Review: Poignant, will linger in your mind
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 24, 2013
I was given a free ARC copy of Lilliana Anderson's Phoenix: The Beauty in Between for an honest review.  Wow! A quick but heavy read. I finished it in less than a day.  A deep, painful, and poignant tale spanning a 10 year period, but begins with a naive 15 year old Australian girl returning home from a friends house to find her abusive parents have suddenly cast her out by changing the locks, leaving her a packed bag with $200, and not answering the door or phone.  After lurking about, she finally gives up and realizes her parents have broken all ties when she sees a For Sale sign a few days later.  Rather than go into the foster care system, she runs away to a different city.  Seeking acceptance, she winds up clubbing, stealing, whoring, and dealing/using drugs, while becoming a sexual plaything to various nefarious dealers.  She doesn't seem to last long in any setting before being brutally booted out again. She ultimately finds herself in the ER in the worst possible scenario.  Still a minor, she is placed into the very system she had tried so hard to avoid - but it provides her at chance at independent life.  She is successful with rehab but resists all attempts at therapy, and remains detached and unhappy.  Uncomfortable with occasionally bumping into people from her old life, she boards a plane to a new country and fresh start.  Well written, deeply felt, and emotionally spot-on.  A cautionary tale, not for anyone looking for a light or "happy ever after" read.  It will stay with you long after you have finished reading.