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Etched On Me (2014)

by Jenn Crowell(Favorite Author)

3.85 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1476739064 (ISBN13: 9781476739069)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Washington Square Press

review 1: Wow. That's what I can say about this book, is WOW. Talk about an emotional ringer. This book takes a hard look at what 16 year old Lesley Holloway does to survive the abuse from her father. Lesley runs away from home and has the courage to seek out the help she needs to become a better person. The tale is heart wrenching, intense and makes you root for Lesley to have the strength to come out on top. There are some heavy subjects in this book but the author is brilliant in writing this story. Like I said this is an emotional ringer of book but it is worth the read. I give 4 stars.
review 2: Lesley has run away from her father and the sexual abuse she’s suffered at his hands and from her mother who’s done nothing to stop it. Social Services tries to ... morehelp her but there are problems with her placement. The strain is taking a toll on Lesley and she turns to self-mutilation for relief, but when she cuts too deep, she is rushed to the hospital and deemed a danger to herself. Fortunately there is one woman, a former teacher she refers to as Miss, who stands by her and tries to help. However, concerns over Lesley’s self-destruction and the problem of being shifted from one facility to another, cause additional strain. Finally she finds comfort in another patient, her roommate, but this bond ends abruptly adding further anguish. The result is that Lesley takes desperate action, leading to more institutionalization and further mental health issues. Slowly she learns to cope but just as she appears to be on the right track with work and taking college classes, a surprise pregnancy brings Social Services back into her life and the officials are skeptical of Lesley’s stability. Despite numerous recommendations, they remove the baby right after she gives birth. The struggle to be able to mother her own child is a battle that Lesley is determined to fight. Crowell based this book on the real story of a similar case in England. The author herself is an abuse victim and her sensitivity to trauma and to institutions is realistic and hard-hitting. There is a balance of good and bad among the social workers, the therapists and other adults in Lesley’s life. Some are kind and sympathetic, some are hardened and distant, some are even cruel and hostile. The story is about resiliency and the importance of having someone who believes in you. Though Lesley suffered horrific abuse, she worked hard, and armed with the coping skills she’s learned, she hopes to be allowed to be a caring mother to her baby. She has scars both on the inside and on the outside to show her struggle, but they do not define her. less

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