Book Review: "Throw Away Teen" by Shannon Kennedy

Kindle:  

Paperback:
⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know that you can skip the first paragraph, right?  If this is the first of my reviews that you've read, I basically say that each book starts off with the full collection of 5 stars and I try to remain hopeful that they will all still be firmly in place by the time I close the back cover.

I'm guessing, based purely on the blurby description thing for this book, that it's gonna break my poor little stoney pea-sized heart and maybe even produce a few tears.  The sign of a fantastic book for me is having a hot drink go stone cold on me before I finish it.  I'm currently half way down a drinking chocolate... will the remaining half be cold as stone too?

I don't always remember to say that I'm a stickler for not using trademarks without permission and I don't hesitate to knock a star off if a trademark is used.  I read and finished reading an ARC of another book yesterday and for the first time ever I reinstated the fifth star right at the end of the review because there was an acknowledgements section so I'm hoping that if there are brand names used in this book, they will be acknowledged either at the end or there's something at the start about them being used fictitiously then the star will stay in place otherwise it'll come off, just like in other books I've read and reviewed that use brand names potentially without permission.

Let's get going with the review of the book, shall we?

Wowsers!  What a powerful first chapter!  BJ has got oneheckuva personality on her and the author has got it down to a tee already.  This is a definite must-read already and I hope the power continues throughout... maybe not the sort of thing that I should be reading so close to bedtime though lol

I'm already wondering if maybe the author should have given the main character a different set of initials to go by though, 'cos she's 15 so the reader would only be 13 and I can just see the conversation about this book over the Sunday roast lunch - when the teen innocently gives the initials that the main character goes by and then starts talking openly and innocently about the intimate act that they are the initials of... I can see a mouthful of half-eaten roast potato flying across the table in disbelief that such a young teen has read about it so soon in a book that is aimed at exactly their age.  The name of the act is written out in full too, so the parents and carers aren't even given the opportunity to rapidly come up with a different, more innocent phrase with those two letters.

Oooh, that similie has got me chuckling softly... maybe the main character isn't such a tough nut after all?  Maybe this really *could* work out for her this time?

Just finished reading the second chapter and it's a very, very, very good book.  The main character seems to be thawing and that gift she'd been given seems to be going a long way towards breaking down the barriers she'd put up around herself all of her life.

Nooooo!!!  Not again!  Not to this book!  The author has used a famous fast food restaurant, potentially without permission, so, like with other outstanding books, the five stars is gonna have to be four stars now which absolutely breaks my heart... if there's an acknowledgements section at the back then that star is rapidly being put back on and I'm seriously hoping that's the case for this book especially!

Other than the use of the brand names, potentially without permission, chapter 3 was awesome too.  I'm gonna stop commenting on each chapter now, unless something crops up that I feel needs to be mentioned - take it as read that my silence is a nod of deep approval to the author for their incredible writing.

Where on earth has the day flown by to?  I'm at 71% now and reckon I've got one more chapter before I go and make my hubby's tea for him.  This book is absolutely awesome and it doesn't matter that I've barely eaten or drunk today - this book is sooo worth it!  I rapidly gave up on hot drinks and have been reliant on fruit squash and water all day lol

I was so so wrong in my assumptions when I started reading this awesome book and I've got a big lump in my throat as I'm getting to the end of it.  It has been so different to what I expected and I'm sooo glad I gave it a chance!

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

I wasn't expecting the ending but I'm so glad it happened... I'm desperately trying to swallow my tears, but they are happy, relieved tears.  This is a must-read book by everyone.