Member Reviews

A couple of content warnings are needed for this one for suicidal ideation and discussion of death/ dying with dignity. You also might need a box of tissues nearby.

The story is told through Indigo’s point of view, so we have a distorted version of pretty much everyone initially, because Indigo’s perception is that she is the unloved twin and the family screw-up. She sees Violet as the much loved twin and feels that everyone would be much happier if their circumstances were switched and it was Indigo who is dying, not Violet.

My heart broke over and over throughout the story. For Indigo, who sees herself as the source of all of the family’s problems. For Violet, suffering through the failure of her lungs and kidneys. For the family, facing the loss of a beloved child. For Indigo again, trying so hard to save her sister.

Indigo learns so much about herself and her family along the journey, repairing relationships that were strained through misunderstandings, and coming to understand herself, her twin, and her family.

This is a beautiful story, and I cried reading the ending.

Disclaimer: I received a DRC through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

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This book was really interesting and captivating and I loved it! The concept was unique, nothing like I’ve read before. All in all, would recommend this to a friend.

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I am always somewhat fascinated by stories about twins. The fact that Indigo heard God, and whether people want to or can believe her is an interesting part of the story. And how much of it has do with whether or not she is ready to lose that twin connection.

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Heartbreaking, heart wrenching, and heartwarming. This book was a definite emotional roller coaster. Twin sisters Indigo and Violet are complete opposites. The girls are now 18 and Violet is dying. Indigo does not know how to process this and when she hears a “voice“ she is determined to save her sister. In order to save her sister Indigo must brave a road trip with both Violet and their estranged mother. This is a story about the strength of family and love. I really love the relationship between the sisters and found it very real and honest. This was a sad story with a big heart.

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I struggled with this one. The blurb about it sounded great from the beginning. Twins, one of whom is terminally ill. Writing and development are there, I just found it overall too preachy. Engaging teens and faith has it's place, but it's just not for me.

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The Voice In My Head is tragic, beautiful, emotional, poignant, twisted....and pretty much every feeling you can think of. It's hard to put into words how much I struggled with the heavy topic....and yet loved it, because it make me laugh and cry, love and hate, and just so many things in between.

It's the kind of book that ruins you, really. But in unexpected -- somewhat wonderful and woeful -- ways.

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*Thank you, Harlequin TEEN and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review*

Wow, “The Voice in My Head” was a major roller coaster from beginning to end, which is 100% a compliment.
The main character, dialogue, and plot had me hooked from page one. I’m a fairly quick reader, bit I still managed to finish this book faster than I expected – I just could not get myself to stop reading!

Now, let’s talk about that plot. I'm not one to shy away from sad or potentially sad stories, so this one was right up my ally.

The story follows Indigo – she is struggling with the thought of living in a world where her twin sister, Violet, is no longer alive. Unfortunately, this is a reality she is supposed to deal with far too soon – Violet is terminally ill and wants to end her life via medically assisted suicide.

Things seem hopeless. That is until Indigo hears a voice from God. Is it God? Indigo isn’t quite sure, but she listens to it nonetheless, and doing so leads her and her family on a crazy road trip because of the promise God made: if they take her there, she will live.

Overall, I greatly appreciated and was interested in the plot. Davis does an incredible job at painting a picture of what it would feel like to be in this family’s situation, and I truly felt like I was going on this journey with them.

Speaking of which, I absolutely adore the way Davis writes - she has a way of keeping your attention, and the way she writes dialogue is fantastic.

There were a few times where, personally, I felt a little put-off by God’s dialogue. To be fully honest, I was expecting this. That being said, overall, Davis pulled it off better than I expected considering how particular I am about this kind of stuff.

I absolutely adored this book, however, some things felt off for me toward the end. I won’t go into detail to avoid spoiling anything, but I didn't quite understand some of Indigo's decisions. I also felt like some of her questionable choices were never properly explained, discussed, or dealt with. Because of this, I was a bit disappointed and finished the story feeling like it was a bit incomplete.

The family dynamic had really great moments, but there were also times that I just felt really bad for Indigo. The topic of family and feeling hurt by family members is dealt with, but for me, it didn’t feel like enough. To be fair, I feel like the conversations had about it were pretty realistic, they just didn’t leave me feeling very satisfied. But, hey, maybe that's the point.

I won’t spoil the ending, but I definitely want to give my thoughts. I felt quite conflicted by the way the story ends. A part of me expected it, but at the same time, I was surprised. Overall, though, I found that the ending was a good choice.

My one critique is that the execution felt a little off to me for various reasons I won’t get into because of spoilers. I guess the best way to put it, though, is that the ending felt a bit rushed.

I’m about to give what is probably a pretty telling spoiler, so I recommend skipping the next paragraph if you haven’t read it and don’t want spoilers.

Another thing that threw me off a bit toward the end was how long Indigo would go without hearing God's voice. The fact that she is hearing this voice is a really big part of the story – it’s in the name – so I feel like having more dialogue between them was a needed addition. It didn’t take away from the story too much, but I really do think that including it more would have made a big difference.

After I finished reading this book, I had to step away for a few days before writing my review - I definitely had a bad case of "Well, I finished this story - what do I do with my life now?"

But another reason I had to was because I was torn.

I loved reading this book, but I enjoyed the first half more-so. The second-half or so threw me off, which is why I've debated giving it 3 or 3.5 stars. Now that I've stepped back, though, I realize that despite the things I didn't enjoy and wish were different, the fact is that, overall, this story still spoke to me.

It made think. There were several moments that made me pause and react out loud. It made me feel understood. It made me smile. It (almost) made me cry. It also made me want to read more of Davis’ work. So when I take a moment to remember all of that, honestly, what more could you want out of a book?

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The Voice in My Head by Dana L. Davis is the story of twin teenage girls, Violet is terminally ill, and Indigo is struggling with her sister dying. The book opens up with Indigo trying to commit suicide, and Violet planning a medically assisted suicide. I loved Ms. Davis first book, Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now, but this book gave me mixed feeling. I found it to be sad, and the family was pretty crazy. If you enjoy emotional books, give this book a shot, you might love it.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

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Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a really special novel and I'm not surprised to be seeing it everywhere since it's release. Another great book by Dana Davis.

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The cover and description sold me I knew this was gonna be a emotional rollercoaster and it was so so sad I cried and laughed a little because Indigos family is really comical they remind me of my family. This book is written well and it is sad so make sure to have tissues near

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At face value, this is a pretty standard road trip story. Crazy misadventures, everything going wrong, close quarters forcing people to address secrets and old resentments. Davis does a good job of giving more depth to these elements, to have the characters really look deep into themselves and address issues in a real way.

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Based on the description of this book I was very intrigued (also the cover is gorgeous!) But i never would had guessed this would have me as emotional as it did. The writing is spot on and it is very heavy subject matter. I am not usually into religious books but this one really was different, felt different.
I overall enjoyed the premise of the book. A family going on a road trip to save a terminally ill member, can be very intriguing. Although some parts in the story felt like they fell short, I feel like subjects like this should be talked about more and can create a great discussion.

I received and ARC from Harlequin Teen via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This book talks about some really heavy issues. I wasn't prepared for the emotion it would bring out. It was definitely worth the read.

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From the beginning of the story, I was laughing out-loud. Indigo's family is crazy in the best possible way. They were hilarious and the way they interacted felt authentic. There were so many good lines that I wanted to stop and remember.

This book deals with some pretty heavy issues - a suicide attempt and euthanasia. The humor is in no way downplaying these. And I think the discussion questions at the end are a good inclusion for impressionable readers.

Indigo ends up with a concussion and a Voice in her head that says it's God. It tells her to take Violet to the Wave in Arizona for a miracle, and the entire family is packed up into a bus with eyes on it (nicknamed "Eye of the Tiger"), and driven by their happy, new-agey Pastor.

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Honestly? I don’t think this book was the right fit for me. While there were many things that I did enjoy, overall it wasn’t my cup of tea. The family aspects were very realistic, the writing was on point. It was a sad story and I think maybe it was the timing of my read? I wasn’t expecting it to be as sad as it was.

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Hmm. I’m not sure how to feel about this one.

Indigo and Violet are twin sisters. And one of them is dying. Indigo can’t imagine life
without her twin, so she attempts suicide, but her attempt is unsuccessful.

A broken arm, a concussion and one voice of God later, had Indigo dragging her terminally ill sister on a trip to the Wave. The voice in her head tells her if she gets her sister to the wave, she’ll live.

Determination and a mustard seed of faith take the family on a barely planned road trip to the Wave. The Wave is only accessible by lottery.

Though everyone thinks Indigo’s crazy, they allow the voice of God that she hears to guide them.

As a believer, a Jesus follower or what have you, this plot thrilled me. A God-guided YA? Count me in.

The voice is a loose guide, not using an all mighty, all-knowing lead; but using humor—the voice was the perfect companion. The voice is not all at holier than thou, though the reader should know it has authority. Laughs, and humor wrap around the sadness that encompasses this book; as the reader awaits the death, that’s sure to come.

The family dynamic is solid. It’s not perfect at all, but it’s very realistic. Trouble will follow when you’re dealing with a terminal illness. There’s bound to be strain and strife as emotions are constantly running high.

The buildup is the star of the story. I don’t know about anyone else, but my hope was high throughout the entire story. I wanted Violet to live. So bad.

I couldn’t wrap my head around her dying; especially by her own hand.

The book brought to light the argument on medically assisted (by choice) suicide. I don’t have a view to share but I understood both sides. The book does a fairly decent though vague job of allowing the reader to get an understanding of this death.

There’s not a lot of growth that happens outside of Indigo’s character but you get some heartfelt family moments, much like an episode of Full House would end.

Though it’s well-written and very engaging, I would have liked to spend more time getting a back story on Violet. But, the story tries to wrap up family issues, which it does towards the end.

I found the story relatable, but I was less than pleased with the ending. It’s an ode to real life, but I wanted more.

Davis is a good writer and I hope she continues to tackle black characters this way. I wasn’t totally in love with this one but I appreciated this hope-filled, realistic tale.

Bring the tissues if you’re an emotional reader, you may shed a tear or two.

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Title: The Voice in My Head
Author: Dana L. Davis
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

Indigo can’t take it anymore. Her twin sister, Violet, is terminally ill and choosing to end her life by medically assisted suicide. Indigo doesn’t want to live without her twin, and she’s sure her family would rather have Violet, everyone’s favorite, than her. Before she can jump from a building, she hears a voice claiming to be God, who says if the entire family takes Violet to hike The Wave in the desert, she will live.

As if hearing voices isn’t enough, Indigo also must convince her mom, who never thought Indigo was good enough, her brother, who’s keeping secrets, and her annoying, bossy, know-it-all older sister. Not to mention the New Age pastor who was going to help Violet pass. She’s not sure she can do this, even with the help of the voice.

This book covers some deep subjects with respect and empathy. Indigo is a vibrant yet troubled character, and her voice shows her mental conflict, as well as her struggles in her family. I found the book flippant about religion, but everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. I didn’t like the ending, but it was very fitting for the story.

Dana L. Davis is an actor, a motivational speaker, a screenwriter, and a violist. The Voice in My Head is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin TEEN via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

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Story of Violet and Indigo, twins on different paths of life. Violet has an incurable disease and Indigo listens to the voice in her head, God to make one last ditch effort to save her sister. The entire family takes a trip on a parabus painted with eyeballs. They laugh, fuss, cry and face adversity together. The end may leave you confused. It is a good book, read at your own risk. Would you listen to the voice of God for one more chance?

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Rating: 3.5 Stars

The time had arrived. Indigo's twin sister, Violet, would be "dying with dignity", and in a last ditch attempt, Indigo called out to God to allow her sister to live. What she didn't expect was for God to answer back. A family road trip resulted from her talks with God, and this road trip turned out to be an enlightening and healing journey for the entire family.

Beware, this book was pretty sad. It was about a family taking their final journey together as a whole unit. One child had attempted suicide, the other was terminally ill and committed to "dying with dignity". BUT, I will say that the book had bright spots to help me make to the end of this story. Though it was about one life ending, it was also about the love this family had for each other.

The two issues, which intrigued me the most in this book were the idea of what it is to "live" and the right to die. This was not the first book I read this year, which dealt with a terminally ill teen, who desired to chose when and how their life would end, and I appreciate seeing more of this in YA, because it is a bitter reality, that there are many young people with terminal illnesses. And, I love that Davis peppered their journey with some many wonderful memory making moments. I needed that for this family. I needed them to have more, than their sick daughter in a bed taking her final "rest".

I won't pretend I wasn't blubbering as I read this book, but I also felt hopeful for this family. Though the road trip was riddled with setbacks and snafus, there were quite a few beautiful moments shared between Indigo and her family from which they gained a better understanding of themselves and each other.

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