Come Alive [Paperback]

Elora Ramirez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 2012

Stephanie believes in stories. But even though she puts pen to paper daily and creates stories of change and hope, she fails to see the possibilities within her own life. Abused, alone and invisible to those around her, she struggles with self-worth and believing in another world - one of love and safety and healing. There are those in her life who believe in redemption and new beginnings, but can Stephanie trust them when all she's ever known is betrayal? She wants to - her heart says it's safe - but she struggles with believing the lies thrown at her day after day by others who should be protecting her. This is her story - all of it - the chaos and beauty caused by the wrecking ball of her family and the fight for rescue. All she needs is someone to listen. Will you be one who hears? It just may change your world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

My name is Elora Nicole. Sunrises are my love language but you'll rarely see me up early enough to catch one. Plus, I've realized sunsets off the Congress bridge in Austin work just fine.
For eight years, I spent my days in the classroom as a high school teacher and instructional coach. Now, I'm a full time writer and {soon-to-be} mother learning how to share my story and helping you find your own. I believe in Beauty, playing in the pain and leaning into grace.

Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Rhizome Publishing (April 17, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1619430053
• ISBN-13: 978-1619430051
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,641,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My name is Elora Nicole. Sunrises are my love language but you'll rarely see me up early enough to catch one. Plus, I've realized sunsets off the Congress bridge in Austin work just fine.

For eight years, I spent my days in the classroom as a high school teacher and instructional coach. Now, I'm a full time writer and {soon-to-be} mother learning how to share my story and helping you find your own. I believe in Beauty, playing in the pain and leaning into grace.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars, but make no mistake: Everyone should read this book November 9, 2012

By Shaney Irene

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I would give this book five stars out of five for the story, and 3.5 for the writing/plot development, thus my overall four stars out of five.

The importance of this story alone is enough for me to recommend it to everyone. It's one thing to hear statistics about human trafficking, it's something else entirely to read one person's story. While fictional, Stephanie gives the reader someone to relate to, so that when she is abused, you feel angry and upset. This book is needed if for no other reason than the fact that people need to know that stories like this exist. This book will, hopefully, stir people to take action, to start viewing the people around them with new eyes. I know that I will be doing more research, so that I can help pursue justice and rescue for those that may be being abused right in front of me.

Beyond the importance of the story, though, it's also written in a very emotionally powerful way. It exposes the dark while still pointing to hope--and that's something that's incredibly difficult to do.

The main area where I thought the book could have improved was in plot development. Sometimes, it felt like events happened too quickly, one right after another, rather than each event unfolding fully before transitioning to the next one--sometimes making the sequence of events feel a little forced (I'm wasn't completely surprised to find out that the book was written during NaNoWriMo). There were also a couple scenes which felt inauthentic to me, and felt like they were put in to serve purposes other than character and plot development.

Despite these weaknesses, the book is well-written overall and contains a very powerful and much-needed story. If you think that human trafficking is something that happens in other countries, or you want to understand the experiences of someone living that life, you need to read this book.

I would love to see a sequel that follows Stephanie's journey from rescue through the process of healing and starting a different life. I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "light in a dark place" August 7, 2012

By Jyllian Chambers

Format:Paperback

The story of Stephanie Tiller is one very much unlike the average teenager. She has endured a hell on Earth since the age of 12 and the severity of her life situation seems to grow more threatening throughout the book. Despite the darkness and moments of despair, Stephanie still manages to hold onto hope of rescue.

This story is so beautifully written and pulls at the heart strings.
Though a fictional novel, Stephanie's story is all too real and taking place in our own back yards, and I am glad to have read a book that brings this revelation to my awareness.
Come Alive is now at the top of my all time favorites and is definitely a book I could read more than once.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, intense subject March 1, 2013

By E. A. Walker

Format:Paperback

I found this book to be beautifully written, so well in fact I had to walk away a few times to remind myself this was a fiction novel. The subject matter, the life of Stephanie who is forced into sex trafficking left me with a lump in my throat until page 304 of 322 pages.

Sex trafficking is an area I have been previously introduced to through the Passion conferences and Set Free, and yet this book offered me as the reader the opportunity to view this subject with fresh eyes.

Perhaps, you have just read my summary of this subject matter and have decided this is not a book you need to read. I would urge you to reconsider. Intertwined in this challenging subject is the story of a girl learning to find her voice, and cling to the truth her creator speaks to all humans equally.

One note, I do believe this book is not for everyone, there were some very hard sections to read that frankly, I found myself skimming out of mental necessity.