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The Search
The Search for meaning after loss is the greatest struggle of all.
Small-town girl Lilly Sterling thought she had it all: popularity,
friends, love. But when everything in her world was shattered in a
single blow, she plummeted into a downward spiral that seems to go on
forever. Her boyfriend is gone; her mother is gone; her younger sister
is lost in her own problems; and her father is drowning his problems
in drink.
So when someone new enters Lilly's life, she finds herself caught
between her present and her past. But the whispers of her past aren't
stopping, in fact, they're getting louder.
This coming-of-age tale about love, loss, and redemption follows
seventeen-year-old Lilly as she struggles to find herself in a search
for meaning. Journey with her as she lives through the everyday—and
the not-so-everyday—struggles of growing up.
Small-town girl Lilly Sterling thought she had it all: popularity,
friends, love. But when everything in her world was shattered in a
single blow, she plummeted into a downward spiral that seems to go on
forever. Her boyfriend is gone; her mother is gone; her younger sister
is lost in her own problems; and her father is drowning his problems
in drink.
So when someone new enters Lilly's life, she finds herself caught
between her present and her past. But the whispers of her past aren't
stopping, in fact, they're getting louder.
This coming-of-age tale about love, loss, and redemption follows
seventeen-year-old Lilly as she struggles to find herself in a search
for meaning. Journey with her as she lives through the everyday—and
the not-so-everyday—struggles of growing up.
- GenresRomanceContemporary
254 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2016
1 person is currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
S.A. McClure
19 books127 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author S.A. McClure is a storyteller at heart. She spends her days writing, working with college students, and wrangling her three troublemaking cats.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 23, 2016
(I received a digital copy of this book for free. Thanks to author S.A. McClure.)
This was a YA contemporary story about girl struggling with grief.
Lily was an okay character, although she really could have made more of an effort with her sister at times. Especially when it took her 2 months to apologise for reading her sister’s diary.
The storyline in this was about Lily coming to terms with her boyfriend’s death, secretly hiding her pain away as her relationship with him had been a secret. We also got a storyline about Lily’s sister who was being sexually abused by one of her teachers, and a new sort-of romance that Lily was really resistant to because of her grief over her dead boyfriend.
The ending to this was okay, and the letter at the end was a nice touch.
6.25 out of 10
This was a YA contemporary story about girl struggling with grief.
Lily was an okay character, although she really could have made more of an effort with her sister at times. Especially when it took her 2 months to apologise for reading her sister’s diary.
The storyline in this was about Lily coming to terms with her boyfriend’s death, secretly hiding her pain away as her relationship with him had been a secret. We also got a storyline about Lily’s sister who was being sexually abused by one of her teachers, and a new sort-of romance that Lily was really resistant to because of her grief over her dead boyfriend.
The ending to this was okay, and the letter at the end was a nice touch.
6.25 out of 10
February 8, 2017
(I received a copy from the author, In exchange for an honest review.)
The main character in this was alright, but there were times where she annoyed me a bit.
There were a couple of times where I felt a bit bored while reading this, and it dragged slightly in areas because of it. It wasn't too bad though thankfully, and ended up being an okay read overall.
The main character in this was alright, but there were times where she annoyed me a bit.
There were a couple of times where I felt a bit bored while reading this, and it dragged slightly in areas because of it. It wasn't too bad though thankfully, and ended up being an okay read overall.
November 29, 2016
Rating: 1.5/5
(I received a free ecopy from the author in exchange for an honest review)
***Minor spoilers***
Lilly is dealing with a lot. A few years ago, her mother left her family without a second glance, initiating her father's transition to abusive alcoholic. And not long ago, her boyfriend (who she's been hiding from her family) died, and she doesn't feel ready to move on. However, her best friend thinks it's time for her to move on and get back into dating. This book follows Lilly's struggles to get back into the swing of things after going to an especially hard time, and also tells the story of her sister, Laura, who has a story of her own, but is not written about as much.
Looking at the plot from afar, I think it could've been great. It was a good concept. Not unique, but not cliche. There was a lot of possible paths it could've gone down, but I'm not saying this book took the wrong path either. My issue with this book was in the writing. With better and more natural writing, this book could've been a winner. As a result, pretty much all of the negative things I have to say about this book are about the writing.
For one, the dialogue didn't fit at all. It felt both unnatural and juvenile. The characters spoke to each other as if they were twelve, not seventeen. They handle problems like twelve year olds as well. Being a seventeen year old girl myself, I can guarantee that the way these teenagers interact is not the way friends interact with each other. Yes, they fight, they make up, sometimes they're tough on each other - that isn't my issue. It's that the dialogue was so unfitting, sometimes formal and sometimes juvenile, that it didn't feel authentic at all. I feel that either the author had younger characters in mind, or an incorrect view of teenagers. They're actually much more mature than media portrays them to be. My general complaint about the writing is that it felt too young for the content it had. For a book that was dealing with abuse, violence, and suicide, among other things, I wish the writing felt more geared towards me.
Overall, the writing just ruined this book for me. The style didn't seem to fit the content of the novel, and the characters didn't act their age at all. I think that the characters should've been younger, or for the writing to be more natural and less childish. If you're like me and inauthentic characters ruin the experience for you, I wouldn't pick up this book.
(I received a free ecopy from the author in exchange for an honest review)
***Minor spoilers***
Lilly is dealing with a lot. A few years ago, her mother left her family without a second glance, initiating her father's transition to abusive alcoholic. And not long ago, her boyfriend (who she's been hiding from her family) died, and she doesn't feel ready to move on. However, her best friend thinks it's time for her to move on and get back into dating. This book follows Lilly's struggles to get back into the swing of things after going to an especially hard time, and also tells the story of her sister, Laura, who has a story of her own, but is not written about as much.
Looking at the plot from afar, I think it could've been great. It was a good concept. Not unique, but not cliche. There was a lot of possible paths it could've gone down, but I'm not saying this book took the wrong path either. My issue with this book was in the writing. With better and more natural writing, this book could've been a winner. As a result, pretty much all of the negative things I have to say about this book are about the writing.
For one, the dialogue didn't fit at all. It felt both unnatural and juvenile. The characters spoke to each other as if they were twelve, not seventeen. They handle problems like twelve year olds as well. Being a seventeen year old girl myself, I can guarantee that the way these teenagers interact is not the way friends interact with each other. Yes, they fight, they make up, sometimes they're tough on each other - that isn't my issue. It's that the dialogue was so unfitting, sometimes formal and sometimes juvenile, that it didn't feel authentic at all. I feel that either the author had younger characters in mind, or an incorrect view of teenagers. They're actually much more mature than media portrays them to be. My general complaint about the writing is that it felt too young for the content it had. For a book that was dealing with abuse, violence, and suicide, among other things, I wish the writing felt more geared towards me.
Overall, the writing just ruined this book for me. The style didn't seem to fit the content of the novel, and the characters didn't act their age at all. I think that the characters should've been younger, or for the writing to be more natural and less childish. If you're like me and inauthentic characters ruin the experience for you, I wouldn't pick up this book.
December 6, 2016
**I received a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review**
*Sigh* Where to start?
My first impression of this book was that it was poorly written. The first chapter especially felt like it just had too many descriptive qualities filling in spaces instead of just going on with the story. The teenagers in the book had dialogue that didn't really go with their ages ages. They were either talking like 10 year olds or with the formality of a professor. Basically, the writing style felt forced.
The plot was good enough but reminded me of other books I've read and ended up feeling clichéd.
The relationship between Lily and her sister was confusing to say the least and the ease in how Lily and her friends fought and made-up was frustating.
The ending was rushed and felt like it was trying to tie up all the loose ends in the story in 5 pages. Honestly, the whole book was disappointing to me and I wouldn't recommend it. 1/5 stars
*Sigh* Where to start?
My first impression of this book was that it was poorly written. The first chapter especially felt like it just had too many descriptive qualities filling in spaces instead of just going on with the story. The teenagers in the book had dialogue that didn't really go with their ages ages. They were either talking like 10 year olds or with the formality of a professor. Basically, the writing style felt forced.
The plot was good enough but reminded me of other books I've read and ended up feeling clichéd.
The relationship between Lily and her sister was confusing to say the least and the ease in how Lily and her friends fought and made-up was frustating.
The ending was rushed and felt like it was trying to tie up all the loose ends in the story in 5 pages. Honestly, the whole book was disappointing to me and I wouldn't recommend it. 1/5 stars
December 17, 2016
I received a copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Actual Rating: 2.95
Thank you S.A. McClure for the opportunity to read your book. This was not a bad read. I thought that the main character was alright in this book. However, there were times where I was annoyed by her character. I thought she was holding back and it was very frustrating. Also, the book got boring as I continued to read. There were even moments where I felt like the story dragged out a bit. The ending was confusing to me. I wondered why it ended the way it did. Overall, an okay read.
Actual Rating: 2.95
Thank you S.A. McClure for the opportunity to read your book. This was not a bad read. I thought that the main character was alright in this book. However, there were times where I was annoyed by her character. I thought she was holding back and it was very frustrating. Also, the book got boring as I continued to read. There were even moments where I felt like the story dragged out a bit. The ending was confusing to me. I wondered why it ended the way it did. Overall, an okay read.
June 20, 2016
I was approached by the author to read and review this book, I knew nothing about it before reading it, but I jumped straight in.
Read more at: http://abisbookreviews.com/2016/06/18...
Read more at: http://abisbookreviews.com/2016/06/18...
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews