Book Review: In Leah's Wake by Terri Giuliano Long

About the book:
Title: In Leah's Wake
Author: Terri Giuliano Long
Release date: March 27, 2012
Pages: 372
Where I got the book: I got the book from Amazon on a free promo day.

Summary:
In this haunting coming-of-age novel, award-winning author Terri Giuliano Long delves into every parents’ nightmare as a rebellious teenage daughter unravels before her family, forcing them to reevaluate the choices they’ve made….

Star player and captain of her soccer team, sixteen-year-old Leah Tyler has a bright future ahead of her. Though she’s only in her junior year of high school, several colleges have already expressed interest in recruiting Leah—including Harvard, where her father desperately wants her to go. But when she meets bad boy Todd Corbett, her life soon spirals dangerously out of control.

From ignoring her curfew to experimenting with drugs, Leah is breaking every rule. For the first time in her life, she feels like she’s the one in control, making her own decisions instead of following her parents’ dreams. But as Leah is about to discover, her actions have the power to forever fracture her family.

My review:
Do you ever leave a book on your Kindle or shelf for a while because you're not sure if you'll like it? I've done that several times, and every single time, I wish I hadn't. Last year, In Leah's Wake was offered for free one day, and after seeing it all over the blogosphere and Twitter for months, I thought I'd see what the fuss was about. But I'd heard it was sad, so I kept putting it off. I really have to stop doing that.

It was gritty and certainly not a fairy tale, but I didn't cry. I wish I hadn't waited so long to read it. It was so easy to empathize with the characters, while simultaneously wanting to throw something at them. You could see that they were all trying to do the best they could, but still falling short somehow.

Leah and Justine are craving the love and attention of their parents, who both think they're doing all they are supposed to for their children. A massive communication breakdown builds for years, and ultimately culminates in tragedy.

If you like family drama, I'd definitely recommend this book, but even if you don't like drama (not my favorite genre), this is a well-written story that will make you care about the characters and leave you wanting to see more of their lives.

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