Review by Lyricishani -- Behind Closed Doors (1)

[Lyricishani]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Behind Closed Doors (1)" by A.L. Smith.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Behind Closed Doors, by A. L. Smith is an amazing story of pain, grief, and survival. This is a story of three cousins, Sierra, Alex, and Latrice, who all have endured abuse from the hands of a male relative. This abuse caused them to lead different lives but they would eventually find out that their fates were always intertwined. Despite their efforts to block out the past, they still end up having issues in their adulthood, when it came to relationships, drugs, and confronting their own demons.

Sierra was a troubled teenager,who ended up having a child her senior year in high school. She had attempted to suppress her feelings about the abuse, until her abuser, Keith, made a final attempt to force himself on her one last time. She then revealed to her family that the abuse had been going on for years and they did not believe her and sided with Keith. This caused her to pack her bags and embark on a new beginning for herself and ultimately her children.

We later meet Alex. The single independent attorney and college graduate. She seems to have it all together on the outside except when it comes to relationships. She finds herself attracting unavailable men in some way. They are either scared of commitment or married. Her journey is filled with many ups and downs, but she still holds it together pretty well and finally accepts what has happened in her past and acknowledges how it has impacted her life.

Latrice is a character that you really get a lot of insight to the family dynamic. She still lives near her family and is constantly reminded of the abuse she endured. She chooses a life of drugs to cope with the realization of her abuse. Latrice understands that she is slowly killing herself, but is resolved with her current state. The potential loss of her own family still does not bother her until fate brings her long lost cousins back into town and they decide to confront their demons head on.

Overall, Behind Closed Doors explores the taboo topic of sexual abuse in an already dysfunctional family. Being part of each girl's story was exciting and kept you engaged throughout the novel. This book is definitely a page turner and is a story often untold in a world where the this story happens so often. There were a couple of times I noticed some grammatical errors, but they were not that distracting. I give this novel 3 out of 4 stars.

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Behind Closed Doors (1)
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