A Cry for Help

This Is Such An Important Post From Sheila!

SHEILA RENEE PARKER

This past Thursday the music industry was hit with the devastating news of another death. Fans of the alternative rock band, Linkin Park began mourning the loss of lead singer, Chester Bennington (age 41). His body was discovered in his home located in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Reports say that it was suicide by hanging.

Chester Bennington was close friends with Chris Cornell, who was the frontman of the alternative metal band, Soundgarden. Chris also was found dead, but two months earlier. Cause of his death? Suicide by hanging as well. His body was discovered in his Detroit hotel room. What makes these two talented individuals’ stories even sadder? Chester’s life ended on the day of Chris’s 53rd birthday.

Regardless of their reasoning, or anyone else’s reasoning for wanting to commit suicide, suicide is a very serious matter and it should never be taken lightly. Everyone goes through their moments…

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Hearts Are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Romance, Death of a child, Death of a parent, Suicide, Teen Pregnancy, YA Fiction

Thanks to Candace Robinson for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

234 Pages

Synopsis: May Falkner’s  past two years have been a rough road. When her father suddenly passes away, May needs to find a job to help out her mom and regain some control over her life. Working at the bookstore helps her heal, laugh, and hope again. It also leads her to cross paths with Nico Evitts, who begins as just a co-worker, but becomes so much more.

When it all becomes perfect, because there is no perfect, life steps in to prove once again that it all can crash down harder than before. This is a story about finding yourself, love, and the things in life that are still here.

Hearts are like balloons. Sometimes they inflate…Sometimes they deflate…

Hearts Are Like Balloons is the second novella I’ve read by author and fellow blogger, Candace Robinson. A YA contemporary romance, this short yet magical story had me laughing and crying on more than one occasion. It touches on so many issues including: death of a parent, suicide, teen pregnancy, and infant death. Each of these can have a devastating effect on a person’s life, and this story could have buckled under the weight of them, but instead, the characters are able to overcome these tragedies in a messy, yet realistic way.

May is someone who teen readers will instantly relate to. She’s a flawed character who makes mistakes, yet learns from them instead of repeating them. She ultimately turns these experiences around for the better. The other characters are quirky and equally well-written and help bring this story to life.

The romance between May and Nico is lovely, although they go through some tough times. Their relationship is realistic and emotional, and I was rooting for them the entire time I was reading. As I reached the end, I found myself reluctant to say goodbye.

In the end, Hearts Are Like Balloons is a beautifully told tale of love, loss, and new beginnings. It’s a perfect read that I HIGHLY recommend for older teens and adults.