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Hand Me Down: A Novel Paperback – March 26, 2013

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Melanie Thorne (Author)
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Melanie Thorne (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 57 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Plume; Reprint edition (March 26, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0452298857
  • ISBN-13: 978-0452298859
  • Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.7 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,251,189 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsA Good first novel
By Margling on May 19, 2012
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
This is a worthy effort by a young writer who probably has a promising future as a novelist. Despite the first person present tense which I consider somewhat awkward, the book was involving and well written. It sometimes seemed more like a Young Adult novel than a mainstream literary effort, however, possibly because the protagonist herself is a very young woman of fourteen. The plot revolves around a young girl (with a younger sister)who is constantly being confronted with the consequences of having truly odious parents who consistently put their own needs ahead of those of their children.The mother's choice of an ex-con sex offender for a husband puts her out front in the bad parenting sweepstakes but the subject is handled without explicit details so it's well within the boundaries of 12 - 16 year old reading matter.The ending was a little too pat, not to mention melodramatic, but since it's supposed to be semi-autobiographical maybe that's how things really happened.It's a compelling story, one which probably needed to be told. Now that the youthful ghosts have been vanquished, I think we can look forward to some even more interesting work by this author in the future.
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5.0 out of 5 starsRaw, heartbreaking, uplifting
By CarolaV on January 10, 2013
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
This novel kept my attention from the very first page. Elizabeth is so raw, so damaged, and yet she has a spirit that is as hopeful as it is cautious. Thorne's voice feels exactly true to her character: I never doubted for one second who Liz was: her character never wavered, and while she matured, that inner voice never changed its personality. In fact, it's that voice that keeps you reading. Another thing that fascinated me about this novel was the sister relationship that Thorne depicts. It's so complex, fraught with tension, and yet ultimately, binding and true. I think this is another case of how the author writes characters who feel so much like real people, wth real relationships. It's true that the plot of this novel is a sad and dark one, and kind of hard for me, as a mother, to comprehend the realities of. But the telling of it makes it powerful, and in the end, it's uplifting.
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4.0 out of 5 starsGood book
By Amazon Customer on May 4, 2012
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
I enjoyed it, although after a while I got a little bit tired of the protagonist, Liz, always already knowing all of the answers -- I would have liked to have seen her learn more from her experiences, the book seemed to pick up with all of her learning experiences already having happened. The end also was drawn out a little longer than it probably should have been. After the key cathartic scene of the book (which is very satisfying to the reader), I would have liked to have seen either further change or less repetitive introspection/wrap-up. But it was a good read, with very good writing, and I look forward to more from the author.
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5.0 out of 5 starsAmazing
By Britt R. on January 4, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
I don't have enough words in my vocabulary to describe how much this book moved me.

I could feel the pain Liz was going through each time I turned the page, and the anger she had at the world around her. I had more hope for her than I've had for any other character in a long time. She was such a strong character, with so much determination to not let the mistakes of those around her bring her down to their level.

I wanted to shake some sense into the adults in this book. They are flawed and not very good human beings, but as horrible as they are, it is written so wonderfully there are a few you feel a tiny bit of sympathy for. You learn enough about why some people are they way they are that, while it doesn't excuse them, it makes their behavior believable. Each person is the way they are for a reason, and after you learn those reasons, each character becomes a real person.

I was incredibly touched by this book and will tell every single one of my friends they need to give this book a read.
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5.0 out of 5 starsA powerful debut, with haunting realities
By Jaime H. on April 24, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Where do you go when you lose the only place you call home? Elizabeth Reid is faced with answering just that. At fourteen-years-old, she is told she is no longer allowed to live with her mother, whose sex-offending husband has just been released from prison. While Liz's younger sister, Jaime, decides to go live with their father, Liz refuses to go back into the house of the man who abused her mother. Given her lack of options, she moves around to whatever friends and family will let her in. However, Liz learns too quickly and harshly that appreciating the hospitality of others is no replacement for the place one calls home- regardless of the troubles within that home.

Although Liz is only fourteen, her voice comes across much older and wiser, which is understandable given everything with which she has had to deal. As Liz struggles with trying to protect her sister from the things which haunt her, she also realizes that she must let Jaime learn on her own. However, having been placed in the role of protector, Liz often puts herself in dangerous situations in order to keep the harsh realities away from her sister. She also spends a great deal of time coming to terms with the position her mother placed the girls in when they were younger, as she repeats similar behaviors again.

Hand Me Down is by far one of the most poignant and honest looks into the effects of abuse on a family. While Liz's mother was strong enough to escape the girls' father, she finds herself repeating many of the same behaviors with her new husband. The excuses, rationalization, and hiding from the situations at hand place her daughters in harm's way once more. This is a story about the difficulties of breaking the cycles of abuse, and finding a way out.Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsso good. I just have trouble sticking to the story

Haven't finished it yet, but so far, so good. I just have trouble sticking to the story.

Published 5 months ago by All she wrote
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

great product at a great price.

Published 8 months ago by louisianacajun
5.0 out of 5 starsgood book

bought for a friend.

Published 15 months ago by teresa
3.0 out of 5 starsPretty good book

Interesting story, sad but true. Was a bit long in places but kept me involved.
glad I read it.

Published 18 months ago by David W. Randall
1.0 out of 5 starsOne Star

I just could not get into it!!

Published 19 months ago by Dolores Ahern
5.0 out of 5 starsI LOVED THIS BOOK,REAL LIFE IN THE RAW

It's hard to believe the way some people live.The lies they tell themselves,and how they can still survive.Read and enjoy,I sure did.

Published 22 months ago by jgretchen
2.0 out of 5 starsDepressing story line

Unable to finish due to depressing story line and abusive characters. Hopefully at some future date I'll go back and finish reading it.

Published 22 months ago by Janet W Dawson
5.0 out of 5 starsGot this on Kindle

Excellent book, but what a sad story. Those poor girls, cant imagine growing up like that. Glad there were some people there to help them... Read more

Published 23 months ago by Donna W.
5.0 out of 5 starsAwesome Read!!!

I really related to this story, so much so I had a hard time putting the book down!! Very good writing.

Published 23 months ago by Casey
5.0 out of 5 starsLoved the book

I read this book shortly after it was published and loved it. You just know this is a real story, someone's real story.

Published on December 23, 2013 by Lynne Hourigan

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