Reviewed by Lynette Fowlston for Readers' Favorite

This is a fictional book based on actual facts; the names and locations are changed. This is a story of child abuse and how Suzy learned to forgive.

Suzy (Carol Denise Brown) was the 6th child out of 16 children. Her father seldom lived at home. From the day she was born, her mother seemed to hate her more than any of the other children. Their older brother was in charge of the kids when their mother was at work. He was very abusive at times, more so than their mother. Suzy was abused, not only by her family but by her classmates as well.

But the story does not end there. What happened to Suzy? Despite the scars of physical, mental, and emotional abuse, she healed; she excelled; she became strong. She is a beautiful person inside and out.

I am surprised Suzy survived. Where were child protective services? The teachers at school had to notice a bruised, battered, half-starved child. One of the things that jumped out for me was how Suzy wanted to please her mother. Suzy just kept loving her mother.

I found tears running down my cheeks as I read this book. The author cleverly brings out the emotions of the reader. Suzy became real to me. I wanted to pick her up and take her out of that home from hell. This book is well-written and well-organized. But the part that stands out is the characterization. While this book is very sad and disturbing, it is also a book of hope, for we know what happened to Suzy: she found healing. She survived and tells her story to help others.