Secrets That Find Us - Prepare To Be Surprised!

Secrets That Find Us was a sad love story amongst other things. The plot thickened alright! At first, I thought I was up against a mystery novel based on the book cover alone which it is to some extent but it deals with CSA (Child Sexual Abuse), the damages it causes, and the skeletons it leaves behind. As I read, I drew parallels with Abdulaziz's other novel : As One Door Closes.

However, several plot twists in this book threw me off the trail I thought I had guessed. Honestly, I didn't see many things coming. When an author succeeds in leading you astray in the intent of you not guessing the end game, the author has succeeded. And dear readers, Sahar Abdulaziz has succeeded with me! 

Summary: Buried Secrets, protected lies, and cunning deception all play a pivotal role in Sahar Abdulaziz’s new Contemporary Fiction, Secrets That Find Us. Seventeen years ago Terri Ann Stone began serving a life sentence, charged with the double homicide of her mother and stepfather. Up to now, Terri’s anger, hate, and relentless commitment to hiding the truth kept her alive behind bars. However, the bitterness that once fueled Terri's center begins to wane. Her pledge to secrecy dissolves. With no prospect of ever being set free, she reveals the entire ugly truth to the single person left in the world who still matters to her. Riddled with intrigue and the ability to destroy, can the power of Terri’s secrets live on, or will disclosure at long last uncover the answers so desperately desired?

I kept 'flipping' the pages of my eBook because like that I said earlier, the plot thickened! When I thought I knew what was going on and BAM, the skillful writer Abdulaziz flipped the script and revealed another secret to Raven who is Terri's baby sister. Terri explained why she killed their parents and uncovered a whole lot of things Raven had no idea about but had wondered about as she grew up because of the elusiveness of the answers to her normal questions had been. Raven who has lived a somewhat perfect life all this while now sees her whole world crashing down. She also starts her legacy of secrets. Secrets are pesky little things I tell you. As much as we want to cover them, they always have a way to find the recipient and reveal themselves.

Get your copy. I guarantee you will be surprised by the twists and turns the story takes with the Mama bears.

Thank you for reading,

Papatya*

The Packing House by G. Donald Cribbs

Wow! The Packing House is so poetic, so sad, and so moving all at the same time. G. Donald Cribbs's debut novel is about Joel Scrivener, a 16 year old boy who has been a victim of CSA (Child Sexual Abuse). A thing he has repressed for years without even knowing but will have to get to the bottom of before he can be whole again or at least attempt to move passed it.

The summary goes as this : "When sixteen-year-old Joel Scrivener has a raging nightmare in study hall and someone records it on their phone, he awakens to a living nightmare where everyone knows the secret he's avoided for ten years. Reeling from a series of bullying incidents posted on YouTube and an ill-timed mid-year move, Joel takes to the woods, leaving the bullies and his broken home behind. However, life as a runaway isn’t easy. Joel finds it difficult to navigate break-ins, wrestle hallucinations, and elude capture. He races to figure out who his dream-world attacker could be, piecing clues together with flashes of remembered images that play endlessly inside his head. Besides these images, the one constant thought occupying Joel’s mind is Amber Walker, the girl he’s been in love with for years. Amber sees little beyond the broken boy Joel has become, despite the letters they’ve written back and forth to each other. But Joel is stronger and more resilient than he looks, and it’s time he convinces Amber of this fact, before he runs out of chances with her for good."

Cribbs' writing is so smooth, lyrical, and so elegant. I can't 'un-picture' what Joel went through even though the narrative wasn't graphic. I recommend his book to anyone as it raises awareness about Child Sexual Abuse; a thing very close to home for me. We need to watch our children carefully especially around non-relatives we label family. Even with blood relatives, the line can be blurred. It's sickening. Statistics for CSA are alarming and ever growing. But speaking up and not turning a blind eye is the key to eradicate this wrong. Joel is a survivor and so are many of us. We need to keep writing like Cribbs and we need more stories like his to continue to raise awareness on CSA and any type of abuse out there.

I raise awareness on intimacy for the same reason because where there is no awareness, human nature become predator like and hurt lives by using unlawful and traumatizing outlets to relieve the urge. Born and made predators can be dealt with if children are being taught at a young age what boundaries they need to put on their bodies and on others trying to violate their privacy. Open the line of communication about sex the moment your children start talking. I mean it.  Start the conversation early with your children so they can tell you right away when bad things occur or they can avoid putting themselves in situations where they can be taken advantage of or in situations where they can take advantage of others. And stand by your children when they relate a disturbing tale to you and don't make them out to be liars. Children for the most part don't lie. They usually say it how it is.

In conclusion,  G. Donald Cribbs is a damn good scrivener! Excuse my language but this is how I feel about his writing skills. Get your copy by contacting him via his website  .

Thank you for reading,

Papatya*