Pretending to be Erica by Michelle Painchaud: review.

This book trapped me, I liked it from the very beginning even if I knew it wasn't going to be a happy book.In fact it is a novel about loss , the inability to cope with it and the will not to give up hope no matter what. The loss of a daughter because of a kidnapping and the loss of a husband due to mental illness.

It is also a book about wanting to have a normal life with loving parents, a family and friends. Things that other people take for granted but Violet , the main character, needs more than she knows.

Halfway through the book I thought that perhaps there could be a twist in the plot and everything would turn out nicely for everyone. That is , I guess,  the definition of wishful thinking.

I admire Violet's strength , resilience and good heart . Michelle Painchaud has created a wonderful teenage heroine who stands up for herself.