Stepping Up
Stepping Up
By Sarah Turner
Emotional, funny and immensely heart-warming.
This is a book that will have you crying tears of sadness, triumph and happiness.
Published: Bantam Press 2022 (hardback)
Book review, no spoilers I swear!!
Hello wonderful bookish folk. Today I am talking about the wonderful book, Stepping Up by Sarah Turner. Before I get into it, I'd firstly like to say thank you for visiting my blog, I've been away for sometime and your support means a lot. All views are my own and unbiased. Now, without further ado, shall we get on with the review.
The Blurb:
Beth has never stuck at anything.
She's quit more jobs and relationships than she can remember and she still sleeps in her childhood bedroom. It's not that she hasn't tried to grow up, it's just that so far, the only commitment she's held down is Friday drinks at the village pub.
Then, in the space of a morning, her world changes.
An unspeakable tragedy turns Beth's life upside down, and she finds herself guardian to her teenage niece and toddler nephew, catapulted into an unfamiliar world of bedtime stories, parents' evenings and cuddly elephants. Having never been responsible for anyone - or anything - it's not long before she feels seriously out of her depth.
What if she's simply not up to the job?
With a little help from her best friend Jory (purely platonic, of course ...) and her lovely, lonely next-door neighbour, Albert, Beth is determined that this time she's not giving up. It's time to step up.
This is a story about digging deep for strength you never knew you had and finding magic in things that were there all along.
Thoughts:
From the very first page, I knew this was going to be a very good read and I'm happy to say I wasn't wrong. If you're looking for a feel good read that will leave you more than content then this is the book for you.
The story follows Beth who is very much made out as a train wreck. A train wreck in the sense that she is a single, still living with her parents, drinks too much and permanent member of the job quitting society adult. Despite this, Beth is one character that I not only found relatable, but she is funny, smart and doubtful. Beth is constantly doubting her abilities and allows other people opinions of her to define her. This story is a growth development for Beth, in a way, its a long awaited coming out story for Beth in the sense that its only now, that she is discovering her potential.
Although Beth is a key character in the novel. Turner did an amazing job writing the characters of the children, most importantly, fourteen-year-old Polly. Teenagers can be written in a one dimensional way most of the time in books. However, Polly is written with such heart that she is more than just an angry teen. She is a complex character who makes mistakes, is nasty to her Aunty Beth and is the darling grandchild to her grandparents. Polly is a character that you want to scream at in frustration but also wants to hug her and stroke her hair and tell her everything is going to be okay.
A story to make your heart sing, characters that make you feel at home and an ending that leaves you feeling hopeful. This is the perfect feel good book. It's a warm hug on a cold evening night. I highly recommend the novel if you're in need of a pick me up.
Rating: 5 out of 5*
After all tomorrow is another day spent reading.
Till next time,
Phoebe x
Stepping Up is available to buy from all good book shops and online. But if you're able to support your local bookstore, then please do.