By Kimberly Russell; 2012
Summary: “Today is the day it is going to happen. I’m
not melancholy or nervous. I just want to get it over with more than anything.
Today is the day that I, Lilly Barnes, die.”
My Review: Whew....Honestly when I received this novel I was a little skeptical. When I heard it was about a girl wanting to end her life, I was really unsure. But I like reading new things and I always give a book a chance. And I was quite taken by surprise to how much I like it. When I take on a read such as this, I become the character. I put myself in their place and try to think and feel like they do. Just to understand the character and get a better reading experience. And with this read I gained a better perspective about how certain events in your life can effect how you feel about yourself and life in general. This really gave me a better insight to what people go through and how they deal with it.
Lilly is just incredible. I am in awe by her courage. She is such a raw character and has this haunting feel about her. Lilly comes from a very dysfunctional family, which is why she turns to her best friend Buddy and his family. Buddy and his family are awesome. They are so kind and thoughtful and really reached out to Lilly in her time of need. There is something so intriguing about Lilly. She is totally content with the thought of ending her life and giving up on the future and her dreams. Nothing was holding her back from wanting to kill herself. I was so fascinated by her thought process and her feelings. She was just so numb and willing to die. Some of us have never felt that way before. This read pulls us into a view of what people go through everyday and how people are hurting so much inside that dying would bring them more happiness than living.
This read made me think about the realities of life, what teens go through, and how one event or more can change your life. We all know what kind of issues iare out there and sometimes we are scared to listen or read about it. Suicide, depression, and abuse is real.We nee to be informed about these sort of things, so when the time comes we can handle it. I give major props to this author for touching on a sensitive subject such as this and giving me a better insight to suicide and abuse.
If you are looking for a short read and something different than your usual reads, then this is a read for you.
Watch Out For: Sexual abuse, suicide, language, and some kissing.
Guest Post from Kimberly Russell:
Thank you Channing for letting me be a part of your blog! Today I wanted to talk about the advantages of being self-published. When I started this process I didn’t know anything about self-publishing, so if anyone here is thinking about writing or publishing I hope this helps.
People always ask me if I ever plan on trying the traditional route in publishing and my answer is: I did and it didn’t work out.
If you don’t know how it works I’ll explain it quickly. After you finish your novel you write a letter called a query to agents. You tell them about your book and a little bit about yourself. It should only be a page long. Every agent has different requirements for a query, but generally they ask you for a sample of the book. Then, you wait. Wait for them to tell you no or wait for them to ask you for more.
With my book, The Truth about Lilly Barnes, I had a lot interest but ultimately I couldn’t find an agent. At first I was really upset; actually, I was hurt more than anything. I wanted people to read and love this book as much as I do! I turned to self-publishing as a way to get my work out, and I’m so happy that I did. I never imagined how much joy it would bring me.
Here are the top 5 advantages of self-publishing:
5. Retention of Rights – that means I own everything that I come up with, and I can do with it whatever I want. A lot of times when you sign a contract you don’t actually own your work anymore.
4. Marketing – I get to market the book however I want. I’m on tumblr, facebook, twitter, etc. No one tells me what I can or can’t put on these social media outlets.
3. Publication Speed – I published The Truth about Lilly Barnes 6 months after my first novel Between Balloons. If I was working through traditional channels, the process would have been much slower. Books traditionally take two years to become available.
2. Creativity Control – One of my favorite things in the book process is working on the book cover. My little sister is my cover model and that would never happen if I was published traditionally. The time and memories we built during the process are invaluable.
1. Price – Both of my eBooks are on sale for 99 cents. I know most eBooks sale for more but I like that mine are so cheap. I want them to be accessible, available, and affordable to as many people as possible. I hate when you hear about a book you really wanted to read and its $8 on the NOOK.
Thank you, again Channing, for letting me be a part of your blog, and if anyone has any questions you are more than welcome to contact me.www.kimberly-russell.com
Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NGE2MGM5MGY3N2U3MzM4NjZkOTdkODMwOWJmZTgwOjI
Thanks for posting! ~Stormi, Lightning Book Promotions
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