Beatless review!

Hey, hi, hello! My name is Nat and I'm from Australia. I'm a photographer: with a passion for reading and a love of writing. 

Beth is one of my best friends and I think it's so amazing that she has created this book review blog. I know she's been really busy with work, so she doesn't get much time to write up as many reviews as I know she would like. I recently read some books by Amber L. Johnson, so I asked Beth if she wanted to post the reviews I wrote for them. 

And she did. So, here I am.

Beatless by Amber L Johnson

Mallory Durham has been left behind and it is making her feel less like an adult and more like an afterthought. 

Divorce, sickness, educational aspirations being shattered, and her Aunt Sam moving into her home, have made Mal’s life nearly unrecognizable to her. 

When Tucker Scott re-enters her life along with his band, will they offer what she needs to once again find her voice and self confidence or will it strip her of it even more? 

Told through the dual voices of Mallory as she navigates her new world, and Aunt Sam’s letters to her niece, Beatless tells the story of two women at very different points in their life, fighting the same battles. Proving that no matter what age a person is, there are always lessons to be learned.

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Review

I give it-5/5

Review - Beatless is an amazing story about a young girl named Mallory, who goes through the motions of feeling alone when her friends move away for college, while she's left stuck in her home town having to go to community college. Her Aunt Sam moves in to live with her after her mother has to move away for work, and the story also focuses on letters Sam has written to Mal. 

Mal reunites with Tucker, the boy from her childhood that she had a crush on, and rekindling that love with him. This story focuses on Mal building up her confidence and self worth as she goes on a journey of re training her voice after having mono, to perform with Tucker and his band, all while falling in love with him along the way. The void she felt from her friends absence is filled by her new friends; her confidence is at an all time high and she's being swept off her feet by Tucker and slowly, but surely, falling in love with him hard and fast. 

Everything is going perfectly for Mal. Until her best friend Lassiter returns to town. Mal tries to stay positive and confident as she informs Lassiter of all she's been up to. But with Lassiter's self absorbed personality and condescending tone, Mal quickly retreats into her old self as Lassiter once again makes her feel small and worthless, all while insulting Tucker. With no filter, Mal says something she'll instantly regret. The rest of the story follows Mal having to deal with the stupid mistake she's made from being pushed back into Lassiter's shadow, and doing everything she can to redeem herself before losing everything she's gained over the last few months. 

I connected with this story on so many levels. I've had a few friends like Lassiter who have made me feel worthless and beat down my self worth to a ridiculously low level. I've made mistakes in saying things I didn't mean to people I loved and cared about from being influenced from other people; in not wanting to lose friends or to become a target myself. I lost people in my life who were more important to me than the ones making me feel insecure and hopeless. I wanted to shake Mal at times; I wanted to punch Tucker in the face when he was being a jerk and I wanted to rip out Lassiter's hair for making Mal feel so low about herself and just for being such a horrible person. There are a lot of sweet moments between Tucker and Mal; and also Sam and Mal. This story made me laugh and smile so bright. But it also really broke my heart in some places. I'm not gonna lie, I cried. I'm not going to say why, because I don't want to give any spoilers, but I did. My stomach bottomed out a few times and there was a lump in my throat. My heart twitched and ached as though it had been pierced by the stinger of a bee. 

The ending of the story is bittersweet. I'm not going to say if it's a happy or sad ending. Okay. It's a bit of both, I guess. But to find out what happens, you're just going to have to read it yourself. And I strongly suggest you do; and promise you won't regret it. 

About the Author

Amber is a full-time mom, full-time wife, is employed full time, and writes when she can. She believes in Happily Ever Afters that occur everyday - despite the obstacles that real life serves up on a regular basis. Or perhaps they're sweeter simply because of them. She always has two rubber bands on her wrist, a song in her head, and too much creamer in her coffee cup that reads 'Cocoa' - because she's a rebel. If she's not at her desk, with her boys, or behind the computer, she's supporting live music with her arms raised above her head and eyes closed, waiting for the drop.