{YA Review} Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

{YA Review} Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

Born and raised in the Midwest, Jersey Cameron knows all about tornadoes. Or so she thinks. When her town is devastated by a twister, Jersey survives -- but loses her mother, her young sister, and her home. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with her only surviving relatives: first her biological father, then her estranged grandparents.

In an unfamiliar place, Jersey faces a reality she's never considered before -- one in which her mother wasn't perfect, and neither were her grandparents, but they all loved her just the same. Together, they create a new definition of family. And that's something no tornado can touch. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} Kindle Edition, 288 pages. May 6th 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Source: Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Jennifer Brown

{Rating} 4/5 -- I really liked it!

{Review}

"The day of the tornado began gray and dreary - one of those where you don't want to do anything but lounge around and sleep while it mists and drizzles and spits." (page 1, line 1)

Emotional and heartbreaking. The storm is supposed to be the hard part, but it isn't, it's the after. The pain is even deeper because we know that Jersey has lost her mother and sister, but Jersey doesn't. She has hope that they're safe, that they survived the storm.

I felt for Jersey as she's passed around with no one to care for her, to protect her. Brown puts us into Jersey's shoes, into her head, how scared, confused, lost, devastated and angry she is. On top of all that Jersey is starting to learn that things weren't what she thought, that people weren't who she though they were.

I really loved the way it ended, things aren't perfect but we're left with hope, love, and possibilities.