Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: The Unloved by Jennifer Snyder

Welcome to my stop on The Unloved blog tour by Jennifer Snyder hosted by YA Bound.  Click HERE to see the rest of the blog tour schedule!

Title: The Unloved by Jennifer Snyder

Published: July 30th, 2012

Source: Provided for review

Format: eBook

Group age: Mature young adult

Genre: Contemporary romance

Challenge(s): 2013 eBook 

Grade rate: B-

Sometimes the love our heart needs to heal can be found in the familiar eyes of a childhood friend...

Julie Porter learned the hard way that trust is something which must be earned and not something to be given out lightly, those who say they love you are those who hold the power to hurt you most, and best friends can help you survive anything—until they move away.

Nick Owen knows a thing or two about a hard life. At a young age Nick learned how to take a hit and to make lemonade out of the lemons life tossed his way. Returning home after nearly two years of being away, all Nick cares about now is protecting his mom from the abusive hands of his father and catching up with his best friend—the girl who lived across the street, the girl he can’t seem to stop thinking about.

Finally reunited after two years apart, Nick and Julie are about to learn that age does nothing to protect you from life’s trials and tribulations, heartache and loss, but maybe together they’ll find a way to survive.

(Mature Young Adult, contains violence, language, and sexual situations.)

Find it here: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

On Sale this week for  $.99!

My Review

The Unloved turned out to me a beautiful story, filled of heartbreak, but also with love and a sense of redemption.

Julie and Nick are neighbors and best friends, and throughout the years they learned to lean on each other and shield each other from the harshness of reality.  You can tell from the synopsis that they had a really hard home life. Honestly, I thought that Julie’s life was just too horrible to feel real, but in the acknowledgment Ms. Snyder explains that she heard true stories similar to Julie’s. Nick’s story is, sadly, more common; due to his father’s constant abuse his mom sends him away for about two years.  However, Nick and Julie have not forgotten each other.

Julie is a pretty girl that hides behind oversized clothes and behind her locked door. I really felt awful for Julie, her life was so hard, full of abuse, exposure to danger, drugs, and all kinds of vices.  All of these things have seriously diminished her self-esteem and makes it hard for her understand what being loved means.  Nick was a bit more stable and stronger. I liked Nick a lot, and he sure had the patience of a saint.

Their group of friends is really tight and I’m sure that if they were to share their troubles, they would have gotten a lot of help from them (and from the community too).

The story is told from alternating points of view, this way we get to know both, Nick and Julie really well. The plot was a series of tragedies, misunderstandings, lows, and highs.  The writing is straightforward and insightful.  There are some things that, on principles, I don’t agree with. For instance, being quiet about their wrecked home life, and involvement with drugs; although I do understand their reasons.  The ending was really good and more that I was expecting.  I wish the best of luck for Nick and Julie!

“We were the unloved-you by your mom and me by my dad-and now it’s our time to finally be loved.”

About the cover: It’s a beautiful cover of two friends holding onto each other through their upside-down-life.  I love the font and also the pop of color.

About the Author

I live in a small town nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina with my husband and two small children. Growing up, I was always an avid reader. My mother spent way too much money on R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike books!

Writing a novel of my own wasn't something I'd ever given much thought to. It seemed like an unobtainable, far-fetched dream. Then, in late 2007, I attempted to put pen to paper for the first time. What came out wasn't pure gold. And what came out next wasn't either. Things didn't work that way for me. I had to write and rewrite and learn more about my 'voice' as an author first.

It took me a while to find that. Roughly about two years.

I did make a stab at going the traditional route to getting a novel of mine published, but it didn't work out. Some might say I gave up too quickly, some might not. You can look on the 'For Writers' tab to read my post on why I went the way I did to hear the full story.

I will say, I don't regret my decision to Self-Publish. It was right for me. I'm loving that fact that I am able to still be a stay-at-home-mom even though my kids are both now in elementary school. I thank my readers for that. Seriously, a million times over I thank you!

SHATTERED SOUL was my debut novel and no, you haven't seen the end of me yet...

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Giveaway

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*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of YA Bound Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by YA Bound, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*