My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)

"There were shadows in the corners and whispers on the stairs and time was irrelevant as honesty."

In preparation of Lifetime's adaptation of this very book, I've decided to revisit the very first book I'd ever read that disturbed and haunted me in my early teen years. V.C. Andrews is known for her enthralling works of twisted fiction--family sagas twinged with great descriptions and horror, betrayal and rags to riches. All the trigger warnings are necessary for her novels and they certainly aren't for every one. Our biggest trigger would be sexual violence.

Everything about V.C. Andrews and her original catalog is filled with twists, turns and great sums of controversy. For years, her novels have dominated their genre and gone past the decades that have come and gone. This is due primarily to her captivating and disturbing tale of Flowers in the Attic and the novels that followed in the Dollanganger Series. I guarantee you that a good portion of us have all read at least one book by her and loved or hated it due to its content. Andrews isn't for the weak of heart and while she wasn't the greatest author to exist from her generation, or any that have since passed, you've gotta give it to her for standing the test of time.

My Sweet Audrina is one of the most frightening, heartbreaking and twisty turny stories I've ever had the privilege (or misfortune, at times) of reading.

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith | Rating: ★★★★★

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

There is a substantial amount of hype over The Way I Used to Be and the comparisons the reading community is making between it and Speak. But I feel as though that isn’t fair to compare either story to one another because while it tackles similar plots, they are both two entirely different stories with two entirely different girls and many different coping mechanisms between the two.

The Way I Used to Be is incredibly nerve wracking and painful and beautiful all at once. It is, by far, one of the most moving novels headed our way as 2016 approaches and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves in time. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical, finished copy–it is still lingering in the back of my mind, nearly twenty-four hours after reading it.

That being said, I need only remind you guys that this book is quite triggering due to its subject matter and you should not put yourself in the position of reading it if you have doubts on whether or not it will trigger something in you.

Let’s talk about our leading lady–our narrator–shall we?

Eden is sincerely one of the most available characters I’ve ever read in many ways. I mean on that personal level; she is so real--the way Amber Smith paints this girl's story is all too real and a voice that was desperately needed in young adult fiction.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline | Rating: ★★★★★

"Time constricts and flattens, you know. It’s not evenly weighted. Certain moments linger in the mind and others disappear."

Have you ever read a book that sticks with you for months after you’ve originally read it? Of course — all avid book readers have. Whether that’s a classic or newly introduced novels like The Book Thief, we’ve all had them. For me, that book is Orphan Train — a fascinating tale of a bond that forms between a teenager and an elderly widow who have a bit more in common than the teenager previously thought. It is almost impossible not to learn something from this interesting time in our worlds history.

One trigger warning is that there is a small section of the story that does feature the topic of sexual abuse in foster homes.

Our story opens to the life of seventeen year old Molly Ayer, who has gotten into some trouble and has landed a gig in the form of community service to prevent her from ending up in Juvie. We come to find that she lives with a foster family she isn’t particularly fond of (and a foster mother who is definitely not fond of her) and get a pretty decent glimpse into her life before foster care as well as her everyday life. Her narrative isn’t the best and she isn’t as well developed or believable as Vivian, but it’s still decently done.

The real treasure in this novel is the story we’re told in flashbacks about the elderly woman she helps clean for: known in present day as Vivian Daly. Vivian proves to us that through tragedy our strength really does appear in time.