Everything You Are: A Novel Paperback – October 1, 2019

A more haunting book than any I have read in a long time.Braden Healey is a drunk. Not just an alcoholic, but a drunk. He left his family 11 years ago when his wife made a demand he could not live with. As a result of that demand, Braden has memories he canʼt, won't, and refuses to remember.When he was a young boy, as a musical prodigy, his mother took him to a music store to buy him a new violin. By the time he left the store, he did not have a violin, rather a cello and a signed contract with old luthier.Years pass and Braden is a musician of great renown. There is a conflict in his family, which drives him away. He came home when his 17 year old daughter is left alone after another family tragedy, a car accident which killed her mother and brother. His daughter, never understanding the conflicts between adults, is not at all happy to see him, and made that very clear in the most horrible way a parent can face. Both blame themselves for the accident. Are they to blame?After the old luthier dies, his granddaughter, Phee, takes over the music shop. He had taught her everything he knew before he passed, including the details of the contracts. Yes, more than one. She was tasked with looking after the musicians who signed the contracts, as well as continue the family tradition of making and repairing stringed instruments.The consequences of not following through with the contract, in this instance, were the driving force of the book. Phee takes her responsibility to remind those who signed the contracts to live up to them intensely. Other than Braden, there is only one other musician who did not live up to his end of the bargain written about; Braden got off lucky when he broke his end of the bargain. The other person was able to continue to honor his end — Braden got off lucky. Or did he? His daughter became the musician her father no longer was.I read this in one sitting. I did not feel time pass; I was engrossed in this story. I did not get up for anything. I read this book.The characters are engaging, even at their worst. Not all the characters are likeable. One character in particular is not likeable at all (reminding me of several people I have known). I was yelling at the interaction between this character and another. I was angry the author took the easy way out to complete this one storyline, but realize how necessary it was to continue the rest of the story without distraction.Admittedly, I cried at the end. Tears of release, tears of joy, and tears the book was done. Not everything was tied up in a pretty little bow, and the ending for some characters was left for the reader to infer.The tears the book was done was solely because I wanted to know more about this lovely world the author created for us.The author has a firm grip on teenage girls and their thought processes, even if it appears they don't think, just do what they believe is right at the time.The adults are more questionable, but that is part of the joy of the book. We can figure out the teens, but what are the adults up to? Lots of surprises there.The genre of the story is hard to fit. Fiction? Check. Magical realism? Check. Fantasy? I would not say so. I would prefer this book to have the ability to happen. Folklore with a musical background? Perhaps. The music is definitely there. The entire story is about music and those who make it.I would love to say there are other authors a reader may have read who can touch a heart as much as this does, but I cannot.Giving this only five stars seems to be an injustice, and deserves many more. It is obvious the author put her heart and soul into this book, and for that, she deserves more than five stars.Who knew I would love a book about a cello so much?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆Braden received his cello when he was 12 years old, and it came with an unusual contract to love and never leave her. But as time has passed, his wife become jealous of his relationship with the cello, and after a tragedy where he lost the use of his hands, he stopped playing and turned to alcohol, abandoning his family. When he finds out his former wife and son were killed in a car accident, he knows his teen daughter Allie needs him. Is it enough to pull him from the abyss he is existing in?𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀I always take a deep breath to steel myself before starting one of Kerry Anne King’s stories, and this one didn’t hold back on the emotion or the quality of the story. There are so many sad and tragic things happening both in the past and present, there is an air of mystery and a possible curse, there is also support and love that maybe doesn’t quite know how to express itself. Brace yourself ❤️Read on KindleMy rating 4/5 - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Everything You AreKerry Anne KingLake Union Pub, Oct 1, 2019331 pagesWomen’s Lit, Adult Lit, Contemporary FictionAmazon Early Releases⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐The cover is lovely and makes me think of the bouquet of flowers that Phee shows up with when all the other flowers are formal funeral arrangements. Her flowers are bright and cheerful. Phee is always a bit different. I like the touch of the marks that are used on either side of the words “a novel” that look like fs. These same markings are found on musical instruments, such as cellos, which play such a major role in the story.The story is amazing. I realized that it was being released tomorrow and had stopped at 80% last night when I went to bed. So I finished reading it this morning and sat down to write this review immediately. I want this posted before the book is released so you all know just how wonderful this book is. It’s one of those that will make you cry in places and make you want to shake people at times or maybe give them a good swift kick in the butt. Or at least a good talking to.Phee is the character that the story starts out with and she is the one who holds it all in place until the end when it swings back to her. But the active story seems to really focus on Braden Healey, a gifted cellist with damaged hands, and his 17-year-old daughter, Allie, also a gifted cellist. Braden and his now late wife were estranged for 11 years while he was an alcoholic, amnesiac, and living totally away from all of his family and friends. Allie was taking cello lessons her father was providing funds for while her mother was trying to get her into pre-med school and keep her life strictly regimented. Phee was maintaining the cello as was called for in the life-long contract Braden had signed at the age of ten with Phee’s grandfather. And this is where the magic part comes in…Yes, I said magic. The cello has a soul which Braden feels when he plays the cello. Phee feels the soul of the cello as well. She was there in the shop the day he signed the contract, and somehow she got caught up in the loop of magic. She has been in love with Braden and his cello ever since. Even for the eleven years when he was among the missing, or unknown, when he was away from the cello not playing. Allie also feels the soul of the cello now that she plays it.I don’t want to give away any more of this beautiful story of forgiveness and love. I can’t recommend it highly enough for those of you who enjoy such tales. Damaged people helping people, finding forgiveness and finding resolution, finding love. I definitely give this one five stars and highly recommend it. This is an author I’d like to read more of. Thank you, Amazon for offering this book as an Early Release this month.

Having read a couple books from this author previously that I did enjoy, I really wanted to like this as well. But I didn't really care for this one. Wasn't expecting it to be part fairy tale with curses and magic that are totally unbelievable in a "normal" world with "normal" characters. Just doesn't fit. There's a lot missing here and a lot that's overdone which to me made the story drag on. Halfway through I was ready for it to end so I could start a new one. Not awful, just okay.