Carole Reviews: Raising John - Jennifer Lesher

Author: Jennifer Lesher

Title: Raising John

Genre: contemporary, fiction

Pages: ebook

First Published: January 17th, 2014

Where I Got It: Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion

"How do you go on living when you have done the unforgivable? How do you love a mother you barely remember? John is an orphan who misses the mother he hardly knew. Robert is the drunk driver who killed her. As the story opens we meet 4-year-old John, who wonders why his mother had to die. Robert wakes up in lockup, expecting to sleep off a blackout and go home, until he learns of the accident he caused.

John grows up under the care of his devoted maternal grandmother, who grapples with guilt over her daughter’s past. Just as John is on the cusp of manhood, he must confront his mother’s death anew and question everything he has come to believe about himself and the people he loves.

Robert is sentenced to 4 years in state prison. His incarceration begins a journey that will have a profound effect on not only himself, but on the life of the boy he orphaned, and on the legacy of the young mother who died."

Like earlier stated I was given this book for my honest and unbiased opinion from the publisher/author.

Wow. Just wow. I am stunned by how much I liked it. I absolutely loved it. I finished this in one day. That hasn't happened in a while. It was a simple read and quick read, but man it was a good read. The writing was overly done and anyone can read this. I loved how the author wrote this. 

Even though there was four POVs it worked. You knew when the POV would change (at each chapter with a POV change there would be a month and year and location - so you never got confused) and I highly praise authors who do that. The POV changes made sense and helped you understand the story better. I'm really glad that the author established Mary (the mom who dies) as a character. You get to know her and her story through her eyes. It was nice. Normally stories like these the dead parent is marginalized and you never get know them. It's actually kind of sad, because you know the mother more then John. :/

Honestly...the author threw me through a loop. The twist certainly surprised me. I can not say for it is a big spoiler. Just like John, I was hurt and angry by this spoiler. WHAT?! What are the chances? Crazy shit. *shakes my head* Loved the spoiler though. It was a good one and in some cynical part of me I'm glad that that person had to suffer and still suffers with the fact he killed Mary. I wish that Mary was killed, but the irony is fantastic and karma is a revengeful witch (you know what I really mean). 

I loved, LOVED this book. However, the ending confused me. I think I know what was inferred, but I'm not sure...mmmmmm. I'm still gnawing over it and trying to wrap my head around it. I do wish that ending was a little more solid and less making the reader assume and guess. Mmmmmmm. It's still making me think. hahaha. I guess the author is brilliant and has left an impression on the mind of the reader. 

In the end, I loved this book. I loved the characters, the story, and they way it was presented by the author. Even though the ending left me a little unsure, because it was not very solid, I stilled loved it. This is defiantly on the list of Favorite Book of the Year. ^.^ I would recommend this book to everyone, even as a YA (but I would advise the older of those in that age group, because there is some language). Out of five stars, I grant this 5 stars.