by Jennifer Brown
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA Contemporary
Born and raised in the Midwest, Jersey Cameron knows all about tornadoes. Or so she thinks. When her town is devastated by a twister, Jersey survives -- but loses her mother, her young sister, and her home. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with her only surviving relatives: first her biological father, then her estranged grandparents.
In an unfamiliar place, Jersey faces a reality she's never considered before -- one in which her mother wasn't perfect, and neither were her grandparents, but they all loved her just the same. Together, they create a new definition of family. And that's something no tornado can touch.
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My Thoughts:
THIS BOOK!!! You know how there are some books that make you cry at the end? Well this is not one of those books. This is one of those books where you sob the entire way through. Okay well at least I did. I was a hot mess while I read this book. Luckily I read the entire thing in one night in the privacy of my own room... because if I would have taken this to read out in public, I would have severely embarrassed myself.
This book is about Jersey who lives in Missouri, and has just lived through a devastating tornado. It literally flattens a large portion of her town. And now she's all alone. Her mom and little sister were at dance class and they never made it home. It was so heartbreaking to read about this little 5 year-old girl dying before she ever got to really live a life. Then after that the book is permeated with ALONENESS. Jersey is left with no belongings and no one who even cares about her at all. I just wanted to crawl into this book and give her a big hug!!
This book weirdly made me feel a lot like how I felt when I read The Fault in Our Stars and Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock. It made me question humanity and wonder why we treat each other like this!! I know there are good people out there, but seriously there aren't enough! So many people let this girl down, it made me sick. I don't want to give too much away or ruin the surprise factor for you... but I was pissed off and sad at the same time for most of the book.
Jennifer Brown's books have all been favorites of mine. I especially loved The Hate List. Torn Away is giving that a run for it's money. It's much shorter, but it's super powerful. It's definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year!
OVERALL: A heartbreaking, sobfest about a girl who loses her family and her home in devastating tornado. I was looking forward to a new Jennifer Brown book, and this one did not disappoint. I cried like a baby and loved every second of it.
My Rating: 4/4
AUTHOR BIO
Jennifer Brown
Two-time winner of the Erma Bombeck Global Humor Award (2005 & 2006), Jennifer's weekly humor column appeared in The Kansas City Star for over four years, until she gave it up to be a full-time young adult novelist.
Jennifer writes and lives in the Kansas City, Missouri area, with her husband and three children.
www.jenniferbrownya.com | twitter.com/JenniferBrownYA
www.jenniferbrownya.com | twitter.com/JenniferBrownYA
- (1) Paperback copy of Torn Away by Jennifer Brown
- Sorry but this is U.S. Only
- No strings attached!!
I can't wait to read this book. I love Jennifer Brown's writing.
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