When Eden was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding out on the bathroom floor. The suicide attempt led to her parents’ divorce,...
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Jan 04, 2012
T.
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Amy is a friend of mine, and I have been reading her novels for years now. She consistently delivers flawed but lovable protagonists who struggle with credible and meaningful issues, and her latest, Outside the Lines, is no exception. This novel tells the story of Eden West, a young woman whose artist father is waging a losing battle with mental illness and substance abuse. When she is ten years old, her father's failed suicide attempt ends in her parents' divorce and his departure from her lif
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Feb 14, 2012
The last time Eden saw her father there was blood everywhere. At ten years old, Eden was familiar with her father’s ups and downs. Her life was shaped by whether or not he chose to take his medication. He could be playful, creative, and charismatic, or he could be sullen, withdrawn, and moody. All the same, he was her father, and despite the pain of listening her parents’ arguments about his mental illness and lack of responsibility, she loved him. And she was not prepared to see his nearly life
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Feb 09, 2012
Dorine
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Every now and then I get a chance to read a book outside of the kidlit genre. Recently, I was sent an ARC of Amy Hatvany's newest book, Outside the Lines, a deep and complex novel. I'd like to share a review with my readers.
The Story- Eden, a woman in her thirties, is looking for her mentally ill father. When she was ten, he slit his wrists, and that was the last time she saw him. In the present, her mother's fight with cancer has led Eden to realize the shortness of life, and the desi More...
The Story- Eden, a woman in her thirties, is looking for her mentally ill father. When she was ten, he slit his wrists, and that was the last time she saw him. In the present, her mother's fight with cancer has led Eden to realize the shortness of life, and the desi More...
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Feb 09, 2012
Patty
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Outside The Lines
By
Amy Havatny
So sad...so good...so hopeful...so sweet...this is pretty much the way I feel about this book.
Eden...tells her story as a young child living with a mentally disturbed father and as the adult who is searching for the father she hasn't seen since she was ten.
We also hear the story from her father's point of view as he tries to hold everything together on meds and as he loses everything as he spirals off of them.
The sa More...
By
Amy Havatny
So sad...so good...so hopeful...so sweet...this is pretty much the way I feel about this book.
Eden...tells her story as a young child living with a mentally disturbed father and as the adult who is searching for the father she hasn't seen since she was ten.
We also hear the story from her father's point of view as he tries to hold everything together on meds and as he loses everything as he spirals off of them.
The sa More...
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Feb 08, 2012
Charlotte
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http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot.com...
Just like in Best Kept Secrets, there were times where I had a really hard time liking the main character. While I understand Eden's anger at her mother, at times her behavior towards her mother and step-father was truly deplorable. And when she took it out on Jack? I was ready to be done with her. But just when I couldn't stand it any further, Eden realized the error of her ways. I know it sounds bad, but even with her character flaws, Ou More...
Just like in Best Kept Secrets, there were times where I had a really hard time liking the main character. While I understand Eden's anger at her mother, at times her behavior towards her mother and step-father was truly deplorable. And when she took it out on Jack? I was ready to be done with her. But just when I couldn't stand it any further, Eden realized the error of her ways. I know it sounds bad, but even with her character flaws, Ou More...
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Feb 07, 2012
Ann
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As children we search for absolutes, black or white, but no gray. But most of our lives are spent in the gray area, and we soon learn to search out our own truths with compassion and tolerance. “Outside The Lines” is one of the most compassionate, honest books I’ve read in a long time.
Amy Hatvany takes on the huge subject of mental illness in her second novel. The story of a father and daughter, David and Eden, is told by alternating between their two points of view. The novel begins More...
Amy Hatvany takes on the huge subject of mental illness in her second novel. The story of a father and daughter, David and Eden, is told by alternating between their two points of view. The novel begins More...
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Feb 07, 2012
Rebecca
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(This review is cross-posted on my blog, Ms. Wordopolis Reads: http://mswordopolis.blogspot.com/2012/02...)
Outside the Lines is the story of Eden West, a professional chef, who searches for her mentally ill homeless father David whom she hasn’t seen since she was ten years old. Her parents divorced shortly after his suicide attempt and institutionalization. Eden has hit a plateau in her personal and professional lives: she’s about thirty years old, she’s not in a serious relation More...
Outside the Lines is the story of Eden West, a professional chef, who searches for her mentally ill homeless father David whom she hasn’t seen since she was ten years old. Her parents divorced shortly after his suicide attempt and institutionalization. Eden has hit a plateau in her personal and professional lives: she’s about thirty years old, she’s not in a serious relation More...
Feb 07, 2012
Wanda
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I do not know where to begin, but this book had me crying so much throughout the whole story, that I lost count. I feel when a book can affect you in that kind of way, it means it was very well written and the author did her job as a novelist to capture her readers. And by doing so, this book will be a great success. I read Hatvany's other book called "Best Kept Secret" (Click title for review) and it captivated me and brought me to tears as well. So when I saw her new title on Netga
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Feb 06, 2012
Mary
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OUTSIDE THE LINES by Amy Hatvany
02/12 - Washington Square Press – 355 pages
Is it possible I am the person who I have been waiting for?
Eden has been searching for answers her entire life. She wants to know what made her father so happy and sad with the same intensity, why did he leave her, and when will she find him. Never thinking she will be complete until she closes the gap in her life Eden goes on a quest to find him. What Eden finds instead is even more amazing an More...
02/12 - Washington Square Press – 355 pages
Is it possible I am the person who I have been waiting for?
Eden has been searching for answers her entire life. She wants to know what made her father so happy and sad with the same intensity, why did he leave her, and when will she find him. Never thinking she will be complete until she closes the gap in her life Eden goes on a quest to find him. What Eden finds instead is even more amazing an More...
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Jan 30, 2012
Nancy
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Eden's father is mentally ill. The book toggles between time lines and voices. This is a very tricky endeavor which the author does very well. Eden and David have distinct voices and I am never confused with POV. Also, time period is clear as Eden sees things as a little girl and changes perspective as she gets older. David grows more mentally unstable as time continues on. Although David is never given a clear diagnosis, it appears he begins with Bi-polar which progresses to "with psychoti
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Jan 06, 2012
LAURA KAY
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There is a hole in Eden West’s heart, an empty spot aching to be filled with the love of her father. Growing up Eden had loved and adored her father, David. She had been the apple of David’s eye…his reason-- his hope in his dark world of depression and bipolar. Twenty years have gone by since that fateful day when David left her, abandoned her…without as much as a word. After her mother battles breast cancer, Eden realizes she needs to find him. She begins searching homeless shelters.
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Feb 10, 2012
Wendy
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Eden loved playing with her father and he was a great teacher in an unorthodox way. She knew he had a mental illness but was optimistic that he would get better. Sometimes he had bad days and sometimes he had good days, but she was just grateful that he was there.
David had huge mood swings, from anger to depression to elation, as well as voices talking in his head. He tried to be the husband and father that his family needed, but it was just not him. He wanted to be who he was w More...
David had huge mood swings, from anger to depression to elation, as well as voices talking in his head. He tried to be the husband and father that his family needed, but it was just not him. He wanted to be who he was w More...
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Feb 06, 2012
Book Him Danno
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I will be reviewing this title on my blog in a few days - I will post my full review then. I cried at the end of this book, a beautiful story with a great flow that really made me think about the horror mental illness can cause to a family. 4 1/2 stars.
Mental illness is the plague of the modern world. We treat the symptoms, but can do nothing for the problem itself. Drugs are just a temporary fix for so many and at the same time make the individual feel like someone else. This b More...
Mental illness is the plague of the modern world. We treat the symptoms, but can do nothing for the problem itself. Drugs are just a temporary fix for so many and at the same time make the individual feel like someone else. This b More...
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Oct 16, 2011
Michelle
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Another book by Amy Hatvany tackling a tough subject - something she does extraordinarily well. This book is about a young woman and her mentally ill, homeless father. It shifts narratives and time periods, two things that are hard to pull off and can easily detract from the narrative. But in Outside the Lines this structure is critical. Without glimpses into young Eden I would not have been bawling my eyes out 20 pages in.
The author does justice to the incredibly complicated child-p More...
The author does justice to the incredibly complicated child-p More...
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Feb 06, 2012
Shonda
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Outside the Lines is a book that grabs the reader from page one. Early on I was invested in Eden and her search for her father. I wanted Eden to reconnect with David in order for her to heal from the void his absence had created. With each new clue to his whereabouts, I found myself filled with emotion: excited that she may see him again, but yet fearful that David's story may not have a happy ending.
Hatvany tells the story of David and Eden in both their voices, which was the st More...
Hatvany tells the story of David and Eden in both their voices, which was the st More...
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Dec 15, 2011
Amy
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If you had a parent that was constantly unreliable and then one day disappears altogether, would you spend your precious time searching for him? This is exactly what Eden does, and ends up encountering on the way much more than she ever expected to.
Amazon:
When Eden was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding out on the bathroom floor. The suicide attempt led to her parents’ divorce, and David all but vanished from Eden’s life. Since childhood, she has heard from him More...
Amazon:
When Eden was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding out on the bathroom floor. The suicide attempt led to her parents’ divorce, and David all but vanished from Eden’s life. Since childhood, she has heard from him More...
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Feb 18, 2012
Kristin (Kritters Ramblings)
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A book where mental illness takes center stage, but the reader gets a full picture with this read - from both the person fighting the illness to the family that is affected by the highs and the lows of the disease. The format of this book was a perfect way to share the story both what is currently happening to the full story of the past.
From the beginning we meet Eden who has been severely damaged by her father's battle with a mental illness. She has struggled with her romantic relat More...
From the beginning we meet Eden who has been severely damaged by her father's battle with a mental illness. She has struggled with her romantic relat More...
Feb 06, 2012
Reads4Pleasure
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All my father's secrets felt like stones in my belly. I was sure if I fell over the side of a ship, I'd sink.
Ever since she was a little girl, Eden West has kept a closely guarded secret. Her father's mental embarrassed her more times than she cared to remember. Causing scenes at school, in restaurants and with the neighbors, Eden knows he would do better if only he would take his medicine.
David West has no desire to take the pills that suppress his creative i More...
Ever since she was a little girl, Eden West has kept a closely guarded secret. Her father's mental embarrassed her more times than she cared to remember. Causing scenes at school, in restaurants and with the neighbors, Eden knows he would do better if only he would take his medicine.
David West has no desire to take the pills that suppress his creative i More...
Dec 31, 2011
Diane
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Another emotionally wrought novel by Hatvany. Ten year old Eden watches her father give in to his mental illness, not willing to take the medications that make him feel drained and artistically incapable, he does the only think he thinks he can do to quiet the monsters. At the age of thirty, she tries to find the father she loved and thought abandoned her. Told in alternate voices, Eden's and her dad's, we trace this journey, also hearing in his own words how his illness made him unable to live
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Feb 09, 2012
Jeanne
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Hatvany is at her best when she tackles the darkest parts of the human psyche. The story flips back and forth between mentally ill father and a daughter who has never quite recovered from finding him after his suicide attempt, exploring a rarely studied angle of the father/daughter dynamic. What happens when the parent is not as strong as the child?
Like Best Kept Secret, this was a difficult read not because it wasn't well-written but because it forces you to face human frailties. A More...
Like Best Kept Secret, this was a difficult read not because it wasn't well-written but because it forces you to face human frailties. A More...
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Feb 06, 2012
Shannon
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Outside the Lines is a fantastic book club choice. Guaranteed to foster some heated discussions and engage your club long enough to finish off those excellent bottles of wine that you ordered at the start of your evening!
As published in Localiez magazine (www.localiez.com)
The novel opens with 10 year old Eden discovering her father's botched suicide attempt. This event proves to be the final strain in the marriage and Eden's parents divorce soon after.
Years More...
As published in Localiez magazine (www.localiez.com)
The novel opens with 10 year old Eden discovering her father's botched suicide attempt. This event proves to be the final strain in the marriage and Eden's parents divorce soon after.
Years More...
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Feb 05, 2012
Shelleyrae
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With it's intimate portrait of mental illness, Outside The Lines is a compelling and thought provoking novel. Eden was just ten when she last saw her father. Her childhood was marred by his strange behaviour as he battled an undiagnosed mental illness, refusing the medication that stabilised his mood but silenced his creative muse. Now in her thirties, triggered by her mothers bout with cancer, Eden is searching for her father, desperate to reconnect and determined to save him.
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Told More...
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Jan 05, 2012
Naomi
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Another absolute winner from Amy Hatvany. This story, which focuses on a father/daughter relationship "damaged" by his severe mental illness, was heartwarming, yet heartbreaking at the same time. This is an author I am really growing more and more to love with each book she publishes. Fans of Kristin Hannahwill love this author as she writes with the same caliber as the dynamic Ms. Hannah!
Although, I did love this book and actually read it in a couple of hours because I cou More...
Although, I did love this book and actually read it in a couple of hours because I cou More...
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Feb 15, 2012
Kathy
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Amy has a true gift with words. Outside the Lines has opened my eyes to how mental illness effects families. Captivated from the beginning, I felt every emotion written for every character. This book, along with Best Kept Secrets, has really opened my eyes to the illnesses society overlooks.
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Oct 31, 2011
Sarahz
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I really liked this book. The family was interesting to read about from the daughters and father's perspective,and reading about the paths the two of them took through the 20 years the book covered had me hooked. Once I started, I just couldn't stop reading.
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Feb 17, 2012
Anne-Marie
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As far as easy reads go this was one of them. I breezed right through it. However, with such a serious subject as mental illness I found myself wanting more "meat" to the story. Regardless, good beach read.
Jan 15, 2012
Aimee
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This book takes an unflinching look at mental illness. The profound effects of one person's illness on a host of persons are a heavy subject but it was handled well by the author.
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Nov 13, 2011
I edited this, and I can't wait to see it in the flesh! Hatvany is an incredibly creative writer and creates very believable characters you can related to and understand.
Feb 07, 2012
Pure Textuality
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Read my full review here --> http://puretextuality.com/2012/02/06/out...
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Feb 09, 2012
Lori
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Another amazing book by Amy Hatvany!!!
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