Bender by Gene Gant

Sadly I just couldn't get into this book, it didn't hold my attention and I didn't finish the book..sorry

I think I still like to read a dark book from time to time. With Bender, that's what you get. It's not happy at all. Potential readers should be careful for triggers because this book has many. There aren't too many things that happen on page, but it is the recover after that hurts the most. Knowing what he Mace probably went through. Everything he still goes through.

Bender is really a story about recovery, letting go of guilt (warranted or not) and learning to love yourself. Mace is also ACE. I'm not really sure I'm totally okay with how little this was discussed, but Mace figuring this out really does help him in a lot of ways.

It's a hard road for Mace, but he ends up finding some good help and that is where I found the story it's most compelling. I'm not sure I really agree with, or find it believable, some of the ways his therapist advises him, but I think maybe it's a snapshot of what needed to happen. Really, this is a short novella and there was not a lot of room to add in a whole lot of depth. But what there is, was promising.

I'd never read this author before. Given this book, I may try them again.

Wow. What can I say about this book except that I loved it. This story was heart-breaking and yet in the end the light of hope shone through.

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