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Stronger Than You Know

Jolene Perry (Goodreads Author)

4.21 · Rating details · 838 ratings · 179 reviews

After police intervention, fifteen-year-old Joy has finally escaped the trailer where she once lived with her mother and survived years of confinement and abuse. Now living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in a comfortable house, she’s sure she’ll never belong. Wracked by panic attacks, afraid to talk to anyone at her new school, Joy’s got a whole list of reasons why she’ ...more

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Kindle Edition, 256 pages

Published September 1st 2014 by Albert Whitman Teen (first published January 1st 2014)

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Lists with This Book

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Average rating 4.21 ·

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· 838 ratings · 179 reviews

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Feb 25, 2013 Jolene Perry rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Shelves: wrote-this

As an author, I love all my books, but I don't love them equally.
This book is my precious baby of a book.
The one I shed more tears writing than any other, and the one whose ending brought me more satisfaction than any other.
I'm SO thrilled it's found a home and will be making its way into the world. ...more

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Sep 17, 2015 PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Grade: C-

After being confined to her trailer for most of her fifteen years, Joy is now safe living with her aunt, uncle and cousins. The scars on the outside of her body don't even slightly represent the pain she carries inside. She barely talks, spends most of her time in her room and has panic attacks when she's near males. Slowly, she begins to take risks and trust her new family and friends.

Jolene Perry created a realistic, traumatized character in Joy, though the speed at which she overcome ...more

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Jun 03, 2019 Rodoreads rated it really liked it

Shelves: mental-health, books-i-ve-read-2019

TW : Child abuse and rape.

Joy has never seen the world outside until a few months ago. She was confined in a small trailer by her mother who abused her and also brought in visitors who took advantage of her. My heart broke so much for this kid. All the inhumane things she went through shakes you to the core.

Finally getting out of that DISGUSTING place, Joy is taken in by her Aunt Nicole and Uncle Rob. These two are my favourite people throughout the book. They are so empathetic, specially Uncl ...more

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Jul 25, 2014 Craig Wiesner rated it really liked it

Powerful writing sucks you right in from page one. The story is realistic and painful but loaded with hope.

Until a few months ago, Joy lived her entire life locked in a trailer with an abusive mother and further abused by a string of visitors. Now, suddenly rescued from it all, she's having to navigate a life she never dreamed possible, while dealing with the damage of 15 years of unspeakable trauma.

Someone living in such a nightmare may find the strength to escape after reading this book. Som ...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Michael Burhans rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, novel

Another hard to classify book, except to say it is a leading contender right now for my Book Of The Year award. Powerful, thought provoking, unforgettable, I cannot come up with enough good things to say about this book. Joy has become one of my all time favorite book characters.

There are so many things I cannot say without ruining this book. You need to read it, and then read it again.

In my lifetime there have been perhaps 1 or 2 dozen books that really, truly hit me in my heart and soul. th ...more

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Apr 06, 2014 Cassie Mae marked it as to-read

Waiting for this is gonna be torture!

...more

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Aug 24, 2018 palomapvesio rated it really liked it

I wasn’t expecting this. I love this book with all my heart😢

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Aug 31, 2014 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

ORIGINAL REVIEW CAN BE SEE HERE.

I adored Stronger Than You Know. I think everyone who has ever been through tough situations should read it just so they know that its possible to make it through anything. Also, as a warning, this book is about some pretty terrible abuse. So if you don't like reading about that then steer clear of this book.

Joy is such a timid little thing. When we first meet her all the answers we get are through questions her therapist asks. She is afraid of her uncle and she w ORIGINAL REVIEW CAN BE SEE HERE.

I adored Stronger Than You Know. I think everyone who has ever been through tough situations should read it just so they know that its possible to make it through anything. Also, as a warning, this book is about some pretty terrible abuse. So if you don't like reading about that then steer clear of this book.

Joy is such a timid little thing. When we first meet her all the answers we get are through questions her therapist asks. She is afraid of her uncle and she won't look up from her feet when shes at school. She is broken.

As the book moves forward Joy goes back and forth from progression to recession. She moves so far ahead only to be knocked back even more by a word, scent, thought, etc.

I think Joy and Justin are PERFECT for each other. She calms him and he encourages her. He helps her move forward so much more than anyone else did I think. Well, aside from Uncle Rob.

Once Joy started talking to Uncle Rob he actually became a HUGE character in the book. She was her protector and I think he needed her to be safe just as much as she wanted it. Most family situations like this aren't as close or there is a lot more stress and fighting. This family was pretty much perfect and Nicole and Rob has so much love to give. Joy got extremely lucky with her Aunts family.

Seeing Joy open up and let people in is a huge deal. You get to see exactly what can happen when a child is emotionally and physically abused. They pretty much shut down and think the deserved everything that happened to them. I am glad she go over that and was able to thrive.

Further along in the book we no longer see the chats with Lydia. I think that is because her talks with Lydia aren't as big an impact as her growing and learning to trust those around her. She is building other relationships and opening up to her family. Lydia was the way we learned about her but now that Joy talks to other people we don't need Lydia anymore to ask questions so we have answers.

I feel like the book ended rather abruptly. Everything was ended in 3 short chapters and I would have loved to have found out her mothers verdict. Whether or not her and Justin last. And if Trent stayed the nice guy.

I do love that Joy had a happy ending. Most kids in her situation hardly ever have happy endings. They either crumble under the stress or they try to end their pain in different ways. Sadly, as the author said, the inspiration for this story didn't end as happily.

Overall I gave the book 5/5 Kitties regardless of my unanswered questions. ...more

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May 29, 2014 Sarah Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: abuse, r2r-read, as, netgalley-edelweiss, read-with-abbie, romance, contemporary, young-adult, read-2014

3.13 stars
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Albert Whitman & Company and NetGalley.)
16-year-old Joy has spent her entire life in a caravan with her mother and her continual string of abusive boyfriends. Joy has been abused emotionally, physically, and sexually, but now she’s free to live the rest of her life with her aunt, if only she can come to terms with what has happened to her.
Can Joy heal? And can she learn to not be scared of me ...more

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Mar 03, 2015 Ms. Yingling rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Joy has been raised by an abusive mother who rarely let her leave their small trailer and did not protect her from a succession of friends who thought it was funny to extinguish cigarettes on her back and boyfriends who did even worse. Taken away and put into the custody of her aunt and uncle, Joy is having difficulty fitting in and working through her understandable anxiety. Men make her nervous, she doesn't like to eat in front of others, and crowds make her want to disappear. She has a hard t Joy has been raised by an abusive mother who rarely let her leave their small trailer and did not protect her from a succession of friends who thought it was funny to extinguish cigarettes on her back and boyfriends who did even worse. Taken away and put into the custody of her aunt and uncle, Joy is having difficulty fitting in and working through her understandable anxiety. Men make her nervous, she doesn't like to eat in front of others, and crowds make her want to disappear. She has a hard time connecting to her cousins, Trent and Tara, and rarely speaks at school. She is making progress, however, and her therapist, Lydia, has her write down how things have changed. The biggest change is that she makes the acquaintance of Justin, a neighbor boy, and is able to talk to him while walking to school. She also goes to kung fu lessons with her uncle, and is empowered by them. Things are not all smooth sailing-- she is still shy with Justin, and he doesn't understand her whole story, she is unhappy that she must rely on drugs on occasion, and she feels that her aunt and uncle have made their own lives worse by taking her in. With the help of her support system, she is able to make steady progress toward a more standard "normal", even when she has to testify against her mother.
Strengths: This brilliantly elucidated Joy's terrible past not by describing it in sordid detail, but in evidencing it in her inability to cope at her aunt's. Her insistence that the cigarette burns, which everyone thinks are so horrible, were the least horrible part of living with her mother is chilling. Worldly readers will be able to guess at exactly went on, and more naive readers will just know how traumatized Joy is without becoming so themselves. Brilliant. Joy's difficulties are not made light of, but the people in her life try to do the right thing. I thought that her relationship with her uncle was very well done, especially his motivation for being so concerned about her. Justin is perfectly understanding, while being angry about Joy's treatment and a little bit frustrated. Her cousins care for her but also feel inconvenienced until they fully understand what she went through. I will be very happy to give this to students!
Weaknesses: Justin was a tiny bit too perfect, and Ty a little too randomly jerky, but otherwise this was pitch perfect.
What I really thought: Disappointed that Perry's other books are more young adult! ...more

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May 29, 2014 Abbie rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-to-review

(I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

Stronger Than You Know had a few slow patches, but i really liked it!

I really liked Joy, and i loved her new family.
Out of all the characters, my favorite was Rob, so i was really glad when she started to talk to him.
The only one in the family i didn't get along with was Trent, but near the end of the book, he changed, and he grew on me.

The pacing could be quite slow, so there was times where i started to lose interest a bit.. ...more

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May 29, 2016 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebook, read-2016

Interesting perspective into abuse and mental health issues. Great character development. However, the ending had too many loose ends for my liking and was a bit ambiguous and abrupt.

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Dec 04, 2019 Samantha Diget rated it it was amazing

I read the book “stronger than you know” by Jolene Perry. I felt this book was sad but had a happy ending and it relates to me really well. In the book, the main character was named joy and when she was younger she was abused. She would have panic attacks when a guy got close to her. Then she moved to her aunt’s house and was having a perfect life. She had parents that loved her, friends, and a boyfriend. She never talked about her past because she was scared to but then she had to testify and b ...more

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Apr 24, 2017 Kyra rated it really liked it

This book introduces in depth problems many people face in the real world, in a softer enviornment than the real world. Stronger Than You Know perfectly illustrates the concept of smiling on the outside, crying on the inside, and is an inspiration for anyone battling a silent fight.

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Jul 15, 2017 Lupine Smile rated it really liked it

I enjoyed the story and like the characters in the story. The only reason that I gave it one less star was that the changes in the characters happened way too fast at times. i understand that it is a short book and pacing needs to be maintained, but people were doing about faces in only a few pages. If those issues were cleaned up, it would have easily been a five star book.

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May 18, 2019 Sylwia rated it it was amazing

I have to pause reading this because of life stuff. I read 92 pages and LOVED THEM and look forward to reread them and finishing this book in the future. I hope an audiobook comes out ASAP!

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Sep 11, 2019 Lana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2019

"You're going to start breaking free from this, Joy, and when you do, life's going to be good to you." ...more

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Aug 21, 2020 Ty rated it really liked it

i liked how realistic this book is, especially the therapy parts, and how it took Joy time to warm up to her therapist

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Jan 05, 2021 Krista rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2021

A very heavy story of a girl, who believed she is broken and crazy for what happened to her in the past. Such an emotional journey that she goes on. A hard, but a good read.

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Nov 05, 2018 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

I have not cried over a book in so long!!! Ugh! All of the feels.

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Jan 04, 2016 Ali Mark rated it liked it

Read more reviews at: http://rainbowreviews.wix.com/reading...

Published in 2014.
Pages: 244
Number of books by author: 6 YA Novels
Genre: Young Adult Fiction

When someone saves Joy from her very own Hell, her Aunt and Uncle decide to take her in to prevent her from going into the foster care system. We follow Joy as she is on her own path of personal-discovery while trying to cope with her past and get acclimated to her future.

You may like this book if you like the following sub-genres:

Childhood/Co ...more

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May 01, 2014 Erin Arkin rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Stronger Than You Know tells the story of a fifteen year old girl who has dealt with things she never should have had to deal with. It also tells the story of how she learns to navigate the challenges that come along with trying to figure out who she is and where her place is in the world.

I have to admit, when I finished this book, my first thought was that I would never ever do this story justice with a review. This always happens to me when I read something that I absolutely love and Jolene P Stronger Than You Know tells the story of a fifteen year old girl who has dealt with things she never should have had to deal with. It also tells the story of how she learns to navigate the challenges that come along with trying to figure out who she is and where her place is in the world.

I have to admit, when I finished this book, my first thought was that I would never ever do this story justice with a review. This always happens to me when I read something that I absolutely love and Jolene Perry has catapulted this story onto my favorites shelf by creating characters I loved and a story that made me go through just about every single feeling.

Joy grew up with a mother who neglected and abused her and she allowed her boyfriends to treat her horribly as well…in every single way you can imagine. I was immediately pulled into Joy’s story and while she is adapting to living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins, they are also adapting to living with her. Their lives are impacted just as greatly as Joy’s is and I thought it was wonderful how much they were willing to do in order to help Joy.

While every single one of these characters just made me want to climb into this book and give them all hugs, I have to call out her Uncle Rob. While at first Joy struggled to be comfortable with him, he completely understood he needed to give her time and space. I loved seeing their relationship change and grow until she realized that he really was there to make sure she was safe and he would do whatever he could to provide that security for her. Admittedly, he was one of my favorite characters and this was one of my favorite parts of the story.

As Joy faces her fears and setbacks, she begins to build relationships with not only her new family, but also people like Daisy and Justin. These characters both played different roles in Joy’s growth and change and were critical to her moving beyond her issues. They both showed her she has strength, feelings, and friends no matter what happened in her past.

Since this story is from Joy’s perspective, we go through the highs and lows right alongside her and that is the piece that made this story so impactful for me. While Perry doesn’t go into a lot of detail of what happened to Joy, enough is revealed for us to know that she went through hell and through a twist of fate, ended up with a loving and caring family that treated her like their own sister/daughter. The good times had me grinning like a fool for her and the bad times had me almost in tears for the pain and suffering she was feeling.

Now, I know some people are saying that they didn’t think a lot happened in this book and I have to disagree. I think the challenge here for some is that this is very much a character driven story (which I LOVE) and all of the things that happen are linked to the growth and change in Joy and those around her.

Hopefully my rambling isn’t horribly distracting and helps you realize that this is one of those stories that make it impossible for me to do it justice. Just trust me and check out this book when you can as this is a moving story that pulled me in and even now has me thinking about everything.

Thank you to Netgalley and Albert Whitman & Company for the review copy. ...more

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Jan 02, 2016 Kelly Gunderman rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!

Stronger Than You Know is a horrifying portrayal of one girl's struggle to feel normal after facing abuse for her entire life, leading her to severe trust issues, anxiety issues, panic disorder, and fear of the outside world and most of the people in it. It is a story of survival and overcoming odds, as well as finding happiness and a good life afterwards.

Joy has only ever known the small trailer that she lived Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!

Stronger Than You Know is a horrifying portrayal of one girl's struggle to feel normal after facing abuse for her entire life, leading her to severe trust issues, anxiety issues, panic disorder, and fear of the outside world and most of the people in it. It is a story of survival and overcoming odds, as well as finding happiness and a good life afterwards.

Joy has only ever known the small trailer that she lived in with her mother and the random men that her mother dated. She rarely went outside, and she suffered abuse from her mother and her mother's boyfriends, including sexual abuse. When her mother ends up going to jail, Joy's aunt and uncle are called and asked if they would like to take her in. Happily, they agree - and as they find out the extent of Joy's suffering, they help to make her life whole again.

It's difficult for the whole family - Joy can't be around her uncle at first, because she doesn't trust men and does not want to be around someone who she fears might repeat the same abuse as the other men that she has known. Joy's cousins try to be understanding, even though it is difficult for them to accept this girl they've never met coming to live in their home - a girl who has severe anxiety and panic attacks set off by the slightest things. While they aren't used to it, they try to help her get accustomed to real life - school, friends, and doing the things that teenagers do, such as going shopping and getting a boyfriend.

When Joy meets a boy while walking to school one day, it is difficult for her to talk to him, but he sticks around and eventually the two of them strike up a friendship - something healthy and positive for her.

This book was difficult to read - especially Joy's reactions to her family members (such as her uncle), and her fear of even being outside. I felt a lot of emotions while reading this book, and it really is a powerful novel about abuse and severe anxiety.

The main problem I had with this book (and the only one, really), was the fact that I wasn't really able to connect to the characters in a way that I would have liked. They all seemed a bit superficial, as opposed to being deep and complex, which you would expect in a novel like this one. Maybe if the book had been a little longer, there would have been more room for character descriptions and development, but there just wasn't any there (with the exception of Joy - it was wonderful seeing how she learned to cope with everything that was going on).

I can't imagine being in Joy's shoes - things were really rough for her, and it really shines a new light on anxiety and panic disorder. Stronger Than You Know does a good job portraying what it is like to have a panic attack - and how debilitating one can be. Joy did have a great support system, and this played an important part in her recovery.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Sep 17, 2015 Xitlalie Tafolla rated it it was amazing

Have you ever wanted to know what a girl with depression and anxiety is thinking and feeling? Well this realistic fiction book is a book you should read. I honestly love this book, this book gives you so many details and descriptions on Joy's point of view of things.Joy is the main character of this book. "Stronger than you know" is a book that will get you thinking and wondering how she was able to survive through all those problems she had back home. You will be amazed when you read this book Have you ever wanted to know what a girl with depression and anxiety is thinking and feeling? Well this realistic fiction book is a book you should read. I honestly love this book, this book gives you so many details and descriptions on Joy's point of view of things.Joy is the main character of this book. "Stronger than you know" is a book that will get you thinking and wondering how she was able to survive through all those problems she had back home. You will be amazed when you read this book, you will also be amazed to know how strong Joy really is.
Joy is fifteen years old and she is now living with her aunt and uncle because her mom was sent to jail. Joy is a girl that is depressed, she has anxiety,and she describes herself as "broken". Joy is just getting used to the whole change that happened in her life, she's afraid to be near her Uncle Rob and she only communicates to her Aunt Nicole, Joy also lives with her two cousins Trent and Tara. Joy has a social anxiety disorder, she gets nervous when people get near her or try to talk to her she even sometimes gets panic attacks. Joy meets a cute boy named Justin and for once Joy feels comfortable near a boy, Joy also makes a new friend and her name is Daisy. Just as things are getting better for Joy, she finds out that the state of California is prosecuting her mom and she has to testify. She manages to get through it and finally goes home, to her new home.
The author adds suspense whenever Joy gets a panic attack or there is an obstacle that gets in Joy's way of moving forward in life. The title itself is an attention grabber because it gets you thinking, wondering what kind of problems the main character will face. The setting of the story adds to the theme because in this book her old home where Joy to used to live with her mom is what affected her, and her new home is helping her a lot it's helping her heal.
If I were the author I would've make a second part to this, like another book based on the same story. In my opinion I think this book is amazing. It just gives you a bunch of good quotes. "I have no idea if this means I'm moving backward or forward, maybe I'm just running in circles" this is the quote that really got my attention because it just has a powerful meaning.
I rate this book five stars because it was honestly really good. I recommend this book to people who like to read dramatic realistic fiction, someone who loves a book to be filled with thoughts and meaning. Do you ever wonder what goes on in a girl's mind? Well if you read this book you'll get a chance to know how they feel and think.

...more

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Sep 01, 2014 Wandering Librarians rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grade, realistic-fiction, fiction, serious-issues, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Joy is fifteen and until three months ago she lived a terrifying existence with her mother. Now her mother is in jail, and Joy is safe, living with her aunt, uncle and two cousins. But Joy doesn't feel safe, even though she knows she is. She can't stop the panic attacks when she has to talk to someone, especially men. She feels completely crazy and out of control and isn't convinced that things will ever get better.

For most of the book, it isn't stated explicitly what happened to Joy. Depending Joy is fifteen and until three months ago she lived a terrifying existence with her mother. Now her mother is in jail, and Joy is safe, living with her aunt, uncle and two cousins. But Joy doesn't feel safe, even though she knows she is. She can't stop the panic attacks when she has to talk to someone, especially men. She feels completely crazy and out of control and isn't convinced that things will ever get better.

For most of the book, it isn't stated explicitly what happened to Joy. Depending on the maturity of the reader, you might make different assumptions. Joy has a very hard time speaking to men. Being alone with a man, even her uncle or cousin, can cause a panic attack. She's afraid of the smell of beer. She can't stand people looking at her. I assumed she's been emotionally and physically abused by her mother, and raped by her mother's boyfriend, which we find out at the end of the book, at the trail of her mother, that's what happened. The word "rape" is not mentioned the entire time until one sentence at the very end.

Because of this, this book might be a good choice for upper middle grade looking for a serious issues book. It's not graphic or explicit. It deals mainly with the aftermath and Joy trying to work her way through what happened to her and try and learn that she's safe now.

It does not happen all at once. When the book starts, Joy has been with her aunt and uncle for three months and hadn't made very much progress. She's not convinced she'll ever make progress. But she slowly begins to. She's able to be in the same room as her uncle, and then she's able to talk to him. They eventually become close and he becomes her biggest advocate. Joy starts making friends. She is able to speak up a little more, and discovers new things about her personality.

It isn't all smooth sailing. Joy has lots of stops and starts, and sometimes she falls backwards. She worries what an imposition it must be to her aunt and her family to have to take her in. She is surprised to learn her aunt feels horrible guilty for not getting Joy away from her mother earlier. Joy has to deal with one of her cousins who is tired of everyone tiptoeing around her and doesn't understand why she can't just be normal already.

I thought Stronger Than You Know did an great job showing the aftermath of trauma and how it is truly a process to overcome it. The book ends with hope, and we know, that even as Joy continues to struggle, she'll come out on top.

Stronger Than You Know came out September 1, 2014. ...more

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Aug 01, 2014 Alexa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2014, best-of-2014

FIRST THOUGHTS:

More like 4.25-4.5 stars. I didn't expect to be completely blown away. A little reminiscent of If You Find Me, Joy's story is incredibly heartbreaking but still manages to be hopeful. I really really liked this one!

REVIEW:

(Originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)

Stronger Than You Know is the story of a girl name Joy, who is currently trying to deal with the aftermath of the terrible circumstances she was used to and adjust to her brand-new "normal" life. It sounds so simple, doesn' FIRST THOUGHTS:

More like 4.25-4.5 stars. I didn't expect to be completely blown away. A little reminiscent of If You Find Me, Joy's story is incredibly heartbreaking but still manages to be hopeful. I really really liked this one!

REVIEW:

(Originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)

Stronger Than You Know is the story of a girl name Joy, who is currently trying to deal with the aftermath of the terrible circumstances she was used to and adjust to her brand-new "normal" life. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? Perry, however, takes this premises and adds extra detail to take Joy's story to a different level entirely. With an exquisitely moving combination of painful heartbreak and peaceful hope, Stronger Than You Know is seriously impressive.

Joy begins this novel broken and beaten down by all the abuse she experienced while she was still living with her mother. Her grief holds her down, and it broke my heart completely to have to witness her so afraid and frustrated and desperate and hopeless. Perry doesn't hold back, so readers will bear witness to how hard it is for Joy. Joy has a long road to recovery ahead of her, and in spite of the difficulties, there's a lot of hope, encouragement, support and love to be encountered along the way.

Help comes in the form of many people in Joy's life - her therapist, her classmate Justin, a new friend named Daisy, her relatives Aunt Nicole, Uncle Rob and cousins Tara and Trent. Even though it's not easy (for her or for them), most people (Trent being the only exception) were patient with Joy and willing to accept and shelter this broken, battered, difficult girl. In fact, I'm especially fond of the relationship she develops with her Uncle Rob, as it just made my heart feel so full. But all these people become a safe haven for her, offering understanding and a place to heal.

Really, Stronger Than You Know was such a pleasant surprise! It's painful in how realistically Joy's struggle is portrayed, especially considering how much abuse she endured. Even though her journey involves setbacks and hard things, there's also such inspiration to be drawn from how Joy fights to find some peace and live up to her name. It was incredibly moving (to the point where I teared up towards the end). I'm so glad I got to read this, and will definitely be recommending you do the same. ...more

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Aug 15, 2014 Nemo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

More reviews at Blame it on the Book

“I’m still in shock over the things that happened to me. The things I didn’t know weren’t normal. And now that I know what normal can be, I’m amazed I survived.”

When I started I knew it would be emotional but I had no idea what I was getting into. Joy didn’t just have a bad home life, it was awful. She was abused, both emotionally and physically by everyone she had meet until she was finally taken away at the age of 16.

She moves in with her Aunt Nicole, Uncl More reviews at Blame it on the Book

“I’m still in shock over the things that happened to me. The things I didn’t know weren’t normal. And now that I know what normal can be, I’m amazed I survived.”

When I started I knew it would be emotional but I had no idea what I was getting into. Joy didn’t just have a bad home life, it was awful. She was abused, both emotionally and physically by everyone she had meet until she was finally taken away at the age of 16.

She moves in with her Aunt Nicole, Uncle Rob and their two kids, Tara and Trent. Joy goes from being with awful horrible family to a regular American home. It was so well written that I understood everything she was going through… well to a fault.

For example when she got there she felt as if she was a nuisance, someone they had to take in not someone they wanted. As the story evolved and Joy’s self esteem went up, she realized they didn’t have to take her but they wanted her there. Even if she was a little crazy and broken.

Her story broke my heart so many times but the absolute worst was when Joy tried to be around her Uncle the first few times: “He was a man I didn’t know in a house I didn’t know, and maybe certain things were going to be expected of me. A lot had been expected of me in the past. I had no reason to believe that Uncle Rob was any different.”

I mean how awful is that she can’t even trust her own family! Joy still tries to live a normal-ish life, she goes to school but she doesn’t think things can get better until she meets Justin. For the first time since she can remember she is able to face a guy and not need a pill.

Justin was such a sweet guy, I mean of all the YA studs he definitely takes the cake. He’s sweet and understanding with a lot of love and patience. He never pushed Joy but was waiting for her to make a move. He wasn’t the only adorable person, there was also Daisy. She was a homeschool Karate pro who became Joy’s best friend. She was as wild as Joy was cautious and they helped each other.

Overall this was a fantastic story of a girl who suffered awful tragedy and learned to overcome it with people who loved her. Its true and realistic and one of my favorite books of this year. ...more

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May 08, 2014 Michelle rated it really liked it

I first fell in love with Jolene's writing when I read The Next Door Boys, since then I may be stalking her on goodreads for new books, so the minute I saw Stronger Than You Know on Netgalley I knew I had to request a copy, even though I didn't really think I would get approved.

I knew before I started reading Stronger Than You Know that it wouldn't be an easy read, that it would be emotional and that I probably would cry my heart out, and I was correct. Stronger Than You Know is an emotional, he I first fell in love with Jolene's writing when I read The Next Door Boys, since then I may be stalking her on goodreads for new books, so the minute I saw Stronger Than You Know on Netgalley I knew I had to request a copy, even though I didn't really think I would get approved.

I knew before I started reading Stronger Than You Know that it wouldn't be an easy read, that it would be emotional and that I probably would cry my heart out, and I was correct. Stronger Than You Know is an emotional, heartbreaking read. Each step that Joy made that helped her, made me feel so proud of her, proud of this little achievement towards finding a normal for herself.

Joy has gone through so much in her life, facing constant forms of abuse from her Mother, from friends of her Mother, and has not had a stable life, has had no-one she could turn to and ask for help. When the lifeline is finally thrown to her, she is saved by her Aunt, who takes her home and welcomes her into the family with no hesitation. But the damage has already been done and Joy is finding it extremely hard to adjust to this new life, to see that this new family really does want what's best for her.

This journey of self discovery is something new for Joy as she learns to navigate being around a loving, stable, family life. She has a new life, a new school, and the start of some friendships. Seeing how this new situation is hard for Joy to accept is really brought to light when she has flashbacks, or panic attacks, and her new life is compared to her old one. But Joy is a survivor, a fighter, and as the title says, she really is stronger than she knows.

Jolene has done a fantastic job of taking such a terrible subject, and making it available for others to read, but also deals with it in a sensitive way. Stronger Than You Know is just one person, one character's experience with what happens, and she has someone to fight for her, to take her in an care for her, but not everyone is lucky. Please, if you have any suspicions, or are dealing with any form of abuse yourself, speak out, don't let someone you love, or yourself suffer. There are people out there who can help you, just reach out. ...more

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Nov 22, 2014 Sandy rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, realistic-fiction, mental-health

4.5 stars
The book jacket does not do this novel justice. If it was not for the synopsis, I don’t think I would have read this book. There is something about the lettering, the bright colors and the girl on the front that turns me off. If I compared the book’s themes to the cover, to me, it just doesn’t match. Her name is Joy and her childhood is far from joyous. Joy lived in constant fear, locked away with her mother in their trailer. She’s subjected to her mother’s many boyfriends while her mot ...more

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May 01, 2014 Tati rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-realistic

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Albert Whitman & Co. for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

From my experience with another book written by Jolene Perry (The Summer I found You), I already knew that this was likely to be a character-driven book. And I was right. Joy has an extremely heartbreaking story, and now that she is finally out of the terrible situation she grew up in, she has to deal with all those ghosts. At first, it was really interesting and well done. But ...more

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