THE GIFTED ONES by Lisa Vaughn: Review

Blurb:

Lisa was conservatively raised in a Catholic family in no-where middle America, where excitement is scarce and dreams are for sleeping. Little did she know, at age thirteen, she would suddenly find herself on a totally different path. Through an unlikely chance meeting of a fellow classmate, she's surprisingly mesmerized, almost consumed, to befriend a girl who is obviously from the other side of the tracks...the cool side. Lisa does whatever she has to just to be accepted into this small club of coolness. Little did she realize, she was signing up for a lot more than social status. The two best friends find themselves innocently taking their relationship to a foreign level neither had experienced or saw coming. A rollercoaster ride littered with choices and challenges Lisa never fathomed facing, especially in no-where middle America. She will find out what she is made of as she faces the consequences and struggles that come along with going against the grain. Throughout their six year relationship, you will witness a touching story of human nature at it's best...and at it's worst. Showing just how far the human spirit can be challenged and pushed to a point where your “fight or flight” instincts naturally kick in. Struggling just to survive in a world where you are not like everyone else, but at the same time you really are.

My Review:

This book was such a refreshing read for me. I rarely read memoirs or works of non-fiction, so the poignant honesty of this novel was such a nice break from the norm. Lisa Vaughn definitely has lived a life worth writing about, and her insight into the experiences she had are so revealing. I had never looked at love the way it happened with her. The idea that you could be a straight woman, and spend years loving another woman and being with her, was never something that I would have thought possible. I guess I looked at things as black and white; either you’re gay, bi, or straight. I had never thought of the grey areas, or of possibly falling in love with the person inside, rather than limiting yourself by only allowing yourself to fall in love with the person’s sex that you prefer. The love that this story deals with goes beyond the normal “love story” that we see all the time.

I also enjoyed reading about the struggles between Lisa and her mother. I think many young women go through a struggle of wills with their mothers, especially when they are alike in so many ways. I know that I went through a phase where I thought my mother was purposefully out to get me, and to ruin my life. Now, looking back at it, I realize how similar we were, and how often our arguments turned into a battle of wills between us…almost a battle for “power” in some ways.

I would definitely recommend this memoir. It makes you think of and view love in a new way. I think that it would appeal more to female readers, but some men would certainly enjoy it as well.

This novel was definitely a 5 star read for me.


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