Literary Lane

  RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars This was a really gripping and compelling read I must say, and the portrayal of the adverse experiences and trauma that those in the care system can go through for instance due to abusive parents, in Victoria's case her own blood father sexually abusing her, was very intense and heavy. This along with the serious impacts it can have on their mental health, which is depicted very heavily and intensely through Jamie, Victoria's foster sister. Honestly it was all very intense and heavy and not at all an easy theme to write about and depict, so I very much command that. You can't help but feel so strongly for poor Victoria as well, with the endless trauma she's had to experience, having her own father sexually abuse her, being thrown out of the house by him after that at 3am on a winters morning, then being accused of being the one at fault, then taken away by the CPS who are very brusque and cold with her, being made to sleep in the CPS office,...

  Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD: Wow, this was what I'd definitely describe as a very heavy, intense, tumultuous and even overwhelming read, with there having been so many different aspects that were covered, and was definitely a real emotional roller-coaster- even more so than the previous book, being more of an overload. Not recommended for if you want a light and fluffy read. In fact, it became too much of a drama overload with too many things being crammed in, like the author was just getting too carried away. Much like it's predecessor, this book addressed very complex themes such as sexual abuse, bullying, harassment, toxic friendships and relationships, which was handled very sensitively and was not easy to address, with there being so many different issues and elements to address and it was pretty a long book too. Honestly though, this book just made me so angry for several reasons, which may be a sign of a good book to have such a powerful...