Bargain eBooks #230:

Invisible Tears by Abigail Lawrence

Genre: Memoir

Price: $2.99

Where to Get It:

Amazon.com (Kindle)
Amazon UK
Smashwords (all eBook formats)




This is the story of Abbie's struggle to survive, the grim details of child abuse of the worst kind all told from the perspective of a little girl.

As a teenager Abbie is uncontrollable. A Modette during the 80's revival, she finds a love of scooters, rebellion and gang life on the wild side. Dulling her pain with alcohol, drugs and promiscuity at a very young age, Abbie loses control and becomes well known to the local police. Not one person can get through to her because she has no fear, no self respect, no morals or self worth. With nothing to lose, she throws herself into one battle after another, blood and guts brawling between the skin heads and the mods on the streets of London.

Her family eventually disowns her realizing they are unable to help. Abbie finds herself in the care of the Court until she is abandoned by children's homes and Social Services too. Alone, penniless and pregnant at the age of 16. Haunted by the secrets of her unspeakable past. Will anyone ever see her invisible tears?


What they're saying about it:

"Over 3 million reports of child abuse are made every year in JUST the United States alone. 7.6% of these are sexual abuse claims (approx. 228,000 children.) Almost five children die everyday as a result of child abuse. More than three out of four are under the age of 4.

Harsh statistics right? Horrifying actually.

A few weeks ago I received a review request from an awe inspiring woman named Abigail Lawrence. She wanted me to read her book "Invisible Tears." I hesitantly agreed knowing that the journey I was about to embark on would be heart wrenching and hard to read, but at the same time, completely and undeniably necessary.

At the age of 6 Abbie's mother died, and with no one there to pick up the pieces she was shipped off to whomever would take her. Unfortunately, the loving and caring home she needed was not what she got, instead she was forced to live with a woman that physically and mentally abused her, and then eventually... in seek of fame... handed her over to local pedophiles in the "entertainment" business. After her father (who had been relatively absent up until this point) finally accepted what was happening to his children he whisked them away for a better life, but sometimes people can be to late, sometime the damage has already been done. Keeping, and constantly reliving the secrets of what really happened to her, forced Abbie to grow into a damaged and rebellious teenager, looking for comfort and drugs where ever she could get them. This is the story of Abbie's struggle to survive, her struggle to understand that not everything was her fault, and the struggle to finally find love and acceptance. This is a story of a small girl, who had to learn to dig her own way out of the trenches... just to be able to breathe.

The novel was written in Abbie's dialogue so it is imperative you be prepared for several things.

1. You are going to experience the worse side of life through the eyes of a child for the first several chapters. They are excruciatingly difficult to read (especially if you have small children) and will, at times, make you feel physically ill.

2. The story will eventually move past blatant gruesomeness, however the story as a whole continues, and can be as equally emotional as the first few pages. (so grab some Kleenex.)

3. If you start reading, do not stop. This is not a book you can put down half way through and wish you had never picked it up to begin with. The epilogue is a very VERY important part of the story and if you don't read it you will never get the intended point of the book. (Pace yourself if you have to but don't give up on it.)

This novel is in no way intended for a young audience, or the faint of heart. It is rough, it is damaging, and it is horrifyingly descriptive. The fact that it is based off of someone's' "real life" experiences makes it only that much more difficult to handle, so read at your own risk.

Until tomorrow my fellow Kindle-ites I bid you ado and leave you with something to think about:

Children who have been sexually abused are 2.5 times more likely to abuse alcohol

Children who have been sexually abused are 3.8 times more likely to develop drug addictions

90% of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way; 68% are abused by family members

Maybe one day we will open our eyes."--Amazon Reviewer