I have been reading this book for almost 2 years now and am not able to finish. The beginning of the story had potential but it fell flat towards the middle, and I never returned to it to finish.

I was excited to read this based on the synopsis, but it fell short for me. The biggest issue I have is the writing is very juvenile—all telling, no showing, simplistic sentences. The plot is also way too long for the amount of action present in the story. There are times when the story is engaging and page-turning, but there were large chunks of the books I struggled to get through simply because nothing was happening. I was invested in Jalen’s storyline because this is where most of the occurs, and his chapters were overall more interesting. I empathized with Juanita’s struggles, but she’s not a likeable character, and her chapters are where the book suffers from telling vs. showing the most. Juanita and Jalen’s chapters felt like two completely different stories most of the time. Thanks to NetGalley and Ben Burgess Jr. for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This should be read by everyone. I could not put this book down. This is the story of Juanita and her two sons Jerami and Jalen. This is a story of love, forgiveness, struggle and redemption. In the beginning of the book one tragedy changes the trajectory of this family. From the father getting murdered to the youngest son being diagnosed with cancer. Juanita struggles to survive and be a loving mother. This book shows what can happen and the choices you make. But it also shows that you can overcome any and everything. Your circumstances can and will change if you put the effort. This is one of the best books I have read this year.

This story was very hard hitting I enjoyed the realness and rawness of the story. I can’t wait to see what’s next

While the writing is neat (and engaging in the beginning), too much telling made me lose interest. The plot is poignant but the blurb tells almost everything about the story. Also, this book is a prologue to a novel (which I realized later), so I didn't know what to expect from this longish story. Didn't finish. Not posting my thoughts anywhere else. Thank you for the ARC.