Book Review: Fistful of God by Therese Travis
She’s never taken a drink, but she’s recovering from alcoholism all the same.After the death of her father, teenager Aidyn Pierce spends all her time cleaning up her mother’s messes. So when Mom announces she’s getting sober, Aidyn doesn’t believe her. Mom has tried before, and Aidyn knows there will come a time—a day, a week, maybe even a month from now—when the cravings will be too much, and her mother will start drinking again. So, when Aidyn is encouraged to attend support meetings, she refuses. No point in wasting her time when her mother’s going to drink again, anyway.
But what Aidyn doesn’t count on is the healing power of love and friendship, and the incredible strength of God to walk both mother and daughter through the dark valley of addiction and recovery.
Fistful of God is categorized as YA-Young Adult, but I’m telling you, this is a page-turner for adults, too. Therese Travis writes a heart-wrenching story full of real tension and consequences from alcoholism. Aidyn Pierce is a teen who has experiences to last a lifetime–a father that died too soon, and a mother that she’s had to parent because of alcoholism. Aidyn lost her best friend and has trust issues. And if she has to hear the word AlaTeen one more time…
This was an excellent read because I’ve walked in Aidyn’s shoes, and Therese hit all the right notes in creating a complex daughter. There’s anger. Hope. Resentment. Fear. Sometimes all at the same time, and she showed that. She also crafted the mom with authenticity. Recovery is a process full of physical issues, as well as emotional. Therese also crafted strong supporting characters that also understand the complications.
I recommend this for teens and adults. It’s an emotional read, especially if alcoholism is something you’re familiar with, but it’s so well-crafted. You will root for Aidyn and her mom.
To purchase Fistful of God, click here.
I received Fistful of God from the author in exchange for an honest review.
