Lovin' los libros

A book blog dedicated to young adult and new adult novels

Feature: Miss Me Not by Tiffany King {Review+Character Interview}

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Miss Me Not
   by: Tiffany King

Publication Date: Nov. 23, 2012
Genre: Contemporary
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-copy provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review
Page Count: 316 pages
Order Links: Amazon
My Rating: 5/5 stars


Miss Me Not is a beautiful story of self-discovery, forgiveness, caring, and love.

Madison Hanson's past demons have given her a shadow of an existence with little hope. With the sudden tragic death of a fellow student, Madison questions her own life choices, and is now forced to evaluate everything she thought she believed in. When fate intervenes and partners her with Dean Jackson, a popular "all around good guy" from school, Madison gets a glimpse of a life that is filled with sunshine that has the power to break through the darkness she has cloaked herself in.
With Dean's help, Madison discovers a desire to finally step out of the shadows, and embrace life and all its gifts.

 

My Review:

Oh, wow. I knew this book would be an emotional one just by reading the synopsis, but I really had no idea just how much it would affect me. I absolutely fell in love with Tiffany's writing after reading No Attachments and after that I immediately purchased some of her other books. She is not afraid to tackle tough issues and I love that she handles them with such grace. Miss Me Not is no exception. Being someone who works with teenagers every day, teen suicide is not something to be taken lightly. It is very real and present, even when you may not think it is. Reading about Madison was absolutely heartbreaking at times, but I feel Tiffany did an excellent job of conveying to us readers just how deep her despair went.

I really liked Madison's character. I ached for her and felt my heart breaking for her, but most of all- I wanted to see her be happy. We have a very broken girl who feels that no one would care at all if she were to end her life. She sees it as being an out from the misery her life holds- she has spent the last few years trying to make herself nonexistent and the only person that remotely understands her is her friend James, with whom she made a pact: they would both commit suicide together. The story begins with Madison's' plan shattered, as another student beats them to it. She looks around and see her classmates grieving for a boy they paid no attention to and she realizes she doesn't want that. She doesn't want to be mourned or grieved for. She wants to slip away as unnoticed as she does in the halls every day. Then, Madison's life is turned upside down once she meets Dean Jackson.

Dean. Jackson. Holy crap, everyone. This boy is absolutely the ultimate. The light at the end of the tunnel. The shining beacon of hope. He is assigned to tutor Madison and he slowly starts to chip away at her defenses. He recognizes a need in her to connect and he begins by simply showing interest in spending time with her. By spending time with Dean, she sees the goodness in him and he slowly gets her to trust him. He is able to do it so subtlety too. He doesn't push her too fast or far. She tells him she doesn't need anyone to save her and he agrees- telling her he just wants to be friends with her. She is worried about what his friends will think about him spending time with her and he honestly doesn't care. He simply tells her that if they do have a problem with it, they weren't real friends to begin with. I loved that he never once gave up on her. She could say some hurtful things and lash out at him, but he stood strong and wouldn't let her push him away.

"Watching his retreating back, I suddenly understood his ploy. He was slowly accustoming my body to his touch, much like how he had accustomed my mind to his subtle probing questions over the last three weeks. He was earning my trust an inch at a time."

Their relationship is incredibly sweet. It's not rushed at all. Dean knows he has to earn her trust and slowly tear down the walls she's thrown up to protect herself. He is able to build that friendship with her first and then slowly shows her he feels something more for her. Seriously, their scenes together had me squealing they were so precious.

Dean's family. OMG. Wow. They were so accepting and welcoming to Madison. My heart warmed watching them interact with one another and it really showed Madison that not all families are broken and as dismissive as hers.  Madison's home life is less than ideal- her mother is an obsessive churchgoer and her father left them years ago. Her mother is cold, unfeeling, distant and completely the opposite of Dean's mom, Sarah- who is warm, generous, and loving. Dean's mom really encouraged Madison and took her under her wing and really provided her a safe outlet to talk. It is actually to Sarah that Madison turns to after a horrific event leaves her reeling. I am so glad she felt comfortable enough to talk to her and open up and I think it was a monumental step for Madison to get her demons and skeletons off her chest.

Madison has spent so long craving and vying for attention from her parents. She would do anything to get them to pay attention to her. Even negative attention is better than none at all. Even at a young age, she does reckless things- gets hurt, destroys things. She just wants to be noticed and loved. Finally, her life is turned upside down when she receives attention. Too much attention. And her life spins out of control from that point on and whispers and rumors still float around school about her.

I won't lie. I was upset with Madison about how she treated James, her friend. I understand that Madison spending time with Dean was slowly healing her, but what about him? He was just as broken as her, with a horrible home life as well, and it just wasn't right that she stopped spending time with him, especially after the two leaned on one another for so long.

This book is a must read you guys. Seriously. Watching Madison evolve and start to see her own self-worth is a really beautiful thing. Finding love and discovering that her life can have so much meaning is even more beautiful. Tiffany really delivers a strong message of hope and healing; forgiveness and acceptance; and that love can make a world of difference.

"The amazing thing about love was that when you didn't have it, the world seemed impossible to use, but when you were surrounded by it, it was as easy as breathing."

~Character Interview with Madison~
 
(I'm so excited to have Madison here with us on the blog today! She was so sweet to stop by and answer some really difficult questions for us.)
 
Hi Madison! Thanks so much for being here with me today! I know A LOT has been going on, so I’m glad you had a few free minutes to chat with us!
Let’s start off with some basic getting to know a little bit more about you questions.
1)      Can you tell us something about you that we may not already know?
 

That's tough because I've never let anyone know that much about me. If you promise not to tell anyone else, I will confess that I can write with my toes. Not even Dean knows that one yet.
 
 2)      You once described yourself as a shadow- how would you describe yourself now?
I'm trying to open up a little more, but I wouldn't say I'm completely out of my shell yet. You have to understand that a lot of people were affected by the events that transpired in my life. Just because Dean and his family know the truth, doesn't mean everyone else does. It will take time.
 

3)      Your life changed completely after meeting Dean. When you first saw he would be tutoring you, was there a secret part of you that was excited? You’d noticed him before, hadn’t you?
 

Curious is probably a better way to put it. I'm not sure I was in a place emotionally to be excited about it. To tell you the truth, I was expecting him to treat me the way everyone else at the school did, but he was so nice. He made me feel like I mattered.
 
4)      How would you describe him in 5 words?

Outgoing, fearless, compassionate, loving, funny.
 
5)      How would he describe you?
 
It would embarrass me to think about how he would describe me. I think he would say I was a tough person to get to know, which is fair. Luckily, he's not the type of person to give up on anything.
 
6)      You constantly reminded him of the fact that you two were just friends. When did those lines start to blur for you?
 
It started the day we spent at Universal Studios, but what really got me thinking about something more than friendship with Dean was spending Thanksgiving with his family. I'd never experienced a gathering like that where people genuinely cared for one another. I was touched at how quickly I had been accepted.
 
7)      Do you think Mitch’s death is what truly kept you from committing suicide? Or was there a small part of you that thought ‘maybe this isn’t what I want after all’?
 
I think anyone that is struggling with those types of feelings of desperation is secretly begging for a reason not to go through with it. That is why communication and being able to recognize the warning signs of when someone is suffering is so important. You have to swallow a lot of pride to admit you need help, and that can feel overwhelmingly confusing. What they are looking for is compassion and understanding. They want someone who will not only listen, but care. That's what I found in Dean and his family. I only wish someone would have recognized that Mitch was suffering.
 
8)      Why did you make that pact with your friend James?
 
I guess we both just felt like we had no other alternative, but we were wrong. That is the point of what I said earlier. It is difficult to work up the strength to talk to someone about your problems, especially when you have no one you feel you can trust. It can be very confusing. What I've learned now though is that suicide is never the answer. No matter how hopeless your situation may seem. There are ways out and there are people who care.   
 
9)      Your family situation is obviously less than ideal.  Can you explain to readers the impact that Dean’s family had on your life? Can you put into words just how much their love and support meant to you?
 
Dean and his family are a special kind of people that you don't run into everyday. I mean, imagine someone like me showing up with your son. And yet, I was never judged or never felt unwelcomed. They are the type of people who give help because they care, not because they are seeking attention or want to know what's in it for them. They have shown me the type of person I would like to become.
 
10)   Reading your story and everything you’ve gone through was quite heart wrenching. Yet I also think it was incredibly inspirational and I feel a lot of young girls can probably relate to your story. What advice can you offer to girls who are in or have been in similar situations as you?
 
I cringe at the thought of anyone being in a similar situation, but everyone has their problems. What I've learned is that nothing is worth ending your life. NOTHING. Your life is precious. If you feel like you don't have the answers to whatever you're dealing with you have to take the step to find someone to talk to and trust that they will listen and care. Someone from the outside looking in may just see the sunshine that you can't.
 
11)   Finally- name 5 things you are most looking forward to for your future.
 
For the first time, I actually feel like I have a future to look forward to. I'm excited about starting college and discovering what I want to do with my life. Maybe, I'll even meet some new friends. I'm also excited about my relationship with Dean and where that will lead. What I'm looking forward to the most is reestablishing my life with my dad. We have a lot of lost time to make up for, but it means the world to me to know him again. Maybe one day, my mom and I will be able to reconcile and if that day comes I will be ready because I will be a stronger person.
 
 
 About Tiffany King:
USA Today Best Selling author, Tiffany King is the author of the Young Adult titles: The Saving Angels Series, Wishing for Someday Soon, Forever Changed, Unlikely Allies, Miss Me Not, and Jordyn: A Daemon Hunter Novel book one. She also has a New Adult title called No Attachments.

Writer by day and book fanatic the rest of the time, she is now pursuing her life-long dream of weaving tales for others to enjoy. She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions include: Her iphone and ipad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, and her favorite TV shows. Want to know what they are? Just ask.
 
 
 
Where to connect with Tiffany
 
Twitter- @AuthorTiffany
Facebook- Tiffany King
Pinterest- Tiffany King
Goodreads- Tiffany King
 
"Books provide the ultimate getaway for me. A good story is a vehicle that takes you to another place, another time, or another world. I love reading the words and letting my imagination do the rest. I appreciate and respect every author who has the courage to put your work out there for the world to see."
 
 

 
 
 
 

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18 comments

  1. Great Review! If you gave it 5 stars then I know it's good. I will be picking up a copy for sure. :-)

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    1. Thanks Chelsea! Tiffany is super awesome. I have quite a few of her other books waiting to be read!

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  2. Love the review. I can tell how much you enjoyed this, and the character interview is great to. I have this book, but haven't read it yet, and you review has me wanting to get to it soon:)

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    1. Thanks Ellen! This was such an intense, emotional read. You're going to love it!

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  3. What a great review! I read this a while back, and really, really enjoyed it. Dean & Madison are great and you're right about Dean's family being awesome. Great review!

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    1. Thanks Andrea! I'm glad you liked it too! I absolutely adored Dean and Madison together. My heart was so filled with joy reading their scenes.

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  4. Great review Jess, suicide is never an easy subject to read about or think about. This book must have tackled it really well for you to give it 5 stars. Added to wishlist.

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    1. Yay! I'm glad Trish! This is an amazing read!

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  5. So did you enjoy this one? I cant tell haha. This sounds awesome. I kinda cant wait to read it and have it make me an emotional wreck.. Also loved the character interview. All around awesome post!

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    1. HAHAH. YES! I loved this one! Thanks Teresa! I think you'll really enjoy this one. Dang, I say that about every book I like. You're going to have to tell me if you come across one I loved that you didn't! LOL

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  6. Awesome review! I can tell this totally got to you. I love emotional books and I can't wait to get this one in my hands! I love the sound of Dean and Madison and Dean's family! Plus, any book where the relationship is not rushed is gold in my opinion! lol ;p Glad you enjoyed this!

    Awesomesauce review and character interview! :D

    ~ Maida
    Literary Love Affair 

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    1. Thanks Maida! I definitely loved this one. I love emotionally heartbreaking books and this was the best kind!

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  7. I'm adding this to my TBR, seems to be the kind of book I love to read :) Have a great weekend Jessica!

    Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

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    1. Yes! I hope you love it when you get to it Lexxie! It was so beautifully written!

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  8. WOW, this sounds like a beautiful and heartbreaking story. Great review

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    1. Yes! Tiffany is the queen of writing beautiful heartbreaking books! I will read absolutely ANYTHING she writes!

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  9. Yet another author that I have read so many wonderful things about and have yet to read. I must remedy that ASAP.

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    1. I really love Tiffany's books. Granted I'm only read 2, but I love her writing style and her plots just draw me right in!

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