Tuesday, March 20, 2018

The Way the Light Bends by Cordelia Jensen {review}

Hi everyone! Today I'm reviewing one of the books I read during/after Hurricane Maria. Yeah, I read this book when I was going through a difficult time... so get ready! This review will be super personal. Also, I haven't discuss the adoption subject on the blog and I will finally do it with this book.
Book title: The Way the Light Bends
Publication date: March 27, 2018
Author: Cordelia Jensen
Genres: Young Adult, Poetry, Contemporary, Family
Publisher: Philomel Books
Pages: 400
How I got the book: Sent for Review; I received an eARC copy from the author through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
Review

If you read my short review on goodreads, you already know that I hold this book close to my heart. And no, is not only because I read it during the hurricane; as I mentioned before, it involves the subject of adoption which is very important to me. This wonderful story about two sisters, Linc and Holly, is told in verse and it involves family relationships, race, love and more.

I don't know how many people agree with me but, Linc is so relatable; and that's one of the reasons why she's my favorite. I can see and feel her struggle in the middle of her family. She is constantly wondering if she is enough for her parents; especially her mom, because she thinks her mom prefers Holly. And how many children doesn't go through this? Also, I was so mad with the teachers comparing their work. It brought me back so many memories. I have two sisters, I'm the middle child. We basically shared the same teachers, so it was a difficult situation being compared to my oldest sister all the time. I hope my little sister isn't going through this.

I enjoyed how Cordelia exposes Linc's vulnerability. She was always feeling less than her sister, and I was like her when I was growing up. But as I'm always saying... self love is not easy and that's okay. This, and many other things, made me feel so connected to Linc; and this is very important, to feel represented-- I can't say this with many books!

So yeah, as you can see, I loved the story! Oh, and I got teary with everything related to the adoption. Why? Well... not many people know this, but we've always wanted to adopt a child. On September 23 2017, we finally got a face to face appointment scheduled. And then? Hurricane Maria happened. And everything got cancelled and has been rescheduled so many times. It has been a rollercoaster ride, but is so worth it!

Last but not least, I want you all to know that Cordelia Jensen made me fall in love with verse novels. So if you haven't read one yet, why don't you start with The Way the Light Bends? Or maybe Skyscraping?

I will never forget the day I started reading this book because it was an awful and dark day, and this novel gave me light and hope and everything! If this book sounds like something you would enjoy, be sure to add it to your TBR.
Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts.