Book Review: Snowflake Obidian

Title: Snowflake Obsidian: Memoir of a Cutter
Author: The Hippie with Anger Issues
Publisher: iUniversie
Published Date: December 2010
ISBN: 9781450265546
Pages: 254


I received a free copy of this book from the author for my honest review.

Synopsis:
Willow is nineteen, naïve, and Mormon. She genuinely sucks at having relationships with the opposite sex, thanks to her daddy issues—as in she has a dad and wishes she didn’t. Her only perfect relationship is with her best friend, Jo. But when Willow and Jo fall for the same guy, Willow finds herself friendless and falling in love with a drug addict. Feeling confused, guilty, and alone, she turns to cutting herself as a way to cope.



Snowflake Obsidian is a memoir about one girl’s transformation from being naïve due to living in a protected religious culture, to understanding the many faces of love in this paradoxical journey. As Willow steps into the world outside her religious ideals she finds herself in situations she’d never imagined: getting a body piercing at a parlor full of sex-toys; purchasing the morning after pill for a friend who had been raped; attending a support group for co-dependents; putting all her faith in a snowflake obsidian stone when she can’t cope with her depression; and living with her boyfriend while trying to remain abstinent on this journey that ultimately illuminates Willow’s dark side which fully allows her to know the light. Her intelligent and humorous voice bluntly shares her story with the perfect blend of nostalgic observance and cynical optimism in this witty memoir about life, love and learning.








About The Author:
The Hippie received a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Utah and worked briefly as a licensed mental health therapist before leaving her job to pursue writing. She prefers ice cream in the winter, beanies in the summer, and only plays sports when properly guilt-tripped. She currently lives with her husband and two dogs in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit her site.



My review:
The book was funny and sad and a mixture of all in between. The story of Willow is one that seems to be at the forefront of society today as teens are feeling more pressure than ever before and finding their own ways to try and cope with it. The book is based on actual events and I think that one of the main reasons I enjoyed it, is that as you are reading, there is an honesty to the story that captures you. The reader is offered a place in Willow's mind to go along for the journey that is her life. Not only are you privy to her life, but it makes you rethink your own life and view the world in a way that you didn't before.