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Showing posts with label Alcoholism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alcoholism. Show all posts
Sunday, December 27, 2020
MG Debut Accessible and Empowering
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero, a debut novel by Kelly J. Baptist, is a slim novel that packs a big punch. It deals with some tough subjects, but it does so in an accessible, age-appropriate, and hopeful way. Isaiah is a relatable character who's sympathetic and admirable while still feeling real. His story teaches many lessons about being yourself, working toward goals, using your talents, and asking for help when you need it. Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero is a poignant, touching, empowering novel that I enjoyed very much.
(Readalikes: Um, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for difficult subject matter (alcoholism, homelessness, poverty, etc.)
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Friday, December 27, 2019
Relatable and Real, Grief Novel an Authentic, Enjoyable Read
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
As the youngest of eight children, 16-year-old Pup Flanagan might as well be wearing an invisibility cloak 24/7. He belongs to a loving family, but his parents are exhausted, his many siblings are busy with their high-achieving lives, and Pup hasn't done anything distinguished enough to really get him noticed. As a "redheaded, buck-toothed praying mantis" (2), he doesn't attract much attention from members of the opposite sex either. Especially not from his long-time BFF, who would rather exploit Pup than date him. The only person who ever really made him feel seen is his big brother, Patrick, who died unexpectedly while off at college. Now, three years later, it's as if Pup's hero never existed. His family refuses to talk about Patrick, even though their individual grief leaks through in sometimes alarming ways.
In danger of failing Studio Art, Pup makes a last-ditch effort to pass by doing a photography project. To his astonishment, he aces the assignment with a startling photo that reveals the heavy truth about his alcoholic brother. With the help of a new friend, Pup starts to see the world with a more honest eye, which leads him to finally face some hard facts about his family, his so-called best friend, and his own future.
I've read a million books about grief, so I expected Sorry For Your Loss by Jessie Ann Foley to be just another run-of-the-mill story about loss. And it is, in the sense that it concerns a family rocked by tragedy and the ways in which each individual member deals with it. In other ways, it's not a typical grief story because, really, Sorry For Your Loss is about being seen. This is something Pup struggles with as the youngest in a big family, the average Joe in a clan of overachievers, and the quiet, steady friend who puts up with being walked all over. He's someone with whom everyone can relate at some level or another and it's impossible not to root for him. As much as I love Pup as a character what I actually enjoyed most about Sorry For Your Loss is Foley's depictions of life in a large family. Since I come from one, I know all too well the laughter, tears, tension, drama, and messy love inherent in big broods. Foley's version rang so true for me that I found myself really feeling Pup's story on so many levels. Sorry For Your Loss is a beautifully-written novel that's touching and true, relatable and real, poignant and powerful. I adored it.
(Readalikes: Grief books are a dime a dozen, but no really comparable titles are coming quickly to mind. Help?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, and sexual content
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Monday, March 06, 2017
Intriguing Premise + Sympathetic Heroine + Compelling Plot = Riveting Psychological Thriller
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Six years ago, Nan Lewis lost everything because of a drunk driver on River Road. Her daughter's death shook her world, paralyzing her with grief and anger. Unable to pen another word, Nan's career as a novelist stalled. Her marriage crumbled as she curled in on herself, becoming a virtual hermit. With her social life revolving mainly around her cat, the professor drinks too much while spending long, lonely hours brooding inside her rotting farmhouse. The only thing that really matters to her is her job teaching creative writing at a college in upstate New York. And now she's been denied tenure. Things can't get much worse.
Then, they do.
While driving home from a faculty Christmas party on snow-packed River Road, Nan hits a deer. Although her car is dented, she sees no sign of the dead animal. Shaken, she just manages to fight her way through the heavy snow and park her mangled car at the bottom of her driveway. She receives another shock when a policeman shows up on her doorstep the next morning informing her that one of her students—Leia Dawson—was killed the night before in a hit-and-run on River Road. Because of Nan's damaged car, she's just become a suspect. Despite her horrified protests, the overwrought professor can't be entirely sure of her own innocence. She had been both upset and "slightly" intoxicated when she got behind the wheel. Nan hit something with her car—was it a deer or something much, much more disturbing?
As she becomes even more of a pariah in her small community, Nan searches her cloudy memories for the truth of what really happened that night on River Road. When eerie tokens recalling her daughter's accident start showing up on her doorstep, Nan becomes even more unhinged. What really happened to Leia Dawson? Nan's (almost) convinced she had nothing to do with the young woman's death. But if she didn't, who did? As the stakes grow ever more perilous, the professor must figure out the truth. Before it's too late.
With a premise like the one at the heart of River Road by Carol Goodman, how could I resist? The novel opens with a bang and keeps up the intensity all the way through to its satisfying end. Nan is a sympathetic character with realistic flaws that make her both relatable and root-worthy. Myriad twists keep her story interesting. Although I saw the killer coming from about halfway through the novel, I literally could not stop reading until I knew for sure what had happened to Leia. River Road is that compelling. Even though I've read a few more of Goodman's books since this one, River Road remains my favorite.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't really think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language, violence, blood/gore, mild sexual content, and depictions of illegal drug use
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Despite Heavy Themes, Prince Street Is Both Balanced and Bolstering
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Seventeen years ago, two drunk teenage girls were in a car accident. One died, one survived. Plagued with guilt for killing her best friend, Lisa Smyth spent the next few years drowning her sorrows in copious amounts of wine and booze. Grief-stricken by the death of her older sister, Jennifer, good girl Rae McDonald made a string of poor decisions, which ended with her pregnant at 16. After placing her baby for adoption, Rae sealed off her emotions, vowing never to let her life spin out of control again. Now 32, she's a family therapist widely known to have a heart of stone. Rae thinks she has put the past firmly behind her, but when Lisa returns to Alexandria, her arrival stirs up all kinds of buried emotions. An out-of-the-blue e-mail from her biological son creates its own whirlwind, turning Rae's rigidly ordered life completely upside down.
As if Rae didn't have enough to worry about already, an enthusiastic salvage artist and local history buff has unearthed artifacts relating to the McDonalds' long history in Alexandria. The woman's research brings up even more secrets from the past, making Rae wonder if her family has been cursed from the moment they stepped foot on American soil. Lisa's kin have been likewise unlucky. As the vagabond wet-plate photographer struggles to find her place in Alexandria while caring for her ailing aunt, she'll discover startling truths about herself as well. Like how fragile is her control over her alcoholism, despite the many sobriety chips hanging from her keychain ...
Can the two women come together despite the still-raw pain that looms between them? Can they break the curses of the past to create a healthier, happier future? Or are they doomed to live lives as solitary and painful as those of their ancestors?
The View From Prince Street by Mary Ellen Taylor is a warm-hearted novel about fighting fate by taking control of your past, present and future. A tribute to friendship and forgiveness, it's also about finding and facing hard truths. Despite its heavy themes, the story feels not oppressive, but balanced. True, I would have liked the setting to come alive a little more. I would have also enjoyed better development of the male characters in the book. Tighter plotting (the novel often seemed overly long) would have been good as well. Overall, though, The View From Prince Street is a pleasant, uplifting read that both intrigued and entertained me.
(Readalikes: This book often refers to characters from Taylor's other novels set in Alexandria. Although I haven't read any of them, I would assume The View from Prince Street is similar to The Union Street Bakery; At the Corner of King Street; and Sweet Expectations)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs)
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The View From Prince Street from the generous folks at Berkley Books (an imprint of Penguin Random House). Thank you!
Saturday, February 06, 2016
Middle Grade Magical Realism Novel Fat With Wisdom
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
For Priscilla, Marla, Eleanor and Astrid, dealing with their mother's alcoholism and violent mood swings is just a way of life. They're used to it. But when the girls move with their parents into their mother's childhood home in New Hampshire, things grow even more difficult. The worst thing of all is that Priscilla's older sisters are hiding something from her. At eleven, they think she's too young to know what's going on around her. Which is ridiculous. "Silly" is just her nickname—Priscilla knows her mother is sick, knows her sisters are up to something, and knows she wants to be part of it.
When Silly is finally let in on the big secret, she's dumbfounded. The closets in the girls' new home are doorways that lead to fantastical worlds, beckoning them far away from the harsh realities of their real lives. Best of all, Silly is able to manipulate the closet magic in ways her sisters can't. Finally, she's getting the kind of attention she's always wanted from her older siblings. Silly could stay in her own magical world forever! When she discovers a scary truth about the closets, however, she begins to fear for herself and her family. Will the mind-boggling wizardry that's bringing the sisters together be the very thing that tears them apart? Can Silly save them all before it's too late?
Rules for Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu is a tender story about a family that's falling apart at the seams. It's impossible not to sympathize with the girls at its center as they struggle to deal with their unpredictable mother. While the reader will cheer when the sisters find a happy escape from their unhappy lives, she will also realize the importance of their reemergence. After all, despite its actual thickness, this is a novel fat with wisdom. As sad as it is, Rules for Stealing Stars teaches some great lessons about facing problems, finding good in even the most difficult circumstances, and working together to create solutions that work, even if they're not perfect. Although it's a little depressing, this is a poignant gem that will touch readers old and young.
(Readalikes: Reminded me a little of Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for scary scenes and serious subjects (alcoholism, death, parental neglect/abuse, etc.)
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Alcoholism and Abuse in Amish Country Make For a Surprisingly Ho-Hum Read
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
To the Plain people in his Fold, the Deacon stands as an example of the Amish ideal—he works hard, cares for his flock, and listens closely to the God with whom he has always communed. Only Joshua, the Deacon's 11-year-old son, knows the truth. Only he sees the hungry slurps his father takes from jars of pungent "communion wine," only he witnesses the rage that ensues, only he receives the Deacon's vicious beatings. No one else knows—not his mother, not his four sisters, not any of their Plain neighbors. The family's lives look perfect from the outside. It's not until a scuffle between Joshua and his father turns deadly that the truth begins to leak out.
Unable to stay in Pennsylvania, Joshua makes a run for it. He's heard about a distant California city, Monte Rey, where the sun always shines. Perpetual summer sounds infinitely better than whatever awaits him at home. The naive boy, who's never lived among the "English" before, stumbles into every kind of danger along his decade-long journey to the West. Having learned some excruciating lessons about life and love, an adult Joshua yearns for one thing: home. He longs to return to the Fold, but how can one so tainted go back? Especially when doing so means confronting the abusive father who never wanted him in the first place.
Miriam's life changes forever on the night of the fire. Not only is Joshua, her oldest child, missing—presumed dead—but her strong, stalwart husband is burned so badly he can barely move. So severe are his wounds that Miriam knows the Deacon will never be the same again. It will be up to her to tend to his injuries, care for the children, run the farm, and keep hope alive despite the unbearable strain. Despite the years that pass, Miriam refuses to believe Joshua is dead, even when everyone begs her to let go. Exhausted and worried about her crumbling marriage, that hope is the only thing to which she can cling.
While tension mounts for both Joshua and Miriam, their reunion grows ever closer. But will it be the sweet homecoming of which Joshua dreams? Or will his family Shun him as the sinner he's become?
When I think of the Amish people, sweet, gentle adjectives come to mind. Abusive and alcoholic not being two of them. Since Plain folks are as human as the rest of us, it stands to reason that even the most peaceful of communities has its dark secrets. E.B. Moore, a sculptor and author with Amish roots, would probably know. Loosely based on her grandfather's early life, Moore's second novel, Stones in the Road, addresses some of these issues. Joshua, whose tumultuous relationship with his father makes him instantly sympathetic, is a compelling narrator. His mother's plight makes her equally so. Because of this, the reader can't help but root for their reunion. Still, it's a slow journey, one that gets dull—and downright weird—in some places. Although Joshua and Miriam's various adventures kept me interested enough, I wasn't racing through the pages to see what happened next. The story is ultimately hopeful, but it's also almost overwhelmingly depressing. I did, however, appreciate its important message of making your own peace, even when (especially when?) others cause you unbearable pain. Still, I found Stones in the Road to be only a so-so read for me.
(Readalikes: Reminds me a little of Heart's Journey by Kristen McKendry)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Stones in the Road from the generous folks at Penguin Random House. Thank you!
Monday, April 27, 2015
The Girl on the Train A First-Rate, Couldn't-Put-It-Down Psychological Thriller
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Still grieving the death of her marriage, lonely Rachel Watson finds comfort in routine. Every weekday morning, she boards the 8:04 train that runs to London from her home in Buckinghamshire. Every evening, she returns on the 5:56. As the familiar rhythm of the ride lulls her, she sips an early drink (which will be followed later by another and another and another ...) and watches the landscape blur outside the train's window. She pays close attention as her old neighborhood rolls past, drinking in the sight of her former home, where her ex-husband lives with his new wife. It's not him who Rachel really wants to see, though—it's Jason and Jess, the golden couple that lives down his street. She's never met them, doesn't even know their real names, but she can tell just from observing them that they have a beautiful, fulfilling life together. "They're happy, I can tell," she thinks. "They're what I used to be, they're Tom and me five years ago. They're what I lost, they're everything I want to be" (10).
Rachel's spent so much time spinning a perfect life for the couple that she's shocked by what she sees one day from her seat on the train. She's even more surprised to spy a familiar face on the front page of the newspaper a few days later. It's "Jess"—really 29-year-old Megan Hipwell, who has gone missing from Rachel's old neighborhood. Worried about her "friend," especially in light of what she saw from the train, Rachel determines to find out what happened to Jess. Not an easy task when your mind is as muddled from alcohol and depression as is Rachel's. Still, she has to know. But the more she persists, the more discomfited she grows. Although she has little memory of it, Rachel was there the night Megan disappeared. In fact, she just may be the reason Megan Hipwell is missing—or worse.
I don't want to say too much about the plot of Paula Hawkins' popular psychological thriller, The Girl on the Train, for fear of ruining plot surprises. Trust me, it's best to go into this one knowing as little about the story as possible. Suffice it to say, The Girl on the Train is a mesmerizing tale of suspense, full of intriguing characters, taut narration, and didn't-see-that-one-coming plot twists. Maybe the book's a tad predictable, maybe it doesn't quite live up to all the hype it's gotten, but still, it's a riveting, first-rate mystery. I literally could not put it down.
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, sexual content, violence, and depictions of excessive drinking/illegal drug use
To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Girl on the Train from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Monday, December 05, 2011
Another One of Those Like-The-Premise-Not-So-Much-the Execution Kind of Books
(Image from Barnes & Noble) Raine O'Rourke knows her mother used to be a bit of a wild child. She's heard the stories about her young, hippie Mama standing barefoot on European street corners playing her guitar. But that was a long time ago. Now, Molly O'Rourke's just a regular mom. Which is why her sudden decision to spend the summer working as a housekeeper at a remote artist's colony doesn't make any sense. As much as Raine wants to stay in Milwaukie with her beloved Grandpa Mac, her mother isn't giving her a choice. They'll both be spending the summer at Sparrow Road.
Spooked by the estate's creepy main house, irritated by the colony's ridiculous no-talking rules and lonesome for everything she left behind, Raine's pretty sure she's going to hate Sparrow Road. But as she gets to know the artists who live there, she starts to feel more at home. And when she hears an elderly poet talking about the children who live on the estate, Raine's intrigued. She hasn't seen anyone under 30 at Sparrow Road. The mystery, which seems to revolve around the estate's secret history, intrigues her.
Raine's even more puzzled by her mother's odd behavior. Molly keeps Raine sequestered at Sparrow Road, refusing to let her explore the nearby town or go to any of the community's summertime activities. It makes no sense. Until Molly finally confesses why she really brought rain to the artist's colony. Suddenly, Raine's up to her elbows in old secrets. Can she find all the answers she's searching for? More importantly, what will she do with these revelations, especially the one that could change her life forever?
Sparrow Road by Sheila O'Connor is one of those like-the-premise-not-so-much-the-execution type of books. While I thought the premise of this one sounded interesting, I didn't feel a lot of connection to the characters, the setting or even really the plot. I know a lot of people love Sparrow Road, but I just wasn't feeling it. It's nothing I can put my finger on, though, more a kind of ambivalence. I didn't love it, didn't hate it. For me, it was just okay.
(Readalikes: Nothing's coming to mind. Any ideas?)
Grade: C
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for mature themes
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Gone Satisfying End to Wake Trilogy
(Image from Barnes & Noble)(Note: Although this review will not contain spoilers for Gone, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from the first two books in the trilogy. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)
After reading her late mentor's files, 18-year-old Janie Hanagan knows the truth about her unique dream-catching abilities. She knows what her future will look like if she keeps using her "talent" to help the police track down criminals - she'll be a blind cripple before she reaches her 30th birthday. She'll be useless, a lifelong burden to anyone stupid enough to love her. Janie might be able to handle that fate, but she can't doom Cabel Strumheller to a life like that. He deserves someone normal. The best thing to do, the kindest thing, is to break up with him now, freeing him to go off to college and find himself a normal girlfriend.
Janie's still mulling it all over when she gets a frantic phone call from her best friend, urging her to get to the hospital as fast as she can. It's not Janie's alcoholic mother who's been admitted - not this time - but her father. Henry Feingold's a stranger to Janie and, now that he's in a coma, she may never get a chance to know him. Not that she wants to chitchat with the man who abandoned her as a baby. Still, his bizarre dreams beckon to her. In spite of herself, she's drawn into them. As she walks through Henry's injured mind, Janie becomes obsessed with making sense of the man who helped give her life. But when she discovers the shocking truth about her father, Janie's already bleak future begins to look downright dismal. She can't subject Cabel to that. Heck, she's not sure she can subject herself to that. As Janie tries to make peace with it all, she'll have to make some gut-wrenching decisions - about her future, about Cable, about herself.
Although nothing in Gone, the final book in Lisa McMann's Wake trilogy, really surprised me, it still kept me entertained. McMann, I've realized, is a master at pulling readers into her books, seducing them with quick action and snappy chapters that beg to be whipped through as fast as possible. It helps that she writes well, creating sympathetic characters who grapple with problems that are realistic, yet unique enough to be interesting. And then there's the paranormal twist, which gives this story an added intrigue. Still, as much as I liked the first book in the series, I wasn't impressed with the second. As for Gone, even though I found it predictable, I still thought it a satisfying end to Janie's story. Maybe I didn't love, love, love it, but I liked it well enough.
(Readalikes: Wake and Fade by Lisa McMann)
Grade: B-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language, sexual content and depictions of underrage drinking
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Fade: An Original Series Gets A Little Too Generic
(Image from Barnes & Noble)(Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for Fade, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, Wake. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)
Life's not getting any easier for 17-year-old Janie Hannagan. She's still being sucked into people's nightmares, still dealing with her drunk of a mother, still trying to figure out what makes Cabel Strumheller tick. Working for the police department isn't helping matters, either. Janie's stressed, almost to the point of breaking. She can't tell anyone outside of Cabel and the Captain Komisky about her little ability, no matter how many crimes it solves. And she can't risk blowing Cabel's cover by revealing their secret romance. Then, there's her mother, who doesn't even care enough to remember Janie's birthday.
As Janie doesn't have enough to worry about, there's something sinister going on at her high school. The police suspect a school employee might be preying on female students. Janie's job is to lure him out of hiding. It's a dangerous job, one that's stressing Janie even more, especially since Cabel won't stop giving her crap about it. Doesn't he realize she'll do anything to solve the case, even offer herself up as bait?
Complications aren't what an already-frazzled Janie needs right now, but that's what she gets when Captain Komsky hands her files belonging to the late Martha Stubin, Janie's dream-catching mentor. In her notes are startling truths about the business of dream-catching - truths that are disturbing, dangerous, even deadly. As Janie uses her unique skill to sniff out a dangerous predator, she must also come to terms with what she is - and what she's about to become.
Fade, the second book in Lisa McMann's popular Wake trilogy, didn't excite me nearly as much as the first novel did. Fade kept my attention, for sure, but the plot turned generic pretty fast. While the revelations Janie finds in Martha Stubin's files definitely added an intriguing twist to the story, the rest of the book suffered from complete and utter predictability. Also, there's a pretty significant ick factor involved. McMann still writes well, using vivid prose and short snappy chapters to entice readers into turning pages. Overall, though, this one didn't do much for me. Except convince me to read the next book. Ahem.
(Readalikes: Wake and Gone by Lisa McMann)
Grade: C
If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language, violence, depictions of underrage drinking and illegal drug use, as well as sexual content
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Monday, April 13, 2009
Merchant Marine's Tale Not Pretty, But Impactful
The 5th of Alcoholics Anonymous' famous 12 Steps is: 
Admitt[ing] to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. With The Man Overboard: How A Merchant Marine Officer Survived the Raging Storm of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, I'd say Darryl Hagar has fulfilled that step in a big way. His 604-page memoir recounts in exacting detail just how much harm drugs and alcohol addiction did to him, his family, his career, and everyone around him.
Beginning around the time he entered Marine Maritime Academy, Hagar drank and experimented with drugs. At first, it was to relax, to fit in with his buddies, and to deal with a family crisis. As school became more demanding, however, Hagar turned to cocaine to keep him "up" so he could study as much as he partied. Despite numerous close calls and several demerits, he managed to keep his addictions under enough control to graduate from college. Later, as a Merchant Marine, he was assigned positions on various vessels which took him all over the world. Although work on the ships helped control his urge to drink, offshore trips did the opposite. Furloughs at home were even worse. Hagar managed to accomplish some amazing feats, even while drunk as a skunk or high as a kite, but the idea that resonates most from his book is the deep regret he feels over all that he missed out on and all the damage he caused. The amazing thing is how much didn't happen considering he drove cars, steered boats, hunted and babysat under the influence.
Despite all the ugliness, Hagar's book maintains an upbeat tone. He writes in the honest, straight-forward manner of a child. It's a no-frills, no pretty adjectives, no excuses kind of book. It describes everything - truly, Hagar could have summarized his experiences in half the pages and still gotten the point across. Still, there are some funny scenes (like how he was so drunk he tried to sleep in the trunk of a car during a snowstorm or how he scared the living daylights out of his neighbor when she saw him with a shovel) and some poignant scenes (in which he mourns his father and destroys important relationships), all of which help to create a moving narrative. The words are not pretty - the writing needs a lot of polish and the "colorful language" (to put it mildly) will make you feel as if you are aboard a shipful of rough, lonely men, but The Man Overboard actually manages to be hopeful and inspiring. Most touching of all is Hagar's determination to beat his addictions for his son, Darryl Jr. The Darryls' pact to work on Jr.'s thumb-sucking and Sr.'s addictions at the same time is tender and real. The reason Hagar's book remains positive is because the story has a happy ending - Darryl Hagar has been clean and sober for 5 years (his son has been thumb-free for the same). Now an enthusiastic advocate for sobriety, Darryl Hagar takes his message to schools, prisons, hospitals, etc.
As someone who has never been drunk or stoned, I found The Man Overboard to be equal parts illuminating and disturbing. I was intrigued by the events that transformed a good kid into a hardened, depressed adult. I was disturbed by how easily this happened, and how little Darryl's friends and family seemed to care. To me, his story highlights the need for intervention as well as the importance of not giving up on those whose lives have been taken over by drugs and alcohol. I know from personal experience that it's difficult to forgive and forget when you've been hurt by someone who's so desperate to score that they'll lie, cheat, steal or harm just to get a taste of their particular drug. Even as Hagar's story made me seethe (How could he mistreat and endanger so many people?), it made me ache with compassion. It made me want that compassion when dealing with the Darryls in my life (of which there are, thankfully, few).
The Man Overboard desperately needs some good editing, but its simple, honest style does make an impact. I could have done without the detailed play-by-play of Hagar's every drunken move - still, in the end, it made me think. And it made me hope. Tighter, more focused writing could have improved the read tremendously, but The Man Overboard still touched me. Bravo to Darryl for his courage and determination in sharing his story with the world.
Grade: C
A Note From Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours: Each time a blog visitor comments on any or all of The Man Overboard blog tour stops, they will be entered in two random drawings. The first is a weekly drawing. Weekly winners have the chance to win one of Darryl Hagar's graphic novels. Commenters who participate on the tour also will be placed in a random drawing to win a copy of Darryl Hagar's The Man Overboard. One copy will be given away midway through the eight-week tour and the second at the conclusion.
Stop by and share your thoughts and comments with author Darryl Hagar. He is passionate about his recovery and committed to helping others find the strength and support needed to reclaim their lives from the insidious affects of addiction. He will check in throughout the day to answer questions. You’ll learn more and have a chance to win a graphic novel or a copy of The Man Overboard (released March 24). To order a copy of his book, click here.
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