C. J. Darlington

Great story, enjoyed the honest spiritual thread that shows a young girl Shay struggling to make sense of her life, her relationship with God, and others as she searches for a “new” normal. Her whole world is flipped upside down after the death of her father. Shay feels lost without him. What to believe about life and God? Her grandparents want nothing to do with her after she has made a bad decision. They bring her to her Aunt’s house to live.

Shay is a complex, intelligent girl trying to make sense of the loss that has her trying to pick up the pieces of her life, trying to make sense of it all as she deals with an emotional storm raging inside and out. Her Aunt and friends try to love the unlovable her, but she has a hard time understanding and loving herself.

I enjoyed the natural spiritual thread going on with Shay as it organically grows with her struggling with life and what she felt about faith, and the fact she is mixed up. Was it all a lie? I like how the author does this naturally in the story line. It was not preachy but refreshing. We do not have the answers to everything. I liked how gut honest this author is in expressing what Shay is going through, and the struggles of high school, finding real friends and trying to fit in. Not to mention dealing with a drama class she did not sign up for.

The authors love of horses, dogs, and kitties shines through this heart-warming, brutally honest look at being a teenager facing hard things and testing the boundaries of a new life. I enjoyed how the author takes readers to a horse show and how Shay was in tuned with the animals. She could see the tale-tale signs of animal abuse. What does that say about the owner? Does he abuse people too? The characters are believable and grow throughout the course of the story. This would be a great read and one that would work well for your next book club pick.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org… (meer)

A busy woman rushing to make it to Bible study, a husband and father who's just been laid off, and a hurting teenager with a secret are all running... Out of Time, a collection of three short stories by author C.J. Darlington.

I promise I don't only read short stories when/because I'm running short on time myself. Even though it's convenient to get in quick reads, I appreciate the short story form for what it is, and this trio is rather good, especially the title story.

I could have cried at the end of that one. It's not a new message or a surprising tale to me, but it's so real. It shows how we humans are, how sometimes we really just don't get it. But it's a motivating story, too.

Now, while I do like author's notes that give background or "behind the scenes" info, I can do without explanations about a story's moral or lesson, especially the shorter a story is. I think it's more powerful when brief and sharp fiction is left to speak for itself, and the reader will catch the message just fine.

This is my first time reading this author, and I plan on doing so again.… (meer)