Melissa Stephenson knows how to craft words. There were many times I enjoyed the sentences and passages in this autobiography. I enjoyed her premise of the cars and how these where ways to explore the road. However that premise wasn't sustained throughout the entirety of the book.

This is a reflection on the relationship of Stephenson's brother, her life. Her brother, Matt was not exactly the happiest or most stable person. Yet we don't find out too much about his life except tattoos and some girlfriends. Perhaps it's because his sister always felt on the outside of his life, loving him more than he loved her. He was distant to her, his family, perhaps to everyone.

This book is an eulogy to her brother. A reckoning of their relationship. And a bit about the cars that took place in her family and her life. It sounds incongruous as I describe it and it was a bit like that in the book, although not jarring. I wished for more consistency with the automobiles that seemed to play this huge part in her life, her desire for travel and constant motion. Yet that was lacking; and it meant the book needed more direction.

Felt like the book needed just a little more cohesion. Despite that it is a satisfying read.

What initially drew me to Driven: A White-Knuckled Ride to Heartbreak and Back Is the comparison to Wild, one of my all-time favorite books. I thought Driven was a decent read but not nearly of the caliber of a Wild.

Driven is a memoir by Melissa Stephenson, centered around her grief in the aftermath of her brother’s death. Stephenson is a good writer - It was easy to feel for her and the pain she felt as a result of Matthew’s death. She has a love of cars and a constant case of wanderlust - both themes that remain present throughout her story. She also writes about her childhood, her parents, her marriage, and touches on motherhood.

The book started off intriguing me from but began to fall off as the story progressed. I wasn’t able to fully connect with and enjoy it to the level I hoped to - It was just missing something for me, though I am sensitive to the fact that Driven is a deeply personal story.

I have tried numerous times to get into this book but it just isn't for me. Since I DNF it I will not write a review on public media sites as that would not be fair to the author,there might be a fantastic ending.

Thank you for the opportunity to give this book a try, I'm sure it will find it's audience.

This is one of those books that has a theme that sneaks up on you. I was unsure of where this would take me, but I did enjoy the journey. Written with a contemporary bent, this book examines grief and what it is like to have a sibling being taken so young.

Growing up in a blue-collar Midwest family, the author uses her words to paint the picture of that life. Melissa Stephenson wanted to escape the stillness of her world and see beyond Indiana, and what she was missing. She found cars to be the promise of a future beyond state lines. Amid broken marriage, broken promises and death, the author takes you on a journey driving into another perspective. This book tells the tale of old cars, inheriting old cars, and having cars take you to new worlds that freshen the outlook on life.

Driven is a powerful story of healing from the death of a sibling, and what it is like to move forward in the world.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a pre-publication ebook in exchange for an honest review.