Better Than This

by Gracie Graham

How long does it take to change a life?

When a car crash takes my baby brother on a warm summer night, it tears my world apart.

One moment I have a family that loves me, and the next, my mother fills the void inside her with booze while my father blames me for all his problems.

At eighteen, the only thing holding me together is my love of the guitar. Until a tragic accident shatters my dream of attending Julliard, and my life is turned upside down all over again.

Now I must fight my way through the darkness back to the music that healed me. But just as I find solace in both an unexpected romance and an unlikely friendship, I discover a secret, buried in heartache and lies. One that threatens to change everything.

So, how long does it take to change a life?

One. Single. Moment.

*Previously published under pen name Tia Souders*

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2022

Reviews

[Brittany Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of a girl who is unloved by her parents after they lose her baby brother at birth. The mom crawls into the bottle, while her dad keeps himself away as often as possible. Unfortunately, leaving Sam on her own to try to not only cope but survive. Her one safe place, her neighbor June, also turns her back on her, though those reasons are a bit more of a mystery. Music then becomes her salvation and safe place. She has plans to make it, with Julliard as her goal. Sadly, when an argument in the kitchen goes very bad it seems like the end of her dreams...Or is it? On her way to recovery, Sam meets the 12-year old grandson of her neighbor and they hit it off from the start. Also, a very cute hospital volunteer enters her life and makes things all that much sweeter. Can Sam overcome some serious obstacles, both mentally and physically, and see her dream come true? Is Julliard a possibility for her, only time will tell!

I loved this book from the get-go. You can definitely feel all the emotions that Sam has been feeling and totally get on her side when things get rough. You can see all that she goes through to strive to be a better person and you can understand why she would want to keep going. This book does deal with a lot of emotions and seeing the negative feelings almost win, but to see the fight to be better wins out and it's great to see. This girl could be any girl and to see her struggle with life is refreshing as we aren't sold a "perfect life" package.

I really love that we see so many stages of her coping and working things out for herself. Life isn't easy and this book demonstrates it really well. A very good read that is easy to read and follow along with. The writing flows very well and there doesn't seem to be any hiccups in the narrative.

[John Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gritty, solid and emotional all describe this story of a girl unloved by her parents after they lose her baby brother at birth. Mom crawls into the bottle, while Dad absents himself as often as possible, leaving Sam to try to survive. Music is her salvation, with Julliard as her goal, but when an argument in the kitchen results in her father cutting off her ring finger with a butcher knife, supposedly by accident, it's the end of her dreams...Or is it? Enter a twelve year old boy whose grandmother used to be Sam's safe harbor, the cute college student who volunteers at the hospital and recognizes her from her playing in her band at the local club, and plenty of intrigue surrounding Sam's early life. Sprinkle with determination and her torn feelings about her boyfriend VS Laird, the handsome college student, and read to the end for an extremely satisfying story.

[Shawna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, I received an ARC in return for an honest review.

Now the review itself:

I was impressed with this book. It wasn't the usual style that I read but I am very happy that I gave it a chance.

From page one, I was right there with the main character. I could feel her emotions and everything she went through. It wasn't a flat-out romance which I really appreciate. It was more of a story about overcoming hurdles after an "accident".

My only complaint is that I really wish the author had put in an epilogue to show like 4 or 5 years later. I would have liked to see if the main character succeeded with everything in her personal and professional life. This is left up to the reader's imagination.

Overall, a really good book that is well written and pulls at your heartstrings.

[Arceli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good. I loved the emotion. I usually read romance heavy books, however, I didn't mind the lack of romance. The book just is amazing with the coming of age. Our heroine really grows and matures. Most importantly, she does real growing up. I define coming of age of realizing who you are and what your limits are. She does it. She isn't afraid to set up boundaries. I also enjoyed the whole meaning of the title. Life can be better.

[Nati · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intense and emotional story about friendship, family and overcoming your fears and problems and fighting for your dreams. Samantha’s life hasn’t been easy after the accident that killed her unborn brother. And now her dream to go to Julliard May never come true. But can her resolve and the help of true friends help her find her happiness again?

[Whitewolfaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that pulls at your heartstrings and shows you the hardship and growth of the main character. Her development and how she overcomes the obstacles is truly inspiring. I loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone!

[Shaztwirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Good

A fairly unique story line which in itself is a marvel when you read hundreds of books each year. No big surprises as the story developed other than finding it ending at 90%. But it was an entertaining story and I'll definitely read more by this author.