A Life, Redefined

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: A Life, Redefined

Thank you to LibraryThing for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

As a child, Rowan made a mistake. One that cost her baby brother his life. From that point on she is constantly blamed for everything wrong that happens to the family. Years of being subjected to abuse and blame, she has become a shattered person. At seventeen, her goal is to graduate high school and escape her dreadful life by going to college. But will the guilt finally overcome her? Can she keep moving forward when the weight of her family threatens to drag her back every step of the way?

Guilt is a powerful emotion. Over time it can consume a person, pulling them down bit by bit. Until the person they were no longer exists. Rowan is drowning as her story begins. She is subjecting herself to self-harm and miserable with her life. Every time she seems to take one step forward, her sister or father knows exactly what to say to break her down.

This is not a book for people who enjoy a light read. Rowan's story is filled with heartbreak, abuse, and poor judgment. She finds herself in situations that she thinks are her only option because she is so young and so naïve. Rowan has a small shred of self-confidence left and she must fight against everything that is holding it back.

Rowan's story will leave you speechless. It touches on so many different issues that can affect a young person. And it shows what can happen when a family fails to be the support system children need. The characters are realistic, heartbreakingly so. This a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.