Welcome to my stop of Torn Away! I'm so happy to share a novel that touched me so deeply. Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour here!
Author: Jennifer Brown
Pages: 288
Publisher: Little Brown Reader by Young Readers
Publication Date: May 6 2014
Born and raised in the Midwest, Jersey Cameron knows all about tornadoes. Or so she thinks. When her town is devastated by a twister, Jersey survives -- but loses her mother, her young sister, and her home. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with her only surviving relatives: first her biological father, then her estranged grandparents.
In an unfamiliar place, Jersey faces a reality she's never considered before -- one in which her mother wasn't perfect, and neither were her grandparents, but they all loved her just the same. Together, they create a new definition of family. And that's something no tornado can touch.
When I was told how good Jennifer Brown books were, I didn't realize that they were this good. It was ridiculously amazing. I can honestly say that I am fool for not reading any of her books before because right now, I'm just blown away how great Torn Away was. Torn Away is one of those novels that deals with loss and grief in a heart-breaking way that I have to say that it is one of the best that I've read so far that excelled in dealing with the pain of losing families.
Our main character, Jersey loses her Mom and younger sister, Marin due to a tornado hitting their town. Jersey fends for herself as her Mom and Marin were on their way to a ballet studio when the tornado came. When she finds out that her stepdad, Ronnie is still alive, but doesn't want to take her of her and wants to ship her off to Jersey's grandparents (her father's side) , she begs Ronnie not to. Jersey has never met her biological father nor his family. Jersey's Mom warned her that her biological father was not a good man. Even though, Jersey's Mom died in the novel, I'm glad with the choices that her mother made. Jersey's mother left her biological father because she knew she deserved better. She knew that Jersey's biological father wasn't capable of taking care of the both of them. I'm completely ecstatic that she realized that and married a man who treated her just the way she wanted to be. In the novel, Jersey's biological father is a mess. He's a drunk and is awfully mean. I can't even imagine what Jersey's life would be like if her mother stayed with him.
When Jersey moves into her grandparent's place, she meets her father, Clay. I assumed that their reunion would be a happy one with awkward tension, but Jersey's father clearly states that his daughters are his number one and that she can never be on the same level as them. I didn't think that Clay would be this mean.
I thought he would actually become a real father to her when she just lost her mother and sister, but it turned that Jersey's Mom was right from the beginning. He was never a father and never will be. Not only was Clay mean, but his wife and children were such terrible people. It amazes me that Jersey stayed there for a couple of months before running away.
Jersey's progression to moving on is definitely a difficult road to walk on as she's lost her family and been shipped to both her father's and mother's grandparent's place. When she was forced to move to her mother's old home where her mother's parents lived, she was scared and quiet due to her experience with Clay's family. But her grandparents weren't anything like Clay's family. Her grandparents are kind, thoughtful and just the people she needs right now. She ignores them at first, but eventually, she opens up to them.
The way Jennifer Brown ended off the book was amazingly beautiful. I wish I could say more, but I really don't want to spoil anything. All I could say that the ending was fantastic and what caused me to request all of her books from the library. I literally cannot wait to read her previous novels.
Jennifer Brown tore me apart with the sudden loss of Jersey's family, but mended me back together as Jersey slowly moves forward on with her life. Torn Away is a well deserved five star book.
About the Author
Two-time winner of the Erma Bombeck Global Humor Award (2005 & 2006), Jennifer's weekly humor column appeared in The Kansas City Star for over four years, until she gave it up to be a full-time young adult novelist.
Jennifer writes and lives in the Kansas City, Missouri area, with her husband and three children.
Giveaway
