Review: BEAUTIFUL story about love and healing
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 13, 2013
Before I begin, I was given a copy of this book for an honest review."I want you. I want us.""I watch as his hands uncurl in his lap, first one then the other. He lifts one toward me and I see the hesitancy in his eyes. It makes me want to cry, because this is what I was afraid of, his knowledge changing everything between us."Oh my Lord. *wipes eyes with sleeve* Pieces of Me was THAT kind of book. The kind to toy with your emotions and tie your stomach in knots. I laughed, I cried, I huffed out in exasperation, and then I cried some more. Breathtakingly beautiful and heartbreakingly poignant, this book took a piece of my soul, a part of me that I know I won't get back after reading this heartfelt book."And you carefully gather the pieces of yourself. You collect them together in your mind. The old pieces, the new pieces, the ones that are too shattered for you to tell what they are. You collect them and hold them close.""You dream about the day you will no longer be pieces of yourself."Right from the start, I knew Delaney was broken. And not just from the words on the page, no. Her pain is so sharp, so jagged, it was impossible for me not to feel its presence after the first few pages."I wanted him to suffer like I had suffered. I wanted him to feel as broken and beaten and worthless as he made me feel. He damaged so much of me."As a result of her ordeal, Delaney packs her bags and moves far away from her hometown for college. She is quiet, reserved, and skittish, the complete opposite of her outgoing roommate, Grace, who happens to be the sister of the most notorious man-slut on campus. When she first meets Grace's brother Cole, she is instantly attracted to him, and for the first time in four years, she is comfortable around another male."She watches you. She relaxes more when you're in the room. You just have to give her some room, Cole, she'll come around."Oh Cole! He is the perfect guy for Delaney. Despite his reputation, he never disrespects her or makes her feel inferior. As for Delaney's ordeal, I suspected abuse or rape, but when I read the first snippet that hinted at what happened, it was like...BAM. Shocked. Speechless. My heart broke for Delaney, and at the really detailed parts, I had tears trickling down my face."It was like being broken into a thousand different pieces. But worse is the knowledge that those pieces are never going to fit the same way they did before. That they aren't just broken, they're...dirty. And it doesn't matter how many people tell you it isn't your fault, that you have nothing to be ashamed of, you can't help but feel that you'll never be all the way clean again."Delaney's horrifying experiences is a delicate subject, and what I love so much about Ann's writing style is how she carefully, expertly weaves Delaney's ordeal into the story. Nothing is downplayed or overstated, and every word counts."I will never be able to explain exactly what he has done for me, what he has given me back. I wish I had the words to tell him how I feel. He was the last piece that I needed to put myself back together."There were definitely some times in the book I didn't agree with Delaney's choices, but I understood that it had to be her decision to let go, to face her fears, and to move on. This was her journey to find herself, to be determined to battle her demons."You're so strong, Del, so beautiful.""I don't want you any less.""I don't love you any less."It was extremely heartwarming to see Delaney heal, both physically and emotionally. I am a firm believer of happy endings, and she definitely deserved it after everything she went through. I hope Ann makes this book into a series because these characters are in my heart and I just can't let go of them yet!5 MAGNIFICENT STARS!!!