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Sketches of My Soul
In the game of life, I was used to being on the losing team. The odds were stacked against me. Tegan’s Team—a mom who tried to control me, a dad who would rather drink then spend time being a father, a lying ex-boyfriend, and fake friends. Like any team however, you have that one shining star that stood out above the rest. For me that star was Emily, my best friend. I guess life had pity on me the day it gave me a friend that always had my back. Life must have felt extra giving the day it gave me a cheer leader—Mrs. White, my next-door neighbor. She’d been more of a parent to me growing up then my own parents.
And then there was Andrew. He was my shooting star. One that I never saw coming. One that I hoped became mine over the summer of my senior year.
A glimpse into a crystal ball couldn’t have prepared me for that summer, though. The summer where a letter from my mom rocked me to the core. I felt the world shake with every word I read in that letter. By the time I reached the end, my world split wide open swallowing me whole.
And then there was Andrew. He was my shooting star. One that I never saw coming. One that I hoped became mine over the summer of my senior year.
A glimpse into a crystal ball couldn’t have prepared me for that summer, though. The summer where a letter from my mom rocked me to the core. I felt the world shake with every word I read in that letter. By the time I reached the end, my world split wide open swallowing me whole.
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Published June 20, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 4, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. The characters really drew me and I became very invested in their lives. Tegan struggled a lot in her life and felt alone. She would get her feelings out by taking her sketchbook and sketching what she felt, whether good or bad. She had one sketchbook where she kept her private feelings, much like a diary, but sketches. These were the sketches of her soul, you could say. (I just love that title!) She got lost in her sketching, becoming oblivious to the things around her. Much like a musician that gets lost in his music, which is where Andrew comes in. Andrew and Tegan were friends when they were younger. Tegan lives next door to Andrew's grandmother, who she loves as if she was her own, and Andrew would come with his mother to visit his grandmother and play with Tegan while he was there. They became very close friends. But then one day Andrew stopped coming. No explanations, no goodbyes, he just disappeared. Leaving Tegan alone.
Tegan's family relationships weren't good. Her mother tried to control her, and was never happy with her. She always made Tegan feel like she wasn't good enough. Her father was an alcoholic and, as Tegan felt, he'd rather spend time being drunk than be a good father. She had a lying ex-boyfriend and fake friends. Realizing all of this has caused Tegan to pull away from everyone and everything and choose to isolate herself more and more, even though her best friend Emily begs her not to, saying that by doing so she is only letting them win. But it's Andrew who really draws Tegan out. He gets her like no one else, and she gets him. They understand each other in ways no one else can and so are able to help each other heal.
I loved the title of this book, it is what initially attracted me to the book. There are a few typos and grammatical errors, not enough that it caused me not to enjoy the book though. But some people have a really hard time with that. I just feel that this book is so good, why wouldn't the author make sure to polish it up? Get some proof readers to help with this. Many readers are happy to help out with this, just to get the chance to read the author's work. With some editing this is most definitely a 5 star read, but without it does bring it down. But, I still do recommend the book. The errors did not ruin the story for me and, unless you can't handle any errors, I think you would enjoy this little gem of a book! It really is great!!
Tegan's family relationships weren't good. Her mother tried to control her, and was never happy with her. She always made Tegan feel like she wasn't good enough. Her father was an alcoholic and, as Tegan felt, he'd rather spend time being drunk than be a good father. She had a lying ex-boyfriend and fake friends. Realizing all of this has caused Tegan to pull away from everyone and everything and choose to isolate herself more and more, even though her best friend Emily begs her not to, saying that by doing so she is only letting them win. But it's Andrew who really draws Tegan out. He gets her like no one else, and she gets him. They understand each other in ways no one else can and so are able to help each other heal.
I loved the title of this book, it is what initially attracted me to the book. There are a few typos and grammatical errors, not enough that it caused me not to enjoy the book though. But some people have a really hard time with that. I just feel that this book is so good, why wouldn't the author make sure to polish it up? Get some proof readers to help with this. Many readers are happy to help out with this, just to get the chance to read the author's work. With some editing this is most definitely a 5 star read, but without it does bring it down. But, I still do recommend the book. The errors did not ruin the story for me and, unless you can't handle any errors, I think you would enjoy this little gem of a book! It really is great!!
July 5, 2017
Senior year of high-school is never easy. Budding artist Teagan balances college applications, ex-boyfriends and a drunk dad in T. C. Booth's Sketches of My Soul.
The author conveys Teagan's various emotional states through a remarkable use of imagery, but they're not the only one to do so. Teagan conveys her most intimate feelings through her artwork, which is kept in a secret work-pad that she refuses to show anyone.
I enjoyed her first-person narration. It was delicate and at times lyrical. The language used was simple to understand and flowed well, making it easy for the reader to follow the story.
I liked that both Teagan and Andrew had complex pasts and that they were able to share in each-other's pain, as well as to provide much needed support to one-another.
Although this book could use a light edit for spelling, overall it is a remarkable read that I would recommend to young adults worldwide.
My rating is 4/5 stars.
The author conveys Teagan's various emotional states through a remarkable use of imagery, but they're not the only one to do so. Teagan conveys her most intimate feelings through her artwork, which is kept in a secret work-pad that she refuses to show anyone.
I enjoyed her first-person narration. It was delicate and at times lyrical. The language used was simple to understand and flowed well, making it easy for the reader to follow the story.
I liked that both Teagan and Andrew had complex pasts and that they were able to share in each-other's pain, as well as to provide much needed support to one-another.
Although this book could use a light edit for spelling, overall it is a remarkable read that I would recommend to young adults worldwide.
My rating is 4/5 stars.
July 26, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book. The story was sweet, the characters had depth, and were written well. This was a quick, and enjoyable read, and didn't put it down once I started reading. TC Booth did a great job bringing these characters to life, and I look forward to the next book in this series. This was the first book I read from this author and will definitely be reading more of her work.
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#TheUnratedBookshelf
July 12, 2017
Goodreads win. Review to come.
An interesting read that really held my attention. The characters really drew me in. I felt like they were real and relatable. It was nice to see healthy relationships being shown.
An interesting read that really held my attention. The characters really drew me in. I felt like they were real and relatable. It was nice to see healthy relationships being shown.
July 16, 2017
***This book was reviewed for Lola's Blog Tours
Sketches of My Soul, by TC Booth, is the story of one young woman's world-shattering summer. It is a summer of endings, true, but all endings beget new beginnings. All destruction begets new growth. (There I go, sounding like BBC’s Mycroft:P)
Tegan Taylor had anticipated a nice, mostly quiet summer before her senior year of high-school to be spent hiding away from others and indulging in her deepest passion- sketching. Life has different plans, bringing back into Tegan’s life a childhood friend, the grandson of her neighbor Mrs White. Drewy, now Andrew, is all grown up and smokin’ hot. Even better, he’s a musician. He's back visiting his grandma for the summer, though the circumstances are less than ideal. As Tegan will later learn, Mrs White is going to dialysis several times a week.
Tegan tentatively sets out to get to know Andrew again, falling for him hard. And she’s not the only one. A school rival, and once friend, has Andrew in her sights. To top it off, Tegan’s ex wants to hook back up. That's not going to happen though, thanks to what Jason and Mallory did to her, betraying her trust beyond repair. Added to the teenage drama, the hot new boy in town, and the fear for Mrs White’s health, is her father's affliction, and her mother's unrealistic expectations. When a sudden seizure puts her father in the hospital, it sets in motion a series of events that will leave Tegan forever changed. It's up to her to thrive and grow in the aftermath, or fall and be trampled by life.
I loved the title to this book. It fits so perfectly. I found the story engaging, and the characters quite likeable. Mrs White's story hit particularly hard, as my own grandmother passed from renal failure. Unlike Mrs White, she opted to decline dialysis. She sacrificed quantity for quality, and it is a decision I respected. Indeed, it's likely the same one I'd make myself, knowing how rough treatment is.
I really felt for Tegan, and all that she goes through. I cannot imagine having to hide my true passion from my parents. Like Tegan, I spent a good proportion of my youth having my desires ridiculed, or run roughshod over, by my immediate family. They kept trying to push going to school to be a pharmacist on me. Uh, hellz no. Like Tegan, that was the beginning of my first real forays into standing up for myself against family. Decades later, with two BAs, one MA, and a PhD, none are to do with hard sciences. And sadly, my family never once expressed admiration or pride at my accomplishments. First Doctor in the family and they didn't care, because it wasn't what they wanted me to be. Qué Sera.
The later blows to Tegan’s psyche… I just can't even imagine that shock. She weathered it well, though. I’m looking forward to the next book, so I can find out where things are headed! My only qualm is that another spell/grammar check would be good. There were several errors, though I did not feel they impeded the story at all, and story always takes prime for me.
📚📚📚📚 Recommended
Sketches of My Soul, by TC Booth, is the story of one young woman's world-shattering summer. It is a summer of endings, true, but all endings beget new beginnings. All destruction begets new growth. (There I go, sounding like BBC’s Mycroft:P)
Tegan Taylor had anticipated a nice, mostly quiet summer before her senior year of high-school to be spent hiding away from others and indulging in her deepest passion- sketching. Life has different plans, bringing back into Tegan’s life a childhood friend, the grandson of her neighbor Mrs White. Drewy, now Andrew, is all grown up and smokin’ hot. Even better, he’s a musician. He's back visiting his grandma for the summer, though the circumstances are less than ideal. As Tegan will later learn, Mrs White is going to dialysis several times a week.
Tegan tentatively sets out to get to know Andrew again, falling for him hard. And she’s not the only one. A school rival, and once friend, has Andrew in her sights. To top it off, Tegan’s ex wants to hook back up. That's not going to happen though, thanks to what Jason and Mallory did to her, betraying her trust beyond repair. Added to the teenage drama, the hot new boy in town, and the fear for Mrs White’s health, is her father's affliction, and her mother's unrealistic expectations. When a sudden seizure puts her father in the hospital, it sets in motion a series of events that will leave Tegan forever changed. It's up to her to thrive and grow in the aftermath, or fall and be trampled by life.
I loved the title to this book. It fits so perfectly. I found the story engaging, and the characters quite likeable. Mrs White's story hit particularly hard, as my own grandmother passed from renal failure. Unlike Mrs White, she opted to decline dialysis. She sacrificed quantity for quality, and it is a decision I respected. Indeed, it's likely the same one I'd make myself, knowing how rough treatment is.
I really felt for Tegan, and all that she goes through. I cannot imagine having to hide my true passion from my parents. Like Tegan, I spent a good proportion of my youth having my desires ridiculed, or run roughshod over, by my immediate family. They kept trying to push going to school to be a pharmacist on me. Uh, hellz no. Like Tegan, that was the beginning of my first real forays into standing up for myself against family. Decades later, with two BAs, one MA, and a PhD, none are to do with hard sciences. And sadly, my family never once expressed admiration or pride at my accomplishments. First Doctor in the family and they didn't care, because it wasn't what they wanted me to be. Qué Sera.
The later blows to Tegan’s psyche… I just can't even imagine that shock. She weathered it well, though. I’m looking forward to the next book, so I can find out where things are headed! My only qualm is that another spell/grammar check would be good. There were several errors, though I did not feel they impeded the story at all, and story always takes prime for me.
📚📚📚📚 Recommended
August 7, 2017
Sketches of My Soul by TC Booth was such a surprisingly captivating quick read. I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary reads and normally they take me a few days to finish, but this book had me hooked from the beginning, for a few reasons.
The first reason is Teagan. I can't say that I related to everything she was going through, but there was a lot I related with. Some of her high school experiences, the fact that she was a klutz, and because she lives in Ohio.
So there was that little addition. It was nice to read a book set in the same state where I lived. There were a few locations that I was familiar with, and not just because of knowledge but because of personal experiences at those locations like Lake Erie and Giovanni's.
But back to Teagan, even though I didn't relate to other things involved in her life. It was easy to sympathize with her. And I totally loved her friendship with Emily, her romance with Andrew - it was sweet, her drive toward doing what made her happy, her relationship with Mrs. White, and her never ceasing care of her Father.
I cannot wait to read the next book in this series, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves contemporary, but you might want to have tissues on hand because there were moments where I shed a few tears. The only downfall about this book for me was the pacing, a huge reason I don't typically read contemporary is because they are typically set at a slower pace which is the case for this book.
The first reason is Teagan. I can't say that I related to everything she was going through, but there was a lot I related with. Some of her high school experiences, the fact that she was a klutz, and because she lives in Ohio.
So there was that little addition. It was nice to read a book set in the same state where I lived. There were a few locations that I was familiar with, and not just because of knowledge but because of personal experiences at those locations like Lake Erie and Giovanni's.
But back to Teagan, even though I didn't relate to other things involved in her life. It was easy to sympathize with her. And I totally loved her friendship with Emily, her romance with Andrew - it was sweet, her drive toward doing what made her happy, her relationship with Mrs. White, and her never ceasing care of her Father.
I cannot wait to read the next book in this series, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves contemporary, but you might want to have tissues on hand because there were moments where I shed a few tears. The only downfall about this book for me was the pacing, a huge reason I don't typically read contemporary is because they are typically set at a slower pace which is the case for this book.
July 9, 2017
I would give this 3.5 stars. Lots of great characters and relatable emotions! See the full review on my blog here:
http://www.savyleiser.com/2017/07/boo...
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
It's SO IMPORTANT to have more books, TV shows, movies, etc. where we can see healthy teen relationships. Andrew is older than Tegan--he's already finished a year of college, while Tegan's just turned 18. However, he never pressures her into a relationship and never pressures her into going farther than she's comfortable with. What was especially well-done about this, was that Andrew wasn't a nice-guy stereotype, either. He had anger issues and a rough past. Yet he still shows respect to Tegan, and always treats her well. He was a good example of a complex character still able to have a healthy relationship.
I also LOVED the character of Mrs. White! She's wonderful. I LOVE LOVE LOVE books that have a strong relationship between characters of different generations--that's what the OTHER novel I just finished writing is about! (TC Booth, I think you may have read my mind a few times while you were writing this, haha!) Mrs. White and Tegan had a sweet relationship, and they made me smile whenever they interacted.
http://www.savyleiser.com/2017/07/boo...
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
It's SO IMPORTANT to have more books, TV shows, movies, etc. where we can see healthy teen relationships. Andrew is older than Tegan--he's already finished a year of college, while Tegan's just turned 18. However, he never pressures her into a relationship and never pressures her into going farther than she's comfortable with. What was especially well-done about this, was that Andrew wasn't a nice-guy stereotype, either. He had anger issues and a rough past. Yet he still shows respect to Tegan, and always treats her well. He was a good example of a complex character still able to have a healthy relationship.
I also LOVED the character of Mrs. White! She's wonderful. I LOVE LOVE LOVE books that have a strong relationship between characters of different generations--that's what the OTHER novel I just finished writing is about! (TC Booth, I think you may have read my mind a few times while you were writing this, haha!) Mrs. White and Tegan had a sweet relationship, and they made me smile whenever they interacted.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews