Title: Bitter Blessings

Author: Christine Mehring

Published Date: July 2011

Publisher: Bonneville Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.

Softcover: 192 pages

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

ISBN# 978-1-59955-523-2

Reviewed by: Sheila

FTC FYI: Free review copy

Megan has the perfect life, but when her mother dies in an accident, everything spins out of control. With the rest of her family falling apart, Megan must confront her past to uncover the truths that will keep everyone together. Thought-provoking and heartfelt, this book shows that even in times of trial, you can often find blessings.

Bitter Blessings starts with a very normal setting of a family getting ready to sit down for dinner. You turn the page, and the world of this family collapses down around them with their doorbell ringing. On the other side of the door is a policeman, who informs them that the Mother of the girls has died in a car accident. The reality of this piece of fiction is, anyone’s world can change in a moment.

The novel’s main character, Megan, is thrown into the role of taking care of her younger sisters and her grandmother. The reader is taken into her mind where we experience the grief, guilt and stress of Megan as she is coping with her mother’s death. Along with dealing with her sick grandmother, a spoiled middle sister and a baby sister looking for stability and love, an old family secret comes to light.

Bitter blessings is such a great read because:
-Megan is likable and relatable. You want her to find out the family secret and you want to see some relief and happiness given back to the family.
-Good supporting characters are written throughout the story. Her best friend Adam and his father, Megan’s lawyer, add the support and relief that the readers need amongst the sadness in this story.
-There is also a surprise twist where her friends’ Mormon religion is identified, and it hits close to home for Megan.
-You will experience a satisfying ending at the end of the story.

Bitter Blessings is a great story written by a first time author. It is a quick read at 183 pages. I love what it says on the back of the book, “Thought-provoking and heartfelt, this debut novel shows that the power of love brings the best blessings even during the bitterest trials.”

I recommend this book to young adult and adult readers. I gave this book 4 stars on goodreads.com.

To learn more about the author Christine Mehring, go to www.bitterblessings.com
or www.cedarfort.com