Reviews from

A Leaf on the Wind

Viewing comments for Chapter 12 "Nooks and Crannies"
Autobiography of abuse

10 total reviews 
Comment from medicnate
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Nicely written. A shorter and lighter chapter, but we find out that she does things during the gaps that she doesn't remember. When I was a kid. I would destroy a whole room. I mean flip chairs over, knock bookshelves down and kick holes in the wall. And I always said I didn't know who did it, and I really didn't at the time. Its scary.

~medicnate~

 Comment Written 04-Apr-2009


reply by the author on 04-Apr-2009
    Yes it is. I apparently was pretty calm during my so called gaps. At least I didn't do much to draw attention to myself. But to this day I have no idea what I said or did. It is a very unnerving feeling.
Comment from Lois Delaney
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Good job writing. This has to be the hardest thing to have to do in your entire life. To write about all this horrible things. I am so glad you had time outs, I'll call them.

 Comment Written 07-Mar-2009


reply by the author on 07-Mar-2009
    Later in life I called them "my vacations"....thanks for the high rating.
Comment from Stacey Lynne Wells
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Wow, that is interesting. I have on occasion found things I wondered about that were in my room. Interesting though. I look forward to read more. Great writing.

Rachel

 Comment Written 13-Feb-2009


reply by the author on 13-Feb-2009
    Thank you. I am sincerely glad you like this. Tough subject but needed to be written. Again, thanks.
Comment from littlewriter50
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

This is so heart-breaking! Is your personality starting to fragment? This is a very clear and sympathetic telling of that experience. How scary for anyone to lose time and know they are "operating" at the same time.

 Comment Written 10-Feb-2009


reply by the author on 10-Feb-2009
    Thank you for your review. Yes, it was frightening and very confusing.
Comment from jodeecee
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

again, just suggestions

Just as I had done with the earrings/,/ I always put the items back where they belonged before anyone /had/ discovered them missing.

Unable to explain why I had cursed Teresa/,/ or why I had tripped Colleen when she was walking down the hall/,/ became a burden and left me exhausted trying to make up sensible excuses for things I had no memory of doing.

Until the moment she placed the corrected exam on my desk,/space/I had been sitting on the swing in the backyard singing Mary Had A Little Lamb.

I wanted to ask someone what day it was/,/ but decided it was best to remain silent rather than endure the laughter of my classmates at such a stupid question.

Unfortunately, the negative aspect of the gaps /by/ far outweighed the positive.


 Comment Written 08-Feb-2009


reply by the author on 09-Feb-2009
    Again, I thank you for your suggestons and appreciate the time you take to review my book. I'm going to have to nickname you "Eagle eye"....again, thans,
Comment from DecrepitOldBag
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

This is a new twist on the tale. Poor child, missing lumps of time, and now apparently helping herself to what was not hers during the missing periods. This must have been hell to live with, along with the constant worry of being 'caught' having something you shouldn't have had. Press on. You're doing a grand job.

 Comment Written 07-Feb-2009


reply by the author on 07-Feb-2009
    Thank you. Going "nuts" is an interesting experience and one I highly recommend. On the serious side, for a child it is overhelming and clearly confusing. Hard to deal with when you don't understand what is happening.
Comment from badaner
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

I'm hooked. I want to know so much more about this girl, so I suppose I'll have to go back to the start.

You are a very talented writer, and the dialogue flows at just the right pace to weave the reader into the page.

I didn't notice any SPaG but there was one small detail in the opening paragraph:

(I opened the dresser drawer as I had done a hundred times before. As I reached for a pair of white socks, I noticed mommy's two small pearl earrings (lying neatly on top). This was not the first time I found something (hidden) in my drawer with no memory of how it got there.)

Maybe other things had been hidden but the earings clearly were not.

badaner

 Comment Written 07-Feb-2009


reply by the author on 07-Feb-2009
    Good point. I will go back and look over that sentence again. Thank you for your helpful suggestion.
Comment from Firefly54
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

Very clear, clean writing, Smurphgirl. Easily read and understood and with no spagies that I could see. I take it this is the edited version we are reading, not first draft?

 Comment Written 07-Feb-2009


reply by the author on 07-Feb-2009
    Thank you. Yes, this is the edited version but I am always open to comments and suggestions.
reply by Firefly54 on 07-Feb-2009
    Thank goodness for that - I'd have cried if yu'd said it was first draft....
Comment from jojosug
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

I can find nothing to criticism about your work, it continues to move me. Your writing is excellent and the way you capture the little girl in words, is wonderful.

Jo

 Comment Written 07-Feb-2009


reply by the author on 07-Feb-2009
    Thank you so very much. That is what I hoped to do...capture the little girl.
Comment from laurelp
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

The story is very good, but the character Valerie is getting worse. How truly sad, since I don't believe that this illness can every be totally corrected. I hope I am wrong. Nicely written. As you can see, I have caught up with your story.

 Comment Written 07-Feb-2009


reply by the author on 07-Feb-2009
    Thank you for your kind words...but don't give up...there is always hope.