SUMMIT

by Courtney Elizabeth Young

The first book in the trilogy, DTGL's SUMMIT introduces both young women at high speed through their youth and glimpses of the future that awaits them. The duality of negative and positive influences that is born between the two becomes a foundation for inseparable experience. Courtney sits on the sultry, simmering beaches of Hawaii as a junior in her third year of college at University of Hawaii at Hilo while Vanessa shakes in the dirty, cold streets of Millfield awaiting her boyfriend's return from a drug deal. Courtney's attempts to rekindle her distant and dysfunctional relationships between friends and family is the reason for her return back home, only finding the path to destruction has been paved in her absence. She ventures into her last year of college while Vanessa walks along the borders of war with her boyfriend, police, gangsters, family, friends, and herself.

228 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2015

About the author

Courtney Elizabeth Young is a rape crisis counselor and sexual assault survivor’s advocate in Massachusetts, where she lives with her cat, Darling the Dog. She is currently fighting a very aggressive type of breast cancer that she was diagnosed with two months before her 30th birthday, and is using proceeds from her book to pay for her cancer treatment. She has lived on and backpacked six continents alone so far, but isn’t done yet. A proud owner of both the DRD4 and MAOA gene, she has enjoyed her wild ride through life on everything from cocaine to camels to crocodiles. she continues to celebrate her tsunamis through her books and her artwork. For more, you can follow her on instagram at courtneyelizabethyoung, where she is reachable and her books are available through direct distribution. The link to her life-story, [the only things missing is a bachelor's degree, her jail-time, and living in an old man's basement] is featured here: http://tinyurl.com/y4ecbpc3.

Reviews

[Courtney Elizabeth Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Author: Courtney Elizabeth Young



this book is for the fighters
for the victims and the survivors
for anyone who didn’t know what happened
until everything else caught fire.
this book is for the abused
this book is for the abusers
this book is for the used
this book is for the users.
this book is for the alcoholics
the fiends and the addicts
who didn’t know there was a problem
until they didn’t have it.
this book is for anyone
who throws up after they do or do not eat
who stand endlessly in front of mirrors but
can’t stand what they see.
who could never be themselves
without being “sick”
who was more of a patient than a person
defined by diagnosis
this book is for any man or woman
that has ever been raped or molested
this book is for anyone
who has run away from themselves
who ran away from others
when others tried to help.
this book is for anyone
who has been victimized
who has been bullied
who has been traumatized
this book is for people who love their abusers
but can’t seem to draw the line.
this book is for anyone
who wants a better life
who wants to make it to
the other side.

[NATALIE · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love how thrilling it is -- each chapter ends with suspense and keeps you wanting to know more. Courtney has done a great job writing two stories in one. I am interested to see how they tie together.

My rating is lower than I would like because the book needs polishing (in the area of punctuation, mostly). But after those are spots are touched up, it will be a marvelous read. The story lines are clear and concise. there are no issues with the two characters or plot. I look forward to reading the next 2 in Courtnry's trilogy and seeing what happens.

[XxJamiexX · Rating 4 out of 5]

so far I can honestly say she may not be the best writer around, but I can relate to the characters...so far so good.