Saturday 9 August 2014

Review ~ The Story of Me (Carnage #2) by Lesley Jones

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 Stars


“The biggest lies we tell, George, are the ones we tell ourselves.”

First off, I will start by saying that this is nothing like Carnage and to be honest I was glad because I don’t think my heart could have taken another heart shattering, soul destroying ride that Carnage delivered. This is Georgia’s story and as we know from Carnage she has had an incredibly tough life, she has been through the mill, her heart has been shattered and she has been left in pieces. Can the devastation of Carnage ever be put in the past? Can Georgia recover? Will her heart ever be the same again? Can life go on for Georgia?

This is one e-mot-ion-al book but as I said above totally different from Carnage. This is the story about Georgia learning to cope with her past, trying to live in the present and coming to terms with the fact that she does have a future. After her heart was decimated in Carnage it takes a lot of soul searching and some amazing friends and family to make her see that there is a life for her beyond the “Carnage.” As the saying goes though, you have to hit the bottom before you can reach for the top and there is still a lot of turmoil for Georgia to go through before she can begin her turnaround. Guilt is an incredibly overpowering emotion; none more so for Georgia but that guilt is so misplaced. She was a victim, the fall-out from a terrible accident, the one that was left behind, she had what they label as “survivors guilt.” Now it was up to her to not let that guilt swallow her whole, but to break free and live the life that Sean would have wanted for her. He wouldn’t have wanted her to give up and this was what she needed to come to terms with.

“It sounds like the most logical thing to do, but in my head, in my head all I can see is that old tumble drier full of socks of my mum’s going around, every sock representing a different thought, feeling and emotion…”

I really cannot say much about this book and as much as I would like to gush about its contents anything I do say would be a massive spoiler, so I will have to refrain. I will say though that this book will make you see Carnage in a different light, well it did for me. I found myself re-visiting scenes in Carnage and having a totally new perspective. You will find yourself imagining things differently, seeing other characters in a totally different way and having a new and different appreciation for those characters.

One thing I also found was I was right all along about a certain person. He truly was a beautiful person inside and out despite the tough exterior. If you were like me while reading Carnage, I was so totally engrossed in Georgia and Sean’s story that you tended to forget about the other characters that were left behind in their all-consuming romance. There are more victims than first meets the eye and none more so than this man. Yes it may have dictated how his life turned out, but one thing never changed for him and this you are made painfully aware of while reading this book.

“If I was to have a custom made steering wheel made to represent me, it would have a little He-Man on it, coz I’m not just King of the world; I’m Master of the f**king Universe.”

Georgia’s family in this book are truly amazing and are one powerful family unit and will do anything and I mean anything to keep their family together. The ladies in this family are so strong, so extraordinary that you cannot help but wish you were a part of it. I found that this part of the book in particular to be emotionally draining but so empowering at the same time. You find yourself wanting to be a better person for your own family. Outside interference can wait; family is the priority, no matter what.

This is not all about the “feels” and the emotion, this book has some serious wit in it too that will have you laughing out loud. This humour interspersed with the emotion gave the book a perfect balance.

This was one of those stories that needed to be told and Lesley Jones told it perfectly. This is a story that will give you a new appreciation for life and to grasp what you have with both hands, to never take people for granted as you never know what the future holds. Make the most of your life, live it to the max and most of all be happy, life is a gift, hold it, treasure it, live it, breathe it but most of all make the most of it, be the person to make that difference.
 
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