Blog Tour & Review: Swell by Julie Rieman Duck

Swell by Julie Rieman
Publisher: Createspace
Release Date: September 1, 2012
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

When Christian Rusch plucks Beck Ionesco from the freshman ranks for himself, she’s tempted with parties, popularity, and love. But as the free-flowing booze that soaks his world seeps into her own, Beck begins using liquid courage as a way to ignore Christian’s dark moods… and cover her anxiety about his flirtatious friend Hillman.

However, when Christian breaks up with Beck, and Hillman makes a dangerous move, no amount of alcohol can stop the pain or keep her out of trouble. And just when it seems like she’s lost everything, Beck is partnered with Jesse Leary for an art project. After spending time with him, Beck realizes it’s more than a study date… and Christian’s not happy about it. Then again, Beck’s not sure she’s happy with him, either.

But only after plowing through a bottle of wine, a wild fight, and one guardrail that becomes Christian’s last call, does Beck admit to her problem and ask for help from the one whose life secretly parallels her own.

My thoughts:
I cannot express how mad I am after reading this book.  When I read I usually go through so many emotions but with Swell I had one emotion and that was furry!  Julie Rieman Duck has written a book that I will not easily forget and I just hope that parents who read this will understand what not to do.

Swell is so much more than just a story.  It felt like a real life recount of what can happen if a fifteen year old is left with no help and absent parents.  Beck is not the popular girl and she is definitely not someone who would normally date the most popular guy in school, but after a toga dance at her school Christian the "it" guy singles her out and thus begins her spiral downward.  See Christian has drinking problems and it is not enough that Back has to endure his behavior, no she has to drink with him. By with him, I mean she has to keep up with him drink for drink.  Beck believes that she has to drink to keep Christian happy and that they have a bond since they both drink now. What becomes clear early on is Beck has a serious problem.  She is quite simply put an alcoholic in denial.  She begs people to buy for her, she steals from her parents liquor cabinet, and when she has to money she trades "favors" for alcohol.  Yes that is exactly what I mean.  To pair with this growing problem, Christian breaks up with her because of his "best friend" who wants Beck.  What happens next is just creepy and disturbing on so many levels.  The story takes a horrible turn and Beck finally sees the light and decides enough is enough.  This is after so many abusive situations that I have to wonder why she didn't see the light earlier.

I am beyond baffled at how her parents didn't see what was going on.  They were there in the same house with her the entire time and didn't blink an eye.  Even after she is caught drinking hr parents ground her and then her mom notices she is sneaking out at night and does nothing to stop it!  They love Christian and think nothing could ever happen to their little girl with him.  This is where I think they should have taken a more active role in their daughters life.  They should have gotten to know Christian way more than they did and I mean Beck was fifteen!  Why weren't they more involved??   I am not happy that Beck went through so much at such an early age. Even her friends did nothing to stop her.  Her best friend just stopped hanging out with her and Jessie her art partner just told her he didn't like drinking and left it at that.  Nobody helped her!  I could see Beck screaming for help and it really ticks me off that she was alone.

This book was very difficult to get through. It was sad, heartbreaking, irritating, and just all out maddening.  I really hope that if this was a true story Beck got the help she deserved and is now recovered.

3 Snowflakes

 

About the Author:
Born in Los Angeles and raised in San Clemente, California, Julie Rieman Duck wrote her way through school on an old-fashioned typewriter. Somewhere along the line, she was sidetracked by careers in magazine publishing and copywriting. While Julie honed her skills at writing print ads and articles, the stories that moved her heart and soul were bubbling underneath, waiting to escape.

It took a medical scare and the loss of her job — on the same day and within 30 minutes of each other — to finally allow her stories to free themselves and be put to paper.

Julie looks forward to writing more stories that hit where the heart beats fastest, and the soul reaches out for more.
Find Julie:
Website / Blog / Goodreads

Wait there is more!  We are so happy to help spread the word about this awesome giveaway!

Giveaway:
This is a tour wide giveaway and ends 12/18/12.
One person will win:
(Open to US only)
Paperback of Swell by Julie Rieman Duck
Paperback of A Place in This Life by Julie Rieman Duck

One other winner will win:
(Open Worldwide)
1 ebook of Swell by Julie Rieman Duck
1 ebook of A Place in This Life by Julie Rieman Duck
1 ebook of The Joy and Torture of Joshua James
1 ebook of Earrings of Ixtumea by Kim Baccellia
1 ebook of Cornerstone by Misty Provencher
1 ebook (kindle) of There Comes a Prophet by David Litwack

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