This is a coming-of-age story in the best sense of the genre

By Marilyn H. Mitchell on July 1, 2014

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

This book is a remarkable achievement for a first-time author. The characters are believable and the dialogue is authentic. The horrid girls in the first part of the book are so accurate from my experience that it made me cringe. The mother is a monster and again true-to-life in my experience. Maggie is a remarkable person who rises above incredible hardship through her intellect and tenacity. The second half of the book is a big turn-on and well described to show how Maggie is brought along by a very experienced man to experience sexual fulfillment without being pornographic. She builds tension and expectation so I cannot wait for the second book. This is a coming-of-age story in the best sense of the genre. I lost sleep reading chapter after chapter.

rage and sigh is a great book! I felt for Maggie

By laura jolley on July 9, 2014

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

Any book that can make you laugh out loud, cry, rage and sigh is a great book! I felt for Maggie, wanted to strangle Sybil and was still thinking about the story long after I finished reading the book. If this is the author's first book, I can't wait for the next book to be released!

I’m so glad that I accepted

By L.T. Kelly on July 7, 2014

Format: Kindle Edition

This is book one in the Jackson Sugar series. The author wrote to me and asked me if I’d review her book. I’m so glad that I accepted.

The story is set in America in the late 1960′s. The settings have been well thought out and easily send you back to that time through powerful scene setting.

This was a book that captivated me to the point that when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it. The main character, Maggie, suffers so much torment by her strange mother Sybil that I spent the first half of the book going from weeping to sobbing. I didn’t realise it was possible to feel so much hate and disgust for a fictional character until now. I wanted Sybil to be real so that I could beat the living crap out of her.

The dialogue is authentic and well written. Each scene is carefully crafted, I felt like I was in the room watching the characters and feeling their emotions.

Maggie is overwhelmed when the most eligible bachelor in the community falls for her. Their love is sweet and beautiful, I enjoyed the scenes between Will and Maggie the most. As with everything in Maggie’s life Sybil find a way to tear them apart.

It seems that Maggie’s life is falling to pieces before her very eyes. Yet she struggles on and finds a way to survive until she is finally ‘rescued’ by a handsome and mysterious stranger, Edmond Jackson. But will her troubles end with meeting a rich man? I have a feeling that it won’t.

I truly love Maggie. She’s a fighter that has struggled her whole life. She’s completely mixed up and it’s easy to see how its happened. Although her surroundings improved dramatically by the end of ‘Crazy Red’ I’m not sure that her predicament has.

I think the cover has room for improvement, perhaps the author could think about have her illustrator draw a cover for this book. The cover doesn’t begin to display the complexity of the work within.

I hope that Kaley has cracked out the second book. If not she had better get a bloody shimmy on. I have a hunger in my stomach that only she can fill.

This book needs more reviews. This book needs to be read and talked about. This book deserves more attention.