Winter Loon by, Susan Bernhard

                              

4 Stars!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟 “So go, why don’t you? See if I care.” “You don’t mean that,” he said. But I did. I wanted him to leave and to hold onto me. I wanted him to shut the hell up and to tell me I’d done all I could. I wanted his comfort. I got his pain.” Hauntingly tragic, and a beautiful coming of age story. This was a wonderful debut...about family and sacrifice, Winter Loon reminds us of how great a burden the past can be, the toll it exacts, and the freedom that comes from letting it go. In this book we follow Wes, who is 15 years old when his mother drowns. His alcoholic father sends him to live with his, less than welcoming, grandparents. While there he connects with a young woman who shares the pain of losing a parent. This was more than a story for me. Some parts were so very relatable. It was raw and dirty.... Gritty and painful. The way the story was told was heart wrenching and sad, but you cant help but root for Wes. It brought out every emotion possible for me. The writing was so beautiful and lyrical which made it an easy, enjoyable read even with the heavy subject matter. Totally recommend if your in the mood to feel ALL the feels!