Review of Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines
6 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines" by Adriene Caldwell.]
Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines is written by Adriene Caldwell.
We first meet the author holding a gun to her head. She is determined to end her miserable life. But fate has different plans. The gun clicks, but no bullet comes forth. She tries again. The gun clicks a second time. She doesn't understand. Why can't she end her life? She knows the gun worked. She had test-fired it herself. Thus begins the story of Adriene Caldwell.
Next, we get some background on her family and how dysfunctional it was. Adriene's family was military. Her grandfather was in the Navy, and whenever he would get orders to report to a new base, the family went with him. So, the family would have to move every 3 to 4 years. Her grandfather was very vicious to them and mean-spirited. They had to walk on tiptoes to try to get along with him. The only time the family could feel any relief was when he was away on the ship. You see, her grandfather molested her mother. He was so mentally ill that he encouraged his sons to rape her, too. He wanted all of his children to have sex with each other. The boys were teenagers and knew it was wrong. So, they banded together to protect the youngest girl, Marylynn.
Some time passed, and one day her grandfather packed his bags and decided to leave the family. He took all the money they had and just left. They found out later that he had been discharged from the Navy because of his erratic behavior. He was mentally ill. However, that was no excuse for how he abused his wife and children.
The author goes on to recount her childhood with great honesty and hope. She was always looking for someone to love her and looking for someone she could love.
The memories would haunt her dreams. She lived with the memory of a young girl drowning in the swimming pool. Her uncle was unable to save her. The same uncle would become violent. He would use a wooden paddle with holes drilled into it to dole out punishment. The holes would make the skin break and bleed. He was hardest on his wife, her Aunt Lynn. When she attended school, she was embarrassed because of the way they lived. Cockroaches ruled the house they lived in and would hide in her book bag and scurry out across her desk.
These are just a few of the horrific memories the author lived through. She survived, though. This book was well written with great editing. I found only 1 grammatical error. The only thing not to like about the book is the past she had to live through. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a way to find closure with the past. This is a well-written memoir. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
******
Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines
View: on Bookshelves
Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines is written by Adriene Caldwell.
We first meet the author holding a gun to her head. She is determined to end her miserable life. But fate has different plans. The gun clicks, but no bullet comes forth. She tries again. The gun clicks a second time. She doesn't understand. Why can't she end her life? She knows the gun worked. She had test-fired it herself. Thus begins the story of Adriene Caldwell.
Next, we get some background on her family and how dysfunctional it was. Adriene's family was military. Her grandfather was in the Navy, and whenever he would get orders to report to a new base, the family went with him. So, the family would have to move every 3 to 4 years. Her grandfather was very vicious to them and mean-spirited. They had to walk on tiptoes to try to get along with him. The only time the family could feel any relief was when he was away on the ship. You see, her grandfather molested her mother. He was so mentally ill that he encouraged his sons to rape her, too. He wanted all of his children to have sex with each other. The boys were teenagers and knew it was wrong. So, they banded together to protect the youngest girl, Marylynn.
Some time passed, and one day her grandfather packed his bags and decided to leave the family. He took all the money they had and just left. They found out later that he had been discharged from the Navy because of his erratic behavior. He was mentally ill. However, that was no excuse for how he abused his wife and children.
The author goes on to recount her childhood with great honesty and hope. She was always looking for someone to love her and looking for someone she could love.
The memories would haunt her dreams. She lived with the memory of a young girl drowning in the swimming pool. Her uncle was unable to save her. The same uncle would become violent. He would use a wooden paddle with holes drilled into it to dole out punishment. The holes would make the skin break and bleed. He was hardest on his wife, her Aunt Lynn. When she attended school, she was embarrassed because of the way they lived. Cockroaches ruled the house they lived in and would hide in her book bag and scurry out across her desk.
These are just a few of the horrific memories the author lived through. She survived, though. This book was well written with great editing. I found only 1 grammatical error. The only thing not to like about the book is the past she had to live through. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a way to find closure with the past. This is a well-written memoir. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
******
Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines
View: on Bookshelves
You are not logged in. Please log in or sign up to view members replies, participate in the discussion, and access more features.
