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A review by meezcarrie
Her Good Girl by Elaine Stock
5.0
4.5 stars
“…only God is bigger than my fears…And that’s Who I’m choosing to hold onto tightly.”
Sadie’s story in Her Good Girl is not an easy read. It’s not a quick read. But it’s an important read. Sadie’s story is one of severe dysfunction all around her, masterfully portrayed by Elaine Stock through varying perspectives and a multi-dimensional cast of characters.
Her mom Tara-Lynn’s mental illness holds Sadie herself captive in an endless round of doctor visits and medications. Most moms don’t douse their daughters with chloroform or shove pills in their mouths on a regular basis to treat illnesses, be they real or a figment of the mother’s imagination. Sadie’s father and grandmother seem safe and loving at first glance, but they’ve effectively tuned out this abuse for years. Her new boyfriend Sky seems to offer stability and protection… until he proposes that Sadie kill her own mother to stop the abuse.
Yet, throughout the darkness that mars Sadie’s young life, a common thread of grace weaves deep.
Mostly this is seen through her unlikely friendship with Callie, the owner of a local cafe who ‘happens’ upon Sadie one day and can’t get the troubled girl off her heart. It’s through the presence of Callie that Stock is able to introduce a survivor of similar circumstances – one who has held tight to Jesus in spite of the abuse she endured growing up. This reliance on Jesus is not presented as a crutch by any means, but rather a powerful Lifeline to cling to in the middle of the storm.
I loved the perspective switch between Sadie (in first person) and other characters (third person). To me, this gave the book an almost psychological-thriller feel and kept my attention riveted to the story. It also helped me connect more personally with Sadie’s character and her story. Yet, it’s the scenes with her father Adam during the cave accident that touched me most deeply, both while taking those scenes at face value and giving weight to their metaphoric purpose.
Bottom Line: Her Good Girl by Elaine Stock is poignant and riveting, a spotlight on generational dysfunction at its worst but also on God’s miraculous grace. Stock tackles an intensely emotional plot with compelling prose, layered characters, a gentle spirit and always HOPE. It’s gritty and real and it doesn’t shy from looking abuse and mental illness in the eye and calling it for what it is. But it’s also tempered with mercy-driven insights and the healing only Jesus can provide. Such a great read – one that you will be pondering for a long time!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
“…only God is bigger than my fears…And that’s Who I’m choosing to hold onto tightly.”
Sadie’s story in Her Good Girl is not an easy read. It’s not a quick read. But it’s an important read. Sadie’s story is one of severe dysfunction all around her, masterfully portrayed by Elaine Stock through varying perspectives and a multi-dimensional cast of characters.
Her mom Tara-Lynn’s mental illness holds Sadie herself captive in an endless round of doctor visits and medications. Most moms don’t douse their daughters with chloroform or shove pills in their mouths on a regular basis to treat illnesses, be they real or a figment of the mother’s imagination. Sadie’s father and grandmother seem safe and loving at first glance, but they’ve effectively tuned out this abuse for years. Her new boyfriend Sky seems to offer stability and protection… until he proposes that Sadie kill her own mother to stop the abuse.
Yet, throughout the darkness that mars Sadie’s young life, a common thread of grace weaves deep.
Mostly this is seen through her unlikely friendship with Callie, the owner of a local cafe who ‘happens’ upon Sadie one day and can’t get the troubled girl off her heart. It’s through the presence of Callie that Stock is able to introduce a survivor of similar circumstances – one who has held tight to Jesus in spite of the abuse she endured growing up. This reliance on Jesus is not presented as a crutch by any means, but rather a powerful Lifeline to cling to in the middle of the storm.
I loved the perspective switch between Sadie (in first person) and other characters (third person). To me, this gave the book an almost psychological-thriller feel and kept my attention riveted to the story. It also helped me connect more personally with Sadie’s character and her story. Yet, it’s the scenes with her father Adam during the cave accident that touched me most deeply, both while taking those scenes at face value and giving weight to their metaphoric purpose.
Bottom Line: Her Good Girl by Elaine Stock is poignant and riveting, a spotlight on generational dysfunction at its worst but also on God’s miraculous grace. Stock tackles an intensely emotional plot with compelling prose, layered characters, a gentle spirit and always HOPE. It’s gritty and real and it doesn’t shy from looking abuse and mental illness in the eye and calling it for what it is. But it’s also tempered with mercy-driven insights and the healing only Jesus can provide. Such a great read – one that you will be pondering for a long time!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower