Review: A true story of childhood abuse that could have used a lot of editing
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 25, 2013
Please don't misunderstand this review to mean that I have no sympathy for abused children, as they have been the main focus of my clinical practice for almost 40 years.  Amelia is telling the truth when she describes how the system lets children down, and frankly, it is little better now.  However, to write an interesting memoir means that one must have the discipline to show the story rather than just tell, to find a way to create some kind of sympathy for all the characters, and to reveal some insight into why the events occurred.  This book simply details years of physical and emotional abuse without ever providing any insight or explanation.  I suppose I must say that I hate the use of bad grammar - one of my pet peeves is the improper use of the pronouns "me" and "I", as in "Jake and I" instead of "Jake and me".  The bad grammar, poor transitions from one chapter to the next distracted me quite a bit.  The story ends abruptly, and one is told to purchase the sequel.  I won't be buying it. It's a shame - this could have been quite interesting.