A Rock & A Hard Place

I enjoyed this book a lot. Again, I had no expectations about this book because it just randomly caught my eye in the bookstore and I decided to purchase it. It deals with such a heavy and sensitive topic, so I was wondering how the story would unfold. It definitely caught me by surprise a few times. The growth that Tess went through throughout the story was amazing. The strength and courage she showed was inspiring, and she wasn’t even the one going through the ordeal. The different reactions that the characters had with the news of Kristina’s (Tess’ older siser) cancer and the ways in which they handled it felt real. This book made me shed a tear, and not from what I was expecting to cry from at all. The relationships that grew throughout the story, and some that faded, balanced the heavy content of sickness and death. The book ended perfectly as well, with everyone gaining strength and understanding and with Tess ending up with who she was supposed to end up with. With such an emotional story, everything tied together nicely in the end. Janet Gurtler wrote a story where you could connect with every character, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s a fellow Canuck :) It’s nice when you read a book not knowing what to expect, and in the end you’re left with a fantastic story.