Depression Cookies

Tia Bach & Angela Silverstone

ISBN: 978-1453567333

Publisher: Xlibris

Source: Review copy

Winner of:  2011 Readers Favorite Book Awards, Silver Realistic Fiction and Finalist Chick Lit

2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist Chick Lit

Synopsis:

Written in two distinct voices, two stories are interwoven within the walls of family and love.

             

Abby needs some magic in her life, along with a white knight, respectful children, and an exciting career plan. Instead she is drowning in unfulfilled expectations, disappointments, and unmet needs. What she doesn't expect is to find the true essence of magic in the strength, friendship, power, and energy of the female spirit found in her mother and her mother's zany group of friends. Krista cannot believe it's happening again. Her father waltzes in and announces another move. And what does her mother do? Nothing. Don't they realize she's almost thirteen, and this could mean the end of her life? In the midst of teenage melodrama, she is determined to survive a new school, defeat the annoyances of two scene-stealing sisters, and deal with out-of-touch parents. Yet she quickly realizes the double-edged sword of growing up.

My Thoughts:

It always amazes me when two people can collaborate so well and produce an amazing book.  While the career of an author is generally viewed as a solo act, I have been pleasantly surprised by co-authors, such as Tia and Angela, who pen a book together and leave you wondering where one left off and the other began.  How do they make the book flow as one complete work when they are in fact two different people?  It amazes me.

Depression Cookies tackles the life issues of a tween and her mom.  Both find themselves with dealing with disappointments, friendships, understanding and wisdom.  I think any woman can connect with both Abby, as a mother and wife, as well as Krista, as a daughter and tween who’s growing up and trying to understand the world and those around her.  I loved the relationship between these two.  Both mother and daughter are trying to navigate their way through life.  Each has a different perspective of family, each other and life as a whole.  They perceive things differently and I found their outlooks intriguing and honest.  Both just want to be loved and accepted with stability and self- fulfillment.

I was really able to connect with Abby in this story.  I appreciated the raw honest the character brings to motherhood and life as a woman.  Women are emotional creatures; every aspect of our makeup is surrounded by our intense emotion and instincts.  These characteristics are seen in the characters, one as a mother, and the other as a daughter trying to navigate through the difficult beginning of teenage life.  The story reminded me of reading Judy Blume novels during my pre-teen and early teenage years.  Both mothers and daughters will be able to enjoy this book.  It is one of those novels that I feel I must read again because I’m sure I’ll get something different out of it next time.  It’s easy to understand how this novel has won so many awards.

Highly Recommended