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A review by anabel_unker
Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson
4.0
*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*
Content warnings for STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: teenage pregnancy, adoption, drug abuse by parent, mental abuse, foster care, mental health struggles
At the young age of sixteen, Gemma made the heartbreaking decision to give her baby (and herself) a chance to break the poverty/abuse cycle by placing her newborn daughter up for adoption. And since that day, Gemma has been haunted by the what-ifs of her unknown daughter's life. After graduating from Uni, Gemma has rarely spent more than two years in a single place, traveling and working all over the United Kingdom as a history teacher; running from settling down and running from her own heartbreak.
However, after eighteen years of wondering, Gemma suddenly finds herself face-t0-face with a young woman who could be her daughter; while every instinct tells her to run, Gemma decides to stay. Stay and see if this student is her child, stay and continue her friendship with her unconventional downstairs neighbor, stay and find what happens with the P.E. teacher, stay and watch what happens when she starts to place roots in a community.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING is the tender tale of Gemma Jones' life and her struggle to love. Johnson tackles the importance of found family and what it means to 'grow up' when struggling with childhood trauma. The cast of characters is delightful and funny, and the ending was everything I could have hoped for.
Some readers may find the story slow, and Gemma's back and forth attitude frustrating, but it felt realistic to a person's growth journey. Healing is not a straight line, it takes time and work and there are often set backs, but I thought Gemma (and her found family) were great examples of being patient with yourself and others while healing and changing for the better.
Content warnings for STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: teenage pregnancy, adoption, drug abuse by parent, mental abuse, foster care, mental health struggles
At the young age of sixteen, Gemma made the heartbreaking decision to give her baby (and herself) a chance to break the poverty/abuse cycle by placing her newborn daughter up for adoption. And since that day, Gemma has been haunted by the what-ifs of her unknown daughter's life. After graduating from Uni, Gemma has rarely spent more than two years in a single place, traveling and working all over the United Kingdom as a history teacher; running from settling down and running from her own heartbreak.
However, after eighteen years of wondering, Gemma suddenly finds herself face-t0-face with a young woman who could be her daughter; while every instinct tells her to run, Gemma decides to stay. Stay and see if this student is her child, stay and continue her friendship with her unconventional downstairs neighbor, stay and find what happens with the P.E. teacher, stay and watch what happens when she starts to place roots in a community.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING is the tender tale of Gemma Jones' life and her struggle to love. Johnson tackles the importance of found family and what it means to 'grow up' when struggling with childhood trauma. The cast of characters is delightful and funny, and the ending was everything I could have hoped for.
Some readers may find the story slow, and Gemma's back and forth attitude frustrating, but it felt realistic to a person's growth journey. Healing is not a straight line, it takes time and work and there are often set backs, but I thought Gemma (and her found family) were great examples of being patient with yourself and others while healing and changing for the better.