G993 Book Review of before I Let You go by Kelly Rimmer
Author: Kelly Rimmer
ISBN: 978-1-525-82084-7
Publisher: Graydon House
Type of book: Addiction, sisterhood, secrets, child abuse, surviving, thriving, loyalty, journal writing, religious sect, prohibitions, pregnancy, taking drugs while pregnant, laws, morality, choices, Alabama USA
Year it was published: 2018
Summary:
The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar—and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out—she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby—maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable.
As weeks unfold, Lexie finds herself caring for her fragile newborn niece while her carefully ordered life is collapsing around her. She’s in danger of losing her job, and her fiancé only has so much patience for Annie’s drama. In court-ordered rehab, Annie attempts to halt her downward spiral by confronting long-buried secrets from the sisters’ childhood, ghosts that Lexie doesn’t want to face. But will the journey heal Annie, or lead her down a darker path?
Both candid and compassionate, Before I Let You Go explores a hotly divisive topic and asks how far the ties of family love can be stretched before they finally break.
Characters:
Main characters include Lexie and Annie, while secondary characters are Ladies fiance, the sisters mother and her second husband. Lexie is best described as extremely dedicated to her family as well as her job and is perhaps a role model for doing what she can with what life has given her. Lexie is a bit of awe in of Annie's talents of creativity and takes her promise to her dead father very seriously. Annie, at first is best described as both a rebel and a future author before the narcotics. She is a voracious reader and is very loyal to her dead father. Unlike Lexie who tends to try to blend in, Annie does what she can to stand out and in return suffers innumerable consequences for her actions. Lexie fiance sounds a bit too perfect while their mother is far more complex, although the author hints at complexity but doesn't the it up with the story.
Theme:
Secrets are deadly
Plot:
The story is told in first person narrative from the sisters' points of view. Lexie discusses the present and how she is attempting to deal with Annie, while Annie writes in a journal about their past and how she got to where she is today. The author does a good job in keeping their lives apart and not letting one or another know each other's secrets. The questions about the sisters become answered to the reader, and because Annie refused to share her pain and secrets, it becomes a heartbreaking moment when he reader knows why she is struggling while others are in the dark. Although my little one was born in a place of happiness and love, this is a story that all mother's can relate to when it comes to cherishing their children.
Author Information:
(From the book)
Kelly Rimmer is the worldwide and USA TODAY bestselling author of vie novels, including Me Without You and The Secret Daughter. She lives in rural Australia with her husband, two children and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty languages.
Opinion:
I know; another five star book. In my defense, there comes a streak of good books and sometimes a streak of bad books. Previously I went through good and amazing stories, which I am currently reviewing, but now I am reading not so good or talented stories. Anyways, this book seriously deserves those five stars due to the emotional rollercoaster and questions and answers it asks, asking us to look deeply within ourselves and see which roles we fall into. Prior to this story, I took for granted that people who are addicts are just that- ill people. But getting to know Annie's heartbreaking story and seeing the devastation addiction causes her older sister, Lexie, has broken my heart into a million fragments. In other words, for me, Annie humanized the addiction and the terrible consequences addiction has on past and present generations. This is not a light and happy read, and the author doesn't shy away from the ugliness and brutality of addiction. But in the midst of heartbreak, there is hope and redemption for the addict, but only if we as the readers dare to listen and understand.
This was sent to me as a surprise for review
5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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