Stronger Than You Know by Jolene Perry

Stronger Than You Know is an inspirational young adult book about overcoming your past. Joy, a fifteen-year-old girl, has finally escaped from the trailer she lived in with her mother and the abuse that came with it. She is now living with her cousins, aunt, and uncle, and feels like she will never belong. She is safe and far from danger, but her constant nightmares, panic attacks and her social anxiety disorder are just some of the things on her list of what she thinks makes her crazy. Joy must find the strength inside her to pull free from her past and live free in her new life before it takes her over.

I love how the book started! It started in the therapist's office, and I instantly got a taste of her personality and attitude. I also liked how her past was a cliffhanger throughout. She never just came out and said what she went through; you just learned pieces throughout the book. (For example, her nightmares.)

I enjoyed that everything felt so real. The author did a fantastic job of making the details come to life. I could easily imagine the story and the setting. I loved that I could connect with Joy, and I felt like I knew her personally. I love having connections to characters in the books. It makes them seem real, and Joy definitely was. The inspiration was about overcoming obstacles. She is an inspiration to all. She had to come out of a trailer and suddenly go into school and she was forced into a normal life. There is no question that Joy was sad, mad and afraid, but how she handled and controlled those feelings were impressive and inspiring. I loved how Joy came into her own, and I liked how she handled herself in certain situations. 

I absolutely recommend this book to all YA readers!

UPDATE 6 years later. This is one of my favorite books of all time. I know I didn't exactly convey that in this review from 2016. I have reviewed nearly 430 books in these years, and Stronger than you Know is one of the most memorable books I have read. There are so many books that I would rate 5 stars, and love them at the time, but I can't remember what they were about... at all. I still remember almost every detail from this book, and I recently checked it out from my library to read many times again! This review could have been better, but I'm leaving it as is to preserve history :)

Title: Stronger Than You Know
Author: Jolene Perry
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Pages: 248
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
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