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For the Children, with Love: Sadie’s Story
As a little girl, I dreamed of being so many different things. A ballerina, a princess, a teacher, a lawyer, a nurse, even an actress. Of the many things I dreamed I would be, I never dreamed I would be a killer.
- GenresBook Club
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 29, 2020
About the author
C.O. Valt
9 books8 followersI am currently a 4th grade teacher and an author. I previously worked for Indiana's Department of Child Services, which was the inspiration for my first book. I am passionate about protecting children and feel that we need to bring the issue of abuse to a point that people talk about it. We can't be afraid and solve this horrific problem. I wrote, For the Children With Love, Sadie's Story, to get people talking. I hope people will follow Delaney's journey as she protects the innocent. My novels are written under the name, C. O. Valt to honor my parents for instilling in me the love of reading nd courage to follow my dreams. I live on a small farm in Indiana with my husband Jim. We enjoy our animals, children, grandchildren, and life on the farm.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 30, 2021
From the blurb "As a little girl, I dreamed of being so many different things. A ballerina, a princess, a teacher, a lawyer, a nurse, even an actress. Of the many things I dreamed I would be, I never dreamed I would be a killer."
Enter Delaney Lake, a social worker who has lost hoped in the systems ability to help the children. A traumatic pass that still haunts her Delaney comes to the conclusion that she will do whatever it takes to protect the children.
Author C.O. Valt is a 4th grade teacher with previous experience working for the Department of Child Services. This explains (at least for me) not only the author's passion for the topic which is apparent in the story, but also the feeling of stark realism as the reader delves deeper into the book. The reader will relate to the protagonist (Delaney) as much as the children and their in some cases may be a painful familiarity with the abusers of the children.
The author takes the reader on a journey that is both traumatic and cathartic at the same time (which is a dangerously narrow line) and she does it marvelously and compassionately.
The world building is very well done, Ms Valt's ability to capture and make clear in our mind's eye all the triggers that can contribute to the circumstances, quite remarkable, again I believe this is due to her experiences in the field.
The characters are (sadly) painfully real with layers and depth that can be pealed back for a life time and still leave more to be discovered. With a skill that is remarkable the author engages the reader, dares the reader to not just feel sorry for the abused but to understand the abuser. She does this by taking the time to reveal each character in detail and yet she never loses the reader in too much fluffy or confuses us with unnecessary descriptions meant to fill the pages. The story, both the circumstances and the character are written to engage the reader, to make the reader feel invested in all it's characters, to provoke thought in a reality that too little thought is giving to.
The stories most important quality is that the reader will think deeply about what they are reading and after they are done reading it. This is a story that needs to be written, needs to be told but more importantly it is a story that needs to be read ...
Finally there is Delaney Lake, is she a villain? is she an anti-hero? is she just an outright hero? Is it possible that some times the ends can justify the means? How far can a person go and still be in the right or is it possible that at a given point being right or wrong no longer matters. These are questions that I have fiddled with for more years in my life than I can remember. The answers if there really are any are not (and never will be) clearly defined, so the Delaney Lakes' walk that fine line and author's like Ms Valt will with great skill and compassion continue remind us that a real problem exist and won't just go away.
A great story that bravely touches on subjects other authors would rather stay away from, "For the Children ..." is a compelling reader that will have the reader turning pages and when done will be looking for the next story in the series.
Enter Delaney Lake, a social worker who has lost hoped in the systems ability to help the children. A traumatic pass that still haunts her Delaney comes to the conclusion that she will do whatever it takes to protect the children.
Author C.O. Valt is a 4th grade teacher with previous experience working for the Department of Child Services. This explains (at least for me) not only the author's passion for the topic which is apparent in the story, but also the feeling of stark realism as the reader delves deeper into the book. The reader will relate to the protagonist (Delaney) as much as the children and their in some cases may be a painful familiarity with the abusers of the children.
The author takes the reader on a journey that is both traumatic and cathartic at the same time (which is a dangerously narrow line) and she does it marvelously and compassionately.
The world building is very well done, Ms Valt's ability to capture and make clear in our mind's eye all the triggers that can contribute to the circumstances, quite remarkable, again I believe this is due to her experiences in the field.
The characters are (sadly) painfully real with layers and depth that can be pealed back for a life time and still leave more to be discovered. With a skill that is remarkable the author engages the reader, dares the reader to not just feel sorry for the abused but to understand the abuser. She does this by taking the time to reveal each character in detail and yet she never loses the reader in too much fluffy or confuses us with unnecessary descriptions meant to fill the pages. The story, both the circumstances and the character are written to engage the reader, to make the reader feel invested in all it's characters, to provoke thought in a reality that too little thought is giving to.
The stories most important quality is that the reader will think deeply about what they are reading and after they are done reading it. This is a story that needs to be written, needs to be told but more importantly it is a story that needs to be read ...
Finally there is Delaney Lake, is she a villain? is she an anti-hero? is she just an outright hero? Is it possible that some times the ends can justify the means? How far can a person go and still be in the right or is it possible that at a given point being right or wrong no longer matters. These are questions that I have fiddled with for more years in my life than I can remember. The answers if there really are any are not (and never will be) clearly defined, so the Delaney Lakes' walk that fine line and author's like Ms Valt will with great skill and compassion continue remind us that a real problem exist and won't just go away.
A great story that bravely touches on subjects other authors would rather stay away from, "For the Children ..." is a compelling reader that will have the reader turning pages and when done will be looking for the next story in the series.
October 6, 2020
I won’t lie, when I started reading this I almost didn’t make it past the first chapter. I am so glad I did. The plight for this child and so many more needs to be understood. There are so many children who’s voice goes unheard. This amazing book let’s you into the world of a mother and child who has their world ripped out from underneath of them by someone who they believe is sent from heaven. All I can say is thank you Delaney, for doing what no one wanted to talk about!
October 6, 2020
I kept wanting to jump in this book and hold that sweet child, I was left with so many emotions after reading this book. The Author has such a passion for this that it shine through in the words. I am looking forward to seeing what else Delaney gets into!
October 7, 2020
I loved this book. So well written and kept me wondering what happened next to the point that I couldn't put it down, so I ended up reading the entire book in one day! I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read more from this author!!!
October 9, 2020
I loved this book. It isn't my usual read, but I was really surprised. I like that it's told from each character's perspective. It kept me engaged through the entire book!
October 10, 2020
This book was full of emotions but so good. I couldn’t put it down.
October 5, 2022
Picked this book up in a little bookshop in Brownsburg- the author’s store. Really enjoyed it! My friend is picking up the next book in her series- curious to see if they all end similarly.😜
May 24, 2026
I really wanted to give this 5 stars. However, there were too many grammatical errors. In addition, far too many parts to the story were not plausible.
February 21, 2021
Heartbreaking, yet inspiring and gut wrenching all at the same time. I wanted to scream, cry, run and save this child all while helping Delaney. Every emotion you can feel you will feel.
October 7, 2020
This book sent all my feelings into overdrive and it was so well written that you feel like you’re in it. This Author definitely has a passion for story telling and it shows, definitely a must read!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews