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Careful by Randy Anderson is an Emotionally Charged Must Read

careful_FrontCover I love it when a book pulls me into its pages and allows me to live the story with its characters.  The cover art for Randy Anderson's book, Careful, caught my attention--and the book's description piqued my interest.  What was my review of Careful by Randy Anderson?

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook for use in my review.  All opinions are my own.

Quick Summary of Careful by Randy Anderson.  For two decades Tyler Gibbons has been keeping a secret from his family. At the tender age of sixteen, Tyler embarks on a student exchange program. Sent to the Andean city of Ambato, Ecuador, he finds daily adventure as he tries to fit in at school, connect with his host family, and navigate through a world of beaches, volcanoes, and jungles. But tucked deep inside this year are events so profound, so unexpected, they forever shape the man he will become. Now, 25 years later, his mother pulls these soaring tales from her son, exposing, for the first time, the source of a deep unhappiness. While these memories contain the wounds of an unresolved past, they also possess the power to heal his painful present. Thoughtfully crafted and boldly told, Tyler’s journey takes the reader on a wild South American adventure, while illuminating a mother’s unyielding power to heal her child.

Careful takes readers on an emotional journey.  As the author pulls weaves Tyler's story through flashbacks and dialogue with the his dying mother--the reader is pulled into an emotional journey.  As Tyler relays stories never told from a teenage year abroad, he pulls readers through a host of life experiences--and emotions.  Anderson creates an amazing story as he weaves Tyler's many worlds together into one coming of age/coming to terms novel.

Careful connects readers to its characters--and doesn't let them go.  Sometimes I struggle to connect to coming of age style novels--especially those told via flashbacks or memories. Randy Anderson's writing style pulls readers into the novel on the very first page and pulls them along for the main character's adventures--and misadventures.  Through vivid details and short passages, the author seamlessly moves Tyler's story along from past to present.  I began reading the book when I had a "few minutes to spare"--expecting to simply begin it and develop some initial thoughts about the story.  I soon found myself through 100 pages--and was not able to put it down until I finished it.

Would I recommend Careful by Randy Anderson?  I absolutely loved this book, from start to finish--and that is something I rarely say.  Careful is extremely well written, with well developed plots and a flowing storyline which crosses decades and continents.  Careful certainly contains emotional ups and downs--but, the book is very well balanced and doesn't lose readers in darkness.  If you enjoy dramatic, coming of age/redemption style novels--Careful by Randy Anderson is an emotionally charged, must read.

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Meet the Author:

randy
Randy Anderson is a novelist and playwright. His first book was published in 2011. On Making Off recounted his adventures running The Beggars Group, a downtown theater company that produced over two dozen productions at the turn of the millennium. He is also the author of several plays including; Kill the President, The Dwelling, and Yippie! Randy currently lives in Brooklyn where he writes, reasons, and reacts. You can contact him at www.onmakingoff.com, or on twitter @onmakingoff.  


Find the author on: Facebook / Twitter / Literary Addicts / Goodreads / Website

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