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My Dear Stranger
"Last night my dear stranger came to me..."
Sadie Adams spent years hiding a secret in her journal. A beautiful secret wrapped in a dear stranger who came to her in the night. A stranger who came to her filled with love, passion, and devotion. And her only release from her secret days and her lonely nights came from her journal; a journal that kept her company as life slowly passed her by while she anxiously waited for his return.
"How do you live, when you've spend your life waiting alone?"
Waiting, the darkness and pain grew until within the grip of loneliness and death, she finally found a light to hold onto.
Brighter and kinder than anyone she had ever known, Sadie finally chose to live in a world of light...
Even as a Darkness was born to destroy her.
Sadie Adams spent years hiding a secret in her journal. A beautiful secret wrapped in a dear stranger who came to her in the night. A stranger who came to her filled with love, passion, and devotion. And her only release from her secret days and her lonely nights came from her journal; a journal that kept her company as life slowly passed her by while she anxiously waited for his return.
"How do you live, when you've spend your life waiting alone?"
Waiting, the darkness and pain grew until within the grip of loneliness and death, she finally found a light to hold onto.
Brighter and kinder than anyone she had ever known, Sadie finally chose to live in a world of light...
Even as a Darkness was born to destroy her.
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 9, 2014
About the author
Sarah Ann Walker
8 books233 followerswww.authorsarahannwalker.com
Sarah Ann Walker is a Scottish Canadian who was raised in Canada, where she attended McMaster University as an English major.
Currently Sarah is raising her son, working on her career, and writing when she can while gulping copious amounts of coffee.
*Sarah has taken a break from writing but plans to release her 8th book in late 2020.*
Sarah can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and goodreads.
http://www.amazon.com/author/walkersa...
Book Bio
Sarah's first book, 'I am HER...', second, third, and fourth book 'LOST' have all received positive reviews both locally and online from her readers. 'Choices...' Sarah's 5th book, has been hailed as a classic 'Walker WTF? ending'.
'We are US...' the final of the I am HER trilogy was released to rave reviews. And book #7 (mis)TRUST was released June 17, 2016 surpassing all personal and professional expectations for Sarah.
http://www.amazon.com/author/walkersa...
Sarah Ann Walker is a Scottish Canadian who was raised in Canada, where she attended McMaster University as an English major.
Currently Sarah is raising her son, working on her career, and writing when she can while gulping copious amounts of coffee.
*Sarah has taken a break from writing but plans to release her 8th book in late 2020.*
Sarah can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and goodreads.
http://www.amazon.com/author/walkersa...
Book Bio
Sarah's first book, 'I am HER...', second, third, and fourth book 'LOST' have all received positive reviews both locally and online from her readers. 'Choices...' Sarah's 5th book, has been hailed as a classic 'Walker WTF? ending'.
'We are US...' the final of the I am HER trilogy was released to rave reviews. And book #7 (mis)TRUST was released June 17, 2016 surpassing all personal and professional expectations for Sarah.
http://www.amazon.com/author/walkersa...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
July 21, 2019
DNF @ 45%
This was my first read by this author so I wasn’t familiar with her writing. I went into this blind, of course, I'd read the blurb and it intrigued me, added the title and cover, but hadn’t read any of the reviews. The writing was so repetitive, most of the sentences were repeated multiple times. And the plot? Ahhh, it was full of misery! I couldn’t go further and read more of her life, it was a mess. I don't want to be mean but I just couldn't continue. Even I couldn’t read it for Alex. It’s NOT an easy read, it’s NOT a safe read, proceed with caution. Hope you enjoy it more than me!
This was my first read by this author so I wasn’t familiar with her writing. I went into this blind, of course, I'd read the blurb and it intrigued me, added the title and cover, but hadn’t read any of the reviews. The writing was so repetitive, most of the sentences were repeated multiple times. And the plot? Ahhh, it was full of misery! I couldn’t go further and read more of her life, it was a mess. I don't want to be mean but I just couldn't continue. Even I couldn’t read it for Alex. It’s NOT an easy read, it’s NOT a safe read, proceed with caution. Hope you enjoy it more than me!
March 24, 2017
Sarah Ann Walker delivers another stunning and thought provoking read.
Sadie is home alone for the weekend while her husband, Alex and son Jamie are away. She has pushed these thoughts from her mind and now is the time to finally do what she must finish. Her past contained in one box... a box that holds all the secrets she never wanted to taint her present life - the life she built with Alex and Jamie - the life she had because she they allowed her to become this new person... someone that was nothing like the one she used to be.
Sadie's past is told through a series of journal entries and flashes of memories of her past that begin when she is sixteen. A journal that brings Him back to her thoughts. Their encounters, the nights he would visit, the nights she wondered where he was and eventually to a time where he was gone.
She relives the brutality of an event that left her broken. There was such potency and power in the use of something as simple as a lowercase i that perfectly displayed the idea that this event had broken her completely.
"I begged, he laughed.
He taunted, I screamed.
I fought, he won.
He was victorious, I died.
... And now I am no more than a small broken i."
The heartbreak of losing faith and trust of the one person she had let in. And with that broken trust, seeing herself differently for the first time.
When Sadie meets Alex he slowly begins to gain her trust, something that is not easily done. The men that she has trusted in the past have betrayed her, so letting Alex in was not something that Sadie did with ease. But he was there. However close or far away she needed him to be. Even as much as Sadie has come to love how Alex is with her, she still wishes for Him to return to her. As Sadie attempts to face her past it forces the darkness to creep back into the perfect world she created, the world where she became the Sadie that she needed to be, the Sadie she knew she had to be for her son and her husband.
I felt like I had fallen down the rabbit hole through most of this story. My mind was whirling trying to piece together her past, unable to see what was real and what wasn't. It wasn't until the very end that the pieces fit and the build up to that moment had been so filled with tension and trepidation that I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the truth, but I knew I needed it. Sadie isn't the most broken character I've stumbled upon... but she comes close. That honor belongs to one of the other characters that this author gave life to. While reading this story, Sadie's voice was so manic at times and the way she thought, spoke and just was... fit her character perfectly. I felt a little insane at times as I entered her world.
Alex. He was just pure perfection. Gentle, patient and at times, when needed forceful - but never was he a man that needed to be feared. How he interacted with Sadie from the start until the last moments of the story were beautiful.
I admit that I was scared to read this. Even with reassurances from the author that it was not going to break me, there is just something about the stories that she writes that you can't help but let the experience seep in and affect you. The way this story worked its way into my thoughts left me feeling emotionally raw. But not in that 'ugly cry' way that leaves you in the fetal position on the floor. In that way, where a story just crawled into my thoughts and decided to get comfortable and make itself at home.
My Dear Stranger is one of those books that you don't simply read, but experience. Although there was a beautiful love story that blended in with her story, the psychological aspects captivated me from the start. I am one of those readers who won't flip to the last page of a book to know how it ends, but will challenge myself to figure it out before I get to the end - this was one of those stories where that is simply just impossible. Each discovery was perfectly timed and kept just far enough out of reach to ensure that you never knew what was going to happen next. Bravo to Sarah Ann Walker for another fantastic read and thank you for not destroying me emotionally.
Sadie is home alone for the weekend while her husband, Alex and son Jamie are away. She has pushed these thoughts from her mind and now is the time to finally do what she must finish. Her past contained in one box... a box that holds all the secrets she never wanted to taint her present life - the life she built with Alex and Jamie - the life she had because she they allowed her to become this new person... someone that was nothing like the one she used to be.
Sadie's past is told through a series of journal entries and flashes of memories of her past that begin when she is sixteen. A journal that brings Him back to her thoughts. Their encounters, the nights he would visit, the nights she wondered where he was and eventually to a time where he was gone.
She relives the brutality of an event that left her broken. There was such potency and power in the use of something as simple as a lowercase i that perfectly displayed the idea that this event had broken her completely.
"I begged, he laughed.
He taunted, I screamed.
I fought, he won.
He was victorious, I died.
... And now I am no more than a small broken i."
The heartbreak of losing faith and trust of the one person she had let in. And with that broken trust, seeing herself differently for the first time.
When Sadie meets Alex he slowly begins to gain her trust, something that is not easily done. The men that she has trusted in the past have betrayed her, so letting Alex in was not something that Sadie did with ease. But he was there. However close or far away she needed him to be. Even as much as Sadie has come to love how Alex is with her, she still wishes for Him to return to her. As Sadie attempts to face her past it forces the darkness to creep back into the perfect world she created, the world where she became the Sadie that she needed to be, the Sadie she knew she had to be for her son and her husband.
I felt like I had fallen down the rabbit hole through most of this story. My mind was whirling trying to piece together her past, unable to see what was real and what wasn't. It wasn't until the very end that the pieces fit and the build up to that moment had been so filled with tension and trepidation that I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the truth, but I knew I needed it. Sadie isn't the most broken character I've stumbled upon... but she comes close. That honor belongs to one of the other characters that this author gave life to. While reading this story, Sadie's voice was so manic at times and the way she thought, spoke and just was... fit her character perfectly. I felt a little insane at times as I entered her world.
Alex. He was just pure perfection. Gentle, patient and at times, when needed forceful - but never was he a man that needed to be feared. How he interacted with Sadie from the start until the last moments of the story were beautiful.
I admit that I was scared to read this. Even with reassurances from the author that it was not going to break me, there is just something about the stories that she writes that you can't help but let the experience seep in and affect you. The way this story worked its way into my thoughts left me feeling emotionally raw. But not in that 'ugly cry' way that leaves you in the fetal position on the floor. In that way, where a story just crawled into my thoughts and decided to get comfortable and make itself at home.
My Dear Stranger is one of those books that you don't simply read, but experience. Although there was a beautiful love story that blended in with her story, the psychological aspects captivated me from the start. I am one of those readers who won't flip to the last page of a book to know how it ends, but will challenge myself to figure it out before I get to the end - this was one of those stories where that is simply just impossible. Each discovery was perfectly timed and kept just far enough out of reach to ensure that you never knew what was going to happen next. Bravo to Sarah Ann Walker for another fantastic read and thank you for not destroying me emotionally.
March 27, 2015
5 STRANGER STARS!
"If the start of a relationship is forced but the situation of force changes, is the relationship still tainted forever?"
OH MY WORD! Sarah Ann Walker does it again. I'm speechless, mind-f****d, and deeply disturbed! WOW!
Sadie has the perfect husband, perfect family, perfect life. Well that's the impression I got. Then she opens her journal... I had several different opinions of Sadie, at first I thought she was just in a deep depression. And I kept thinking; Why? What's so awful about her life? Why does she dance with death so often? My Dear Stranger starts showing up when Sadie is 16 years old. Please stay with me, I might start rambling. AT FIRST, I think Stranger is comforting, loving, maybe even healing...He shows up, then he's gone again. Leaving me wondering if he's real. Is he real?
Sadie is complex, complicated, crazy, I think. I was questioning my sanity, while hanging out in Sadie's head. I honestly had no idea what was to come. What was reality? Is she suffering from split personality disorder? WHAT'S REAL?
The whole book kept me guessing. I was wrapped and trapped into the story, looking for clues, anything!!! And even after I finished, I am still thinking back wondering if I missed something.
MY DEAR STRANGER- at the back of my mind I kept making guesses. At one point I thought Sadie might be My Dear Stranger. That's how screwed my mind was. I guessed you once, but through my confusion, I totally forgot. I WAS SHOCKED! FLABBERGASTED!
ANOTHER HIGHLY EMOTIONAL EXCEPTIONAL STORY!
If you haven't read a book by Sarah Ann Walker, you need to. Completely Original, Mind Bending, Compelling Writing! It's not like reading a average book, it's more of an experience!
"If the start of a relationship is forced but the situation of force changes, is the relationship still tainted forever?"
OH MY WORD! Sarah Ann Walker does it again. I'm speechless, mind-f****d, and deeply disturbed! WOW!
Sadie has the perfect husband, perfect family, perfect life. Well that's the impression I got. Then she opens her journal... I had several different opinions of Sadie, at first I thought she was just in a deep depression. And I kept thinking; Why? What's so awful about her life? Why does she dance with death so often? My Dear Stranger starts showing up when Sadie is 16 years old. Please stay with me, I might start rambling. AT FIRST, I think Stranger is comforting, loving, maybe even healing...He shows up, then he's gone again. Leaving me wondering if he's real. Is he real?
Sadie is complex, complicated, crazy, I think. I was questioning my sanity, while hanging out in Sadie's head. I honestly had no idea what was to come. What was reality? Is she suffering from split personality disorder? WHAT'S REAL?
The whole book kept me guessing. I was wrapped and trapped into the story, looking for clues, anything!!! And even after I finished, I am still thinking back wondering if I missed something.
MY DEAR STRANGER- at the back of my mind I kept making guesses. At one point I thought Sadie might be My Dear Stranger. That's how screwed my mind was. I guessed you once, but through my confusion, I totally forgot. I WAS SHOCKED! FLABBERGASTED!
ANOTHER HIGHLY EMOTIONAL EXCEPTIONAL STORY!
If you haven't read a book by Sarah Ann Walker, you need to. Completely Original, Mind Bending, Compelling Writing! It's not like reading a average book, it's more of an experience!
April 17, 2015
Wow, this was a crazy roller coaster ride. The story started out in a way that sucked me right in. I was a little uncomfortable at how much I enjoyed reading about the stranger who would sneak into Sadie's room, first molesting her, then watching her blossom into enjoying the sex, to the point of craving his visits. Then the whole story turned into watching Sadie's spiraling into a breakdown. I knew there was a twist ending coming, but I never figured it out. I don't think anybody could, and that's a huge plus for me. I absolutely fell head over heels in love with Sadie's husband Alex. He was perfect. Totally recommend this to anyone who enjoys dark reads and can handle this type of content in a story.
March 27, 2015
What did I just read?
I can't even fully wrap my head around this story.
I thought I had it figured out.
I thought I knew what was wrong with Sadie.
I thought I had everyone figured out.
I THOUGHT WRONG.
This woman. This CHILD.
My gosh.
I feel like I wanna rock in the corner with her.
I want to get into her mind and tell her it's ok.
I want to absolutely stab Patrick.
He is just a mean mean person.
I want to keep Alex for my self.
I don't want to share him.
But if letting him go for Sadie I will do it.
The letters.....
THE LETTERS!!!!
I had it all wrong.
Everything was wrong.
This story has me so wound up that I think.....No I KNOW I will now be facing a book hangover as well as a book funk.
Well Done
Well mothereffing done!!!
I can't even fully wrap my head around this story.
I thought I had it figured out.
I thought I knew what was wrong with Sadie.
I thought I had everyone figured out.
I THOUGHT WRONG.
This woman. This CHILD.
My gosh.
I feel like I wanna rock in the corner with her.
I want to get into her mind and tell her it's ok.
I want to absolutely stab Patrick.
He is just a mean mean person.
I want to keep Alex for my self.
I don't want to share him.
But if letting him go for Sadie I will do it.
The letters.....
THE LETTERS!!!!
I had it all wrong.
Everything was wrong.
This story has me so wound up that I think.....No I KNOW I will now be facing a book hangover as well as a book funk.
Well Done
Well mothereffing done!!!
April 3, 2017
I didn't know what to expect going into this story. After all I've read rave reviews and heard such wonderful things. One thing I've learned is what may be platinum to one reader may be rocks to another....
I was a bit skeptical because the story is slow in the beginning. The important thing to remember is to go into the story with zero expectations. I went in hype from reviews and recs so I was a bit impatient with the slow beginning. The slow beginning is important background information detrimental to the remainder of the story. Then...... 1, 2, 3 BOOM! WTF did I just read? That bit of juiciness came out of nowhere and knocked me flat on my hind parts! Talk about an emotional beat down! I'm no wuss but I promise this story did a darn good job of turning me into one!
5 stars!
September 12, 2016
I didn't read the blurb but jumped right into the book upon the recommendation of some blogger friends. The first few chapters got me interested but the middle part slowed down a bit and I was tempted to ditch this book but I persevered and I'm glad I did! The main character Sadie is damaged, a victim but also a survivor. She was abused and betrayed. No wonder she did what she did and was surprised that she survived it all. People like Sadie needs an Alex in their life. He is very patient, kind and strong. But the twist in the end? Oh wow! I thought I figured the whole thing out after 3/4 of the story but I was so so wrong. The end will give you a whiplash you won't know what hit you. You'd think, "Who did it? Really who was it????" Five stars from me. Highly recommended.
May 29, 2014
THIS BOOK IS DA...
Oh my fuck...I don't even know where to begin!! Brilliant...no, um...masterful...um, there aren't words to describe Sarah Ann Walker's "hit it outta the fucking park AGAIN!!" book. This - - WOW - - just fucking wow!!! I have to admit, I pegged Him pretty much from the get, but that's not to say it wasn't fuck-tastically written. I can't write about the story line without giving anything away, so I'm not going to. You are just going to have to read this mind-fuck-a-ton dark as all shit tale. If you like it dark and twisty, you will not be disappointed. Even if you don't, you'll be swept into the web by the sheer talent of this author.
Here's my reaction to this book:
And the whole fucking time I'm like...
God this would make such an awesome movie - the topic is horrifying, however the way it's written you just feel Sadie's insanity...it's hypnotic and excruciating...a total train wreck this poor woman. She's careening out of control, and to read it in such detail was well, it took a few drinks and smokes to get it down at times.
I can't stop gushing over Sarah Ann Walker's talent for prose...
NOTE TO THE AUTHOR: I had read in the Acknowledgements that this might be your last book?!?!?! Oh hell to the NO! It would be such a shame to let go of such utter talent. Keep writing!!!! You would be criminally negligent to deny readers of your brilliance! Your stories are so fucking morbidly addicting you can't deny us our hit of your heroine laced prose!!
So, off my soap box. Bravo to Sarah Ann Walker for sharing another of her twistedly heinous stories!!
Peace out,
Candice
May 11, 2014
What an unbelievable crazy-GOOD ride this book was.
My brain had no clue what it was reading but at the end it new it had something awesome inside.
Just being from Sarah I new it would be a crazy train ride and I knew I'd love it but I thought after living through Z, there was no way she could make me go bonkers again...well she did. I loved every flippin' second of it.
Sadie
Alex
Patrick....
My Dear Sranger
WOW
I loved the relationships in the story. Even though they were ALL suspects to me. I was always looking for a clue, that one little grain that I could draw from and help to try and figure out what was happening. The way Alex was just so good to her and did everything right. I love him.
It was deep and real and raw and I just needed to know what the heck was going on. When all was revealed I had to pick my jaw off the floor. I didn't expect it. AT ALL.
My brain had no clue what it was reading but at the end it new it had something awesome inside.
Just being from Sarah I new it would be a crazy train ride and I knew I'd love it but I thought after living through Z, there was no way she could make me go bonkers again...well she did. I loved every flippin' second of it.
Sadie
Alex
Patrick....
My Dear Sranger
WOW
I loved the relationships in the story. Even though they were ALL suspects to me. I was always looking for a clue, that one little grain that I could draw from and help to try and figure out what was happening. The way Alex was just so good to her and did everything right. I love him.
It was deep and real and raw and I just needed to know what the heck was going on. When all was revealed I had to pick my jaw off the floor. I didn't expect it. AT ALL.
July 26, 2016
"If the start of a relationship is forced but the situation of force changes, is the relationship still tainted forever?"
You can see my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Check out more of my reviews at:
You can see my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Check out more of my reviews at:
May 7, 2014
Holy crap! Sarah did it again.
She wowed me with I am HER and she's surpassed that with My Dear Stranger.
If you loved Z, you're gonna love Sadie and her husband.
Sarah's writing is slow building, but keeps you hooked - I couldn't put my Kindle down! She leaves hints and strings you along in the best possible way,
and then, you get the full story. All the questions answered .
One of the best books I've read this year!
Thanks for the ARC!
She wowed me with I am HER and she's surpassed that with My Dear Stranger.
If you loved Z, you're gonna love Sadie and her husband.
Sarah's writing is slow building, but keeps you hooked - I couldn't put my Kindle down! She leaves hints and strings you along in the best possible way,
and then, you get the full story. All the questions answered .
One of the best books I've read this year!
Thanks for the ARC!
March 30, 2015
It takes a lot to mess with my head. I mean a lot!!!
This book nailed it! I may need therapy (well I always did but a more now)
My Dear Stranger is chilling haunting and down right crazy but I loved reading ever page .
This book nailed it! I may need therapy (well I always did but a more now)
My Dear Stranger is chilling haunting and down right crazy but I loved reading ever page .
May 22, 2016
"How do you live , when you've spent your life waiting alone?"
Human brain is the darkest and deepest abyss , yet to be discovered and explored fully by mankind. It stores unlimited information and memories. And a few of us who also store 'False Memories' (proven by research). When one goes through life altering events, your brain is so shocked that as a defense mechanism it creates a method of selective amnesia to just survive
"You were a woman struggling to deal with her horrible life. And somehow that made every freak out or mistake as you called them tolerable."
Sadie is a beautiful sweet , happy , joyous girl of 16 when she gets her life snatched and torn out of her .. she goes through horrid events and as a survival instinct she starts to build a web around her mind like a cocoon, not only to keep her shame and paranoia inside of her, but to keep the horror out of her as well. She is visited by her saviour - Her Dear Stranger at nights. He enters her room and makes loves to her, holds her tight and squeezes her dreams out of her. He cries for her, with her, for her and she slowly starts depending on him for relief from pressure and strain that's building inside of her, threatening to burst open .
He would come to her randomly, reducing her to supplicate and crave. She begged for him, shouting for him, calling for his return whenever she felt too much pressure.
"When i questioned Him again, my stranger shook and suddenly apologized for needing me when it was i who should be depending on Him. When I understood, i smiled for him. i suddenly understood His distress clearly , as i battled my own resentments and hostility toward all around us. In that moment I knew my stranger was weak and completely dependent on me for release and understanding. And it was an amazing feeling in that moment to know He truly needed me as well. It was a moment in which i was the strength for us."
It's a true mockery that we as a society box people in categories, like Patrick selfishly did for his thesis - Suicidal, depressive, neurotic, borderline personality disorder, emotionally unstable personality disorder, social anxiety, social psychosis, etc.,, yet we rarely care to believe that what they might be experiencing may be real ..!!!
mental illness is far more serious and fatal than physical trauma. It's more debilitating & more corrosive . Sadie is being eaten from inside out. Her heart and brain are in constant struggle , to get a hold on reality. Added to that are her panic attacks, anxiety disorders and Agoraphobia. She's alive solely on her misery ,Having brushed with death several times.
In all this chaos she finds Alexander . Her Alex . He's undeniably her rock in her raging storm of a life. He knows her past, holds her present and gives a her a future - her son Jaime. Motherhood becomes her beginning of her new life .
But she seems conflicted between giving herself to Alex or break up with Stranger , because according to her , she still is in love with her soulmate stranger!!!!!!
"I was happy and miserable at once. I was moving on and regressing in the same second. I was experiencing my first kiss and I was cheating on my only lover. I was new and I was used. I was in agony."
After falling hard for Alex she has regular moments of lucidity and resolves to better her life for him and her son
"Life has passed me by. I have met people at school. I met a man I couldn't befriend. I have had opportunity I did nothing with, because I am meant to be alone and waiting."
Everything goes well till the horrible weekend where Alex and Jaime go skiing and she's alone and guess who comes visiting.................
it's a tragic, sad, hopeful , chaotic wold of Sadie who's lost in the maze of her mind, knocking on walls to escape.
I fell in love with Sarah 's writing. I've cried non stop or two days. I've held Sadie hand and felt her pain, I've wiped the blood she cut herself for...
I.HAVE.LIVED.THE.STORY.
that's how potent this writing is .
"And then I cried. Like a big, ugly, awful cry; I bawled my eyes out and wished for all the pain in my chest to stop. I just wanted to be normal and not sad all the time. I wanted to be normal so badly I didn't know how to make the craving for normalcy stop. I didn't know how to be normal, and I didn't know how to stop wishing I was normal."
There will be a lump the size of Canada in your throat as you meet sadie, you'll curl into a ball with the acute physical pain you'll feel in your heart , you will howl at the Gods above to just kill her to put her out of her misery....
but you won't stop reading it . The words won't let you go and Alex shall save you as he saved Sadie .
Human brain is the darkest and deepest abyss , yet to be discovered and explored fully by mankind. It stores unlimited information and memories. And a few of us who also store 'False Memories' (proven by research). When one goes through life altering events, your brain is so shocked that as a defense mechanism it creates a method of selective amnesia to just survive
"You were a woman struggling to deal with her horrible life. And somehow that made every freak out or mistake as you called them tolerable."
Sadie is a beautiful sweet , happy , joyous girl of 16 when she gets her life snatched and torn out of her .. she goes through horrid events and as a survival instinct she starts to build a web around her mind like a cocoon, not only to keep her shame and paranoia inside of her, but to keep the horror out of her as well. She is visited by her saviour - Her Dear Stranger at nights. He enters her room and makes loves to her, holds her tight and squeezes her dreams out of her. He cries for her, with her, for her and she slowly starts depending on him for relief from pressure and strain that's building inside of her, threatening to burst open .
He would come to her randomly, reducing her to supplicate and crave. She begged for him, shouting for him, calling for his return whenever she felt too much pressure.
"When i questioned Him again, my stranger shook and suddenly apologized for needing me when it was i who should be depending on Him. When I understood, i smiled for him. i suddenly understood His distress clearly , as i battled my own resentments and hostility toward all around us. In that moment I knew my stranger was weak and completely dependent on me for release and understanding. And it was an amazing feeling in that moment to know He truly needed me as well. It was a moment in which i was the strength for us."
It's a true mockery that we as a society box people in categories, like Patrick selfishly did for his thesis - Suicidal, depressive, neurotic, borderline personality disorder, emotionally unstable personality disorder, social anxiety, social psychosis, etc.,, yet we rarely care to believe that what they might be experiencing may be real ..!!!
mental illness is far more serious and fatal than physical trauma. It's more debilitating & more corrosive . Sadie is being eaten from inside out. Her heart and brain are in constant struggle , to get a hold on reality. Added to that are her panic attacks, anxiety disorders and Agoraphobia. She's alive solely on her misery ,Having brushed with death several times.
In all this chaos she finds Alexander . Her Alex . He's undeniably her rock in her raging storm of a life. He knows her past, holds her present and gives a her a future - her son Jaime. Motherhood becomes her beginning of her new life .
But she seems conflicted between giving herself to Alex or break up with Stranger , because according to her , she still is in love with her soulmate stranger!!!!!!
"I was happy and miserable at once. I was moving on and regressing in the same second. I was experiencing my first kiss and I was cheating on my only lover. I was new and I was used. I was in agony."
After falling hard for Alex she has regular moments of lucidity and resolves to better her life for him and her son
"Life has passed me by. I have met people at school. I met a man I couldn't befriend. I have had opportunity I did nothing with, because I am meant to be alone and waiting."
Everything goes well till the horrible weekend where Alex and Jaime go skiing and she's alone and guess who comes visiting.................
it's a tragic, sad, hopeful , chaotic wold of Sadie who's lost in the maze of her mind, knocking on walls to escape.
I fell in love with Sarah 's writing. I've cried non stop or two days. I've held Sadie hand and felt her pain, I've wiped the blood she cut herself for...
I.HAVE.LIVED.THE.STORY.
that's how potent this writing is .
"And then I cried. Like a big, ugly, awful cry; I bawled my eyes out and wished for all the pain in my chest to stop. I just wanted to be normal and not sad all the time. I wanted to be normal so badly I didn't know how to make the craving for normalcy stop. I didn't know how to be normal, and I didn't know how to stop wishing I was normal."
There will be a lump the size of Canada in your throat as you meet sadie, you'll curl into a ball with the acute physical pain you'll feel in your heart , you will howl at the Gods above to just kill her to put her out of her misery....
but you won't stop reading it . The words won't let you go and Alex shall save you as he saved Sadie .
October 13, 2016
3.5 - 4 stars
It pains me that I am unable to give this book five stars. I truly wanted to love this story. I definitely found it intriguing and it kept me guessing, but mostly I found it frustrating. I have a great deal of admiration and respect for the author, too, so I feel awful for not liking this one as much as the books in the I am Her series.
Sadie is a twenty-eight-year-old woman with a husband, Alex, and a six-year-old son, Jamie. While Alex and Jamie are away for the weekend, Sadie takes the opportunity to pull out her old hatbox full of nostalgic tidbits and mementos. Within the box are two books--a spiral-bound notebook diary and a teal blue silk journal. On the verge of a breakdown, Sadie has purchased five extra-large cups of coffee and eight packages of cigarettes to help her cope with facing her past.
Nope, Sadie hasn't exactly had a charmed childhood/young adulthood. Her parents--though loving--are too neglectful. They give her too much space and freedom. When she's sixteen, a man visits her bedside. He doesn't harm her and she's not disturbed by his presence. Every so often he visits, becoming her dear stranger. It isn't long before their relationship evolves into more than an innocent friendship. Sadie's stranger visits her for years, unbeknownst to anyone. In the process, he causes her an avalanche of emotions, including love, joy and anguish.
Who is Sadie's dear stranger? That question taunted me throughout the story. I even wondered if he were simply a figure of her imagination. This wasn't what was frustrating for me, though. On the contrary, it added to the air of mystery and suspense and kept me immersed in the story.
What I found terribly frustrating was Sadie herself. Quite frankly, she was a mess. And I truly and honestly tried hard to overlook her shortcomings. I knew that she must have had a troubled life but I couldn't excuse her self-destructive behaviors and worse, her denial of those behaviors.
It seemed as if Sadie didn't make much of an effort to improve her life--she just let all the doom and gloom consume her. Thankfully, having no knowledge of what it's like to face everything she went through, maybe I'm just unable to show empathy/sympathy. It was just incredibly frustrating to read about her descent. Also, I found it too repetitive at times.
I also had some trouble following Sadie's journal entries, as they are not all numbered properly and I wondered if I had missed something. There are two number twelve (XII) entries and no thirteen (XIII). And at one point, jumps from sixteen (XVI) to the second twelve (XII) then to nineteen (XIX). I don't know why I'm so picky and noticed this, but it did throw me off a bit.
Anyway, I don't mean to make this book sound poorly written or too exasperating because it's actually a great story. Walker is an incredible author and I generally enjoy her characters but I didn't bond with Sadie at all. I admit that when everything became clear at the end it helped to minimize her faults to a certain extent but by then I was just too drained. I liked her husband Alex a lot, though. He has the patience of a saint! I also liked a character named Patrick whose personality was very well-written and believable.
In addition to a riveting storyline, Walker's writing is impressive. There is a poem within the story that is beautifully haunting. Although I personally didn't care too much for Sadie, she is written with such a descriptive depth that I could almost feel her emotions as if I'd somehow assumed her identity. That's talent.
I will absolutely read more books by Walker. I might even read this one over one day. Maybe it was my own frame of mind preventing me from totally loving it. So please don't let this review turn you away from this book. It definitely is worth reading.
It pains me that I am unable to give this book five stars. I truly wanted to love this story. I definitely found it intriguing and it kept me guessing, but mostly I found it frustrating. I have a great deal of admiration and respect for the author, too, so I feel awful for not liking this one as much as the books in the I am Her series.
Sadie is a twenty-eight-year-old woman with a husband, Alex, and a six-year-old son, Jamie. While Alex and Jamie are away for the weekend, Sadie takes the opportunity to pull out her old hatbox full of nostalgic tidbits and mementos. Within the box are two books--a spiral-bound notebook diary and a teal blue silk journal. On the verge of a breakdown, Sadie has purchased five extra-large cups of coffee and eight packages of cigarettes to help her cope with facing her past.
Nope, Sadie hasn't exactly had a charmed childhood/young adulthood. Her parents--though loving--are too neglectful. They give her too much space and freedom. When she's sixteen, a man visits her bedside. He doesn't harm her and she's not disturbed by his presence. Every so often he visits, becoming her dear stranger. It isn't long before their relationship evolves into more than an innocent friendship. Sadie's stranger visits her for years, unbeknownst to anyone. In the process, he causes her an avalanche of emotions, including love, joy and anguish.
Who is Sadie's dear stranger? That question taunted me throughout the story. I even wondered if he were simply a figure of her imagination. This wasn't what was frustrating for me, though. On the contrary, it added to the air of mystery and suspense and kept me immersed in the story.
What I found terribly frustrating was Sadie herself. Quite frankly, she was a mess. And I truly and honestly tried hard to overlook her shortcomings. I knew that she must have had a troubled life but I couldn't excuse her self-destructive behaviors and worse, her denial of those behaviors.
It seemed as if Sadie didn't make much of an effort to improve her life--she just let all the doom and gloom consume her. Thankfully, having no knowledge of what it's like to face everything she went through, maybe I'm just unable to show empathy/sympathy. It was just incredibly frustrating to read about her descent. Also, I found it too repetitive at times.
I also had some trouble following Sadie's journal entries, as they are not all numbered properly and I wondered if I had missed something. There are two number twelve (XII) entries and no thirteen (XIII). And at one point, jumps from sixteen (XVI) to the second twelve (XII) then to nineteen (XIX). I don't know why I'm so picky and noticed this, but it did throw me off a bit.
Anyway, I don't mean to make this book sound poorly written or too exasperating because it's actually a great story. Walker is an incredible author and I generally enjoy her characters but I didn't bond with Sadie at all. I admit that when everything became clear at the end it helped to minimize her faults to a certain extent but by then I was just too drained. I liked her husband Alex a lot, though. He has the patience of a saint! I also liked a character named Patrick whose personality was very well-written and believable.
In addition to a riveting storyline, Walker's writing is impressive. There is a poem within the story that is beautifully haunting. Although I personally didn't care too much for Sadie, she is written with such a descriptive depth that I could almost feel her emotions as if I'd somehow assumed her identity. That's talent.
I will absolutely read more books by Walker. I might even read this one over one day. Maybe it was my own frame of mind preventing me from totally loving it. So please don't let this review turn you away from this book. It definitely is worth reading.
May 19, 2014
**KIM'S REVIEW**
"If the start of a relationship is forced but the situation of force changes, is the relationship still tainted forever?"
Sadie Hamilton lives what most would think is the perfect life. She has the job she’s always wanted, is married to the perfect man, Alex and adores her son, Jamie, more than anything in the world. One weekend Alex takes Jamie away on a skiing trip and Sadie’s perfect word starts to crumble.
“How do you live, when you’ve spent your life waiting alone?”
Sadie has decided “it’s time” to pull out her old teal blue silk journal and take a trip down memory lane. She knows she has never really had closure from her past and needs it but isn’t exactly sure why. Her past was a very dark time in her life and it starts to mess with her present as well. All I can say is buckle up because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
“Why does He come to me? What does He want from me?”
When Sadie was 16 years old, she remembers waking up to a man in her room. Watching her while she slept... Watching her while she was awake… And yet she had no clue who he was or why he was there. However, she knew she felt at peace with him there. She was never scared of him. He ends meaning so much more to her than she ever thought possible.
“He was my soul mate and He was my destruction.”
This relationship continues for years but it’s always on his terms. She never knows when she’ll see him or when he’ll come but she knows she must wait for “My Dear Stranger.” She has no one else to turn or talk to so instead she lives her life waiting for him and never really living.
“He didn’t destroy me. I WAS destroyed.”
Sadie goes through quite a bit throughout the years of waiting for her stranger. Something awful happens to her and she struggles hard with depression. She turns to alcohol, pills and cutting as her only ways to cope. She even flirts with death numerous times.
"I think sometimes it’s almost a weakness that keeps me with you…”
Sadie ends up seeing her old friend from high school, Alex, and slowly he works his way into her life. However, Sadie is scared and nervous because no matter how much she cares for Alex she loves her stranger.
“You’re not alone. I’m here.”
“For now-"
“Forever,”
Alex truly loves Sadie and all he ever wants is to help her, love her and be there for her. You couldn’t help but feel bad for Alex. You could tell he would always come second best to her stranger. There was just something about him that Sadie couldn’t let go of…even in her dreams.
“I often wonder if my dear stranger is only a continuous dream within a dream.”
In true Sarah Ann Walker form this book is f*ck*d but in a good way! It has you questioning what is real, what isn’t and just what the hell is going on? Is the stranger real? Is Alex real? Is Sadie even sane? Am I even sane? I had no clue! That’s one of the things I love about this author. Her books always have me questioning my own sanity and I love every minute of it. So what did I do? I read it and then I went ahead and read it again! Yes, I did! And funny enough I had even more questions for Sarah the second time around. Because now I knew what was going to happen and I’m all…but.no…but…F*CK!! I can’t get to into it so I don’t give anything away, but do yourself a favor and read this book! Then after you think you’re done processing it, read it again! One thing I will say is do NOT read the end of this story first. It will ruin the whole shock and awe aspect of the story for you. Read it and let it fuck with your head…that’s what every good mind f*ck is supposed to do!
“I was ‘The Story of S’.”
I received a complimentary copy from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
"If the start of a relationship is forced but the situation of force changes, is the relationship still tainted forever?"
Sadie Hamilton lives what most would think is the perfect life. She has the job she’s always wanted, is married to the perfect man, Alex and adores her son, Jamie, more than anything in the world. One weekend Alex takes Jamie away on a skiing trip and Sadie’s perfect word starts to crumble.
“How do you live, when you’ve spent your life waiting alone?”
Sadie has decided “it’s time” to pull out her old teal blue silk journal and take a trip down memory lane. She knows she has never really had closure from her past and needs it but isn’t exactly sure why. Her past was a very dark time in her life and it starts to mess with her present as well. All I can say is buckle up because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
“Why does He come to me? What does He want from me?”
When Sadie was 16 years old, she remembers waking up to a man in her room. Watching her while she slept... Watching her while she was awake… And yet she had no clue who he was or why he was there. However, she knew she felt at peace with him there. She was never scared of him. He ends meaning so much more to her than she ever thought possible.
“He was my soul mate and He was my destruction.”
This relationship continues for years but it’s always on his terms. She never knows when she’ll see him or when he’ll come but she knows she must wait for “My Dear Stranger.” She has no one else to turn or talk to so instead she lives her life waiting for him and never really living.
“He didn’t destroy me. I WAS destroyed.”
Sadie goes through quite a bit throughout the years of waiting for her stranger. Something awful happens to her and she struggles hard with depression. She turns to alcohol, pills and cutting as her only ways to cope. She even flirts with death numerous times.
"I think sometimes it’s almost a weakness that keeps me with you…”
Sadie ends up seeing her old friend from high school, Alex, and slowly he works his way into her life. However, Sadie is scared and nervous because no matter how much she cares for Alex she loves her stranger.
“You’re not alone. I’m here.”
“For now-"
“Forever,”
Alex truly loves Sadie and all he ever wants is to help her, love her and be there for her. You couldn’t help but feel bad for Alex. You could tell he would always come second best to her stranger. There was just something about him that Sadie couldn’t let go of…even in her dreams.
“I often wonder if my dear stranger is only a continuous dream within a dream.”
In true Sarah Ann Walker form this book is f*ck*d but in a good way! It has you questioning what is real, what isn’t and just what the hell is going on? Is the stranger real? Is Alex real? Is Sadie even sane? Am I even sane? I had no clue! That’s one of the things I love about this author. Her books always have me questioning my own sanity and I love every minute of it. So what did I do? I read it and then I went ahead and read it again! Yes, I did! And funny enough I had even more questions for Sarah the second time around. Because now I knew what was going to happen and I’m all…but.no…but…F*CK!! I can’t get to into it so I don’t give anything away, but do yourself a favor and read this book! Then after you think you’re done processing it, read it again! One thing I will say is do NOT read the end of this story first. It will ruin the whole shock and awe aspect of the story for you. Read it and let it fuck with your head…that’s what every good mind f*ck is supposed to do!
“I was ‘The Story of S’.”
I received a complimentary copy from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 20, 2014
“I am here now, half alive, but alive. I am no longer waiting for the world outside to let me live, slow and sure, as I finally learn how to breathe alone.”
Sarah blew my mind with I am Her and This is Me…….. but with My Dear Stranger she had me considering my own sanity.
Sadie, has the perfect life, best husband, and cutest little boy who loves his mom…. But Sadie is not ok.
When her husband takes her son away for a weekend with his family, Sadie breaks out her Journal. It is time she says… Time to get through the past and move forward with her life. She needs the Closure.
I will admit, this one threw me for a loop. I believe I was actually depressed right along with Sadie while reading her story. Sometimes I felt like I was losing my own mind while reading. There were numerous times I had to stop and go back and re-read a section to make sure I had actually read it right.
“Why does He come to me? What does He want from me?”
My Dear Stranger first comes to Sadie when she is 16 years old. At first I thought she was losing her mind. I honestly thought that she had made up my Dear Stranger. For years My Dear Stranger was visiting Claire at night and would leave before the morning. One more than one occasion while reading I thought she was simply dreaming. Then I was thinking well maybe she suffers from split personalities.
Sadie is one woman who will leave you wondering if you are in a dream or if this is really her reality.
“How do you live, when you’ve spent your life waiting alone?”
Sadie goes through many years waiting nightly for her Dear Stranger to come. Sometimes she is left waiting months… and even for a few years…. But Sadie always waits. Not able to move on. Living her life alone waiting for My Dear Stranger.
Sadie runs into an old friend from School Alex, and Alex works hard to get himself into her life. Sadie learns to care for Alex and maybe even love him a little but her heart will always be with her Dear Stranger. Alex will do all he possibly can to get her to love him completely.
As I read more of this story I began to think that I had it all figured out, and then Sarah threw me for a loop and I was like OMG …. How did I not see that coming….
This is definitely a story that will intrigue you. It will leave you wondering what in the hell is going on. You might even question your own sanity while ready this story,.. I know I did. Bravo to Sarah for bringing us another truly amazing story.
Sarah blew my mind with I am Her and This is Me…….. but with My Dear Stranger she had me considering my own sanity.
Sadie, has the perfect life, best husband, and cutest little boy who loves his mom…. But Sadie is not ok.
When her husband takes her son away for a weekend with his family, Sadie breaks out her Journal. It is time she says… Time to get through the past and move forward with her life. She needs the Closure.
I will admit, this one threw me for a loop. I believe I was actually depressed right along with Sadie while reading her story. Sometimes I felt like I was losing my own mind while reading. There were numerous times I had to stop and go back and re-read a section to make sure I had actually read it right.
“Why does He come to me? What does He want from me?”
My Dear Stranger first comes to Sadie when she is 16 years old. At first I thought she was losing her mind. I honestly thought that she had made up my Dear Stranger. For years My Dear Stranger was visiting Claire at night and would leave before the morning. One more than one occasion while reading I thought she was simply dreaming. Then I was thinking well maybe she suffers from split personalities.
Sadie is one woman who will leave you wondering if you are in a dream or if this is really her reality.
“How do you live, when you’ve spent your life waiting alone?”
Sadie goes through many years waiting nightly for her Dear Stranger to come. Sometimes she is left waiting months… and even for a few years…. But Sadie always waits. Not able to move on. Living her life alone waiting for My Dear Stranger.
Sadie runs into an old friend from School Alex, and Alex works hard to get himself into her life. Sadie learns to care for Alex and maybe even love him a little but her heart will always be with her Dear Stranger. Alex will do all he possibly can to get her to love him completely.
As I read more of this story I began to think that I had it all figured out, and then Sarah threw me for a loop and I was like OMG …. How did I not see that coming….
This is definitely a story that will intrigue you. It will leave you wondering what in the hell is going on. You might even question your own sanity while ready this story,.. I know I did. Bravo to Sarah for bringing us another truly amazing story.
April 4, 2015
4.5 stars of delightful mind-fuckery.
What a breath of fresh air, honestly. This story was remarkably unique! I absolutely loved the plot, it was so nice to get something completely new and hauntingly beautiful. Our heroine is a damaged, tortured soul and the author knows how to write this type of character masterfully.
My favourite part about reading this book had to be the very intense mind fucking. You are constantly struggling to figure out what the hell is actually going on, and who is who. I must say, I was completely shocked by several revelations in the book. I was also stunned by most of the plot twists, they are unexpected but they are believable and detailed.
I'll be honest when I say that this book had me up until 4am, desperate to finish to I could figure it all out. The ending did not disappoint... I never figured it out until all was revealed, and it was twisted and taboo enough to tie the entire story together as a dark, gritty, haunting read.
This one will most certainly mess with your head, your heart and your sanity. If you want a wild ride with an equally wild ending, give this a go. You won't regret it!
What a breath of fresh air, honestly. This story was remarkably unique! I absolutely loved the plot, it was so nice to get something completely new and hauntingly beautiful. Our heroine is a damaged, tortured soul and the author knows how to write this type of character masterfully.
My favourite part about reading this book had to be the very intense mind fucking. You are constantly struggling to figure out what the hell is actually going on, and who is who. I must say, I was completely shocked by several revelations in the book. I was also stunned by most of the plot twists, they are unexpected but they are believable and detailed.
I'll be honest when I say that this book had me up until 4am, desperate to finish to I could figure it all out. The ending did not disappoint... I never figured it out until all was revealed, and it was twisted and taboo enough to tie the entire story together as a dark, gritty, haunting read.
This one will most certainly mess with your head, your heart and your sanity. If you want a wild ride with an equally wild ending, give this a go. You won't regret it!
May 12, 2014
Okay, let me start by saying, I LOVE Sarah Ann Walker's books. She is brilliant! I needed a second to regroup when I finished My Dear Stranger. It was, WOW! The story has so many twists and turns I found myself completely immersed. Sarah takes you on Sadie's journey which is just a maze of tremendous events. I had a hard time trying to figure out if Sadie's stranger is real or not. Sadie just can't trust anyone and she is just trying to cope with the events of her life. I was heartbroken for her. I had to stop a few times to just soak in all that was going on. Sarah Ann Walker writes so intensely that I am amazed how she weaves the story-line and how it brings so much emotion it evokes. This book is a must read, it is thought provoking and emotionally charged. I still feel like I'm in an alternate universe! Loved it tremendously and recommend that you fasten your seat belt for a bumpy ride! Thank you, Sarah Ann Walker,as usual, you do not disappoint! EXCELLENT!
May 29, 2014
Pure brilliance. This book had me captivated from page 1. I never anticipated some of the twists and turns Sarah Ann Walker gives us in this book. I laughed, I cried, I said OMG OMG OMG A LOT!! You will not be disappointed in this book!!
May 10, 2014
Holy freaking cow! I just don't know what to write. Once again Sarah left me speechless. I'm still reeling. I need to process what I just read. There're so many twists to this story that I think my brain is overwhelmed.
May 10, 2014
DNF. I only got to 3% and had to quit. In just that short amount of time, there was already too much repetition and I wasn't going to push myself to read it. I just wasn't feeling it.
*Again, all my DNF get 1 star*
*Again, all my DNF get 1 star*
August 20, 2014
Amazing. Awesome job Sarah....
May 9, 2014
I have read books by Sarah Ann Walker and loved them. They are good in their own twisted way. This book My Dear Stranger had me hooked from the beginning! As I was reading this book, I thought I knew what was going to happen next, well guess again, I was wrong and shocked! This book literally had me laughing, shaking my head and going WHAT!!!
It is about a girl Sadie Hamilton who had a normal life as a child but then something happened to her as a teenager. She had a "My Dear Stranger" come to her every night from the time she was 17 to a young adult. After she would meet with him, she would write everything down in her journal that she had. Sadie tried to have a normal life, school, friends and other things, but it just didn't work for her and she had so much trouble. She lost all her friends, stopped going to school cause she was afraid or just didn't feel like it, used her student loans on paying her rent and bills, she was just not herself. Then she sees Alex, who she has known since high school. He helped her throughout her journey and he finally got her trust.
If you want to know what happens to Sadie and Alex, I definitely would get this book. I am not one for spoilers but this one has a "what did I just read" ending. If you like twisted, dark reads, this is one you would definitely love. If you love books like this, check out I am Her and This is Me by Sarah Ann Walker. She is a fantastic writer!
It is about a girl Sadie Hamilton who had a normal life as a child but then something happened to her as a teenager. She had a "My Dear Stranger" come to her every night from the time she was 17 to a young adult. After she would meet with him, she would write everything down in her journal that she had. Sadie tried to have a normal life, school, friends and other things, but it just didn't work for her and she had so much trouble. She lost all her friends, stopped going to school cause she was afraid or just didn't feel like it, used her student loans on paying her rent and bills, she was just not herself. Then she sees Alex, who she has known since high school. He helped her throughout her journey and he finally got her trust.
If you want to know what happens to Sadie and Alex, I definitely would get this book. I am not one for spoilers but this one has a "what did I just read" ending. If you like twisted, dark reads, this is one you would definitely love. If you love books like this, check out I am Her and This is Me by Sarah Ann Walker. She is a fantastic writer!
March 15, 2015
wow! didn't see that coming!
*contains semi-spoilers*
First off, if you are someone that cannot stand to read about sexual abuse, this is not the book for you. This book is heartbreaking, but there is also happiness. But at the end when you realize what is going on, your heart will break for Sadie. This is an amazing book and it's hard to read, but I'm so glad I did.
As I was reading this book, I wasn't sure how to form an opinion on Sadie. For most of the book I believed it was about a woman with mental illness, schizophrenic tendencies. I venture to say that there are quite a few extraordinary characters in this book. Alex (aside from Sadie) is by far the most amazing. His love, devotion and patience is just...wow. It comes across realistic as it happened everyday to have a spouse/partner you love so much be constantly on the edge of sanity.
I don't want to give too much of the book away, as The Stranger is such a monumental character in this book. For a woman who has felt alone most her life, Sadie has so many people unknowingly loving her.
*contains semi-spoilers*
First off, if you are someone that cannot stand to read about sexual abuse, this is not the book for you. This book is heartbreaking, but there is also happiness. But at the end when you realize what is going on, your heart will break for Sadie. This is an amazing book and it's hard to read, but I'm so glad I did.
As I was reading this book, I wasn't sure how to form an opinion on Sadie. For most of the book I believed it was about a woman with mental illness, schizophrenic tendencies. I venture to say that there are quite a few extraordinary characters in this book. Alex (aside from Sadie) is by far the most amazing. His love, devotion and patience is just...wow. It comes across realistic as it happened everyday to have a spouse/partner you love so much be constantly on the edge of sanity.
I don't want to give too much of the book away, as The Stranger is such a monumental character in this book. For a woman who has felt alone most her life, Sadie has so many people unknowingly loving her.
May 1, 2016
If ever there was a book that I thought everyone should read, this one is it! This book is a well written story unlike anything out in this huge book world. To say that I was stumped till the last page would be an understatement! Once the last page was turned, my mouth was still hanging open.
To grow up through out your young adult life as a good person, signing, listening to music, hanging with friends. Till one night this all changed. He came to visit.... Years and years passed, his visits were always unplanned and at the right time. Her life which was once filled with light, was now darkness.
Then she meets her true love, Alex and things start to look better....but really, is it better? Will the stranger finally leave her to live her life once again with light? Who is this stranger? How does he always find her? How does he know she is slipping into blackness and he needs to come?
I tell ya, this book is one that you will be turning the pages and devouring each and every word till the end!!!
To grow up through out your young adult life as a good person, signing, listening to music, hanging with friends. Till one night this all changed. He came to visit.... Years and years passed, his visits were always unplanned and at the right time. Her life which was once filled with light, was now darkness.
Then she meets her true love, Alex and things start to look better....but really, is it better? Will the stranger finally leave her to live her life once again with light? Who is this stranger? How does he always find her? How does he know she is slipping into blackness and he needs to come?
I tell ya, this book is one that you will be turning the pages and devouring each and every word till the end!!!
May 16, 2014
How to begin explaining my love for this book....Sarah has a way of writing that completely puts me in a trance-like state. I find myself so lost believing in the characters that I have to remind myself that they are not real. She writes Sadie as such a complicated, broken, deeply flawed character with such ease that its almost disturbing. Knowing how much I loved 'I Am Her' and 'This Is Me,' I didn't even read the blurb for 'My Dear Stranger.' I just one-clicked as soon as I saw it was released. HOLY MOTHER was I surprised!! Looking at the cover I thought it was going to be a lighter read than her previous books. I could not have been more wrong. From page one I connected with Sadie and was drawn into the suspense of the story so hard that I read and absorbed every word as if it was the air I needed to breathe. This is not your typical book, it will NOT be an easy read. An AMAZING read, YES, but challenging and at times emotionally draining, in a good way a VERY VERY GOOD way!
May 7, 2014
Holy wow !!! My head and heart are spinning ! I'm in awe of this author's ability to tell a story. She builds it slowly until you're wrapped or warped or both ! Damn good book. Releases 5/9. A MUST READ!!
"I am here now, half alive, but alive. I am no longer waiting for the world outside to let me live, slow and sure, as I finally learn how to breathe alone."
"I am here now, half alive, but alive. I am no longer waiting for the world outside to let me live, slow and sure, as I finally learn how to breathe alone."
June 14, 2014
Another mind ****! You get me every time. I thought I was onto you Sarah Ann Walker, but you threw me once again. I admit it took me a while to get into the book but then at some point it turned into an all nighter. It was a fabulous read
August 7, 2014
Can not wait to read this!!!!!! Comes out May 9th folks:)
April 12, 2015
Long, dragged on & very depressing. I did not find this Dark, just a downer.
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