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A Handbook for Beautiful People

6/11/2018

8 Comments

 
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About A Handbook for Beautiful People
• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Inanna Publications (November 24, 2017)
Winner of an IPPY award – bronze in popular fiction
When twenty-two year old Marla finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, she wishes for a family, but faces precariousness: an uncertain future with her talented, exacting boyfriend, Liam; constant danger from her roommate, Dani, a sometime prostitute and entrenched drug addict; and the unannounced but overwhelming needs of her younger brother, Gavin, whom she has brought home for the first time from deaf school. Forcing her hand is Marla’s fetal alcohol syndrome, which sets her apart but also carries her through. When Marla loses her job and breaks her arm in a car accident, Liam asks her to marry him. It’s what she’s been waiting for: a chance to leave Dani, but Dani doesn’t take no for an answer. Marla stays strong when her mother shows up drunk, creates her own terms when Dani publicly shames her, and then falls apart when Gavin attempts suicide. It rains, and then pours, and when the Bow River finally overflows, flooding Marla’s entire neighbourhood, she is ready to admit that she wants more for her child than she can possibly give right now. Marla’s courage to ask for help and keep her mind open transforms everyone around her, cementing her relationships and proving to those who had doubted her that having a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder does not make a person any less noble, wise or caring.


Praise

“Wonderful, heartfelt, heartbreaking–I can’t recommend this novel highly enough.” –Annabel Lyon

“Jennifer Spruit has such a distinct, poignant voice, and her brilliant debut novel A Handbook for Beautiful People highlights this perfectly. Through sharp characters and their complications, a driven narrative develops, enveloping us before we have a chance to judge. Jump into this novel. It will sweep you up.” –Joseph Boyden


Purchase Link
sInanna Publications | Amazon | Barnes & Noble​
​
Review:
Marla is a 22 year-old waitress/ medical assistant who has had a difficult life.  Born to a addicted mother, Marla has partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and her younger brother, Gavin is deaf.  Marla bounced around in foster homes and worked as a prostitute until she found a friend in fellow outcast, Dani.  Now, Marla and Dani look after each other.  Marla is finally beginning to feel like an adult while holding down her two jobs and entering into a relationship with Liam.  However, Marla soon finds herself pregnant and looking through the options of abortion, adoption and motherhood. Marla invites Gavin to visit when she is pregnant and getting ready for the arrival of the baby.  With Gavin's arrival, she learns that his life has not been easy for him either.  Gavin and Dani also enter into a relationship further complicating the balance.  Despite everything Marla is doing to keep her head above water, the world has other plans and everything takes a turn for the worse all at once.


A Handbook for Beautiful People provides a raw look into the lives of very real and heartfelt characters.  I was very interested in reading a book from the perspective of someone with fetal alcohol syndrome.  Marla is an astonishing and well written character.  At every turn, Marla's  surprised me with her faults, accomplishments, missteps and decisions she was able to make.  Though it seemed as if her life were a series of mistakes and drama, Marla was able to shine through. More than once, it seemed as if Gavin might steal the show.  Gavin is strong and supportive, but is still working on who he is while being hearing impaired.  Gavin's journey was amazing in itself, I think there could be a whole separate story there.  My only complaint was that the writing style quickly changed points of view, and it would sometime take me a few sentences to make sense of everything again. The supporting characters around Marla and the events in her life create one big beautiful mess.  With twists, turns, breaks, floods, a baby and a decision, Marla's journey is unique and satisfying.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

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​About Jennifer Spruit
Jennifer Spruit was born in Lloydminster, AB/SK, and now lives in Courtenay, BC. She attended the Creative Writing MFA program at the University of British Columbia. Jennifer enjoys teaching kids, playing music, and paddling a blue canoe. This is her first novel.
Find out more about Jennifer at her website.

8 Comments
Jennifer Spruit link
6/12/2018 02:05:43 am


Thanks Stephanie for taking the the time to get to know these often difficult characters who are struggling to build a community together in very trying circumstances. Thanks for taking the time to write the review and share my novel. I appreciate it.

Reply
Stephanie
6/12/2018 03:56:01 pm

You're welcome, Jennifer! Thank you for stopping by :)

Reply
Berls link
6/12/2018 11:37:40 am

Wow sounds like a heavy read - but a good heavy read. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, foster care, abortion! That's a lot - and not at all what I expected when I clicked on the cover. Thanks for putting this on my radar.

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Stephanie
6/20/2018 11:37:36 am

Definitely not, that is what drew me to this one!

Reply
Sophia Rose link
6/12/2018 02:16:15 pm

A person living with FAS would draw me into her story, too. It sounds like one of challenge and triumph for both, brother and sister. Great review, Stephanie!

Reply
Heather J @ TLC Book Tours link
6/15/2018 11:56:52 am

This sounds like quite an emotional roller-coaster of a read!

Thanks for being a part of the tour!

Reply
Jamie
6/15/2018 01:46:20 pm

SOunds like this one has some emotional tugging that will be happening. Glad you seem to have enjoyed it. Sounds good but I'd have to be in the right mood for this one.

Reply
trish
6/15/2018 05:43:26 pm

Books like this help me cultivate compassion for other people's experiences and struggles. It's got to be so hard battling something like FAS!

Reply



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    Hi there! I'm Stephanie and I obviously love reading.  As, the title suggests, I read at least one hundred pages a day.  I enjoy most book genres; however, my favorites are historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, thriller, horror and YA.  I also read a lot of non-fiction science and gardening books for my occupation.  I enjoy reviewing books and as always, any book that I receive for free is read in return for my honest review.  

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