Once Confronted

by Lynne Stringer

After a normal day turns disastrous, Madison Craig tries to put her life back together. She's jumping at shadows and finds even familiar places terrifying. Can she forgive the men who hurt her? Her friend Evan Mansfield sees no need to do anything but hate their assailants. He struggles with bitterness, but Maddy wants to move on. What will she do when one of the men asks for forgiveness?

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult, Drama

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2016

About the author

Lynne Stringer has been passionate about writing all her life, beginning with short stories in her primary school days. She began writing professionally as a journalist and was the editor of a small newspaper (later magazine) for seven years, before turning her hand to screenplay writing and novels. Lynne currently works as a professional editor and proofreader. She lives in Australia with her family.

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strong and powerful message this book gives. With forgiveness and getting past pain as the guide, Maddie is a compelling character that makes you want to know her story. Some of the areas were skimmed over and some were really well told.

I will certainly be looking for more books from this author. It is worth reading to see that there is a light at the end of a painful tunnel. I was provided a copy in advance by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working in a busy city bookshop in Sydney was a stop-gap for Madison Craig; although she enjoyed it, she found working beside Evan Mansfield made the hours more pleasant. The intense shock of coming face to face with two robbers, both armed, was terrifying – both Maddy and Evan’s lives changed in an instant. Maddy found she could no longer live and work in Sydney, and moved back to Brisbane to her parents. But Evan remained in Sydney.

As Maddy tried to come to terms with what had happened, she found herself unable to mix with people; she was jumpy and nervous even with counsellor help. When she enrolled in a university course Maddy gradually settled into the routine – but would she be able to put the past behind her?

On the rare occasions that Maddy saw Evan she knew he was filled with bitterness and hate over what had happened to them both. He couldn’t seem to move forward with his life. How would the two young people heal? Would they be able to forgive and find peace?

Once Confronted by Aussie author Lynne Stringer is a heart stopping and gut wrenching look at the effect the robberies that we see broadcast on the nightly news has on the victims. The sales clerks, the service station attendants, the small grocery store staff – all would feel traumatised and terrified. The author has touched on a topic that is continually “in our faces”, in a sensitive and well-written way. I have no hesitation in recommending Once Confronted highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

TITLE: Once Confronted
AUTHOR: Lynne Stringer
GENRE: YA
CHAPTERS: 18
RELEASE DATE: 01st October, 2016

ONCE CONFRONTED: This is more YA than I thought it would be but has such a strong message attached to it that we all could learn from. Working in a busy city bookshop/coffee shop in Sydney was a stop-gap for Madison Craig and what goes from being a normal mundane day in a bookshop/coffee shop takes a turn for the worst when two young men come in and hold Madison Craig and Evan her co-worker at gun point until the till is emptied out of the days takings.

How does one get over a store robbery? Answer, you don't!!

Both of their lives were changed from that day forward. Madison just wanted to be that girl again that never jumped at shadows.

Throwing herself into University and having to adapt with all walks of life and settling into a routine seemed to help her towards the road of recovery.

The only thing for me that I found lacking in this book was my emotional connection to the characters, I needed that emotion brought out of me to make this story seem more believable and heartfelt. I didn't get that, from gun point to trying to get over that traumatic experience. I needed to feel the tears, the fear of what could be lurking around corners, missed heartbeats when she was scared, I needed/craved/wanted to feel..

Once it came to where she gets the chance to confront her attacker is where the story picked up for me.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having enjoyed Lynne Stringer's YA Sci-Fi Trilogy, I was looking forward to reading her latest release - a New Adult contemporary novel set in Sydney and Brisbane.

In Once Confronted, Madison Craig would rather be in Paris with her friends for her gap year, instead she is working in a bookshop in Sydney. Late one night two men enter the shop and what happens next changes her life and that of her co-worker Ethan. Maddie returns to Brisbane, eventually enrols in Social Work degree and gradually starts getting her life back together but then her well-meaning but forceful friend, Mel, precipitates Madddie down a path she doesn't want to follow and to which her friend Ethan is adamantly opposed — with dramatic, heart-stopping consequences.

I found Once Confronted believable and engrossing. I wanted to know what would happen to Maddie and her friends. I particularly appreciated that Maddie's story was drawn from both the author’s personal experience and careful research. The first part of the story, while engaging, tracked pretty much as I expected, but it soon took a different and engrossing turn, leading to a dramatic and satisfying ending. I loved that Lynne Stringer dug deeper in working through what moving on would mean for Maddie and explored questions of forgiveness and revenge, what it means to be good and bad and the compounding consequences of choices made.

[Paula Vince]

The story shows how the impact of a few terrifying moments can adversely affect a person's life from then on. Even when your conscious mind is thankful to have come through, and happy to put it behind you, PTSD can have a strange way of rearing its ugly head. Time isn't necessarily a solvent for all wounds, and tears may be unexpectedly close to the surface at random times.

It all starts when the main character Maddy Craig and her good friend Evan are held up at gunpoint and robbed while working in a book shop. The relief of coming through okay is short lived, as each of them develops their own personal coping mechanisms to watch their backs from then on.

Forgiveness is another major theme, and one close to my heart. When Jeremy, one of the crooks who has served his time, reaches out to Maddy expressing his remorse, she struggles to figure out how to respond.

It's a fairly short YA novel, but with a lot of ethical content packed into it. It gets the reader questioning whether things are ever clear cut enough to label anyone 'good' or 'bad'. In the way he chooses to respond to his trauma, is Evan really any different from Jeremy, who is also shown to have had rough events in his past, helping to set him on a bad path? And to what extent should someone have to prove that they can now be trusted?

The novel also gives a glimpse into the very challenging lives of social workers, and at the bottom of Maddy's heart is always the cry, 'How can I get my old, confident self back?'

For more reviews, visit my blog, http://vincereview.blogspot.com.au/

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read about a subject that I imagine is anything but easy if you’ve experienced what the main character has experienced. I liked the characters - Maddy especially was lovely! I think I’d have liked to see a bit more depth in the characters, however the fact that they aren’t as fleshed out as I might like may be due to this book being more YA than I normally read. But having said that it slots into the YA category and has a young adult for the main character, I don’t mean to imply that this book doesn’t have relevance for adults as well, because dealing with the issues of being hurt and choosing whether to forgive or allow bitterness to take over is applicable whatever our age.

I look forward to reading more of Lynne Stringer’s work.

[Susan Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Once Confronted, though it did take a little while before it really engaged me. The event that triggered the story happens early on in the book, but then it is important, in order to maintain the reality of the story, to move forward in time. However, this part of the story seemed a bit 'jumpy'. Nevertheless, once I was past that, I really connected with the main character, Maddy and felt Lynne did a great job of describing her internal conflict, which was triggered by a number of events. Likewise Evan, who comes across as totally believable.

The story is the journey of two people after they are confronted with a traumatic situation and the different paths they take. Through the story, Lynne is able to raise the issues of forgiveness, post-traumatic stress disorder and domestic violence. These are all handled with sensitivity and good insights. There was no Christian material in the book, but the subtle message of forgiveness was apparent. I was glad the story didn't develop into a romance novel, as that would have seemed contrived. Yet, the hint of romance made it interesting.

The book is well-written and easy to read, with enough description to make it easy to visualise without being long-winded.

A great read.

Thanks to Rhiza Press for providing a free book for review.

[Jenny Glazebrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deep, thought provoking, very believable story with a satisfying ending with all the skill and talent I've come to expect from Lynne Stringer. So many people could learn from this story. I found it going deep into my heart and will be one of those stories that becomes a part of who I am. I loved the characters. They were real and grew on me more, the more I read. A bit after 11pm last night, my husband asked me who to blame if I couldn't get up in the morning. I simply pointed to the name on the cover of the book in my hands ... Lynne Stringer. Couldn't put it down. Began 'Once Confronted' in the afternoon and only stopped (begrudgingly, I'm ashamed to admit) to get the family some tea and get kids bathed and into bed. Hmm, don't know if that kind of book is good when you have family responsibilities, but I am grateful for the the incredible journey this story took me on.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5
(I received a free copy from the publisher, Rhiza Press, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
***Minor spoilers***

Madison was normal. She has a loving family, good friends, and is working during a gap year before she goes to university since she doesn't know what to do yet. She works in a book store while living with her aunt, and everything is fine until one night, nearing close, the store gets robbed. Maddy is held at gunpoint, and her coworker Evan is knocked unconscious in the struggle. One man ends up shot dead after attacking the cops that go after them, and the other is sent to prison. Their lives are never the same. Maddy is obsessed with checking her surroundings at all time, and ensuring that there are always witnesses around. Evan finds himself unable to deal with the aftermath with anything other than rage. However, nearing the end of his sentence, Jeremy, one of the criminals, wishes to make amends. He is doing community service with a local church, and has changed. But how will Maddy and Evan respond to his request?

This is a novel that inspires a lot of thought. To be completely honest, I never thought about how a criminal might change and wish to make amends. It's logical that it would happen sometimes, but it never crossed my mind. In fact, I have never heard of the arrangement mentioned in this novel - that the victim and the perpetrator are able to meet up, supervised, and discuss things so they can both move on. It was interesting to read about, especially because I could really feel for Maddy. While I haven't been through a situation like hers, I am someone who is obsessively conscious of my surroundings, and to some degree I could relate to her extreme paranoia following the assault.

What made this book even better was the characters. As I said, Maddy is a relatable character, and even if you can't relate to her, she's quite understandable. In fact, pretty much all of the characters are understandable. This book also really enforces the message that while a person may have decent reasons for doing something, the damage that their actions caused needs to be addressed. We see Jeremy "humanized" a great deal, showing how he has changed and uses his experience for the better, but we are never allowed to forget the impact of what he has done. It's a novel that makes you reflect on forgiveness and how far that can go, and also a novel that makes you reflect on how you can move forward from trauma.

Overall, this was an interesting, short novel that causes a deeper reflection into humanity and forgiveness. It shows both sides of assault, and while of course this doesn't apply to all assaults, this was a fascinating one to look at just because of the characters on both sides. I don't often think about criminals changing for the better, and this has made me think more about how sometimes, a second chance is all a person needs to prove themselves. I'd definitely recommend it for a thought provoking contemporary read, and a quick one at that.

[Saarah Niña · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the risk of sounding spoilt, I want a sequel!

Initially, I was very much indifferent with this book, there was no emotional entanglement on my part. I'm surprised I got all the way through to the end. But now, I have a very mixed reaction. One thing I'm certain of, though, is I want there to be a sequel.

But I will graciously allow you to make your own decision: so the book begins with Maddy at her summer job at a bookstore in Sydney Australia. She's grumpy about it (which is actually surprising since we later learn that she's always a positive, happy, nice optimist), she would much rather be out travelling. At this point I could care less about her woes as we don't know much about her. Anyway, perhaps the only good thing that comes out of this job, is the cute guy working alongside her- Evan. He seems okay, but we don't learn much about him either.

Push forward, to a few weeks later, there's an incident at the bookstore: an armed robbery, Maddy and Evan are the only two people present. Evan gets taken out, cash is stolen and they are both understandably traumatised: the event brings them together. They start dating, and it's all they talk about. Their relationship turns long distance, as Maddy has to return home- to Brisbane. There, she takes on a new challenge, social work. This leads her on the path to wanting to forgive the two men who robbed the bookstore (only Jeremy is alive though, but it would have been almost too interesting if they had both been). This, she thinks, is the only way for her to do well in her studies. Her friend encourages her to think about partaking in a restoration conference, she is reluctant but we all know she will go for it.

So she meets Jeremy, the robber, she observes how he has successfully made a life for himself (following his release from prison). He does pretty much the same thing as her: social work, heping out disadvantaged kids. Evan, through the whole thing is against the idea of them meeting this guy, but Maddy pays no heed. Her parents, friends and her aunt are all supportive of it. Her decision creates a crack in her relationship with Evan, he isn't doing so good. He's falling apart, seeking revenge on the man who stole his life. What will come of it? Is Jeremy really all safe? Is social work good for Maddy?

The book was slow, and there were no endearing characteristics with any of the characters, nothing to have the reader care about them: there were no quirks, nothing funny, cute, or even remotely intriguing. Sure, they all had their stories: Jeremy's was distressing, but I just had no emotional investment of their turn out. I just didn't care. Initially.

Don't get me wrong though, the writer wrote well. It was just how the characters were introduced: you either loved them or hated them. As is the case with most books, the characters make up the story. You don't like the characters, you don't like the book. What I did like, however, was the children in the book, they were more real, more anger, more passion. Perhaps because they were children, I was more sympathetic, but they were written extremely well. And, the bits of their stories that were hinted at signified darmer undertones. Mysterious, and I wanted to know more. As is clear, I was invested in them- but they only really served as the backdrop for Maddy's story, the props if you will.

The story did end well, better than the book's beginning. I was glad that there was no romance between ex-criminal and victim, that would have been too much too soon, even though there was obvious sexual tension. But, I can see the possibility of this happening in the second book (I really hope there will be another!) It was also pretty awesome how the writer was able to create a vibe with the characters. Very near the beginning, Evan was annoying and off putting, I even thought he'd been involved in the crime (I would have liked that, a sort of inside job). Scandalous, though at the end of the day it was only a bookstore- not a bank vault. But with his later actions, I wonder will Maddy ever be able to forgive him? He was closer to her heart, or will there be a role reversal: Jeremy lenient, and Maddy not so much? I feel this was brilliantly foreshadowed at the beginning with Maddy and Evan's reaction towards Jeremy. Except, this time, Maddy might not be as forgiving. Hopefully, we'll find out what happens in a second book?

I received this book through NetGalley.

[Adele Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a fan of Stringer's 'Verindon trilogy', I was keen to read this work, which is very different from her SciFi Romance. ‘Once Confronted’ is a story of forgiveness and healing from the perspective of a victim of a violent crime. Based on the author’s own experience as a victim of an armed robbery, the story lays bare the raw emotions of someone experiencing PTSD after such a confrontation – in this case main protagonist, Madison Craig. Paralleling the coping mechanisms of two different characters, we see Maddie trying to use her pain for the betterment of the world by pursuing a career in social work, while her friend and potential love interest, Evan Mansfield, regains control of his world by harbouring feelings of anger and a desire to see the ‘bad guys’ pay.

Maddie’s resolve is challenged when she discovers one of the perpetrators has asked to meet her to express his remorse for his crime, forcing her to reopen the wounds that have finally started to heal – but have they really? More so, if she does decide to meet him, can anything good come of it?

This story brings some challenging topics to the table, and would be a great conversation starter. It took me a little while to engage with the main characters, not for any deficit in the writing, but because I found myself distracted by comparisons of the character’s experiences in the helping profession, to those of someone close to me. I started wondering how it might have played out if she’d had the same experience partway through her degree, instead of before, and other scenarios involving responses and coping mechanisms. In the end, I had to stop myself, as it was interfering with my enjoyment of the book.

Upon putting this aside, which coincided with the second half of the story, I found I connected more with the characters and became much more invested in what would become of them. (I’d like to read the first half again in the future, as I suspect my experience would be quite different second time through.) The story itself also picked up pace, including some interesting twists, before coming to a satisfying conclusion.

[Hristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is on such an important subject, and (this is the writer in me speaking) so much could've been done. Characters who have survived trauma are always interesting to read, each and every one of them can have a different way to deal with the events.
However, in this book, the main character seems to not have any opinion or feeling after surviving a traumatic event. She's just... empty. Which also stands for the completely unrealistically written book.

[Simon Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much, I ended up finishing it in the wee hours of the morning in a single sitting. I just kept wanting to know what happened next, as I was moved particularly by Maddie, the main character, and many of the people she encountered throughout.

This moving page turner brought me much joy as well as sadness and empathy, particularly for many of the children in the book. The feelings of the characters and their interactions are really well covered.

As well as being a ripping yard, the book explores issues of trauma, abuse, forgiveness and revenge. It covers those topics to a surprising level of depth and with great sensitivity, in ways that enhance the story rather than distract from it.

I really hope this author progresses the story of Maddie in future books.

[Kristi Housman Confessions of a YA Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from netgalley for review.

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. The first half was just ok to me, but I'm glad I kept at it. The second half was so good. I loved the part of the book once Maddie was able to go back to confront her attacker. Her growth was pretty incredible, but watching Evan not do so well was sad. The author did a great job of showing how different people react to the same situation in different ways. Some will become stronger and better themselves while others become angry and bitter. I loved how the book ended, but admit I would love to know more from when Maddie graduates and starts working.

[❤️Melanie G.📖💛 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was truly surprised by this book. I really didn't know what to expect when I started this book but I was hooked once I started this story. The author is new to me but I will definitely read more of her work.

The story of Maddy and her ordeal was so realistic that you felt part of the story. Maddy was strong, compassionate and had very endearing qualities. She struggled, faced her fears and took all the lessons that life threw her way and learned and grew from them. This is a story that has lessons everyone could learn from. Great read.

[Lou-Lou Belle · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC Kindly provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
An interesting story about forgiveness towards those responsible for traumatic events in our lives.
Just not well executed enough to hold attention.

[Connie Huddleston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once Confronted tells a story of a type of fear known as PTSD – post traumatic stress disorder – which may include anxiety, anger, and flashbacks. It is caused by a traumatic event that is usually life threatening. Madison suffered such an event and is trying to put her life back in order. I found the book slow in the beginning, but realized the author had captured the “time” needed by her character to face her life and find solutions to her fear. I would encourage any young person who had suffered such an event, or knows someone who has, to read Lynne Stringer’s story. Reading this book won’t cure PTSD, but it will give you some insight into how to cope or to help others cope. You will also learn a bit of Aussie speak along the way.

[Literary Classics Book Awards & Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madison’s best friends are on the trip of a lifetime spending part of their gap year in Europe. Meanwhile her parents feel it just isn’t safe; so instead, she’s in Sydney, only an hour plane ride from her home in Brisbane. Working in a coffee shop that doubles as a book store wasn’t ex-actly what she’d had in mind for her big year. But hey, at least one of her co-workers is nice to look at. Then, irony of all ironies, one night at work she’s robbed at gunpoint. So much for a safe gap year experience. Following the incident Madison returns home, hoping to put the hor-rifying memories of the robbery behind her. Easier said than done when an overwhelming sense of fear has all but consumed her. But when she has the opportunity to meet with her as-sailant for a restoration conference she’s not sure what to do. She knows she needs to find a way to start healing from her trauma, but she just doesn’t know if this is the best way, or if she’ll even be ready to see him ever again.

Once Confronted is a moving story that sheds light on the trauma experienced by victims of as-sault. Author Lynne Stringer has crafted a powerful book with an important message of healing and forgiveness. Readers will be drawn to Madison’s story as she struggles to move on despite an overwhelming urge to hide from her fears. Recommended for home and school libraries, Once Confronted has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.

[Lynn Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must confess when I started to read this book I was expecting a rather bland YA romance. I was wrong. It took only a short while before I realised that this is a book which confronts some very serious issues.

The central character, Maddy, is in Sydney under protest: she wanted to be in Europe with her two best friends, but her mother would not allow it. Sydney is a compromise, and working in a book shop is an even greater compromise. The only two good things about it are decent coffee and her co-worker, Evan.

Otherwise, the job is boring – until the day when two armed men target the shop. The next few minutes change Maddy's life forever.

The author's description of Post Traumatic Shock is accurate and powerful. As someone who has been through PTS myself, I felt certain that it must have been drawn from personal experience, not merely from research. Sure enough, my author interview with Lynne Stringer (see the October edition of Birdcatcher Magazine) revealed that the story is based on her own experience of being the victim of an armed robbery.

Maddy's greatest concern, however, is not for herself but for Evan, who was also caught up in the robbery. Whilst Maddy returns to her home in Brisbane and begins a slow recovery process, he seems to be on a downward spiral of remorse and misery. For a large part of the book I suspected that the ending would reveal that he had been part of the plot, and this was the reason for his reactions.

As Maddy struggles to get her life back on track, an older fellow student at university offers a suggestion that she thinks might help. At first Maddy wants no part of it, and Evan reacts strongly against it. With the passage of time, though, Maddy begins to come round to the idea, though Evan remains violently opposed.

Following these divergent courses – Maddy pursuing her friend's suggestion, whilst Evan continues in opposition and sinks deeper and deeper into bitterness – leads to two very different confrontations.

Once Confronted is a powerful and challenging book, and I am grateful for the opportunity to review it.

[Megan’s Endless Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really fell in love with this book!

Once Confronted tells the imaginative and heartbreaking story of a girl affected after getting robbed at her job. This novel follows her after that frightening night and all of the places it leads her to as she struggles with facing death (and maybe worse) in the face and surviving. This was definitely a survivor's story and I loved the struggle of the characters being brought to life as they all seem to handle their demons in different ways.

The best part about this book was how easy it was to be biased by the main character and how each character devolves or evolves after the event. I am super excited to see what happens next!

[Bookworm LLC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once Confronted is a story about a woman who is held at gunpoint while being robbed at her job and how she copes afterward. I think the author was trying to show what it's like for people who suffer from PTSD. However, I feel she fell short. The story line was alright but I just couldn't connect with her characters and felt at times she was almost making fun of people who actually do suffer from PTSD. I feel she did not do a lot of research on this issue and therefore fell short with this story.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 32%

I received a complimentary e-copy of ONCE CONFRONTED from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

My opinion of this story became increasingly more negative until I gave up. Since ONCE CONFRONTED is written and published in Australia, I hesitate to criticize the writing. I will say that the telling overshadowed any showing, which made for a dull, unemotional read for an emotional topic.

After Maddie is robbed at gunpoint while working, she returns home and decides to study social work. She encounters a classmate with no boundaries who suggests she enroll in a program to talk to her assailant and further her healing.

Maddie wasn't far enough in her healing to function well in her classes and wasn't healthy enough to have begun working with clients. I have a MSW, and while some of my classmates, including me, were trauma survivors, it certainly wasn't the majority and we all knew better than to be in an emotionally healthy place without active PTSD symptoms before pursuing our studies and working with clients. Additionally, we would have never been placed working with trauma victims. I stopped reading because the story felt unrealistic and irresponsible as well as I didn't like how Lynne Stringer told the story. I wish she had focused more on Maddie's healing and told the story with more emotional writing. I did the idea of a survivor speaking with her attacker as part of healing.

[Ruth Bonetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dedication page suggests that Lynne Stringer wrote with some experience of trauma similar to that experienced by her heroine, Maddy. This adds validity as it poses an important question: how can one cope and move on when paralysed by panic attacks after being the victim of a violent armed robbery? The book tackles tough themes of forgiveness, acceptance and resolution. Maddy's challenge to confront her assailant brings healing and a hint of deeper relationship. This contrasts starkly with her co-worker, Evan, whose downward spiral of hatred propels him on an ugly attempt at revenge.

Overall, this is a believable story played out by well-defined characters. We follow Maddy as she matured from a sheltered, timid youth, through her university studies. A fellow-student Mel suggests a reconciliation conference with the accomplice Maddy dubs 'Slick' who has done time in gaol. ('Cold Eyes' who initiated the attack was shot and killed.) To her credit, she faces her assailant, sees his contrition and changed heart, and becomes drawn to his youth work with disadvantaged kids–an upbeat and rewarding future lies ahead. While at times I wondered at the sense in taking the risk of resolution conference, it proves a brave, healing and satisfying path.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, a good book, covering a tough subject, in this case it is what happens to you after you are assaulted, how do you move on?

Because the assault happens at the beginning of the book, we have the whole rest of the book to see the best way to overcome it. Maddy takes one approach, her co-worker, Evan, another.

And I get that this is trying to show how long it takes, but I felt as though I was moving through mud to get to the conclusion. For the conclusion, for the process, I give it three starts, but it was so slow and drawn out, I almost didn't finish this.

This would probably be good for those who want to know it will get better. Not sure if the average reader could keep going through.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Dominique Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story had a lot of potential and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Madison is a character that I think a lot of people can relate to. She goes through something traumatic and ends up living with the damages and consequences that it brought—something, again, that a lot of people can relate to.

It's a story that focuses on forgiveness and overcoming fear, whether from a person, event, whatever.

I didn't connect with the characters as much as I wanted to, but it was an enjoyable story nevertheless.

**NOTE: I RECEIVED AN ARC FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW**

[Joey Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up as a new author to me. The idea of the plot sounded like a good read and it very much was. The action starts with the first chapter and you are pulled along into the aftermath and along for the ride. Maddie has to deal with the trauma she was exposed to when the store was robbed at gunpoint. Only she can't seem to find the right way to go about it, gone is the person she was and all she wants is to get back to it. Along the way she finds friends and a purpose and it's just a heart-warming story of moving past and finding your place. I loved it very much and enjoyed every page. Highly recommended!

[Brenda]

DNF at 35%. This has been the book that's been on my TBR the longest and I guess if I had then when I was younger, I maybe would have enjoyed it more. Maddison and Evan are closing up the joint bookshop and cafe when they are held at gunpoint and the shop is robbed. The story progresses to how each of them is dealing with the issue. I wanted to like this, however, as the story is told from Maddison's point of view who is 18 and it appears very YA and not my style of writing.

[Mazzy Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a natural flow of honesty that is rather refreshing in ‘Once Confronted’, a solid story which unashamedly demonstrates the raw responses to trauma and the powerful impact of courageous forgiveness. I was so pleasantly surprised by its unpredictability I’ve decided it’s worth all five stars.

[Patrícia Gonçalves · Rating 3 out of 5]

While reading this story it felt like I was reading a diary. It was interesting to read about the two characters with PTSD and the different ways they dealt with it. Maddy's story sends a powerful message of forgiveness, how to cope with trauma and move on from painful situations.

[Dienece Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't inspirational per se, but there are Christians who influence the main character. Plus, it really opened my eyes to the after effects of a crime. How someone deals with bitterness, fear, and so much. A worthy read.