Past Darkness by Laurel Woiwode review!

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Past Darkness Crossway (April 30, 2013) by Laurel Woiwode

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laurel Woiwode graduated with honors from Jamestown College, earning a Bachelor of Arts in both English and History. She works with ESL students, writes movie reviews at reelquickie.areavoices.com, works on writing and editing projects, and is always ready for outdoor adventures. Laurel grew up in rural North Dakota, has had an avid interest in animals, nature, and literature since childhood, and she is the author of Past Darkness.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Gabrielle Larson is an average, 15 year old girl living in Chicago when tragedy strikes. In the aftermath, she is forced to relocate to rural North Dakota and henceforth spends the next chapter of her life learning to cope with trials involving everything from family to faith. Laurel Woiwode, daughter of critically acclaimed novelist Larry Woiwode, offers here a moving story that will be appreciated by female and male readers alike. Past Darkness is not preachy or heavy-handed, but rather a touching story about the importance of family, the power of music, and the ever-present mercy of God.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Past Darkness, go HERE,


My review:
This was a sad book for me to read. Gabrielle is forced to leave behind her past in Chicago and to start new in North Dakota. I felt so bad for her. She lost her family, her friends, her house, her comfort zone, and eventually herself. She faces an extreme loss, that affected my heart strings. She lives with her aunt and uncle. They try everything to make her feel better. Her uncle teaches her how to take care of horses, and the farm. He even gets her one as a gift. She is so bitter, she is rude to him, and leaves the farm soon after. I felt so bad for her aunt and uncle. They were the ones who got her anger.
As the book progresses, and Gabrielle realizes that her actions made her lose two families, Gabrielle starts to find herself in music. She meets Ian. A blind musician who teaches her how to feel with her heart again. The ending was beautiful. I am so glad I got this book. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy from CFBA to review, however all opinions are my own.