Title:Untethered
Author:Julie Lawson Timmer
Narrator:Emily Sutton-Smith
Published:June 2016, Brilliance Audio / G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Length:9 hours 5 minutes / Hardcovers, 352 pages
Source:Publisher / BookSparks
When Char
Hawthorn’s husband dies unexpectedly, she is left questioning everything
she once knew to be true: from the cozy small town life they built
together to her relationship with her stepdaughter, who is suddenly not
bound to Char in any real way. Untethered explores what bonds truly form a family and how, sometimes, love knows no bounds.Char
Hawthorn, college professor, wife and stepmother to a spirited
fifteen-year-old daughter, loves her family and the joyful rhythms of
work and parenting. But when her husband dies in a car accident, the
“step” in Char’s title suddenly matters a great deal. In the eyes of the
law, all rights to daughter Allie belong to Lindy, Allie’s
self-absorbed biological mother, who wants the girl to move to her home
in California.While Allie begins to struggle in school and
tensions mount between her and Char, Allie’s connection to young Morgan,
a ten-year-old-girl she tutors, seems to keep her grounded. But then
Morgan, who was adopted out of foster care, suddenly disappears, and
Char is left to wonder about a possible future without Allie and what to
do about Morgan, a child caught up in a terrible crack in the system.
My thoughts:This is my first Julie Lawson Timmer book and I can tell you it will definitely not be my last! This book is one of the BookSparks #SummerReadingChallenge selections and I think it was a great choice…it kept me engaged and glued to the story from start to finish and I haven’t stopped thinking of the characters since!
This book is full of family drama, rich characters, and an emotional roller-coaster of ups and downs that will have you wondering what you would do if you ever find yourself in Char’s position. The characters are real, flawed and both likeable and unlikeable, both the adults and kids alike!
There is so much going on and at times, especially in the beginning, the pace is a bit slow, but I think that is to set everything up, to introduce us to all the players and set the tone for what is to come. Then, hang on because the pace takes off and everything starts happening a bit faster. The secrets that start unraveling and the suspense that starts building…your heart will be pounding as you make your way through this book and you will find you just have to get to the end to see what the resolution is.
This book was a great introduction to Julie Lawson Timmer’s writing for me and I cannot wait to pick up her other book, Five Days Left. Have you read that one yet? Hopefully that will help ease the wait time until her next book comes out, right, because I am a new fan!!!
Audio thoughts:This was the second book I’ve listened to recently that Emily Sutton-Smith narrated and I really like her as a narrator! I think she does a great job with the voices and the emotions of the characters. I am definitely going to be checking out what else she has narrated and will be keeping an eye out for future books that she narrates!
Untethered by Julie Lawson Timmer is one of BookSparks “Summer Reads” reading selection picks.
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#BestSummerEver hashtags on twitter to read reviews on this book as well
as reviews on the other summer books!
I actually like Five Days Left more than this one. I still gave this four stars. I loved the mothers/daughter relationships in this one, but thought the Morgan story got a bit unbelievable toward the end.