#5: The Girl She Used To Be - David Cristofano

When Melody Grace McCartney was six years old, she and her parents witnessed an act of violence so brutal that it changed their lives forever. The federal government lured them into the Witness Protection Program with the promise of safety, and they went gratefully. But the program took Melody's name, her home, her innocence, and, ultimately, her family. She's been May Adams, Karen Smith, Anne Johnson, and countless others--everyone but the one person she longs to be: herself. So when the feds spirit her off to begin yet another new life in another town, she's stunned when a man confronts her and calls her by her real name. Jonathan Bovaro, the mafioso sent to hunt her down, knows her, the real her, and it's a dangerous thrill that Melody can't resist. He's insistent that she's just a pawn in the government's war against the Bovaro family. But can she trust her life and her identity to this vicious stranger whose acts of violence are legendary?

Paperback: 272 pages

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Reprint edition (March 10 2010)

ISBN: 9780446582216

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David Cristofano has earned degrees in Government & Politics and Computer Science from the University of Maryland at College Park and has worked for different branches of the Federal Government for over a decade. His short works have been published by Like Water Burning and McSweeneys. He currently works in the Washington, D.C. area where he lives with his wife, son and daughter. THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE is his first novel.

REVIEW:

A deeply emotional read.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't sobbing through the story. No, this story was much more powerful than that.

No one can know what it is like to be in Witness Protection, unless they have been in the program. I always thought it would be like jail. No freedom. Always on the look-out over your shoulder, and this story, Melody's story, drove that notion home for me. She was never happy, not even content. She never settled down, nor was comfortable. That's not what living is about or how life should be. But that was her world.

I liked how real everything felt as the author took us through Melody's story. If asking myself, hypothetically, the same things, I am sure my reaction would be close to hers.

I also really liked the ending. It was bittersweet, and totally unexpected in a romantic way. I would have loved to know what happened to Jonathan in the end, but can live with what we got instead. It shaped things nicely in my mind.

4/5

**No compensation was received for posting. Compensation will be earned if purchases are made from the links within. This copy was provided to facilitate a review. Opinions are owned by this site.

Scooby Doo: The Sword And The Scoob

AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL NOW AND DVD MARCH 23! RATED F 72 minutes AMAZON An evil sorceress transports the gang back to the age chivalrous knights, spell-casting wizards, and fire-breathing dragons. While there, Shaggy unwittingly pulls out Excalibur from a nearby stone to cut a block of cheese and now no one is sure who the rightful ruler is. The legendary wizard, Merlin, appears and explains that the throne of Camelot must be determined through TRIAL BY COMBAT. Our heroes pull out all the stops to try and win the tournament, break the witch's hold on King Arthur, and find a way back to the present in this legendary story of Scooby Doo in King Arthur's Court. REVIEW: It was weird starting off with a He-Man lookalike, Thunder the Barabarian), until I realized a character from the film was watching the cartoon in the airplane. Still, it was kind of cool to reminice about two cartoons from my childhood. So many great actors bring the film to life! What a fun story it was too! Although

#19: Cinder - Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. KINDLE: 448 KB Print Length: 400 pages Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (January 3, 2012) ASIN: B005KJJ4F8 AMAZON US | AMAZON CA AUTHOR BIO: Marissa Meyer was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, home of Almond Roca and Stadium High School, which was made famous when Heath

The #Friday56 & #Instagram56

Welcome to week 588! RULES: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader . If you have to improvise, that is okay. *Find a snippet, short and sweet. *Post it, and add the url to your post in the Linky below . If you don't link up, we may not know to visit. Also join in the fun on Instagram using the hashtags #Instagram56 #Friday56 Happy weekend to you all! Check out this read on Amazon . Read my review . Read my 56: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Freda Mans (@fredasphotos) Book Beginnings leave your links in the comments if you didn't join in the Friday 56. Q: How many books do you buy per month? A: I honestly don't have a number. I rarely buy books, and when I do, it's a book I can't live without. **This is a weekly book meme post. Compensation may be earned from the link within.

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