Tag Archives: divorce

Review: Visitations by Corey Egbert

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Visitations by Corey Egbert

Visitations
Corey Egbert
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Published December 17, 2024

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About Visitations

Inspired by true events, this haunting yet hopeful young adult graphic novel weaves together family dynamics, mental illness, and religion―perfect for fans of Hey, Kiddo.

Corey’s mom has always made him feel safe. Especially after his parents’ divorce, and the dreaded visitations with his dad begin. But as Corey grows older, he can’t ignore his mother’s increasingly wild accusations. Her insistence that God has appointed Corey as his sister’s protector. Her declaration that Corey’s father is the devil.

Soon, she whisks Corey and his sister away from their home and into the boiling Nevada desert. There, they struggle to survive with little food and the police on the trail. Meanwhile, under the night sky, Corey is visited by a flickering ghost, a girl who urges him to fight for a different world―one outside of his mother’s spoon-fed tales, one Corey must find before it’s too late.

Drawing inspiration from his own upbringing in the Mormon church, Corey Egbert welcomes readers on an emotionally stirring, nuanced journey into the liminal spaces between imagination and memory, faith and truth.

My Review

I think the thing that breaks my heart the most about this story is the way that Corey’s mom used religion to isolate him and his sister from Corey’s dad. There’s more to it than that, but it was honestly heartbreaking to read some of those scenes where Corey’s dad tries to be as normal as possible around kids who’ve clearly been instructed to freeze him out.

Corey wrestles with some heavy questions about his faith in the midst of some pretty wild circumstances. There’s a lot to process for him. His mom basically kidnaps him and his sister. At first, he has confidence in her faith. But as time goes on and their situation becomes more dire, things get weirder and weirder.

We watch him and his sister trying to figure out how to respond to this situation in which they suddenly have real questions about the person they’ve believed is the most trustworthy. Where is the tipping point at which you push back and stop listening to this person? How does that work when they are the adult and you’re the child?

The book explores some really heavy ideas like that, but it also celebrates the complexity of family relationships. The author is careful not to demonize the character with mental health issues but doesn’t minimize the harm that untreated illness causes.

Visitations offers a critical window into a high-control religious family and what that looks like from within. While that experience may be foreign to a lot of readers, the characters’ expressions and dialog between characters make it easy to empathize with Corey.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Corey and his family are practicing Mormons. One character has mental health issues.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
References to child sexual abuse. (Nothing happens in-scene.) Corey has a crush on a girl at school. He feels ashamed about his attraction to her. He feels uncomfortable while in the parking lot of a place where there are sex workers present.

Spiritual Content
Corey and his family are Mormon. They pray together and he learns verses and stories from the Book of Mormon. Corey’s prayer experience is sometimes illustrated to show him confronting a character that represents his perception of God as an old man with white hair.

Corey has been taught to believe that when things go wrong, it’s the enemy obstructing Heavenly Father’s plan.

Violent Content
Corey’s grandfather is arrested for abusing a child. (Nothing shown in the scenes of the book.) Corey’s mom worries that someone has abused Corey’s sister. Scenes show kidnapping and hiding from police.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The House Swap by Yvette Clark

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

The House Swap
Yvette Clark
HarperCollins
Published February 28, 2023

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About The House Swap

The Parent Trap meets The Holiday in this heartwarming and funny story of two girls, one American and one British, who become friends and confidantes when their families swap houses, from the acclaimed author of Glitter Gets Everywhere.

Allie is British and dreams of being a spy. Sage is an only child from sunny California. They meet when their families swap houses for the summer.

Though they’re polar opposites, Allie and Sage quickly realize that they’re both dealing with family issues–Sage’s parents may be on the brink of divorce, and Allie’s struggling to feel heard in her big family. It may take a trip around the world for them to find their place at home.

This sweet and emotional story is told in alternating chapters from each girl’s point of view, offering two unique perspectives on family and belonging.

My Review

Allie and Sage actually spend some time in the same house due to Allie’s dog being ill right as they’re supposed to leave on their trip. Sage and her mother arrive to find Allie and her mom still in the house, waiting for news about their dog from the vet. I liked that the two girls became friends before the true house swap part of the story happens. That way they stay connected through the rest of the story, which I thought was cool.

Each girl has something she’s been holding back. For Allie, it’s her feelings about being the invisible middle child. For Sage, it’s worries about her parents splitting up. As the girls get to know one another, they give each other the perspective that only a good friend can. Though the advice isn’t always exactly right, the spirit in which it’s given is love and support.

This is a sweet story. If you’ve read GLITTER GETS EVERYWHERE, you’ll know to expect some funny moments and quirky characters. (Mrs. Armstrong was my favorite.) I thought this story wasn’t as emotionally heavy as GLITTER, but it also deals with sadness and grief. I definitely felt THE PARENT TRAP vibes and THE HOLIDAY vibes, too.

All in all, I thought this was a sweet, heartfelt story about two girls learning to speak up about difficult things. I think readers who love books by Kate Messner or Claire Swinarski will love this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. Allie’s family is British. Sage’s family is from Los Angeles.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE HOUSE SWAP in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Your Place or Mine? by Charlotte Schwartz

Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Parenting, , , , , , , , ,

Your Place or Mine?: Practical Advice for Developing a Co-Parenting Strategy After Separating
Charlotte Schwartz
Dundurn Press
Published September 27, 2022

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About Your Place or Mine?

Navigate the challenges of co-parenting with practical advice and legal tips.

So you did it. You separated. And now the kids that you always planned to raise together are being raised apart. Most people don’t start a family expecting not to see their children every day, and yet roughly half of us end up in that scenario. From there, it’s a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure — and there are many choices you can make.

Your Place or Mine? is a detailed resource for separating parents. It will help you navigate the legal system, including negotiating a settlement, mediation, and litigation, and explains the nuances of different paths to dispute resolution. It also provides specific advice about what to include in a compassionate separation agreement, such as specifying how far parents can live from each other, where transitions take place, how to handle kids’ belongings, communication, future disputes, and introducing your child to a new partner.

Schwartz introduces you to several families (including her own) with separated parents, as well as adults who were raised by co-parents, and offers their insights. She also provides accessible advice from psychologists on kids’ mental health, as well as tips from family law lawyers, who share anecdotes about the world of co-parenting.

My Review

Why I read this book

First of all, I should reassure my friends and family who follow my blog that I didn’t request a review copy of this book because I’m thinking of separating or getting divorced. Ha! That’s not on the horizon for me.

The reason I wanted to read this book was more for the focus on how to co-parent through separation and divorce, since I have a child with a partner I’m no longer married to. Which means I am one of the masses of parents who navigate co-parenting on a daily basis.

I wanted to read this book to see if there are things I can add to my toolbox so to speak. Techniques I’d never used or questions I should consider.

What’s in the book

At any rate, I’d say about 50-60% of the book is more a walk-through of what separation and divorce entail from a legal perspective. What is the process? What does it look like? Are there advantages to pursuing mediation versus going to court?

There were some great notes on finding support and good legal representation, too. She talked about the importance of a good support system and what that looks like through a divorce process. She also discussed questions to ask your legal representative and questions they should be asking you. How do you know they’re doing a good job? That kind of thing.

Additionally, she briefly explained of the evolution of family law in terms of what used to be the standard approach (Mom’s care and custody of children used to be the priority) versus the approach now (it’s recognized that children do the best when both parents are involved in their lives, so courts will not prioritize one parent’s care over the other unless abuse has been proven.).

Who is the legal advice most relevant to?

It’s worth noting that she lives and works in Ontario, Canada, so the legal advice is most relevant to readers living there, but I am familiar with some of the things she discussed from my own experience in the US. So some things are pretty broadly accepted.

I think a book like this would have been really helpful while I was going through a separation/divorce before. I had no idea what to expect, and didn’t really have anyone close to me I could ask advice from. Separating is a huge, stressful experience, especially when you have a child who’s experiencing the grief and disruption of that separation on top of trying to work through your own emotions and navigate issues with your former partner.

So yeah, I think I would have gotten a lot out of a straightforward book like this.

Navigating changes in the relationship between yourself and your partner

There was a fair amount of advice on navigating the relationship between yourself and your ex. I liked her advice and the advice from clients that she shared as well. It basically boils down to considering the needs of the children first and foremost and treating the other person like they are a good parent even if they weren’t a good partner to you. I thought those were both really great point, even if hard to put into practice sometimes.

All in all, I think this is a really practical, gentle guide for people going through separation from a partner with whom they have one or more children. It’s pretty comprehensive and helps make what is a very overwhelming process feel more orderly. With the book, not only is there a light at the end of the tunnel, she tells you what the tunnel looks like and where some of the tricky twists and turns are likely to be.

I highly recommend this book for people in the process of getting separated and/or divorced.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 18 up.

Representation
Written by a white, middle class woman. She practices family law in Canada and is divorced herself and a child of divorced parents. She includes testimonies from marginalized clients, including BIPOC and LGBTQ2S partners.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to the importance of faith community as a part of your chosen support network if you desire.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of YOUR PLACE OR MINE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Arden Grey by Ray Stoeve

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Arden Grey
Ray Stoeve
Amulet Books
Published April 26, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Arden Grey

Sixteen-year-old Arden Grey is struggling. Her mother has left their family, her father and her younger brother won’t talk about it, and a classmate, Tanner, keeps harassing her about her sexuality—which isn’t even public. (She knows she likes girls romantically, but she thinks she might be asexual.) At least she’s got her love of film photography and her best and only friend, Jamie, to help her cope.

Then Jamie, who is trans, starts dating Caroline, and suddenly he isn’t so reliable. Arden’s insecurity about their friendship grows. She starts to wonder if she’s jealous or if Jamie’s relationship with Caroline is somehow unhealthy—and it makes her reconsider how much of her relationship with her absent mom wasn’t okay, too.

My Review

This was kind of a last-minute pick for me, but ARDEN GREY seemed like a book that I didn’t want to miss. I’ve read a few other books with photographer narrators– TELL ME EVERYTHING by Sarah Enni and BREATHING UNDERWATER by Sarah Allen are the two I remember off the top of my head– and I’ve enjoyed all of them. And complex family relationships are another pretty sure-fire win for me in a book.

I guess all that to say that I had pretty high expectations when I went into Arden Grey, and the author absolutely delivered on them. Arden’s shyness and small social circle, her struggle to connect with others, definitely resonated with me. I felt like she was on a clear emotional journey, and I wanted to be there for every minute of it.

As she finds new friends and the confidence to share her photography with others, she’s also grieving a lot of changes in her family and personal life. Her relationship with Jamie really struck me. Knowing someone you love is in a bad situation, but won’t leave it is truly heartbreaking, and the pages of ARDEN GREY really capture both the grief over the loss of friendship, the fears and worries that something is deeply wrong, and the helplessness that comes from being a bystander that’s shut out for trying to speak the truth.

Arden also faces huge changes in her family. Her parents have separated, and her brother isn’t doing well. She can’t figure out how to reconnect with him or her dad. Then Arden’s brother opens up to her, breaking open a family secret and asking Arden to accept it. Arden reels. She struggles. She grieves even more. But she also learns. Listens. Tries new things. Tries to find ways to heal. She’s a hero. I love her.

Most of the abusive relationships or situations happen off-scene or are briefly recounted in memory. I think this helps keep the story from centering on an abuser. It also means we must trust Arden, her brother, and Jamie for their descriptions of what happened and how it made them feel. This resonated with me, too, because that’s very often the position friends or family members are in, where we’re trying to understand what happened and what it means.

On the whole, yeah, I loved this book for its deep, wrenching emotional journey through difficult relationships and facing abuse. The author shares some great resources in a note at the back of the book, which I will post here, too.

Power and Control Wheel

I’d never heard of this, but when Arden’s brother brings it up as something he learned about in health class, I searched online to see if it was a real thing– and it is! I wish I’d known about this a lot sooner than now, but I will definitely be sharing it with others. Basically, it’s a graphic that describes different behaviors and how they fit into a cycle of abuse.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

What is a Healthy Relationship? – from the Domestic Violence Hotline website

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Arden is asexual and a lesbian. Jamie is a trans boy. Vanessa, a minor character, is Latina. Marc, another minor character, is also asexual and Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. Reference to sex between Jamie and his girlfriend. Arden holds hands with someone.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content – Content warning for abuse and mentions of self-harm.
Arden hears her mother slap her brother.

Arden begins to recognize signs of abuse in her relationship with her (now absent) mom and in Jamie’s relationship with his girlfriend. Most of the abusive behavior happens off-scene and is either summarized or reported on later. One person uses self-harm and threats of self-harm to try to control another’s behavior.

Drug Content
Arden’s younger brother comes home late and drunk several times. Arden drinks a beer with her friends at a party.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: In Another Life by C.C. Hunter

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

In Another Life
C.C. Hunter
Wednesday Books
Publishes March 26, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Wednesday Books

About IN ANOTHER LIFE

Chloe was three years old when she became Chloe Holden, but her adoption didn’t scar her, and she’s had a great life. Now, fourteen years later, her loving parents’ marriage has fallen apart and her mom has moved them to Joyful, Texas. Starting twelfth grade as the new kid at school, everything Chloe loved about her life is gone. And feelings of déjà vu from her early childhood start haunting her.

When Chloe meets Cash Colton she feels drawn to him, as though they’re kindred spirits. Until Cash tells her the real reason he sought her out: Chloe looks exactly like the daughter his foster parents lost years ago, and he’s determined to figure out the truth.

As Chloe and Cash delve deeper into her adoption, the more things don’t add up, and the more strange things start happening. Why is Chloe’s adoption a secret that people would kill for?

My Review

Usually I’m not a big fan of those dreamboat oddball hero names. You know, the kind that don’t really sound like actual names. In this case, though, Cash’s name really works because his dad was a con man, and money was all he valued. So it was kind of perfect and made sense.

I liked Chloe right away. You could definitely feel her hurt and frustration at being caught between her parents. She had reasons to be angry with both of them, but also loved them both, too. I liked that her family wasn’t perfect going into the story. It added a lot of tension right at the beginning of IN ANOTHER LIFE.

In terms of Cash’s character, I’m kind of a sucker for the unworthy, heart-of-gold guy. It’s hard for me not to like someone like that. On the other hand, that unworthiness creates huge problems for anyone trying to have relationships with him, and I liked that IN ANOTHER LIFE addressed that as well – it wasn’t just about Chloe’s history. Cash also had to confront some demons and he wasn’t a purely romanticized character, even though the main focus of the novel is unraveling the circumstances surrounding Chloe’s adoption and what really happened to the missing girl.

The story reminded me a little bit of THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTON by Carolyn Cooney, so it struck some nostalgia for me. I think fans of that duology or THE LOST AND THE FOUND by Cat Clarke will enjoy IN ANOTHER LIFE.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Brief mention of one character’s mom being a lesbian. Brief appearance by Chloe’s dad’s cousin and his husband.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently. Some crude comments.

Romance/Sexual Content
Lots of kissing. Chloe mentions losing her virginity to her last boyfriend. At one point Chloe removes her top and lies down with her boyfriend while they kiss and touch. There’s a cut scene later, where they lead up to going to have sex and then the scene picks up afterward.

At one point, a man watches a girl sleep and has some sexual thoughts about her. They’re not super graphic, but it’s definitely creepy

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Cash remembers bits of his past, including getting shot by police while his dad tried to run from a crime. He gets into a couple of physical altercations with another student– a boy who bullies others. At one point, someone shoots at the car Cash and Chloe are in. Another woman gets shot, which is briefly described

Drug Content
Chloe’s mom abuses sleeping pills for a short time. She ends up taking antidepressants, and almost as soon as she starts taking them, she feels better. I didn’t think this was very realistic, but I did like that it was a positive portrayal of taking medication for depression.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing, but help me buy more books.

About C. C. Hunter

Website | Facebook | Twitter

C.C. HUNTER is a pseudonym for award-winning romance author Christie Craig. She is lives in Tomball, Texas, where she’s at work on her next novel.

Christie’s books include The Mortician’s Daughter series, Shadow Fall Novels and This Heart of Mine.