Who will the girl choose, down to will they find out. Never did I suspect the twist she threw in there. Just to know that something like that can truly happen. Grayson, Hunter, and Scars story is one I will read again. What a great job Jessica. I can't wait to read your next one!
March 4, 2015
I received this book as a Giveaway through Goodreads. Thank you!
I thought this book was a typical story of love and loss. Loss of a mother, which is devastating for anyone no matter the age. And love of her boyfriend Hunter, the love of her life. But what was totally unexpected was the twist! Totally changed the story for me. As I was reading the story, I could hear myself say, yeah, well that was typically predictable! But, not so much!
I enjoyed this story and look forward to more from Jessica Gouin.
I thought this book was a typical story of love and loss. Loss of a mother, which is devastating for anyone no matter the age. And love of her boyfriend Hunter, the love of her life. But what was totally unexpected was the twist! Totally changed the story for me. As I was reading the story, I could hear myself say, yeah, well that was typically predictable! But, not so much!
I enjoyed this story and look forward to more from Jessica Gouin.
December 13, 2014
Looking forward to many more books from this wonderful talented young lady!
April 19, 2016
This book touched my heart. It is well written. The flow of the story is great. This book is a page Turner. Give it a try.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews