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Live Through This

by Mindi Scott (Goodreads Author)

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 678 ratings · 124 reviews

From the outside, Coley Sterling’s life seems pretty normal . . . whatever that means. It’s not perfect—her best friend is seriously mad at her and her dance team captains keep giving her a hard time—but Coley’s adorable, sweet crush Reece helps distract her. Plus, she has a great family to fall back on—with a mom and stepdad who would stop at nothing to keep her siblings...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by Simon Pulse

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Oct 02, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: preordered, autobuy, contemporary, contemporary-ya, 2012, best-of-ya, cannot-wait, pacific-nw, ya

{This review was originally published on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.}

There’s something thrilling and even a bit nerve-wracking about reading the second novel by an author whose debut landed squarely on my True Book Love shelf.

It’s thrilling because of the anticipation of hoping that book magic will happen all over again.

Mindi Scott’s 2010 debut, Freefall, is a book I love dearly (Laura’s review pretty much nails it) so I have been eagerly anticipating Live Through This. It received a starred rev...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Liz (Consumed by Books) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-star, contemporary, young-adult

As we all know, when April from Good Books and Good Wine recommends a book, I will purchase it almost immediately afterwards. I had been hesitant to try Mindi Scott’s books because they just didn’t look like something that would satisfy me in terms of literary quality, but I bumped this one to the top of my TBR pile. Live Through This tackles a difficult subject reasonably successfully, but overall I just thought it needed more.

To me, Coley read like a girl who could exist in any suburban, uppe...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Coley Sterling just wants everyone to think that her life is nothing short of normal. And from the outside, that’s just what it looks like. Coley’s life started out with a rocky start, when her mother left her abusive husband, leaving New Zealand for her home in America. There, Coley’s mom met and married Tony, and now Coley has nine-year-old triplet half-siblings as well as her older brother, Bryan. Bryan remembers their father but Coley has no memory of her young life. But things have changed...more Coley Sterling just wants everyone to think that her life is nothing short of normal. And from the outside, that’s just what it looks like. Coley’s life started out with a rocky start, when her mother left her abusive husband, leaving New Zealand for her home in America. There, Coley’s mom met and married Tony, and now Coley has nine-year-old triplet half-siblings as well as her older brother, Bryan. Bryan remembers their father but Coley has no memory of her young life. But things have changed and now Coley has a perfect family, close friends, a promising spot on the school dance team and a potential boyfriend who likes her. But despite appearances, Coley’s life is much more horrible than anyone thinks. A secret that no one would guess and that she tries to forget haunts Coley’s nights.

Live Through This is a serious and mature novel that features sexual abuse, which is made clear from the first page. The last page gives readers resources for support if they are going through something like similar. This is an emotional and disturbing story, that it also a quick read. Full of suspense that keeps you reading, this book wasn’t afraid to go places that were unsettling. The story was well paced and kept you engaged. I loved Reece, Coley’s love interest but I didn’t connect with the other characters, including Coley. Coley didn’t do a good job of introducing characters, so that they would appear and the reader wouldn’t know how she knew them or how well she knew them. It also felt like there was a lot of drama in the back-story and we were being thrown into it. However, the plot was well paced and interesting enough to keep you reading. I did feel that the ending needed more resolution, not only with the main plotline but also with Coley’s family dynamics, especially in terms of her relationships with Emma and Tony. I would have also liked more explanation of how what happened to Coley wasn't at all her fault, which could have been said in her conversation with her mom that we never get to witness. Like many readers, I wanted to see what happened after the final page. With a brave plotline and a writing style that keeps you reading, this was an engaging and poignant novel that is thought provoking.

3/5(less)

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Apr 21, 2013 Kristy Feltenberger Gillespie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mindi Scott’s Live Through This is: “Harrowing, sad, funny, and romantic. I couldn’t put it down.” –Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss. I couldn’t say it better myself.

Fifteen-year-old Coley Sterling is petite, blonde, popular, and athletic. She’s what I consider a golden girl- a girl who seems to have everything- a girl that you’re jealous of and yet enamored by- a girl you secretly root for.

I’m a middle school counselor with a case load of over 500 students; therefore I talk...more Mindi Scott’s Live Through This is: “Harrowing, sad, funny, and romantic. I couldn’t put it down.” –Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss. I couldn’t say it better myself.

Fifteen-year-old Coley Sterling is petite, blonde, popular, and athletic. She’s what I consider a golden girl- a girl who seems to have everything- a girl that you’re jealous of and yet enamored by- a girl you secretly root for.

I’m a middle school counselor with a case load of over 500 students; therefore I talk to a lot of kids from various backgrounds. I often remind them that things aren’t always what they seem. That people who seem to have everything- don’t. Everyone has secrets- secrets that maybe only a handful of people know and some secrets that they won’t share with anyone.

Most of the time Coley masks her pain extraordinarily well, until she falls for a gentle, saxophone playing guy named Reece. She yearns for a normal emotional and physical relationship but someone close to her has made that goal impossible. Someone who’s been molesting Coley since she was seven.

Now Coley is having trouble containing her pain- like her pain is hidden beneath a pillow, and Coley is suffocating it, but it’s struggling, and exhausting Coley. And people are starting to notice.

“Is something wrong? You don’t seem like your self this morning.” says Reece. (The morning after it happened again).

“What’s that on your neck?” asks Ming.

“It’s from my curling iron. Slippery thing,” Coley replies. (He gave her a hickey that she had to disguise as a burn).

I’m going to live through this. Somehow. I’ll put it out of my mind. I’ll fool myself into believing it never happened, that it was a bad dream. Because, truly, how could it have happened? –Coley trying to convince herself.

Live Through This- another un-put-down-able novel! How am I ever going to become a successful writer with all of these new novels out there, tempting me to read them with their captivating covers and seductive storylines? (less)

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Feb 17, 2013 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Sexual abuse is a subject that should be handled tactfully and with empathy, and I felt that this story fell short for me. While I can see the vision Mindi Scott had for this novel, a story about sexual abuse coming from someone you love and trust, Coley's view of the world is so incredibly warped and not in a genuine way. There's no healing in this book, which I think is an important part of this kind of YA novel.

Coley is a seemingly typical high school sophomore with boy trouble, best friend f...more Sexual abuse is a subject that should be handled tactfully and with empathy, and I felt that this story fell short for me. While I can see the vision Mindi Scott had for this novel, a story about sexual abuse coming from someone you love and trust, Coley's view of the world is so incredibly warped and not in a genuine way. There's no healing in this book, which I think is an important part of this kind of YA novel.

Coley is a seemingly typical high school sophomore with boy trouble, best friend fights, and strict parents. Despite her oh-so-normal exterior, Coley's brother has been subjecting her to sexual abuse since she was seven. As Coley struggles to separate herself from the horror of her nights, she finds comfort in new friends and a new boyfriend.

To start with the positives, I think this is a subject that needs attention, and I liked that the novel provided places abuse victims can go for help at the end. Reece, Coley's boyfriend, was a very likeable character without crossing over into being perfect. He was a nerdy, fun jazz band-type, and Scott doesn't spend a lot of time with Coley fawning over how hot he is, which was a major relief in a novel told 1st person by a teenage girl. I actually also liked how this book was an uncomfortable read. It's easy to see that the author wasn't worried about making her readers comfortable when writing this book, and instead, she focused on the abused party's experiences as she thought they would have been.

Other than that, I had several problems with this novel. First of all, there is not really a plot. There is nothing that drives this novel from the beginning to the end other than time passing. There is no building action, climax, denouement, nothing. This whole novel is about a situation that this poor girl is in, but there was nothing that kept me turning pages. Luckily, it is a short book, so I still got through it. Had it been much longer I definitely would have struggled.

Coley narrates the novel, yet I never felt connected to her or her situations. It's a very strange thing. We learn of her awful secret in the first chapter, but after that it doesn't ever cross her mind for about 125 pages. Considering that she's telling the story, I feel that at some point we should feel her fear or despair or frustration or something during that time, but we don't. On that note, there is very little inner monologue going on. We occasionally get a hint of what Coley is thinking, but she does a poor job narrating her life to the readers. Determining her relationships with the various characters in the book was more difficult than it should have been. I was about halfway through the book until I felt that I had a grasp on Coley's relationships. For example, we hear about how Reece picks her up for school, she jokes with Noah before basketball practice, and she hangs out with Ming; however, it took me forever to figure out that she has known Reece for a few months (new friend), she has known Noah forever (old friend), and Ming is a friend from her dance team that has recently been upgraded to her closest friend. Simple narratives like this would have made the story much easier to read.

Finally, the ending was rough. I'm not sure if Scott was trying to show that Coley has grown over the novel, which I guess she has because she's talking to people, but I feel like the readers are owed a better conclusion than that. I would have loved to read about her mother's and Tony's reactions and the decisions they make in helping Bryan and Coley. For example, do they seek psychiatric help for Bryan or jail time? Do they let Bryan continue to live there? How does Reece handle this news?

Overall, this isn't a book I would recommend. I didn't hate it, but it was hard to empathize with the main character. Fans of What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton might like this novel, but if you are looking for a young adult novel that tactfully and respectfully handles the issue of sexual abuse then might I suggest Easy by Tammara Webber?(less)

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Dec 06, 2012 Wisteriouswoman rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a very powerful book. Because of the sexual content I'm not sure if I'd recommend it for girls under 16. Despite what many teen books would have us believe not all girls have sex before they are 18. It was realistic that one of the girls was grossed out and ashamed of her first sexual encounter. This isn't a romance novel. For girls that can handle a novel that isn't a kissy kissy book this story may lead to understanding the complexity of relationships and how hard it is to separate goo...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, reality

If you are looking for an angst filled and ultra fast read this book is for you. Live Through This gripped me from its very first, and very disturbing, page and I refused to be torn away until the very last page. While this book was quite short, and the plot and characters could have been developed more, it was an excellent read. The characters were likable, and the book was at times funny, sad, sweet and disturbing. Reese was a doll and is definitely a book boyfriend. Coley was a great narrator...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Bayan Basri rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: characters-in-school, female-pov-only, heros-or-heroins-i-adored, no-love-triangle-thank-god, realistic-fiction, stand-alone, my-book-boyfriends

This book is definitely not one of my favorites. It was very rushed, and none of the characters are introduced properly. It's like Coley's getting a ride from Reece. Who is he? How does she know him? Why is he giving her a ride?. No idea. That even happens with the main character Nicole (or Coley), you don't get to know about her life except throughout the book you get little tid bits and stuff that is casually mentioned but never explored. Also I didn't connect with Coley or understood the deci...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Jen McConnel rated it 4 of 5 stars

So, I won a signed ARC of Mindi Scott's newest novel online a few weeks ago, and I just finished reading it.

Wow.

Just...wow. This book has power.

Coley Sterling looks perfect. Perfect family, perfect grades, perfectly in line to be the dance team captain next year. She's even on the verge of having her first boyfriend, Reece. But nothing is as it seems, and Coley's facade is unraveling. Beneath the layers of perfection and ease, she carries the shame and fear of sexual abuse. She's been a victim f...more

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May 17, 2012 Justin Ordoñez rated it 5 of 5 stars

Managed to get my hands on Live Through This a little bit early. I read it over a weekend and really got caught up in it. I think I just like the stories Mindi writes. They're straight-forward human dramas where the plot deals with the inter-connectivity of the characters and not space aliens or super powers or the like. Those are the kind of books I just find myself gravitating to time and time again, and if those are the type of books you like to read, I think you're gonna have yourself a more...more Managed to get my hands on Live Through This a little bit early. I read it over a weekend and really got caught up in it. I think I just like the stories Mindi writes. They're straight-forward human dramas where the plot deals with the inter-connectivity of the characters and not space aliens or super powers or the like. Those are the kind of books I just find myself gravitating to time and time again, and if those are the type of books you like to read, I think you're gonna have yourself a more than satisfying read with Live Through This.

I don't like giving spoilers, so I won't, I'll just say that I was impressed with the author's development of the family dynamic. Coley is in a bit of a "Brady Bunch" situation, herself and her brother joined in with a step-father and three younger step-siblings. The contrasting behavior of Coley and her brother vs the younger siblings reflects their vastly different upbringings and experiences, and I think it's these subtle dynamics that really make the novel flow. The best scene is in the middle of the book when Coley visits a restaurant and overhears some girls in a bathroom saying something...... What plays out afterwards drives home so many of the dynamics driving these characters.

It's not as "fun" as her previous novel, Freefall, where we followed Seth, a young man who's in a band about to go on tour, from on the wrong side of the tracks dating the rich girl from across town.... That novel played on and lived in a lot of classic storytelling and scandalizing elements. Live Through This is definitely the more sophisticated of the two, and the one with the clearer message and delivery. Big time party scenes are substituted for more intimate, one-on-one conversations between characters. Lots of the side drama (Coley is having problems with a girl on her dance team much like Seth from Freefall was struggling to get along with members in his band) remains a background plot in Live Through This, which I liked. We get the "tension" between characters that makes them feel real and engaging, but it doesn't read as filler. In addition, she's thinned out her prose and developed a super-efficiency with her sentences, managing to say a lot with very little, though I dare say we might soon have to tell her to use some self-indulgent and flowery prose every now and again! It's like chocolate, we all want it from time to time (at least I do).

So I'd say everyone should get excited! Make sure to shelf this as "to-read" and then "currently-reading" and then "read." Mindi's shown here that she's gonna grow as author and her stories are going to grow with her, which is all the better for her readers.(less)

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Dec 26, 2012 Jen at Reading Lark rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

This was a riveting read. It felt like a train wreck happening in super slow motion. I just could barely witness Coley's achingly slow realizations about the sexual abuse she is subjected to. It was almost horrific sometimes because the abuse was loving and not violent. Who exactly was her abuser is withheld from the reader for quite a portion of the book, and it does drive the pace a little. I think whoever it was would have been awful for various reasons, but the actual abuser turned...more

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Feb 01, 2013 HomeschoolGirl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Edit: Okay, so below was my slightly vent-y post. Really, this book was good. I felt sick reading it, so I couldn't finish. But actually not a bad job on the author's part. It must have been difficult to tackle a subject such as this.

Not going to take credit for reading this--because I did, up until a little over halfway. And then it got so nasty I couldn't read it anymore. And...ugh!!!! It's not that it wasn't well-written. Just disgusting! The worst part is the ages of these girls...fifteen.....more

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Mar 27, 2013 Airynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-finds, romance, tough-subjects, young-adult

This book was equal parts enjoyable and disturbing. There were a few parts when I wasn't sure if I could even keep reading because I was so disgusted. I just had to keep telling myself that this really happens to people and as horrific as it is they have to live through it so I should be able to read a book about it. I liked the authors writing style. She made you want to keep reading by giving little snipets of what was happening without giving it away til you get the that actual part. The only...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Chandra Garza rated it 3 of 5 stars

Before I begin I'd just like to say that I liked the book, really I did. The reason I gave it 3 stars is because of the content. The book is wonderfully written and there were a handful of affable characters, but the CONTENT. I normally don't read books that make feel so, odd. But, in that retrospect, I would have to give it a fourth star because it really left me feeling a little hollow.
Maybe that was the purpose, though. Maybe Mindi Scott wanted us to really feel the confusion and emotion beh...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Liana rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I came into this book with high expectations based on early reviews. Plus, the author is lovely on twitter & such. I haven't finished Freefall but I started it and I liked it (I easily get distracted with library books). I like novels that tackle big issues, so obviously this was for me.

I knew going into this that some sort of sexual abuse was happening but I was surprised by the actual nature of it. Where this book succeeded was that I liked all of the characters and I really felt...more 3.5 stars

I came into this book with high expectations based on early reviews. Plus, the author is lovely on twitter & such. I haven't finished Freefall but I started it and I liked it (I easily get distracted with library books). I like novels that tackle big issues, so obviously this was for me.

I knew going into this that some sort of sexual abuse was happening but I was surprised by the actual nature of it. Where this book succeeded was that I liked all of the characters and I really felt for them, especially Reece. Yes, he was almost too good to be true and I'm not sure what the point of him a Violet was (felt like there should have been more to that) but he was too sweet not to like. And yes, I even sympathized with the abuser at times.

I liked Coley's voice. Books about younger teen protags are tricky because they can do less stuff so they're a bit boring but Coley had a lot of energy and plenty of friends to draw some drama from. There were a lot of people on the dance team that probably didn't need to be mentioned but when it came down to it, we got to know the major players in Coley's life.

The book did a good job distinguishing between Coley's "real" life and her home life, which was very different.

In the beginning the writing was a bit too simple for me. There just wasn't much happening but a lot of repeated words. But towards the middle of the book, starting at the ski trip, the book really hits it's stride and it's very readable.

There's a lot of authenticity and passion in this book... there's great care with the story. I guess I was expecting a little more. I thought it might go deeper than it did. There's really so much more that could have been done with the plot. For such a gritty subject the book ultimately didn't get gritty enough for me... but I can see why writing and/or reading more than what does happen would be tough. However, I am very interested in what happens next... and there's no picture of that.

I can't think of any books really that deal with this topic. So I'm glad that it exists because this is something that needs to be talked about. And I'm glad I read it. The relationship between Coley and her abuser made me feel as confused as she did for all the same reasons so that was something that was really well done.(less)

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Feb 24, 2013 Liza Wiemer added it

Live Through This was recommended to me by Melissa Montovani of YA Bookshelf. She warned me that it would be a tough book, but well worth it. And she was right. I knew to expect something serious, but I had no idea it was going to be quite like this. Mindi Scott did a good job keeping the reader guessing and building up the intensity of the situation. SPOILER ALERT: DON'T READ FURTHER UNLESS YOU WANT TO: This novel deals with sexual abuse and incest. It's tough, it's important, it's graphic. But...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Katrina Ly rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was very...disturbing.

Even though the writing style was very well done and Coley as a narrator was also very well done I just can't get over the fact that the storyline was just so...disturbing. And just plain wrong on so many levels. I mean, don't get me wrong, I think that Coley had every right to be the way she was and i totally sympathised with her but wow she is one really messed up girl.

And one more thing, is it just me or does the story seem unfinished? And rushed?

Oh well... The narr...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a really good book, and i felt like it handled some really hard subject matter so well...but holly abrupt ending batman! I was seriously sitting here looking for more pages, thinking maybe ibooks didn't download the whole book...on one hand I get it, but I would have really liked another chapter. You get the idea if where it's heading but I feel like I took this journey with coley through ought this book and then I felt like with the ending I slam into a brick wall. This was such a goo...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-tbr-challenge

Originally posted on my blog http://asoutherngirlsbookshelf.blogsp...
Wow. This is one amazing story. It’s a story of bravery, hope and courage. When Coley’s secret is revealed all you want is for her to stand up for herself and get help. It’s a tough subject matter but one that I know can and will hopefully help someone out there. Coley’s courage to finally say something and admit to others and even herself about what has been happening breaks your heart. No one deserves to be taken advantage of...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

There's no easy way to approach the subject of sexual abuse, but Scott handles it with respect for both her characters and her readers. She leads us slowly into the life of sophomore Coley, who seems to have it all - a loving family, a spot on the school dance team, good grades, a budding romance - but she's hiding a dark secret from everyone who could help her. Scott slowly reveals Coley's secret - is she really being abused or is it just a series of nightmares? Is the abuse still occurring or...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Fitchburg Public Library rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-books

This was a very difficult book to read. Coley is dealing with some disturbing family dynamics and is having a hard time accepting what is happening to her. The sweet romance between her and Reece keeps the book a bit lighter, but there is still that dark cloud looming over everything. The book was well written but wrapped up entirely too fast and without a definitive conclusion as to how Coley receives help and how her family deals with the trauma. If teens were looking to find a book that they...more

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Sep 29, 2012 J. rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book takes a sensitive subject and deals with it in an incredibly intelligent, sensitive, and realistic way. Coley keeps the secret of the inappropriate relationship she has against her will while on the side maintaining what appears to be a perfectly normal and perfectly good life, with the people closest to her having no idea as to what is going on. Coley is in denial, forcing herself to believe that nothing really horrible or bad is happening to her.

Yet on a family ski trip when her crus...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: powerful, realistic, cliffhanger, surprising-ending

What a romtely, disturbing, yet powerful book. I completely surprised myself on Christmas Eve wanting to read this book. Yet, the writing could have used a bit of improved and the ending could have been more explained, I found the novel to be truly empowering.

Goodreads Synopsis:
From the outside, Coley Sterling’s life seems pretty normal . . . whatever that means. It’s not perfect—her best friend is seriously mad at her and her dance team captains keep giving her a hard time—but Coley’s adorable...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Melissa Railey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, tbr-challenge

Well, I seem to be on a little bit of a theme as of late. With this book and The Color Purple and Easy (which I just finished yesterday and the review will be coming soon), there's been a lot of rape and incest in my reading. And of the three novels, this was the least powerful. I think that the author had a great idea and for the most part pulled it off pretty well. My problem with the story was that Coley was a little too happy for a girl going through what she is going through. I felt like it...more

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May 20, 2013 Keertana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: why-the-hype

Rating: 2.5 Stars

I have very mixed feelings when it comes to Live Through This, but my most overwhelming emotion is simply disappointment. There is no denying that Scott's sophomore novel is a struggle to get through, full of emotion and nuanced writing that truly brings to light the psychological horrors of abuse, but at the same time, it could have been so much more. When the novel begins, Coley experiences a shocking moment – one that she wishes she shared with a boyfriend instead of her abus...more Rating: 2.5 Stars

I have very mixed feelings when it comes to Live Through This, but my most overwhelming emotion is simply disappointment. There is no denying that Scott's sophomore novel is a struggle to get through, full of emotion and nuanced writing that truly brings to light the psychological horrors of abuse, but at the same time, it could have been so much more. When the novel begins, Coley experiences a shocking moment – one that she wishes she shared with a boyfriend instead of her abuser. It becomes very obvious that Coley’s abuser is someone very close to her, which makes her situation all the more complex. And yet, after this gripping scene, the next half of the novel is devoted to details of Coley’s every day life, from her dance practices to her blooming romance with a saxophone player, Reece, to a vacation she spends skiing.

For me, this is possibly the weakest part of the novel. While I appreciated that Scott took the pains to paint for us the image of a seemingly normal girl who hid the truth of abuse and later shattered her life with her continued abuse, I felt strangely detached from the tale. Quite simply put, Coley did not capture me. I felt sympathy for her and her difficult position, but not much else. Coley and her elder brother, Bryan, have always stuck together ever since their mother re-married and gave birth to triplets, but I could never understand why Coley and Bryan detested their step-father the way they did. As far as evil step-fathers go, Tony doesn’t even deserve to be on the list. It was small aspects of the story like this one that simply didn’t connect together for me and I found myself questioning Coley more than I did immersing myself in her tale.

And yet, I cannot deny that the manner in which Scott writes this story of abuse is raw and powerful. It is eerily frightening and honest, making this a novel that truly is for older readers. In addition to the carefully written plot line of abuse, though, I appreciated that Scott took the time to discuss sex and sexuality in this book, especially as it pertained to teenage girls. Instead of the classic sex discussion between girlfriends, Scott took it further to explore the idea that it is okay for girls to seek sexual pleasure – a concept that seems to elude most of YA and disappear amidst slut-shaming. Even the so-called “slut” or “anti-heroine” of this novel is explored in increasing depth, which increased my respect for this book immensely.

Live Through This honestly has a lot to offer to readers, but its abrupt ending left me wanting more. It wasn’t enough for me to read about Coley’s situation and her journey into accepting that it was wrong, despite the fact that she cared for her abuser; I wanted to see Coley deal with the after effects too, not to mention her abuser as well. Not only did I finish this book with too many questions, but as I mentioned before, many small plot points didn’t connect together for me in the cogent way I wanted them too. In some ways, I believe there is too much in this story, from abuse to friendship issues to jealousy to best-friend-who-is-a-boy-but-just-a-friend…somehow, all of this didn’t connect in the seamless manner I wished. Thus, while Live Through This manages to be an excellent novel in terms of exploring an abusive relationship, it isn’t the perfect or emotionally-gutting book I was expecting. If you’re up for a read that is most certainly very different, though, in a mostly good way, then Live Through This is definitely for you. (less)

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Jan 15, 2013 Dominique marked it as to-read

"If you live through this with me, I swear that I will die for you..."

Jan. 14, 2013 - To me, the book's title and subject matter both seem to be inspired by the sophomore album of Hole, Live Through This, and their song, "Asking for it."
description

So, when I passed by this at Barnes & Noble, the title is what immediatley caught my attention -- after all, it's one of my favorite albums of all-time. However, the summary didn't really interest me, and I just skimmed through the first pages of what seemed...more "If you live through this with me, I swear that I will die for you..."

Jan. 14, 2013 - To me, the book's title and subject matter both seem to be inspired by the sophomore album of Hole, Live Through This, and their song, "Asking for it."
description

So, when I passed by this at Barnes & Noble, the title is what immediatley caught my attention -- after all, it's one of my favorite albums of all-time. However, the summary didn't really interest me, and I just skimmed through the first pages of what seemed like a teenage love scene (which disgusted me). But now, I've learned that - as the beginning of Kelly's review said - the main character was actually (view spoiler). And, because of an important subject matter like this, that's what sparked interest in me in reading this someday. Hopefully, it will be better, more interesting, and more emotional than Exposed by Kimberly Marcus-- especially since, this time, it's from the victim's point-of-view.
The model on the cover kind of looks like Courtney Love, doesn't she?

Feb. 5th, 2013 - I got to read the first few chapters of this at the Seattle Public Library during my family's trip to Washington over the previous 3-day weekend (in which, visiting Kurt Cobain's house for the first time, I wrote the quote from the top of this pre-review on one of the memorial benches (because Cobain sang on that part in a demo of the song)). I didn't get to continue because the library was getting near to closing time. So far, it's a good introduction, and Coley's narration sounds like it's from an actual teenager. Even better: it turns out the story takes place in Washington (in which the city of Seattle is known as the home of grunge music)! That, and Coley & Reese have a love for music, quoting lyrics to each other (I read that Hole gets mentioned as well, so, I will look forward to that once I get the whole book in my hands).
The whole thing with Coley recalling "last night," it really seems like a mystery, making me, the reader, wonder, Who was it?! I have to keep on reading to find out!

Mar. 19, 2013 - Well, great. Just great. Over the past weekend, I skimmed through a few reviews here and read Jessica's... who flat-out gave away Coley's dark secret. Now what? Should I still read this when I get the chance, or skip it?(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 Shel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: seattle-area-authors, ya

Live Though This begins with a daring, racy start as high-schooler Coley Sterling fantasizes about having sex with the boy she's crushing on.

Then it shifts to a brave, tense start.

By the end of the first scene, it becomes clear that Coley is not a sexually-active, sexually-confident teenager; she's being sexually abused by a family member and putting a lot of her youthful energy into coping.

It's a strong hook. From here, Coley willfully carries on with her normal teenage life. Her struggles inc...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

I blame my curiosity gene for drawing me to issue books such as Live Through This. This book takes on the issue of sexual abuse and it’s resultant emotional scars. We’re shown 16 year old Coley (short for Nicole), a girl who has suffered from sexual abuse for several years. No one on the outside or even on the inside of her nuclear family can tell anything is wrong. She’s involved in activities at school, has a boyfriend, and hangs out (and fights) with her friends. She carries on like her relat...more I blame my curiosity gene for drawing me to issue books such as Live Through This. This book takes on the issue of sexual abuse and it’s resultant emotional scars. We’re shown 16 year old Coley (short for Nicole), a girl who has suffered from sexual abuse for several years. No one on the outside or even on the inside of her nuclear family can tell anything is wrong. She’s involved in activities at school, has a boyfriend, and hangs out (and fights) with her friends. She carries on like her relationship with a certain person in her life isn’t totally warped, and even displays affection and genuine acts of love to that person despite it all. This is all a façade because deep down she doesn’t know what to think of herself and she doesn’t want to admit that all of those nights in her bed were and are real.

While this story isn’t overly heavy in actual acts of abuse, the ripple effects of being manipulated by someone close occur throughout the book as Coley’s self-perceptions are revealed. She’s jaded, but doesn’t realize how much so until she gets her first real boyfriend. It’s only then that she’ll allow herself to really think about what’s gone on for the past several years of her life and to admit that it has to stop. All of her confusion and revulsion eventually reaches a boiling point and the fit hits the shan. This is where the book abruptly stops and, although I would have liked to have seen the outcome of exposing the truth, it worked.

I’ve never been in Coley’s situation and therefore can’t say how I would have reacted. However, I get why she felt the way she did and I understand why she didn’t speak out sooner. How could she without compromising her relationship with someone she cherished and who should always have her back? How could she see just how messed up the situation was until she had a boyfriend and unearthed the realization that only one person should be allowed to kiss her? How do you speak that kind of thing out loud thereby making the situation a real thing vs. refusing to acknowledge it altogether? Big questions. Sad answers. Good book.(less)

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Nov 29, 2012 Tasha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen

Coley is living a lie. Her life appears to be perfect on the outside. She is popular, dances on the school dance team, and has started dating a cute guy in her class. But that’s just the surface. After her mother fled an abusive husband in New Zealand, she has since remarried and now has three children with her new husband. Coley and her brother, Bryan, feel like outsiders sometimes, so many years older than the other children in the family. And then there is the secret that Coley can’t even adm...more

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Dec 08, 2012 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, contemporary, ya, highly-recommended

You would think that in my line of work, I would be entirely desensitized to stories of sexual abuse and what not — thankfully I don’t bring my job home with me emotionally, but I still have the capacity to feel much emotion when I read books that pertain to things I encounter at my job. Y’all, Live Through This by Mindi Scott is a book that I have such a hard time reviewing because I’m not sure whether to put on my professional hat and go into depth with my work-knowledge or to put on my reader...more

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About Mindi Scott

FREEFALL, my debut novel, was published by Pulse (Simon & Schuster) 2010. My second novel, LIVE THROUGH THIS, will be published by Pulse October 2, 2012.

I don't generally give book reviews or ratings, but I do keep track of the ones I've read!

If you'd like to get into contact with me, please email me at mindirochelle at gmail dot com.

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“I don’t know how to fix this, or if it can be fixed. There’s too much to say. Too much I don’t know how to say.” — 10 people liked it

“Reece keeps trying to put the pieces back together without having any idea what’s causing me to break.” — 8 people liked it

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