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Not Yours but Forever: A Novella
Wherever you go, you always bring yourself. But what if "yourself" felt like a stranger?
Mia wasn't born unhappy, but the death of her parents threw her into a state of numbness. She buried her pain in depression and there it stayed, veiled along with the rest of her feelings. When things got out of control, she'd straighten them with the razor. Not even her best friend Hope could help, and the harder she tried, the further away Mia pushed her. With self-hatred fueling Mia's behavior, she made a mistake that had an unexpected effect on herself and her former friend. It would trigger a catharsis of their relationship and begin a path to the transformation for which neither was ready.
Trigger Warning. Self harm/bullying/depression/strong language.
Mia wasn't born unhappy, but the death of her parents threw her into a state of numbness. She buried her pain in depression and there it stayed, veiled along with the rest of her feelings. When things got out of control, she'd straighten them with the razor. Not even her best friend Hope could help, and the harder she tried, the further away Mia pushed her. With self-hatred fueling Mia's behavior, she made a mistake that had an unexpected effect on herself and her former friend. It would trigger a catharsis of their relationship and begin a path to the transformation for which neither was ready.
Trigger Warning. Self harm/bullying/depression/strong language.
138 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 8, 2019
1 person is currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Morse
2 books18 followersBorn in former Königsberg, now Russian Kaliningrad, Ruth Morse grew up in a city with a complicated history. Ruth always belonged to cosmopolitans, learning different cultures and seeking beauty in the world. She worked as a model, traveling to completely different corners of the world such as Milan and Dubai. In each country, Ruth met teens her age and soon discovered that wherever you are from, teenagers face similar problems.
For all the latest news about Ruth and her work, you can follow her on:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ruthnmorse
Instagram: @ruthnmorse
Twitter: @ruthnmorse
Facebook: @iamruthmorse
Ruth would also love to hear from you by e-mail. You can always write her to ruthnmorse@gmail.com
For all the latest news about Ruth and her work, you can follow her on:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ruthnmorse
Instagram: @ruthnmorse
Twitter: @ruthnmorse
Facebook: @iamruthmorse
Ruth would also love to hear from you by e-mail. You can always write her to ruthnmorse@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 27, 2019
“This book has been written so beautifully that I think I’m going to cry...” I thought as soon as I finished the last page of this exceptional novella.
I will be completely honest; never did I ever, EVER expect to love Not your But Forever as much as I ended up loving it. So much so that now it’s actually among my list of favorite books written by new authors.
The writing style was so heartbreakingly good. And the main character, Mia, was so beautifully and meaningfully portrayed that I actually felt and understood her pain.
The book showed us the world from the perspective of an emotionally depressed teenager and her journey to a slow yet crucial healing recovery.
This novella was easy to get through; it couldn’t bore me, at all. It was the type of story that made me think a lot, made me understand the life from the perspective of a depressed victim much more closely.
It’s surely worth a read, but I must warn you, this book portrays issues such as self-harm and somewhat strong languages, so if you’re under 18, I don’t recommend you to read it yet.
A 4.5 out of 5 stars.
I will be completely honest; never did I ever, EVER expect to love Not your But Forever as much as I ended up loving it. So much so that now it’s actually among my list of favorite books written by new authors.
The writing style was so heartbreakingly good. And the main character, Mia, was so beautifully and meaningfully portrayed that I actually felt and understood her pain.
The book showed us the world from the perspective of an emotionally depressed teenager and her journey to a slow yet crucial healing recovery.
This novella was easy to get through; it couldn’t bore me, at all. It was the type of story that made me think a lot, made me understand the life from the perspective of a depressed victim much more closely.
It’s surely worth a read, but I must warn you, this book portrays issues such as self-harm and somewhat strong languages, so if you’re under 18, I don’t recommend you to read it yet.
A 4.5 out of 5 stars.
May 10, 2019
I received the pleasure of reading this book before it's release.
All opinions are my own.
This novella is an emotionally-charged story about friendship and identity. It is a quick read but not necessarily an easy one and in a good way. I don't normally read novellas or short stories because I often find that the characters are not fleshed out in such a small amount of words/pages, but Ruth proved that she could do it with these characters.
I didn't really connect with either one of the main characters (Hope or Mia) until I saw them interact with each other. From there, I was captivated mentally and emotionally. Although the situations these two girls deal with in this story are far outside of my own experience, everyone (myself included) can relate to feeling lost and alone and the joy of friendship.
I am so happy to have read a story that focuses on this exact thing!
This is a story that can give hope to anyone that reads it. Now I want to share it with my friends!
(You can find this novella on Amazon)
All opinions are my own.
This novella is an emotionally-charged story about friendship and identity. It is a quick read but not necessarily an easy one and in a good way. I don't normally read novellas or short stories because I often find that the characters are not fleshed out in such a small amount of words/pages, but Ruth proved that she could do it with these characters.
I didn't really connect with either one of the main characters (Hope or Mia) until I saw them interact with each other. From there, I was captivated mentally and emotionally. Although the situations these two girls deal with in this story are far outside of my own experience, everyone (myself included) can relate to feeling lost and alone and the joy of friendship.
I am so happy to have read a story that focuses on this exact thing!
This is a story that can give hope to anyone that reads it. Now I want to share it with my friends!
(You can find this novella on Amazon)
May 9, 2019
"The truth is, it never will be. You can't replace yourself with another person, you can fill that gap inside you with someone else's feelings. only when you accept yourself can you accept anyone else. I wish I understood that sooner."
Not Yours But Forever is a novella written by Ruth Morse who was kind enough to send me an e-arc of this beauty to read and review.
This novella is about a loss and grief, about the healthy and unhealthy ways of coping with your anguish and how a person should first l forgive themselves for them to accept help from the others. To be honest, this is not my regular genre but I found this read deeply emotional and relatable. The process of coping with the loss is not foreign concept for any of us. We lost people we love and had our share of grievance and eventually acceptance. It takes time to heal and let other people back into our lives as the process of grievance is a deeply personal process.
Mia lost her parents and she broke inside. She succumbed to darkness and separated herself from her own feelings. Her only friend and anchor Hope (I love that name and the things she symbolizes in the story) could not help her anymore as Mia simply closed off her emotions. She is dealing with self-harm as she feels the most when she inflicts pain onto herself. She is left alone most of the days as her grandma tends to travel a lot and it seems simply gave on her (though she is taking care of her on the papers). Now Hope's only way of helping Mia is from a far, with the help of her boyfriend who I must admit was the most toxic person in the story (you have to read the novel to see).
This story is a great example of how much a human being cannot cope with depression alone. One needs help, and you feel that one person is hurting, reach out and just be there. Maybe even without asking question because humans a social creature even with our undeniable thirst for privacy and independence. Mia had to take certain steps to heal, she had to reconcile with her loved ones in order to heal. The story is short with kind of open ended ending but the ending tells us volumes. Hope is there! Hope is there to heal Mia.
Trigger Warning: Self-harm, intense grief, thoughts about suicide.
Not Yours But Forever is a novella written by Ruth Morse who was kind enough to send me an e-arc of this beauty to read and review.
This novella is about a loss and grief, about the healthy and unhealthy ways of coping with your anguish and how a person should first l forgive themselves for them to accept help from the others. To be honest, this is not my regular genre but I found this read deeply emotional and relatable. The process of coping with the loss is not foreign concept for any of us. We lost people we love and had our share of grievance and eventually acceptance. It takes time to heal and let other people back into our lives as the process of grievance is a deeply personal process.
Mia lost her parents and she broke inside. She succumbed to darkness and separated herself from her own feelings. Her only friend and anchor Hope (I love that name and the things she symbolizes in the story) could not help her anymore as Mia simply closed off her emotions. She is dealing with self-harm as she feels the most when she inflicts pain onto herself. She is left alone most of the days as her grandma tends to travel a lot and it seems simply gave on her (though she is taking care of her on the papers). Now Hope's only way of helping Mia is from a far, with the help of her boyfriend who I must admit was the most toxic person in the story (you have to read the novel to see).
This story is a great example of how much a human being cannot cope with depression alone. One needs help, and you feel that one person is hurting, reach out and just be there. Maybe even without asking question because humans a social creature even with our undeniable thirst for privacy and independence. Mia had to take certain steps to heal, she had to reconcile with her loved ones in order to heal. The story is short with kind of open ended ending but the ending tells us volumes. Hope is there! Hope is there to heal Mia.
Trigger Warning: Self-harm, intense grief, thoughts about suicide.
May 13, 2019
3 Words for This Book: Emotional, Mental Health, Self Discovery.
Not Yours but Forever is a heavy, emotional novella that looks at the life of Mia, a teen who is suffering from depression and learning how to live with / heal from it. This is a story that will take hold of your emotions and never let them go. I'd say it's not for those looking for a light read--even if it is a novella--but it's for those who want a story with dark themes that takes you over emotionally and sticks with you.
In this story, Mia has to re-discover herself after trauma and dangerous decisions have taken over her life. It's a much more thoughtful book that I'm used to reading, but I enjoyed a change of pace while reading this as an ARC.
Ruth Morse is a great writer and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Not Yours but Forever is a heavy, emotional novella that looks at the life of Mia, a teen who is suffering from depression and learning how to live with / heal from it. This is a story that will take hold of your emotions and never let them go. I'd say it's not for those looking for a light read--even if it is a novella--but it's for those who want a story with dark themes that takes you over emotionally and sticks with you.
In this story, Mia has to re-discover herself after trauma and dangerous decisions have taken over her life. It's a much more thoughtful book that I'm used to reading, but I enjoyed a change of pace while reading this as an ARC.
Ruth Morse is a great writer and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
May 9, 2019
I was lucky enough to read this in advance. This is an incredibly emotional story about the ups and downs of friendship and learning to find each other and see each other through the mess and the hurt.
May 11, 2019
“Which perspective should you pick in order to let yourself be happy again?”
First of all, I would like to thank the lovely @ruthnmorse for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of her novella, Not Yours But Forever, in exchange for an honest review. I’d give it a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 but if you do intend to read it, please be advised that there are trigger warnings such as strong language and self harm.
This is a book that dig deeps into your soul, especially for those who have suffered enough that the one thing they could truly focus on is hate - but not just hate for whatever may have caused them their suffering, but also hate for themselves. As someone who’s a mental health advocate and who has had her own share of depression and anxiety, I think this was a novella that was so full of heartfelt words and painfully honest thoughts that I could feel myself physically aching for the main character, and I think the accuracy is something that needs to be appreciated. Anxiety and other triggers are different for everyone, but there is that despair, that desperation and hopelessness that can only be conveyed by someone who truly understands what that’s like. It was definitely a journey to go through Mia’s thoughts, just because she feels all these emotions so much, but in bursts.
One of my favorite things about this is that this novella made use of my favorite word, perspective, and also played around with it by showing a perspective that didn’t belong to the main character. Hope’s letter was, I think, what really made this novella the best that it was because I’m a sucker for seeing situations from the points of view from different people, and it was just one chapter in the entire novella but it was truly the game changer.
The only constructive criticism I have is that it does jump around a lot, like from the situation with Bryce that happened a bit too fast to the intense sessions with the therapist, so I think a more fluid transition between events would wrap this novella up perfectly, but other than that, I think this is such a strong read, but one that you should read only when you’re sure you’re capable of feeling that ache.
First of all, I would like to thank the lovely @ruthnmorse for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of her novella, Not Yours But Forever, in exchange for an honest review. I’d give it a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 but if you do intend to read it, please be advised that there are trigger warnings such as strong language and self harm.
This is a book that dig deeps into your soul, especially for those who have suffered enough that the one thing they could truly focus on is hate - but not just hate for whatever may have caused them their suffering, but also hate for themselves. As someone who’s a mental health advocate and who has had her own share of depression and anxiety, I think this was a novella that was so full of heartfelt words and painfully honest thoughts that I could feel myself physically aching for the main character, and I think the accuracy is something that needs to be appreciated. Anxiety and other triggers are different for everyone, but there is that despair, that desperation and hopelessness that can only be conveyed by someone who truly understands what that’s like. It was definitely a journey to go through Mia’s thoughts, just because she feels all these emotions so much, but in bursts.
One of my favorite things about this is that this novella made use of my favorite word, perspective, and also played around with it by showing a perspective that didn’t belong to the main character. Hope’s letter was, I think, what really made this novella the best that it was because I’m a sucker for seeing situations from the points of view from different people, and it was just one chapter in the entire novella but it was truly the game changer.
The only constructive criticism I have is that it does jump around a lot, like from the situation with Bryce that happened a bit too fast to the intense sessions with the therapist, so I think a more fluid transition between events would wrap this novella up perfectly, but other than that, I think this is such a strong read, but one that you should read only when you’re sure you’re capable of feeling that ache.
May 14, 2019
Hello my beautiful reader, thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on my novella! I read and appreciate every single review of it. Writing it was a challenging yet exciting journey. If you want to discuss anything, please follow me on Instagram, my DM is always open.
Forever yours,
Ruth.
Forever yours,
Ruth.
May 14, 2019
First off, a few trigger warnings for grief, self harm, thoughts on suicide, and mental health. So please go in with caution but I do hope you can find it in you to give this emotionally charged novella a chance. I'm usually not a fan of things like these (novellas), they're usually just not short enough or long enough to pack a punch for me. But, Ruth did an amazing job at being able to bring Mia and Hope to life and let me follow their journey and feel all that they feel.
It's very thoughtful story and it's not just about self harm or nonstop darkness, it's about friendship and being able to find yourself and find a way to accept who you are. There is help if you want it, there is acceptance from others too. You've got to give your loved ones a chance.
So if you're interested in something short with some darker, deeper, and more raw themes, check out this book by the amazing Ruth Morse. Yes, I was lucky enough to be able to read snippets and help out with little things as she worked on this. Her words and friendship mean a lot to me. And all her words of course mean a lot to her as well. Ruth Morse is able to flesh out these characters, show their flaws and we get to be with them as they battle their flaws, their traumas, themselves too as they work towards not only accepting who they are to themselves and each other, but realizing you're hardly ever alone, even when you want to be.
Something In this novella could help you, a loved one, or a complete stranger so if you have the time and can accept the triggers, read NYBF!
Downfalls/the only “con” I can think of are some issue with speedy transition from some scenes to the next. However, that hardly takes away from my enjoyment and respect for this novella.
“Fear and doubt didn’t make me a bad, broken person.”
Happy reading! 4⭐/5⭐
It's very thoughtful story and it's not just about self harm or nonstop darkness, it's about friendship and being able to find yourself and find a way to accept who you are. There is help if you want it, there is acceptance from others too. You've got to give your loved ones a chance.
So if you're interested in something short with some darker, deeper, and more raw themes, check out this book by the amazing Ruth Morse. Yes, I was lucky enough to be able to read snippets and help out with little things as she worked on this. Her words and friendship mean a lot to me. And all her words of course mean a lot to her as well. Ruth Morse is able to flesh out these characters, show their flaws and we get to be with them as they battle their flaws, their traumas, themselves too as they work towards not only accepting who they are to themselves and each other, but realizing you're hardly ever alone, even when you want to be.
Something In this novella could help you, a loved one, or a complete stranger so if you have the time and can accept the triggers, read NYBF!
Downfalls/the only “con” I can think of are some issue with speedy transition from some scenes to the next. However, that hardly takes away from my enjoyment and respect for this novella.
“Fear and doubt didn’t make me a bad, broken person.”
Happy reading! 4⭐/5⭐
May 12, 2019
In Not Yours But Forever we meet Mia, a girl that after the death of her parents falls in a deep depression, and she just found release in self harm. She pushed away her only friend, Hope, and now live's in a total dark place in her mind.
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But a mistake, that involves not only her life but of Hope's too, shows that Mia really needs to start moving on with her feelings, and that the death of her parents doesn't mean the death of the happy place in her soul too.
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I received the ARC of NYBF by Ruth Morse , and it was a short story but with a lot of feelings involved! I was rooting for Mia, and for her life, and I really wanted for her to get better, and of course a new friendship with Hope to grow. The last pages made me want more, but at the same time it was good to know about her life until that page. Ruth's writing is really good and I was immersed in the words! Totally recommend for everyone who wants a quick but emotional book to read. 🖤
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"When your life scares you, and you're left on your own with the beast inside you, the control is something that helps the most."
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Trigger Warning. Self harm/bullying/depression/strong language.
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.
But a mistake, that involves not only her life but of Hope's too, shows that Mia really needs to start moving on with her feelings, and that the death of her parents doesn't mean the death of the happy place in her soul too.
.
I received the ARC of NYBF by Ruth Morse , and it was a short story but with a lot of feelings involved! I was rooting for Mia, and for her life, and I really wanted for her to get better, and of course a new friendship with Hope to grow. The last pages made me want more, but at the same time it was good to know about her life until that page. Ruth's writing is really good and I was immersed in the words! Totally recommend for everyone who wants a quick but emotional book to read. 🖤
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"When your life scares you, and you're left on your own with the beast inside you, the control is something that helps the most."
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Trigger Warning. Self harm/bullying/depression/strong language.
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May 10, 2019
'NYBF' is a contemporary story of two friends, Hope and Mia, how their life takes an appalling turn a tragic event. This is a unique and gripping story and it explores one of the darkest genres of writing. The story mostly revolves around Mia, and what she does to deal with her struggles.
Both Hope and Mia display many flaws, but the reader can still empathize with these characters. And I think this is the reason why this novella is such a good read.
You may be horrified at the way Hope and Mia behave and carry out things, but at the same time, the author ensures that you never hate them because the reasons for their actions were crystal clear.
The novella is very well written with fine details and some remarkable dialogues. All in all, I'd definitely recommend NYBF to you all, and I challenge you to remain unmoved after reading it.
Both Hope and Mia display many flaws, but the reader can still empathize with these characters. And I think this is the reason why this novella is such a good read.
You may be horrified at the way Hope and Mia behave and carry out things, but at the same time, the author ensures that you never hate them because the reasons for their actions were crystal clear.
The novella is very well written with fine details and some remarkable dialogues. All in all, I'd definitely recommend NYBF to you all, and I challenge you to remain unmoved after reading it.
May 31, 2019
This novella was beautifully written. I loved everything about it, and I love that it was a novella because the length was just perfect for the message and the story to be told.
Ruth is not only an awesome person I am happy to have met on bookstagram, but she is an amazing writer. Her writing is so powerful and accurate. I had a clear image of everything I read, yet I was surprised by moments I hadn't seen coming.
I definitely think it's an important story to read. Sometimes we forget how much friendship and self care is important and interesting. It felt nice to finally read something different about a character who is profoundly struggling, because some of us are living harder things than just not finding the perfect dress for prom. And we need to find hope.
Ruth is not only an awesome person I am happy to have met on bookstagram, but she is an amazing writer. Her writing is so powerful and accurate. I had a clear image of everything I read, yet I was surprised by moments I hadn't seen coming.
I definitely think it's an important story to read. Sometimes we forget how much friendship and self care is important and interesting. It felt nice to finally read something different about a character who is profoundly struggling, because some of us are living harder things than just not finding the perfect dress for prom. And we need to find hope.
May 13, 2019
NOT YOURS BUT FOREVER by @ruthnmorse - 5⭐
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(Trigger warning: this is a YA contemporary novel that deals with mental illness and self-harm.)
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When Mia experiences a traumatic event in her life, things go down hill and she loses the will to live. She shuts everyone out and has to learn to survive on here own.
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This is a book of growth and surviving. This is a story of opening oneself up to hurt again, in order to live.
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The writing was phenomenal and I was hanging onto every word. Morse has a terrific way of stringing words and sentences together, even with dialogue.
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I highly recommend you get yourself a copy when it's out. Amazing job! 💜
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(Trigger warning: this is a YA contemporary novel that deals with mental illness and self-harm.)
.
.
When Mia experiences a traumatic event in her life, things go down hill and she loses the will to live. She shuts everyone out and has to learn to survive on here own.
.
.
This is a book of growth and surviving. This is a story of opening oneself up to hurt again, in order to live.
.
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The writing was phenomenal and I was hanging onto every word. Morse has a terrific way of stringing words and sentences together, even with dialogue.
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I highly recommend you get yourself a copy when it's out. Amazing job! 💜
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April 22, 2020
"Not yours but forever" by Ruthmorse is a novella that takes you through the final moments of grief and depression!
This is a story of a girl called Mia who has now lost everything, after the uncalled death of her parents.😔 She falls into a disorder because of which she goes to conclude that it's time to hurt all those who love her especially ditching her only best friend! She haven't attempted suicide yet, but is constantly hurting herself as it averts the pain of being in her lost state of mind. She also gets misunderstood by her friend, of cheating with her new boyfriend, who is in fact, taking advantage of both the girls!😳
Hang in there guys! You know life wouldn't give up on you just like that, not at least without throwing in a small thread of help. And, yes! we can see a new ray of hope and tough love in here, as the Mia starts raising herself, to get out of this mess... I would rate this new adult-trauma based book a 4.5 on 5. ☺
For more reviews like these do check out our Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw6lkTuHKPr/
This is a story of a girl called Mia who has now lost everything, after the uncalled death of her parents.😔 She falls into a disorder because of which she goes to conclude that it's time to hurt all those who love her especially ditching her only best friend! She haven't attempted suicide yet, but is constantly hurting herself as it averts the pain of being in her lost state of mind. She also gets misunderstood by her friend, of cheating with her new boyfriend, who is in fact, taking advantage of both the girls!😳
Hang in there guys! You know life wouldn't give up on you just like that, not at least without throwing in a small thread of help. And, yes! we can see a new ray of hope and tough love in here, as the Mia starts raising herself, to get out of this mess... I would rate this new adult-trauma based book a 4.5 on 5. ☺
For more reviews like these do check out our Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw6lkTuHKPr/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2019
Thanks to Miss. Ruth Morse who gave me this opportunity to be one of her first readers of this book. "Not your's but forever" is a story of a girl who lost everything and is going through so many ups and down in her life, how she started to hate everyone she loves because of her mind state and still not giving up on her life. This is how life works, by the time you will be so lost and in another moment you find yourself stronger than before. Full of emotions and grievances and coming up from all these is what life asks for. I would recommend you all to read this story based on friendship and how they found each other in the middle of sinuous life. simply beautiful.❤️
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews