Book Review: Being Is Better (Better Together #1) by Marjorie Jackson

 

Title Of Book: Being Is Better (Better Together #1)

Author: Marjorie Jackson

Publisher: Emery Press Books

Rating - 5 Stars

Level – Young adult

Genre – Contemporary

Source –  e-book (review copy)

Summary – From Goodreads

Fourteen-year-old Amber has battled medical challenges – specifically epilepsy – her whole life. Due to her physical limitations, she has no friends, but does her best to trudge through each day with a smile.

Fellow “middle-school senior” Missy has struggles of her own. Following her brother’s death in Afghanistan, her father uprooted them from everything familiar, only to divorce Missy’s mother and move away, leaving Missy friendless and angry, forced to care for her deeply depressed mother.

Two girls with different pasts, both fighting loneliness.

Can they learn to overcome life’s struggles and tragedies? Can they find each other and battle teen awkwardness together?

My Review

Being Is Better is such a heartwarming story.  The story is about two girls, Amber and Missy, who are in their last year of middle school.  They each tell their individual stories for most of the book before they meet each other.  I enjoyed reading each of their stories and then their ultimate friendship.

Amber is a 14 year old girl who suffers from epilepsy and just wants to be a normal girl.  She has an amazing family that include her parents, brother and her Nana.  Amber has seizures that make her blank out.  She has been to many different doctors and not one seems to be able to help her.  Amber’s epilepsy causes her to miss school a lot and does cause her to have some injuries from blanking out.  She is tired a lot and just doesn’t have the energy to keep up with others. 

Missy is also a 14 year old girl who has recently moved to a new city.  Her brother passed away, her dad moved away and her mom has been struggling a lot with her son passing away.  Missy is an artist and just wants to find a friend that she can hang out with and talk to.  I really admired her strength.  The way she dealt with all that was going on in her life took a lot of courage.

After we get to hear about their individual stories than Amber and Missy finally meet one day at school when Missy introduces herself to Amber.  They just click and become great friends.  Throughout the remainder of the book they are able to help each other with their individual struggles.  Amber’s family really takes in Missy and makes her feel as though she is part of their family.

This was just an amazing, well written story.  I enjoyed reading it so much and didn’t want to stop reading.  I am excited to read the next book and see how their story continues.  I highly recommend reading this story.

Being Is Better (Better Together #1) on Goodreads

Marjorie Jackson on Goodreads

*It says on Goodreads that sadly the author has passed away*