Pause to Rewind (Aimee Alexander) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

31. Pause to Rewind by Aimee Alexander
      Prompt: book by an author who uses a pen name

Synopsis:
Jenny Dempsey has exchanged life in the fast lane for freelance journalism and being a mum. She doesn't look back. Why would she? A broken engagement to her fiancé, Dave. A falling-out with her parents. And a night in a hotel room best forgotten. Life is simple now. Jenny's little boy, Charlie, is starting school, beginning to build a life independent from her. She needs to get her own back.
Life, though, has other plans. When Charlie's diagnosed with leukemia, Jenny is forced to confront her past and all that she has turned from. But she will do anything for Charlie.

My Review:

This is the story of a little boy's journey with cancer. It is told well in first person from the perspective of his mother. No one wants their child to have cancer and Jenny is no different. Through Charlie's journey, Jenny has no choice but to ask for help from people from her past that she cut off in her life as she comes to terms with his diagnosis. She comes to realize just how strong she is, the importance of family, and who her friends are.

The thing that I appreciated was that Aimee didn't shy away from the dreaded word of cancer. She provided just enough medical information about Charlie's leukemia that gave some insight to what he was going through, but didn't slow the book down. That's something you really don't see in a lot books. Some authors won't really get into the information part of cancer treatment and how it effects people, both the patient and family. Aimee did a great job at that, especially the process and way that Jenny came to terms with the cancer.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

Missing Kylie (Mark Myers) Book Review

2017 Reading Challenge

19. Missing Kylie by Mark Myers
      Prompt: a book about a difficult topic

Synopsis:

None of us like to hear the word no – especially as an answer to prayer. So how does a father reconcile a lifelong faith in God when confronted with the word no regarding something as critical as the healing of his youngest child?
This book is a two year journey through that wilderness of no. It contains few answers and many questions, but ultimately a faith that there is a loving God who chose a path we will never understand on this side of heaven.
When Kylie was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2014, her father believed that she would be completely healed and become a living testimony to God’s faithfulness and goodness. That is not the story that God wrote. A writer and blogger, Mark began posting about his struggles of heart and faith with a unique ability to mix humor and heartache. His genuine and often raw style seemed to resonate with many hurting people and his words were shared on many platforms.
Upon Kylie’s death in February 2015, he began a journey to find purpose among the ruins heaped on him, his family, and his faith – documenting both progress and set-backs. With several never-before published writings including an especially poignant letter written by Kylie just days before her death, this book is a compilation of blog posts and journal entries that allows you to walk alongside him for this season. It will bring both smiles and tears. You will feel his hope and faith while he faces the struggle, endures the pain of devastating loss, then embarks on a desperate search for meaning, while always: Missing Kylie.

My Review:

No one wants to hear the word cancer, especially when it's a child. But that's what happened to Mark and his family. His daughter Kylie was diagnosed with cancer and Mark only wanted to believe that she would survive. But it was an aggressive form of cancer that ultimately led to her death ten months later. Mark writes about the effects his daughter's cancer journey had on not only Kylie, but the rest of his family, before and after her death. The most poignant writing came on his journey of searching for purpose and meaning after Kylie died. There's no book out there that tells you how to grieve after someone dies because everyone is different and everyone deals with loss and heartbreak differently. Mark's struggles with hope and faith is understandable as it's real and genuine, but he also mixed it with a touch of humor which actually worked in an unique writing style. What I particularly enjoyed was the letters that Mark, his wife, and his other daughters wrote to Kylie around a year after her death.

Final Note: It's okay to question faith and God during hard times. But it's also important to remember that He's always with you and He will get you through it. It won't happen overnight, but with time and prayer, we, with God's support and grace, have the power to overcome those hard times.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

~Meg~

Finding Hope (Melanie D Snitker) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

22. Finding Hope by Melanie D Snitker

Synopsis:

Cancer. That one word has rocked Lexi Chandler's life to the core. Her focus has always been to help others. She loves being a nurse and enjoys spending time with her family. Things had been going according to plan. Now she’s struggling to pick up the pieces and make sense of the changes in her life. Lance Davenport has cared for Lexi since they were kids. Between their age difference and bad timing, he's turned burying his feelings into an art. Now, watching Lexi battle with cancer has made him realize just how much he's missed. He doesn't know what their future holds, but he's determined to not waste another minute. The people closest to Lexi pull together as she tries to navigate her way down a path none of them ever dreamed she’d have to travel.

My Review:

Lexi has everything going for her. In the blink of an eye, all that changes the  she gets diagnosed with what nobody ever wants to hear: cancer. As a nurse, Lexi's used to helping others. When she gets cancer, it puts Lexi in a position she's not used to being in: the patient, the one who needs help. At the beginning of her journey, she doesn't want anyone to really know (except family of course) and wants to do it alone. So that no one has to see the bad days of her battle.

Lance has known Lexi her whole life. He's a friend of her brother's and has always watched out for Lexi growing up. What she doesn't know, he's always had feelings for her, but has kept it hidden because he thinks it would be inappropriate. When Lexi tells her family about the cancer, Lance wasn't going to let her go through it alone. He insists on taking to her appointments and treatments. Finally he realizes that it's his chance to show her how he really feels and don't let a relationship slip away. 

As Lexi goes through her cancer journey, she realizes that it's okay to ask for help, to need help. Her family and closest friends come together to support her in her fight. When a devastating event happens to her family, they all realize what's truly important. That it doesn't necessarily matter about what you have; it's about the little things and the memories you make/have with those you love.

It's about having each other and supporting each other no matter what.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥