Review: Better Than This, by Tia Souders
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What can keep a dream alive?
Before the car accident that changed everything, Samantha Becker was a happy and loved little girl. Ten years later, Sam, now 18, lives under a dark cloud—largely ignored by an alcoholic mother who never recovered from her loss and ruled by an overbearing father who blames Samantha for the family tragedy. And yet, the troubled teenager has a dream that keeps her going, and an extraordinary musical talent that could take her all the way to Julliard…and far beyond.
Following her heart, however, means defying her father, who has his own plans for his daughter’s future. Then, in the wake of another devastating personal catastrophe, her dream is irreparably shattered, and in her pain and anger, Samantha acts out recklessly. But her salvation could come from a most unlikely trio: a handsome college student, a hopeful little boy…and an older neighbor woman whose caring and secrets will change Sam’s world forever.
My Review
Goodreads Rating: 4*
I just finished reading Tia Souders‘s Better Than This, and… Wow! This has been a tough and emotional book because of the story.
Samantha Becker had it all until that aweful day when so many years ago where her family fell appart. Now, all she has is her gourp of jerky friends (who I ardently hated!), her guitar and her dreams of leaving everyone behind.
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However, destiny has another set of obstacles in hold for her. After another “accident”, Samantha’s dreams are seriously endangered and she will have to work extra hard and defy all the odds to keep playing and compensate for what she is lacking.
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Thankfully, Sam meets Tad, the neighbor’s 12 year-old grandson, and college student and musician Laird 
. Together, they will encourage her not to give up and to keep chasing her dreams at whatever cost.
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And more importantly, Samantha will learn a very important lesson on love, friends and family. And, believe me, she needed it!
All in all, I loved the story, BUT it was really harsh, so be prepared to get sad, angry, annoyed. But also, happy, encouraged and end up with a sense of achievement. The personal growth of Samantha through the book was something worth witnessing.
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There are two things that make me give this book 4*. The first one is a jump in time of 5 months, which I get was necessary, but was unexpected and felt somewhat sudden. The second, was that I felt the ending a bit fast and I still had a few unanswered questions about Sam and some other characters. Other than that, I highly enjoyed this
Some quotes I loved:
“Music was the only thing keeping me sane all these years. And I’ve lost it. No big deal.”
“If there was one thing I’d gleaned over the years, it was this: people are predictable. Rarely did they surprise you. At least in my experience, anyway.”
“The one thing I did know was no one could heal me but me.”
“I have a long record of disappointment when it comes to other people.”
“It’s funny how some of the worst things for you in life were the things you clung to the most.”
