And Then There Was Us

And Then There Was Us
By Kern Carter
Tundra Books, 2024. 223 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Coi is just eighteen years old but has already survived years of physical and verbal abuse from her mother. After being kicked out of her mother's house at age fourteen, Coi has lived with her father, and together they've created a peaceful life. That peace ends suddenly when her mother dies; her mother's passing also reopens up the door to her mother's side of the family, including her beloved half-sister Kayla, her stepfather, and her grandmother. As she reconnects with her family, Coi learns to see parts of her mother she never experienced and, for the first time since she was abandoned, opens her heart to forgiveness.

This book was heartbreaking, uplifting, infuriating, comforting, and extremely memorable. I felt so proud of the main character, Coi, as she continued to show just how strong and capable she was. Additionally, I was relieved to see Coi finding solace in good friends, good conversation, and good food. Surviving childhood abuse, maintaining a sense of self throughout, and recognizing that she needs to open up about her anger in order to be able to let it go - these were all things I was cheering Coi through. I found myself thinking about her and her family in moments when I wasn't reading this book, and that's how I knew it was one I needed to share with others.

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LKA