Rating: 
Summary: A Character To Care About!
Review: Amanda Boyle finds herself at somewhat of a crossroads in her life. She is leaving for college and beginning a time in her life where she will no longer be dependent on her dysfunctional parents. As she begins to realize that her life is really just beginning, she thinks, "Every part of my life contradicts every other." It is the contradictions that create her story.Laura Catherine Brown has created a character we truly care about! Mandy is not sure where her future is headed, but there are things she does know. She knows she does not want to follow in the footsteps of her mother, always complaining and never feeling well, physically or otherwise. She knows she does not want to go through life without feeling valued and loved, and the quest for fulfilling those requirements are the driving force of almost all of the events in her life. She also slowly realizes that by capturing the world with her camera, the things she sees (through her eyes and in her photographs) actually matter! Mandy starts to see that we all have contributions we can make to the world, big or small. We follow Mandy from her first days at college that include experimentation with sex and drugs. We reel with her from the unexpected death of her father, and feel her pleasure and pain as she experiences her first love and the thoughts of an unwanted pregnancy. We root for her as she begins her first job, and ultimately breathe a sigh of relief when we feel that she has reached a point in her life where she is ready to build her own life, using her own strengths and talents. It is a milestone we all strive for at some time in our lives, but some of us never really reach it, due to daily obstacles that sometimes get in the way of reaching our full potential. I really enjoyed this book, because I felt like Mandy was someone that I cared enough about that I wanted to know what happened to her. I look forward to reading future works by Ms. Brown. This book also has great potential for discussion in book clubs looking for an interesting coming-of-age story.
Rating: 
Summary: A quick read
Review: I finished this book in a few days and have mixed feelings about it ~~ none about the writing ~~ that alone was superb and carried the book ~~ but the characters set my teeth on edge. I wanted so often to shake Mandy and say ~~ look here kid, this is not the end of the world!! Then why are you making those dumb mistakes?? I felt despair often throughout this book ~~ through her choices and choices that others made, Mandy travels through life confused and lost. Between a selfish, self-centered and abusive mother, a father who died of a heart attack, her boyfriend Booner ~~ Mandy struggles with trying to find herself in the process of a cruel, harsh and unrelenting world. If an author can make me feel this strongly about a character and have me make excuses for someone when I normally don't, then she deserves a 4 star ~~ but I must say that I will not add this book to my personal library ~~ because it was too intense for me. I didn't like the characters and oftentimes, felt like I was watching Jerry Springer live. We all make our own choices and should live by them despite the hard knocks we all get in life. Yes, Mandy had it rough growing up ~~ having a white trash family doesn't help. But she should have taken the help offered to her by her college roommate instead of running away. There is a lot of shoulds interwoven throughout this book ~~ and that is how life is. I didn't feel sorry for Mandy ~~ if that was what the author intended. I got tired of her excuses and found myself wanting to shake her and say, snap out of it kid. Wake up and smell the coffee! I have drawn my own conclusions of what happened at the end ~~ but don't want to spoil it for any potential readers. I do recommend this book for any readers who are open to reading new experiences. Brown does do a good job of drawing the reader into her story. And you will question what you read. And you will walk away from the book with new ideas. And that is one of the highest compliments a reader can pay to the author. Even if we didn't like the book, at least the book made us think. Just for that reason alone, I'd recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: What a terrific writer!
Review: I loved this book. I read it a few months ago and I stil miss Mandy! This poor girl had her share of troubles and sorrows, and through her struggling, the reader witnesses her growth and her inner triumphs! While she makes some poor choices, I myself (and I would suspect most readers) can certainly empathize with her and understand, to a great extent, her motivation behind those decisions......she wants so desperately to be loved unconditionally! Ms. Brown does a wonderful job of letting you into Mandy's world, and letting Mandy enter your heart. I loved my time with Mandy and can't wait for this author's next offering!
Rating:
Summary: Best book I've read in a long time!
Review: I usually don't write reviews, but I found this book to be so enthralling that I just had to say a little about it. I was hooked after the first few pages, and that's saying a lot because it usually takes me a couple of chapters to get into a book. The author does a wonderful job of making the reader just as confused about the people in Mandy's (the main character's) life as Mandy herself is. The reader doesn't know whether the mother is a haterful hypochondriac or an unfortunate soul, whether the father is a jolly good guy or a drunken bum, and whether the boyfriend is an abandoned little boy or a possessive jerk. The reader sees the quirky Mandy making poor choices, but somehow sympathizes and understands them at the same time. I would say this is probably the best modern-fiction novel I've read in a couple of years. I don't agree at all with the Kirkus review that calls it slow-moving. I give this book my highest praise, and I will be looking for more from this author.
Rating: 
Summary: I threw this book away after reading it
Review: Laura Catherine Brown writes a vivid tale of a young girl coming of age. Mandy Boyle has had a tough time of it. Her mother is a hypochondriac who treats Mandy terribly by constantly putting her down as well as sexually abusing her as a young girl. Her father truly loved his little girl but he was an out of work man who drank heavily. All of this has had serious consequences for Mandy. She leaves home for college and has to try to make her own way in the world. She faces a lot of difficult choices and almost never chooses wisely. She turns her back on her one true friend and finds comfort with Booner, a guy she barely knows who tries to possess her. Mandy is "grateful" for love from anyone who is willing to show her attention or affection. I have to admit though that while I enjoyed the story to the extent that I had to see how Mandy ends up, it was a little sad and depressing to read. The circumstances in her life were sometimes heart wrenching. Overall however it is worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: The Process of Finding Yourself...
Review: Miranda Boyle (Mandy) had everything against her - an alcoholic father, an abusive, self-centred mother, and most importantly a lack of love. Through our parents we learn how to give and accept love, Mandy was never shown love, and in turn never believed that she was worthy of being loved. The quickening, the stage in pregnancy when a fetus first shows signs of having life, is a very powerful analogy that is used to detail Mandy's search for love, and ultimately self. Qickening is the coming of age story of a young woman who quickly learns her life is in her own hands and she must make many difficult decisions. Mandy, like so many young women, battle with self-esteem, are unable to be assertive, and struggle to find their place in the world. Mandy often sought love through substances and the attention of men. Mandy was not able to distinguish between true love and lust. Quickening will have you follow Mandy on her journey of reconciling and renegotiating her relationships - most importantly the relationship with herself. Laura Catherine Brown, illistrates this concept perfectly, "I would wake up there and face myself." Laura Cathering Brown is an author that I will seek out again. I would highly recommend Quickening. ~ Kelly
Rating:
Summary: The Process of Finding Yourself...
Review: Miranda Boyle (Mandy) had everything against her - an alcoholic father, an abusive, self-centred mother, and most importantly a lack of love. Through our parents we learn how to give and accept love, Mandy was never shown love, and in turn never believed that she was worthy of being loved. The quickening, the stage in pregnancy when a fetus first shows signs of having life, is a very powerful analogy that is used to detail Mandy's search for love, and ultimately self. Qickening is the coming of age story of a young woman who quickly learns her life is in her own hands and she must make many difficult decisions. Mandy, like so many young women, battle with self-esteem, are unable to be assertive, and struggle to find their place in the world. Mandy often sought love through substances and the attention of men. Mandy was not able to distinguish between true love and lust. Quickening will have you follow Mandy on her journey of reconciling and renegotiating her relationships - most importantly the relationship with herself. Laura Catherine Brown, illistrates this concept perfectly, "I would wake up there and face myself." Laura Cathering Brown is an author that I will seek out again. I would highly recommend Quickening. ~ Kelly
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful First Novel...
Review: Quickening is one of the most powerful down-to-earth novels I've read this year. Mandy is a struggling young woman dealing with a difficult childhood and attending college for the first time. She, like many of us, is trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs. Unfortunately, circumstances out of her control lead her down the wrong path. Mandy's father dies, and she is left with a very ill, very abusive mother. Mandy turns to drugs and a promiscuous lifestyle to hide her pain and ends up quitting school and moving in with a guy she barely knows. This story could be about any college freshman with a little bad luck, and the story is definitely addictive. I look forward to reading other books by Ms. Brown.
Rating:
Summary: a poignant read
Review: This is a beautifully rendered story of one young woman's journey to discover her true self. Ms. Brown has a wonderful grasp of metaphorical language which she puts to fine use in this book. Mandy Boyle, her heroine is tender, vulnerable and painfully self-aware. Bent on escaping her mother's claustrophobic universe, Mandy goes happily off to college but is suddenly stopped in her tracks when she receives the news that her father has unexpectedly died. Without her father as a ballast, Mandy loses her tentative hold on the world, and is forced -- in spite of her best efforts otherwise -- to finally face and confront her own demons. Ms. Brown explores this difficult emotional terrain with honesty and a sure hand. Her evocative language, well-paced scenes and true to life characters lend poignancy and reality to Mandy's dilemmas. You will root for this character from beginning to end. This is a fine debut.
Rating:
Summary: A definite must for anyone who values a decent book
Review: This is a book that goes straight to the heart. It is brilliantly written, as from the first page you are drawn into the story. You can't help but to be feel involved in the feelings and experiences that happen in Miranda Boyle's life. A brilliant read, and hopefully we shall hear more from this superb author!
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