Book Review And Giveaway ~ Life, In Spite of Me

She wanted to die. God had other plans.

Why does my life have to be so painful?
What’s wrong with me?
It’s not going to get better.
It could all be over soon, and then I won’t hurt anymore.

Kristen Anderson thought she had the picture-perfect life until strokes of gray dimmed her outlook: three friends and her grandmother died within two years. Still reeling from these losses, she was raped by a friend she thought she could trust. She soon spiraled into a seemingly bottomless depression.

One January night, the seventeen-year-old decided she no longer wanted to deal with the emotional pain that smothered her. She lay down on a set of cold railroad tracks and waited for a freight train to send her to heaven…and peace.

But Kristen's story doesn’t end there.

In Life, In Spite of Me this remarkably joyful young woman shares the miracle of her survival, the agonizing aftermath of her failed suicide attempt, and the hope that has completely transformed her life, giving her a powerful purpose for living.

Her gripping story of finding joy against all odds provides a vivid and unforgettable reminder that life is a gift to be treasured.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Oh my heart.

I started to read this book the day it arrived and finished it by mid-morning the next day. I just couldn't put it down.

The story begins on the night Kristen decides to take her own life, then flashes back to what brought her to that point, and then catches us up to the days following and her rehabilitation.

This book is a gentle and beautiful account of Kristen's path to Jesus, and how He restored her to wholeness and revealed her life's purpose. It is breathtaking.

Kristen is open and honest in her account of her actions and healing. She is engaging and sweet and just so real. I loved her letters to the reader that were written throughout. No one knows brokenness more than the broken, and she offers them hope.

As much as I loved this book, I would have liked to have read more about the struggles her parents and siblings would have faced in the wake of her decision. This book glosses over many facets of the aftermath, and I would have enjoyed reading about how they dealt with it.

Kristen's story is messy and heartbreaking and dark, yet so full of hope and beauty.

I am so excited to be able to give away a copy of this book to one of you. If you'd like a chance to win this book, leave me a comment letting me know about a cause or charity that is near and dear to your heart.

If you'd like a second entry, tweet about this giveaway using my twitter name (@Katieb38) and then come back and leave a separate comment.

I'll leave this giveaway open until Thursday May 20th at midnight. I'll choose a winner using Random.org and post the winner's name right here on Friday morning.

Good luck!

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.