A FRENZY OF SPARKS by Kristen Fields

 

From the author of A Lily in the Light comes a poignant story of innocence lost and what it means to grow up too fast. (I loved A LILY IN THE LIGHT)

I loved A Lily in the Light, but this one to me was even better. It's a very emotional story. A story that hits so close to my heart. A bit too close. 

This is the story of a family. A family in Queens, NY in the 1960s. Dealing with so much. Cousins who are so close and get in trouble and finding their way in life. A thirteen year old girl who has the no worries at all yet. This year will be a big test for all of these kids. As one does bring drugs into the midst. One isn't strong enough to handle it at all. One thinks he's smart enough to be a boss on his own. They are all just stupid children in a world where things are hard enough. Nothing good can come from this. Families turning on each other. Kids hurting each other. It's a horrible cycle that won't stop until someone is dead or someone ends up in prison. Or both.

This story is so realistic it's like living it, not reading it. It's like you are in the pages with these people. Feeling the things they feel. The happiness. The sadness. The many ups and downs. What each family is dealing with and how it separates them. Where they were once so close they become distance. Secrets are kept yet each knows all. Whispers are everywhere. The horror of what can happen. What will happen and what does happen in one family. How a mother and father deal with things. How they seem to make a huge difference in their children yet to me it was just a parent being a parent and being there for the child who had gone astray. The one that needed the help while the other did good things. It's not a matter of one being loved the most. It's about not wanting to lose either.

This book will rip your heart out. It will make you weep. It's a raw and emotional story of families. Loss, love, happiness and how drugs affect each.

This story hit me hard. Right in my heart. I lost a brother to drugs. He tried so many times to stop. He had a heart of gold. The kindest person you would ever meet. But his addiction was bigger than him. It was bigger than me. It was bigger than anyone. I miss him every day. Drugs took my brother. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #KristinFields, #LakeUnion for this ARC. This is my own heartfelt review.

5/5 stars and a big recommendation.