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Loading... In Leah's Wake (edition 2010)by Terri Giuliano Long
Work InformationIn Leah's Wake by Terri Giuliano Long
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.   ) AshleyPelletier | Mar 8, 2023 |  Pros – The biggest pro of reading this book is getting to know the characters. They are so nicely developed and full of depth. Even through their faults (and boy do they have them!) they are likeable, sympathetic and easy to relate to. Leah – She’s not unlike many teens. She follows a path of destruction that is (unfortunately) common in today’s world. Justine - Leah’s younger sister adds softness to the story. Her personality fits the little sister role very nicely. Zoe & Will – These parents have completely different strategies of how to keep their marriage and family afloat. Todd – No comment. (I don’t want to spoil anything for you.) The plot is believable and kept me interested throughout. There were no lagging chapters or far-fetched scenes. Terri Giuliano Long did a fabulous job of allowing the severity of Leah’s mishaps and changes to develop as the story moved forward. (A major pro!) The progressing troubles and consequences give it a realistic, dynamic feel. Cons – The use of character’s names was distracting at times. The flow would be smoother if the author used she and he (in place of names) throughout—especially the beginning. Perhaps because I was so wrapped up in the characters as I advanced through the story, I didn’t notice it as much later on. This is the only con that comes to mind though, and certainly not a reason to set the book aside. Overall – I loved it! I recommend reading In Leah’s Wake. It is powerful, raw, and matter-of-fact. A story where relationships are strained, perceptions are distorted, and each character deals with their own unique internal struggles. Filled with angst, anger, resentment, fear, betrayal, love and underlying hope, In Leah’s Wake is an emotional read sure to leave you changed. (  ) CoverLoverBookReview | Dec 19, 2013 | Author: [a:Terri Giuliano Long|4415109|Terri Giuliano Long|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1302648792p2/4415109.jpg] Length: 359 pages Publisher: North Charleston, NC: Createspace Published: March 23, 2012 Genres: Fiction; Domestic Fiction Visit my review/blog HERE! My Rating: ✮✮✮ Synopsis: A Story of Love, Loss, Connection, and Grace At the heart of the seemingly perfect Tyler family stands sixteen-year-old Leah. Her proud parents are happily married, successful professionals. Her adoring younger sister is wise and responsible beyond her years. And Leah herself is a talented athlete with a bright collegiate future. But living out her father’s lost dreams, and living up to her sister’s worshipful expectations, is no easy task for a teenager. And when temptation enters her life in the form of drugs, desire, and a dangerously exciting boy, Leah’s world turns on a dime from idyllic to chaotic to nearly tragic. As Leah’s conflicted emotions take their toll on those she loves—turning them against each other and pushing them to destructive extremes—In Leah’s Wake powerfully explores one of fiction’s most enduring themes: the struggle of teenagers coming of age, and coming to terms with the overwhelming feelings that rule them and the demanding world that challenges them. Terri Giuliano Long’s skillfully styled and insightfully informed debut novel captures the intensely personal tragedies, victories, and revelations each new generation faces during those tumultuous transitional years. Recipient of multiple awards and honors, In Leah’s Wake is a compelling and satisfying reading experience with important truths to share—by a new author with the voice of a natural storyteller and an unfailingly keen understanding of the human condition…at every age. Nominated Global eBook Award (New Edition, 2012) Book Bundlz 2011 Book Pick Book Bundlz Book Club 2011 Favorites - First Place My Review: Terri Giuliano Long writes about intense family relationships and what life with a teenager can be like! Life with teenagers is probably never easy, and Long writes about extreme difficulties faced by the Tyler family in just trying to get Leah to survive her teenage years! Although I feel that Long accurately depicted real-life troubles with teenagers, I feel that sometimes it was a little too drawn out throughout the story. After awhile, I was getting annoyed with Leah and her antics, and found myself just not wanting to read any more. One review that I read described how the Tyler family depicts this perfect picture of Leah Tyler, how she is this phenomenal athlete, extremely intelligent child, however, not many of her actions throughout this book, live up to that description. After the intense descriptions of the trials and tribulations of Leah, I would have liked to learn more about her survival afterward. The book is great at proving that even the perfect families, aren't so perfect behind closed doors. Even though one may be a doctor, and drive a nice car, have a nice house, with the perfect job and kids, things might not be quite as they seem! In the beginning, I was slightly confused by Long's writing style, how it would go back and forth between characters, especially in the first few chapters, but I didn't seem to notice it as much throughout the remainder of the book. Overall, this book won't suede me from reading another book written by Long. I wanted to love it, but could only bring myself to like it. But I enjoyed the subject matter and writing abilities of the author. Disclaimer: I received this book as a member of Sisterhood of the Traveling Book from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review. ( ) acorley84 | Sep 3, 2013 | FHC | Jun 13, 2013 |  ) ABShepherd | May 15, 2013 |
Zoe and Will Tyler led the perfect life in suburbia—a beautiful home, established careers, two sweet and talented daughters. Their eldest, Leah, was widely considered the best soccer player in the state of Massachusetts; she was right on track for receiving an Ivy league scholarship, and from there, no one had any doubt that she’d live the perfect, privileged life. Their younger daughter Justine was far more responsible than seemed possible for her twelve years. An excellent student, she was set on becoming a doctor. As a devout Catholic, she turned to God to ameliorate the minor blips in her otherwise smooth existence. Yes, Zoe and Will had done all right for themselves. With Leah nearing the end of her high school career and well-behaved Justine about to enter teen-dom, they were all-set to enjoy a peaceful life as soon-to-be empty nesters. Then everything went wrong. An unfortunate miscalculation pushes Will’s job into prolonged instability. But this goes almost unnoticed at the hands of a much bigger problem—Leah’s unforeseen and all-too sudden rebellion. Leah falls in love with Todd, a drug-dealing high school dropout three years her senior. She pledges her devotion to him and envisions a life at his side. Todd introduces Leah to drugs, sex, and petty crime. At first, Leah is ambivalent about this new lifestyle; she wavers back and forth, weighing her commitment to her boyfriend against that of her commitment to the family. When Leah breaks curfew one night, Will blows up at her and even threatens to kill her scumbag boyfriend. In her ongoing efforts to keep the peace, Zoe kindly points out that Leah could do better. Unfortunately, these attempts to help steer Leah back to the straight and narrow only push her further into the arms of Todd, and their differing strategies also cause a rift in the once happy marriage. Every time Leah begins to doubt her future with Todd, one of her parents goes too far in their attempts to control her. Eventually, Leah’s ambivalence disappears all together. Meanwhile, dutiful Justine just wants to be noticed by her sister, by her parents, by life itself. She follows Leah into deviant behavior of her own and even begins to question her commitment to academics and to God. Will Justine follow in Leah’s wake? What will happen to Leah? Is she lost forever? Will Zoe and Todd’s marriage last? Is there any way for this story to end happily? The five primary characters—Zoe, Will, Leah, Justine, and the fifth, Jerry, a local cop that will play an integral role in bringing the fragmented family back together—have distinct voices and world views. Their motivations are so believable and understandable that the reader may sometimes forget they only exist within the pages of a novel. Each feels like a person you may have once met and even loved. Together these characters usher the reader seamlessly through the harsh events that unfold within the novel. They make it move quickly; they make it enjoyable. “In Leah’s Wake” is a story of the rationalization we make for others’ behavior as well as our own; it is about our responsibility toward those we love and about our interconnectedness with the world around us. Ultimately, this is a novel about family, duty, and growing up (even if you thought you had done that long ago). With such thoughtful characterization and beautifully woven prose, the reader may find it difficult to believe that “In Leah’s Wake” is Terri Giuliano Long’s debut novel. Awards
The Tyler family had the perfect life - until sixteen-year-old Leah decided she didn't want to be perfect anymore. While her parents fight to save their daughter from destroying her brilliant future, Leah's younger sister, Justine, must cope with the damage her out-of-control sibling leaves in her wake. Will this family survive? What happens when love just isn't enough? No library descriptions found. 
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LibraryThing AuthorTerri Giuliano Long is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing. Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813Literature English (North America) American fictionLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.7)
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