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224th out of 645 books
—
261 voters
When the Bough Breaks
Rachel Fletcher thought the biggest secret she'd ever have would be her crush on Jason West. But everything changes the night her father dies in a car accident--an accident she believes is all her fault. Starting high school is hard enough but carrying her secret guilt, enduring her mother's depression, and, worst of all, dealing with the alcoholism of her seventeen-year-o...more
Paperback, 343 pages
Published
August 23rd 2007
by Shadow Mountain
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What would you do if your dad’s death was your fault? When The Bough Breaks is about a teenage girl whose dad dies in a car accident as he is on his way to pick her up from her friend's house. However,before her dad left, her dad had asked her brother to go pick her up, but her brother refused. So instead of her brother dying, the dad does. She and her brother both suffer with depression because they think it is their fault that their dad died. While she uses it as a chance to improve herself,...more
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Have you ever felt like it was your fault that someone died? Well in the book "When The Bough Breaks" a teenage girl is at her friend's house and her Dad is supposed to pick her up.She comes home to find that her Dad was on his way to pick her up when he got hit by a drunk driver. Her brother that lives at home has an alcohol problem, which makes things at home worse.He tells her things like, that it is all her fault, she than makes excuses to the point that she also believes that she is the ca...more
I loved the book "the Secret Journal of Brett Colton," so I expected to love this one as well. I didn't. It was very sad, right from the first. The girl who is trying to keep her family together does not reach out to the many other functional adults who surround her--a school counselor, religious leaders, church youth group leaders, seminary teacher, her best friend's mom, which I felt was very sad--although that may have been realistic. Still, it felt stupid when she was struggling so and peopl...more
Rachel comes home from a friends house to find that her father has died in a car accident. From that day forward her life is in turmoil. She seems to be the only surviving member of the family as she tries to ignore her mother crying herself to sleep every night and her brother's alcohol problems. Then her mother falls in love again and Rachel has to deal with a stepfather and stepbrother (who is very understanding besides being good-looking and going to her high school). Rachel's brother's addi...more
I read this with high hopes. After reading the Secret Journal of Brett Colton, I was hoping for a story that was just as good. Sadly I was a little disappointed. I actually didn't like seeing Jason and Kathy from the SJoBC in this book. They were their own story, their own book, not this one. When Rachel told Jason near the end that she was sorry about his sister, if I hadn't previously read the SJoBC I would have been so confused as to what she was talking about.
I liked Rachel. Although I didn...more
I liked Rachel. Although I didn...more
Warning: This book is a tear jerker. This story was difficult to read but impossible to put down. Rachel's struggles come in waves and I found myself relating to several of the characters problems at different points in the story. Beautiful writing that moved me to tears many times, but also gave me time to reflect on some of the struggles I also faced during my time in high school. I loved the theme of "practicing what you preach". That church is a place to help those who need it, and we need t...more
When the Bough Breaks was a surprisingly gripping read. I cried and laughed (maybe I shouldn't have found Ryan so funny, but the whole pancake syrup/Christmas music analogy? Hilarious!). Kay Lynn Mangum does an excellent job of weaving heartfelt feelings into the story that really come across on the page. Although I wish Rachel would have shown a little more gumption at times, I loved each of the characters and empathized with them. Great snippets of dialogue, memorable characters, and a satisfy...more
This book was much better than I thought it would be. It was the April book for my book club and so I was ready to read it and I knew it would be enjoyable, but I didn't think it would be as good as it was. I read it in one day!
The relationships that she has to deal with, her poetry as well as the problems with alcoholism that her brother is dealing with all made it very interesting and real. It probably helped that I just finished Beautiful Boy and am also reading Tweak, about meth addiction, s...more
The relationships that she has to deal with, her poetry as well as the problems with alcoholism that her brother is dealing with all made it very interesting and real. It probably helped that I just finished Beautiful Boy and am also reading Tweak, about meth addiction, s...more
I wouldn't normally choose to read LDS lit but my SIL gave me her copy and said it helped her deal with some trials she was going through with her brother. She wanted me to read it so I decided to give it a try. The writing was good. Some parts of the story were too staged and some of the dialogue was not believable. But I did enjoy the overall story and the main character to me was genuine. I could relate to how she felt as a teenager. I don't see how the title has anything to do with the story...more
Sometimes I find LDS fiction way too sappy, but I did not find this book that way. It was a quick easy read that I finished in one afternoon. The story was engaging, the plot mostly believable (although it was a little sicky-sweet in some places) and the doctrine sprinkled throughout it was tasteful and too not heavy or overbearing. I appreciated the poems that the main character wrote and found that they gave the book a bit more depth than the typical Mormon novel. I think the author is a very...more
I hated it. You may be wondering why I gave it 5 stars? Because it made me cry so much! Granted, that may be the pregnancy hormones there.... Seriously? Great book. I just picked it up at the library browsing through the youth section and decided to give it a try. I finished it in 2 days because I couldn't put it down. I recommend it to youth and adults alike, though, I probably wouldn't recommend it to my husband. He thinks he's too manly for a chick-book like this one. It has a cute ending too...more
I was pleased with this book like I was with The Secret Journal of Brett Colton. The main character seemed whinny and quite childish. She didn't have the same amount of growth as the I saw with Mangum's other characters. I like the LDS aspect of course, but I found myself struggling to get though this. Maybe I should read it again...
This book and "The Secret Journal of Brett Coulton" by the same author are connected as in the minor characters in "the secret journal...." are the main characters in "when the bough breaks". So its neat to see the same time but from different teenager's points of view. I liked "the secret journal...." better but not by much. That is why I gave this one a 3 star vs a 4 star. Mangum is a fun YA LDS writer.
If you have ever felt like something bad that happened was all you fault, then you could probably relate very well to this book. In this book the main character is a teenage girl who blamed for her own fathers death, but that's not all that she has to deal with. She has many other struggles that she is living with also. This book is so good. Once you start reading you won't want to start.
This book was good. It gave good insight into the lives of LDS families who struggle with Addicts, and how it affects them. I couldn't set it down, I cried so much. Some parts would seem really cheesy, and then you'd hit a line that would put it all together and you'd burst into tears all over again. Good Read.
Definitely, 100% LDS fiction. I am not a huge fan of this "genre", but this book did connect with me on a personal level. It made me think about things in my own life and I did get a bit emotional at times while reading it. Its a pretty heart-wrenching story that a lot of people could relate to in some way.
This book is from the author who wrote the Secret Journal of Brett Colton. A different story with new characters, however, these characters attend the same high school as the previous book, so that connection is kind of cool. This story line is not as good as her first book, but still a good read.
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This is my third book that I've read by Mangum and it probably was my favorite of hers. The story developed well and it kept me focused on it, I had a hard time putting it down. One thing that bugs me is that she keeps bringing characters from her first book into the following ones, and in this book it was way over the top. I get it.. in a high school there are different families and things going on that are different with each person, but it thoroughly annoyed me to have Jason West and Kathy Co...more
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I think everyone can relate to this book in some way or another. Its really an eye opener that we have no idea what is going on in peoples lives. She has such a strong will and so much faith and her step brother/ crush helps her realize its OK to cry as long as you let the savior comfort you.
I loved this book! This is a story about real life. Terrible things happen. Things beyond our control. This book explores how a family deals with the pain of life and loss. Kay Lynn's characters have a depth that makes you feel like you know the character. I recommend this book highly
The characters in this book go to the same high school as Kathy Colton and Jason West, I did like this book but I hope the author will write something that doesn't involve these characters again. I like reading her books and they are some of my favorites, I would like to see some fresh ideas.
This book was pretty good. Again, I love this author, but "The Secret Journal" is the best ever. It was interesting to see that Rachel was kind of down on herself and envied Kathy, even though in "the secret Journal" Kathy felt the same way about herself. All in all a good read, another tear jerker. :)
This was a great book with lots of tears - definitely have tissue on hand! I wasn't particularily found of Rachel's confused relationship with her stepbrother Dallin. They didn't ever mix prior to becoming step siblings so found the possible intimacy between them a little weird.
i loved this book. i felt like i was thrown back into my teenage years because the girl had the same thought process regarding many situations i know i would have, and while some parts were cheesy, i love that and therefore thoroughly enjoyed the book. i couldn't put it down and finished it in 24 hours. good read:)
First finished book of 2012. Not as sappy as most LDS books I have read. It was hard for me to get pass the mom's really selfish behavior. Nice of her to jump into a marriage when her kids are obviously in pain after their father's death. Blah...glad it only cost me a $1 at DI.
LDS fiction. Deals with Rachel and her teenage, alcoholic brother. Set in high school the same as Secret Journal of Brett Coulton and has most of the same characters. It wasn't as good as The Secret Journal, but still was great for the subject matter it addressed.
This book has some pretty raw emotional moments that the author was able to capture through a family's pain of losing their father. It shows how each family member deals with their own grief, good ways and bad.
I found the story compelling and worthwhile to read.
I found the story compelling and worthwhile to read.
I am a sucker for young adult fiction, and I definitely loved this. I loved the "Secret Journal of Brett Colton" as well. The book is fast-paced and an overall enlightening read. It is definitely a feel-good book for those of us who want to see things get better around us!
I really loved this book. It was interesting to see this perspective of life. Everyone goes through rough things and this was a great refresher of that for me. I love when I can relate to a character and I truly did. I loved it.
I think that this author tries too hard to make her stories be "different".I commend this author for trying, heaven knows that cliche books are boring, but the plot fell flat and the storyline seemed stuck in a rut that would never budge. I understand why women (especially, teenage girls) would like this story. It deals with broken hearts, misunderstandings, and normal everyday life.I believe that we need to step outside of our "normal" lives to learn something,especially in literature. Words sh...more
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Kay Lynn Mangum is the youngest of four children (one sister, two brothers), and has enjoyed reading and writing stories since her elementary school days. She has always dreamed of seeing her stories in print, and still can't believe her books are not only published, but that strangers actually buy her books and like them! Kay Lynn holds an associates degree from Dixie Junior College, and a bachel...more
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