Don't Let Me Go Paperback

Zuerst fand ich das Buch unglaublich gut, aber zum Ende hin häuften sich leider die unrealistischen »Zufälle«. Trotzdem hat es mir viel Spaß gemacht, und der Stil war schön. Besonders gut hat mir gefallen, dass die Angststörung tatsächlich so beschrieben wurde, dass ich sie der Figur abgenommen habe.

I'm so deeply moved and gratified that I was able to read this book. I regularly search for free Kindle edition novels and short story collections, and happened to stumble upon this book on a day when it was offered for free. I added it to my reading queue, but wasn't sure if I'd get to it anytime soon, as the cover design spoke of a book that isn't usually "my kind" of reading. (I tend to read mainly zombie, horror, science fiction, and nonfiction works.) The cover spoke of a heartfelt, even heart-wrenching, book; a feeling I usually don't enjoy spending my free time experiencing.Two days ago, however, with a shrug and a "why not?" I tapped on the cover image and started reading. Within a matter of minutes, I could barely stand to put the book down for working and sleeping. I laughed out loud reading it on the bus to work this morning (getting odd glances); I teared up reading it in the bathroom at work (hooray for toilet paper handy to blow my nose with). I grinned at strangers on the bus home this afternoon, delighted by the wisdom and insight of Grace and Billy, Rayleen and Yolanda, and of course magical Jesse. Then, I ignored my spouse and children for another hour after I got home from work to hungrily finish the book, dreading the moment it would be over. I did not want to leave Grace's world so soon.Warm, delightfully clever, thoughtful, moving, and full of truth--that is the book I just finished. It's in my top 10 list of all time. I would recommend it to nearly anyone, even people like me who don't enjoy having their heartstrings pulled just for fun. It's never maudlin, never preachy, and never overt or crass while playing with the heart, mind, and soul. (Incidentally, I truly believe this book should have been titled "Shine." It's a book about the spirit shining through the clouds of loneliness and mistrust, and just fits the themes of the book so well! Perhaps if *fingers crossed* they make a movie of it...)Overall, simply a beautiful, lyrical book! I am a better person for having read it.

I -obviously - have conflicting thoughts regarding this book. The beginning is intriguing. An agoraphobic man (Billy) is questioning the presence of his neighbor's daughter (Grace) who is occupying the front stoop.Billy has extreme anxieties, and any change in his daily routine terrifies him. The problem with Grace is that her junkie mom is high again and because of the crime ridden neighborhood, she is not allowed to walk to school by herself. As her mom continues to use, Grace sits on the stairs hoping someone will notice - and help.The neighbors do notice Grace and start asking questions. But they aren't in agreement about a solution. Some want to contact the proper authorities, while others are terrified that if Grace enters the system it can and will most likely ruin her life. So they finally agree to get her to school and baby-sit her in shifts until her mom sobers up. Billy agrees to help and thus begins a fragile friendship (and healing) of two lost souls.I loved Billy's story. It was both beautiful and heartbreaking. The struggle came with Grace. I just didn't find her actions and thoughts believable. Most children of addicts are adept at self-care, keeping secrets, and covering for their parent(s). Grace, on the other hand, sought attention and help in a distinctly public manner. The other problem was Grace's intellect. How she spoke and what she understood didn't make sense. While I don't have an example from the book handy, it went something like this: she wouldn't understand a word's meaning like "variety" but would understand a harder word's meaning like "plethora." It was jarring and kept pulling me out of the story.Overall, I so enjoyed Billy's life and character that I was able to overlook the glaring flaws in Grace's behavior. This book is a mixed bag, but I am definitely interested in more work by this author.

This is a book I read and loved, thus I wanted to give this one as a gift to a friend.

Loved the variety of characters that learn how to accept one another and help one another. Quick fulfilling read.