Official Review: God Is Not Pixie Dust by Portia Bates

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yayramabel
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Official Review: God Is Not Pixie Dust by Portia Bates

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[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "God Is Not Pixie Dust" by Portia Bates.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Portia Bates' debut project, God Is Not Pixie Dust, is a poetically written memoir of her formative years. It is the tale of a young teenager who was forced to grow up too soon. She tells the story of her dysfunctional upbringing and how it set her up for what was to come. "So, you see, with my background and my insecurities, I was perfect prey... I was a blinking doe on an open range..." With parents, extended family, a church family and their leader, all of whom betrayed her one way or another, she found herself needing to be her own savior and reaching out to a God she wasn't sure existed anymore but that, in the end, had never abandoned her.

Right from the start, the author lets you in on her secrets and writes: "don't worry about me giving away the plot so early... That's not where the real meat lies anyway." From that moment on, I was completely captivated. Bates' writing is melodious, with a rhythm that envelops you -the reader- and takes you on her vulnerable, intimate journey. The story is raw and exposed, the kind of tale that haunts you. But, the way she presents her life is very refreshing: she never asks for pity, even admitting that, at some point, she had no empathy for herself. Her writing, clear and concise but never overly dramatic, makes for a quick, gentle read, despite the disturbing topic.

I mean, don't get me wrong, she doesn't sugar-coat it either. Her heartbreaking story is presented honestly and openly, her emotions palpable throughout the book. But the pace of the book was steady, taking you from the foundations of her life, through a world of deceit, dismissal, overlook and neglect from the very people who were supposed to love and care for her the most. Her matter-of-fact, unvictimized story telling really appealed to me. She wasn't making excuses nor asking for the reader to feel sorry for her, just stating the facts and the lessons learned.

Notwithstanding all she suffered in the hands of God-loving, church going people, she still found a loving, forgiving God, and forged a new, fresh relationship with him. Her whole world was lost to her, but her God was ever present. The author also learned that you may find your fiercest advocates in the people you least expect it, that there's always someone willing to look out for you and your wellbeing. Whether you're a believer or not, it is really a hopeful message.

I could quote half of her book. Reading this memoir felt as if I was talking to a friend about her problems, and many of the passages stuck with me. "I learned to keep my problems to myself. They had more than enough on their plates, and it was spilling over, making a mess since as long as I could remember. I learned to hate." "He taught me that he was good and I was bad. And I believed him." And, although some of the last few chapters felt a bit rushed, as if she didn't want to talk about her most recent years, given the fact that this book focuses in a specific situation and the aftermath of that time in her life, I can understand that. She didn't want to deviate from the main topic and take focus off of it, she wanted to only tell this story.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Bates' story is poignant and relatable. The writing was evocative and fast paced, keeping the reader engaged throughout the book; even with such a heavy topic, her writing was kind, never dense. Her story shows that to grow and move past our traumas, we must face them. That's the only way we truly heal and are able to see our future in a new light.

******
God Is Not Pixie Dust
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Annelore Trujillo
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Post by Annelore Trujillo »

This sounds like a really good book! I'm not usually into memoirs, but I think this is definitely one that i would enjoy reading. Thank you for the great review!
yayramabel
Posts: 13
Joined: 02 Sep 2016, 19:07
Currently Reading: Shadow of the Storm
Bookshelf Size: 68
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-yayramabel.html
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Post by yayramabel »

Thank you for reading it, anneloretrujillo! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did :)
Latest Review: "The Sound of Acquiescence" by Candace Michelle
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