The Quick Cut: A teen girl contemplates about her biological parents during her senior year of high school. Drama ensues from the emotions stirred up of looking for them.
A Real Review:
I did not have a perfect childhood, but let be real: who does? However, I did have the luxury of having my biological parents be my true parents and that is not something I take lightly. No matter what happened, they always found a way to support me for who I am. So, for those of you who live in the same boat as I do, this moving story centered around Cassandra and S tells an eye-opening tale of what its like to be adopted, looking for answers.
Cassandra McMurtrey has an amazing family, with parents who support her acting dreams and have been there for her. They are everything that anyone could dream about when it comes to parents... except she can't help but be curious about the part of her she knows nothing about: the parents who are biologically made her. Wanting to know who they were, she goes secretly looking for answers in order to get perspective on the piece she has never known. Will her parents find out about her secret search? Or will the results be nothing less than devastating?
Quick disclosure: I did not go out looking to read this book. I went to my local Barnes & Noble, stopped at a popular Young Adult table, closed my eyes, and picked up a book (it's for a 40 book challenge I'm doing this year from Once Upon a Book club). This was the novel that was in my hands and I am so happy that its the one I picked up. I'm not adopted, but by the end of this story - I felt like I knew exactly what it was like to be in Cassandra's shoes. The words are so powerful between the chapters of her going through her life and the letters written by her biological mother "S", it invokes even the hardest of hearts to melt like chocolate in a double boiler.
The part that makes this story so powerful? Cassandra's life is pretty epic. Don't get me wrong, she still has the usual life struggles: her true mother is sick, she has to limit her college choices due to finances (her parents aren't rich), and she has all the usual challenges of being a teenager with strong emotions. That being said, she feels a pull to find her biological parents and it is something that is such a hurdle. I knew adoptions could be complex, but finding answers truly is a Mount Everest type of scenario. Its given me an even higher appreciation for the process and the people who choose to become parents. I only hope that one day, I'm as amazing a parent as Cass' parents are.
A powerful story in every way about adoption and the struggles of wanting to know your roots.
My rating: 5 out of 5