Caught in the lies she has told to escape her father, Becca finds herself implicated in a crime she did not commit but is eerily similar to the crimes her father did commit. After, the lies she has told, will Isaac believe her innocence when it seems there is no other culprit? Will Becca learn to trust in the only One who has control over her circumstances?
Review: I wanted to read this book mainly because of the lovely cover. However, that is not the only merit it possesses. I was pleasantly surprised by All My Belongings. The book revolved around the evil of euthanasia. However, it wasn’t a heavy read because the subject was offset by the author’s fresh, humorous writing style. Cynthia Ruchti did an excellent job of not only telling how wrong “mercy killing” is but showing it as well. I really enjoyed her writing style, which could be quirky and witty at even the darkest moments.
The character development was okay. I think I got to know Becca better than I got to know Isaac in the long run. The author also could have perhaps deepened the novel more if she had delved into Becca’s past somewhat. Also, sometimes the transition between Becca’s POV and Isaac’s POV was awkward. At times I felt as though a paragraph was inserted just to lengthen the novel.
The romance between Becca and Isaac wasn’t very real. When they declared their love for one another I wondered exactly how they fell in love when they spent so little time in one another’s company. However, the humor in their relationship was really sweet and often clever. This novel is more about forgiveness and mercy than true love, though. So I understand why the author didn’t focus the story on Becca and Isaac’s love.
One thing I could not understand was the title of the book. It really didn’t coincide with the subject of the story. The novel did mention the title a few times, but I just didn’t make sense of why the author or publisher would call it that. Aesthetic reasons, maybe? All My Belongings is a pretty title. I think maybe These New Beginnings would have been more appropriate. Then again, maybe I’ve just read too many books.
I really enjoyed Becca’s character. She didn’t allow her past to make her bitter. She was sweet, kind, and funny. Isaac, in contrast, was a rather bland character with too many doubts about himself and those around him to make him really stand out to me. I also thought he might have a problem with vanity when the book first described him. So…yes…not the best male character in the world.
Despite the subject the book was based on, All My Belongings was a rather light and fun to read. I thought the author was really good at pointing out that even at the darkest moments in our life God is with us. And we can smile because of that.
I give All My Belongings 4 out of 5 stars (it would have been 31/2 if Becca wasn’t such a wonderful character.)
I received an ARC kindle copy of this book from the publishers through Netgalley. The opinions and ideas stated are mine and mine alone. This is an honest review of this book.
*POV stands for Point of view for anybody who is wondering.
This book is released May 6, 2014.
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