Review: I take my hat off to Carol Ann because it takes a lot of courage to write a book with this much raw emotion.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 21, 2013
When I first finished this story, my first thought was that it wasn't for me. But days later, I was still thinking about it. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it wasn't the story I didn't like (because it was AMAZING) it was how close it hit home. My relationship with my mother is very much like Shelby and Beth's. Even though we may fight and disagree, at the end of the day she is my lifeline, my best friend. And this book brought out so much emotion in me, that I felt as if I was losing my mother. I take my hat off to Carol Ann because it takes a lot of courage to write a book with this much raw emotion.The thing that made this book work is the alternating point-of-views. Shelby and Beth's. I loved hearing thing from Beth's point of view because it shows that just because someone passes on, it doesn't mean that the love they carry with them just goes away. It is a love that is carried on throughout eternity. When I read the story from Shelby's point of view, I saw a heartbroken little girl. Even though she was close to 30, she had never fully recovered from her mothers death. And while she was living life day to day, she was never really LIVING her life. She kept people at  an arms length. With this story being told from dual perspectives, it allows you to see how valuable life is. And not only living your life in the day to day routine, but really allowing yourself to open up to give and receive love fully. Because without that, what is the point of being alive?Please, if your going to read this.. GET A BOX OF TISSUES. There will be times when you cry, laugh, get frustrated and want to throw things. But it wasn't until after I had time to sit back and think, did I realize that Carol's amazing writing had caused all of those emotions in me to come pouring out. I have to say, that if I am taking anything away from this book, its the value of truly living life.