Review: Beautiful story of survival!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 10, 2013
Laughing, crying, excited, hope, ache.......I could go on and on but basically know that "Heartstrings" is an emotional roller coaster of epic proportions. Heather Gunter, you are a writing genius and in writing this amazing story I hope even one person is as affected as I was and it somehow changes their life, giving them strength they never even knew they possessed."....but I'm not a victim, I'm a survivor."Strength is something that all of us at one time or another have to decide whether we have it or not. For Tori, when vivid and debilitating nightmares begin a year after the worst moment in her life, she knows that it is time to come clean with those who love her and seek the help she hadn't to this point."My crying begins to ease off and I realize, in this exact moment, I can’t do this anymore; I’m sick of crying and feeling scared. I’m tired of feeling broken, and accept there are things that have to happen if I’m going to get any better and put this behind me. I have to move on. Not for anyone else; for me."Tori is surrounded by a lot of people who love and care about her. Her mother, her best friend Charlie and Charlie's boyfriend Maverick and the boy Tori has wanted for awhile, Will. When each one of them find out Tori's secret, there isn't a mountain they won't move to help her. In particular Will, who we learn has been in love with Tori for a year.Will is an amazing guy. Loving Tori from a distance for over a year, he loves her for who she is, the mouthy redhead who takes nothing from anyone. A year ago they went on their first date, which did not end well. Since that day, things have not been the same with them. Tori has withdrawn from them, still hanging out as friends but there is a wall that he can't seem to get through. When Will learns the secret, he makes it very clear that nothing changes, his feelings don't change.“Please tell her I’ll always be here for her, in any capacity, and, and, I’ve never stopped caring for her, even from a distance.”"Heartstrings" is Tori's story of healing, of surviving and accepting and learning how to live the rest of her life. The deep emotions that poor out on every page will leave you breathless but with every page the author teaches each one of us a lesson. A lesson in forgiveness, in finding your own strength, "Heartstrings" is easily one of my top reads of 2013.I encourage you to read this book, read it with your teenage daughters, share Will with your teenage sons. Buy stock in tissues, curl up with a blanked and make sure you aren't disturbed. This is one of those books you want to read beginning to end without stopping.Side note: Heather Gunter tells you up front that this story is her own experience. Some things are changed but the crux of "Heartstrings" is her. You read all the time how an author says the characters speak to them, but this story, Heather's story, will speak to you. To Heather all I can say is Bravo. Bravo for your strength, bravo for putting into words your story and sharing it with us.