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You are here: Home / Book Reviews / REVIEW: Happy to Be Alive, Because by Chelsea Jacobs

REVIEW: Happy to Be Alive, Because by Chelsea Jacobs

June 12, 2014 by Bekah 4 Comments

Happy to Be Alive, Because
By Chelsea Jacobs
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Description:
Avery is a seventeen-year-old girl whose reality has just been shattered by the death of her mother. 

Feeling a desperate need to flee from what has become her life, she follows a travel plan meant for her mom and her that leads her to the little beach town where her mom grew up. It’s there that she meets a group of three adventurous friends who adopt her into their circle, allowing her to experience a summer she never thought would be possible after suffering such a great loss. Unfortunately, her summer full of experiences threatens to end abruptly when she realizes that one of the three has a secret that causes her to question everything about the new life she has been building.

Avery must learn to balance her grief and her desire for a future in order to achieve her mother’s final wish for her: That she would be happy to be alive.

Rating:  ✰✰✰✰✰ (5 out of 5 stars)

My Thoughts:
Avery is a seventeen-year-old girl who just lost her mother to cancer. Feeling pressured to have a plan and needing to escape the never ending grief that has become her life, Avery decides to take a trip to her mother’s old hometown of Glynn Springs, California. She meets three genuine people who fast become beloved friends and soon she begins to feel alive again—something she didn’t think possible after first arriving. A hauntingly beautiful story about finding joy amidst pain, Happy to Be Alive, Because will make you feel exactly as the title proclaims—happy to be alive.

Happy to Be Alive, Because
is one of my new favorites. Serious yet lighthearted, this story was achingly and beautifully raw. Warning: you may need tissues. It made me cry with sympathy and laugh along with the characters. It made me thankful for the little things and all the blessings in my life. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose someone so important to you, but I got a glimpse into such grief reading Avery’s story. Avery, Rob, Lily, and Major felt like real people. They weren’t perfect or stereotypical—they had real emotions, mistakes, and awkward exchanges. Chelsea Jacobs is an extremely talented storyteller. I will be reading every single one of her books from now on!

From page one, I could not put this book down. I literally finished it in one day. I can’t recommend it enough! If you enjoy young adult, romance, or just a beautiful story—please try Happy to Be Alive, Because. My only complaint about this book was that it ended too soon. I want more!

**I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are entirely my own.  

Related posts:

REVIEW: Revelation by Jennifer Hartz
REVIEW: Paradox Bound by Peter Clines
REVIEW: A Moment in Time by Tracie Peterson
REVIEW: MindWar by Andrew Klavan

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Contemporary Fiction, Litfuse Blog Tours, Romance Fiction, Young Adult Fiction

« REVIEW: Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade (& a giveaway from the author!)
REVIEW: Out of the Ruins by Karen Barnett (& a giveaway from the author!) »

Comments

  1. Rissi says

    June 12, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    Lovely review, Bekah. Been eyeing this one for a while – since getting the Litfuse invite, but I didn’t sign up because I was overwhelmed with books at the time. Now, I know this one will be a must-read. Thanks for convincing me. 🙂

    Reply
    • Bekah M. says

      June 13, 2014 at 4:39 am

      Thank you! I almost did the exact same thing…I had too many books on my plate but I simply couldn’t resist signing up for this tour. I really love the young adult romance genre and this one is definitely up there with the best of them. Thanks for commenting. 🙂

      Reply
  2. The Girl who Loved to Write says

    June 17, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    I seriously cannot tell you how much this review means to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to read and review this! You have truly made my week with your sweet words…you have no idea how much they encouraged me! xoxo

    Reply
    • Bekah M. says

      June 17, 2014 at 5:09 pm

      Hi Chelsea!
      I really loved your book and was only too happy to review it. I meant every word. Thank you for writing such a beautiful book and for sharing Avery’s story! You’ve inspired me to be genuinely thankful for life.
      Thanks for dropping by! 🙂

      Reply

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