In the Stillness

There are not enough stars for this book. I am an emotional wreck after that...you definitely need some tissues near by! I can't remember the last time a book got me so emotional. I get what people are saying about the ‘pity party' with Natalie, but with depression, when you feel like you're walking round with an emotional ball and chain, it's very hard to look at the positives. You're completely consumed by your own grief, the turmoil of your life, the constant struggle to get through each day. I've never before loved fictional characters like I did with Natalie and Ryker, and Bill and Marion and George. I had to force myself to put it down at night so I could get some sleep, and I thought about the story and the characters when I wasn't reading it. I think the author did such a brilliant job of tackling so many issues at once, and I often wondered if the author herself had been through some of what happens because of how on point she was with it. This book could tug at the heart strings of lots of people, because of all the things that happen in it that different people could relate to. This was why I picked it up, I could relate to parts of it, and it was the first time it felt like I was hearing about someone else's story who'd been through similar. For that reason I wanted it to be a good book, I wanted it to be on point and stripped back and raw. And it really was. It was everything I wanted it to be and so much more. As I empty the bin full of tissues from my 4 hour reading stint, I know I'll never forget this book. I don't buy new books often, and I rarely keep them afterwards, believing that they should be released back out into the world for someone else to experience. I bought the digital copy of this book after reading the free preview, but already knowing I was going to get the full version anyway. But this holds such a special place in my heart that I might get my hands on hard copy and keep it and treasure it forever!!