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Utterances
A dusty, second-hand book that makes one girl's wish come true—even as it destroys her life.
Simone wants to be a normal teen with a normal family: Mom, Dad, and daughter. Instead, she has a mother who was dealt the cancer card and a father that took off to marry a younger woman. That meant every hour of Simone's life is about caring for her mother during her darkest hours. When Simone finds a cure, her world changes on a dime. Mom is pulled from the brink of death, and Simone is left holding the precious tome that gave the gift of life.
Tristan is boy-next-door handsome, and now, Simone has a chance to date, but her obsession with the book is a dangerous one. Everything is threatening to unravel unless she stops reading—something she has no intention of doing.
Shocking, heart wrenching, and insightful, Utterances will make you question everything you thought you knew about self-sacrifice.
Buy Utterances today, and join Simone as she struggles to understand the difference between good and evil.
Simone wants to be a normal teen with a normal family: Mom, Dad, and daughter. Instead, she has a mother who was dealt the cancer card and a father that took off to marry a younger woman. That meant every hour of Simone's life is about caring for her mother during her darkest hours. When Simone finds a cure, her world changes on a dime. Mom is pulled from the brink of death, and Simone is left holding the precious tome that gave the gift of life.
Tristan is boy-next-door handsome, and now, Simone has a chance to date, but her obsession with the book is a dangerous one. Everything is threatening to unravel unless she stops reading—something she has no intention of doing.
Shocking, heart wrenching, and insightful, Utterances will make you question everything you thought you knew about self-sacrifice.
Buy Utterances today, and join Simone as she struggles to understand the difference between good and evil.
378 pages, Paperback
Published December 13, 2017
4 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Jo Michaels
91 books273 followersJo Michaels loves writing novels that make readers gasp in horror, surprise, and disbelief. While her browser search history has probably landed her on a list somewhere, she still dives into every plot with gusto, hoping "the man" will realize she's a writer and not a psychopath about to go on a rampage. Her favorite pastimes are reading, watching Investigation Discovery, and helping other authors realize their true potential through mentoring. She's penned the award-winning Pen Pals and Serial Killers series and the best-selling educational book for children, Writing Prompts for Kids, which has rocketed the kids that use it into several awards of their own.
Most of Jo's books feature the places she's lived: Louisiana, Tennessee, and Georgia. That's given her a special amount of insight to what makes those locations tick. Her works are immersive and twisty, and she wouldn't want it any other way.
Most of Jo's books feature the places she's lived: Louisiana, Tennessee, and Georgia. That's given her a special amount of insight to what makes those locations tick. Her works are immersive and twisty, and she wouldn't want it any other way.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 13, 2017
Simone is not your typical teenager. When others around her are out clothes shopping and partying and thinking about boys, Simone is caring for her terminally ill mother. With literally nothing more to be done Simone takes to reading fairy tales to her mother at her bedside from a dusty old book she found at the back of a second hand book store. However the book is not what it seems and it magically brings healing words to the hitherto blank pages, creating nothing short of a miracle. The best things in life however are not always for free and magic often has creative ways of redressing the balance.
Whilst Simone starts to rebuild her life with her mother and her social life along with it, the book still holds a strange sway over her. Simone must therefore finely balance the new friendships she creates alongside of trying to convince them that she is not crazy and there really is good reason why she won’t let the strange book out of her sight. Her life finally has everything great going on, friends, family, a job and now a too good to be true boyfriend in the form of Tristan. However, as Simone falls further under the thrall of the book Utterances becomes a heartbreaking tale of both selfishness and selflessness as her friends and family struggle to come to terms with the choices she makes.
Utterances is pitched as a New Adult Fantasy but what you get is an utterly thought provoking read that will have you questioning and second guessing yourself throughout and long after. Simone is beautifully naive and she is the perfect person to have picked up the book, still filled with enough innocence to believe in it’s magic but with enough maturity to know that she making the right decisions….or not….. I want to say so much more about her and my own thoughts about her journey but it’s just all going to be sailing too close to a spoiler. I’m still thinking about it now though, and I finished the book 2 days ago! Utterances will throw you curveballs, it had me laughing at the awesomeness of her friend Lilian, crying at the tough conversations that need to be had, and then getting you right in the gut (you’ll know when you get to it) just when you think you have it pegged. It will have you desperate to start each new chapter and like the Magic Book itself it will keep pulling you back until you reach the very last page, unable to put it down.
Whilst Simone starts to rebuild her life with her mother and her social life along with it, the book still holds a strange sway over her. Simone must therefore finely balance the new friendships she creates alongside of trying to convince them that she is not crazy and there really is good reason why she won’t let the strange book out of her sight. Her life finally has everything great going on, friends, family, a job and now a too good to be true boyfriend in the form of Tristan. However, as Simone falls further under the thrall of the book Utterances becomes a heartbreaking tale of both selfishness and selflessness as her friends and family struggle to come to terms with the choices she makes.
Utterances is pitched as a New Adult Fantasy but what you get is an utterly thought provoking read that will have you questioning and second guessing yourself throughout and long after. Simone is beautifully naive and she is the perfect person to have picked up the book, still filled with enough innocence to believe in it’s magic but with enough maturity to know that she making the right decisions….or not….. I want to say so much more about her and my own thoughts about her journey but it’s just all going to be sailing too close to a spoiler. I’m still thinking about it now though, and I finished the book 2 days ago! Utterances will throw you curveballs, it had me laughing at the awesomeness of her friend Lilian, crying at the tough conversations that need to be had, and then getting you right in the gut (you’ll know when you get to it) just when you think you have it pegged. It will have you desperate to start each new chapter and like the Magic Book itself it will keep pulling you back until you reach the very last page, unable to put it down.
December 13, 2017
This was a fantastic book! It captures you right from the beginning and leaves you with all the emotions. Its a must read book!
December 14, 2017
This is an amazing book. It will make you feel things you didnt know were possible. Once I started this book I couldnt put it down.
December 17, 2017
Different
I'm not use to 3rd person stories anymore and it took me a little bit to realize that. Once I did I loved the story. The things we believe in is beyond anything we can imagine. It's a must read. Happy reading.
I'm not use to 3rd person stories anymore and it took me a little bit to realize that. Once I did I loved the story. The things we believe in is beyond anything we can imagine. It's a must read. Happy reading.
April 20, 2018
This book is deeply moving, beautifully written, with a well-crafted plot and very real characters.
Read full review in the 2018 April issue of InD'tale Magazine." target="_blank">2018 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2018 April issue of InD'tale Magazine." target="_blank">2018 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
January 30, 2018
The uniqueness of this story made it very hard to put down. This was a first from this author she pulls you in with the wonderful web of this story.
June 28, 2018
Gripping
Sometimes you get the joy of reading a good but then sometimes you get the honor of reading a fantastic book. This one was the latter.
The author did an incredible job at pulling you into an emotional read. I've never read anything like this before. It was a refreshing storyline that kept me intrigued. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something unique
Sometimes you get the joy of reading a good but then sometimes you get the honor of reading a fantastic book. This one was the latter.
The author did an incredible job at pulling you into an emotional read. I've never read anything like this before. It was a refreshing storyline that kept me intrigued. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something unique
December 14, 2017
What an incredible book. Full of surprises and the characters are pure love. Keeps you wondering, what is going to happen next and couldn’t put the book down. Beautiful ending. Why I love Jo Michaels books ❤️
January 4, 2018
Utterly stunning story
There aren’t any words that do this book justice. So many conflicting thoughts and emotions. I don’t even know how I feel at this moment but this just set the bar high for future books I’ll read. Tissues are a must to have on hand.
There aren’t any words that do this book justice. So many conflicting thoughts and emotions. I don’t even know how I feel at this moment but this just set the bar high for future books I’ll read. Tissues are a must to have on hand.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews