Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for review from InkSlinger PR and from the author. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
About THE TATTERED GLOVES
Head down.Don’t look up.
Never make eye contact.
Those were the words I lived by growing up, the words that protected me in an unsafe home. But words are only letters and eventually even they couldn’t keep his hands off me.
Hoping to leave behind the shattered life of my past, I find myself in a boring, small town, with an aunt I’ve never met and at a school I loathe.
But soon I learn, not everything in this world is as black and white as I’ve determined. Sometimes those we are so quick to judge often need a second, third or even fourth time to make a first impression.
And often, there are friendships and even love waiting just around the corner, if we are brave enough to take the first step.
Am I brave? Or will I hide behind these tattered gloves of mine forever?
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My Thoughts:
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Told in the first person.
Told in the first person.
Willow Fairchild had a very sad childhood. She seems to have to pay the price for a
neglectful mother. But you have to
wonder what the long term effect will be as she grows up – and that’s a great
incentive to keep reading. I was glad to
see that the author created a caring/loving character for Willow. She brightens up a scene before it gets too
dark – she seems to shine. The woman is
also very contrite about a situation she had no control over.
Right out of the gate the author writes a book that pulls at your
heartstrings – so you may want to stay close to your box of tissue. It’s a story that will make you angry but it
should also make you think. Were you one
to make fun of someone different from you?
Not as perfect as you? Or did you
go against the norm and befriend that person?
Maybe you were that person but didn’t know how to reach out – who to
trust.
Sam Shepherd was another character I loved. He was exactly a person that Willow needed in
her life – to be there to push her buttons.
We all need someone like that in our world so that we don’t retreat into
ourselves. We have a right to be in this
world just like everyone else. At one
time or another we all may wear mittens/gloves on our hands. They may not be visible to everyone around us
but they protect us. We can’t feel
anything when they do their job. They
make us feel safe and protected from the cold but they also keep our warmth in
and not everyone can see that. Sometimes
we have to get out of our comfort zone and allow people to touch us so that
they will see the good in what we try to hide underneath.
This may have been a teen read but I think a lot of adults will enjoy
this as well. It reminds us of our
childhood – both the good and the bad.
Hopefully some of those kids that used to bully/name call us while we
were growing up have changed. If not,
hopefully they know that their day will eventually come. Childhood can be cruel but it can also be
fun. We all need more Sam’s and Addy’s
in our lives. Willow gives a small voice
to those children that have been abused both mentally and physically. She gives a profound statement at the end of
this story that may be a good montra for those young people that have
experienced something similar. Ms. Berg
has written a story that I can’t wait to read again.
Excerpt:
“Your mother does know what size you wear, doesn’t she?” Addy asked the next morning as I walked out of the bathroom, showered and dressed for school.
Looking down at another version of the black long-sleeved shirt I’d worn the day before, I shook my head. “No,” I answered. “This is hers. Most of my clothes are. She always just gave me what she didn’t want anymore.”
Her eyes widened and then softened.
“Well, I meant what I said. I’m taking you into town this weekend. You’re too tiny to be wearing your mom’s hand-me-downs. She’s got to be at least two sizes bigger than you.”
Four sizes, but who is counting?
“Maybe, if I keep feeding you like this, you’ll actually grow some meat on those bones of yours,” she suggested, her keen eyes still fixated on my body.
It made me suddenly aware of the way my jeans felt so loose around my hips… how easily they fell from my body.
“You and me… we’re the same.”
The memory of his voice cut through my mind like a razor blade, and I instantly stiffened.
“Willow? You okay?” Addy noticed my change in mood almost instantly. She moved to my aid but stopped herself before her hand reached my shoulder. “Whatever is going through your mind right now, it will fade.”
“It won’t,” I said through clenched teeth. “It will never fade.”
“It will. Maybe not today or tomorrow, not even next year… but with time, it will fade. And it will heal.”
“You don’t know. You can’t—”
“Trust me,” was all she said before turning toward the door.
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About J.L. Berg:
J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series, The Walls Duet, and the Lost & Found Duet. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she's not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.
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