Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Something I Am Not by Cher Gatto, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Something I Am Not
Author: Cher Gatto
Publisher: Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas
Release Date: January 25, 2019
Genre: Mature Young Adult
A father who never loved him. A woman who stole his worth. A brother he couldn’t protect. Where does someone run in the face of his deepest shame?
Billy McQueen works hard to keep his life together … and concealed. At seventeen, he dreams of an escape from the barroom, his father’s manipulation, and the advances of his father’s girlfriend. However, on his eighteenth birthday, he is introduced to a younger brother he never knew he had. An eight-year-old, barely capable of navigating the distorted and corrupt world of his father’s boxing club. Billy realizes in order to protect his little brother, he can never leave.
After discovering a battered young woman in the back shed of the club, Billy uncovers the true nature of his father’s activities. Before he can share it with the sheriff, Billy is kidnapped by his father and sold to a wealthy old maid who imprisons him on her yacht in the Gulf of Mexico. His death is fabricated and his little brother used as leverage for his compliance.
In order to secure his freedom, Billy must fight for it. To save his little brother who is next in line for the slave trade… he must die for it.
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
IN MY OPINION
This book can be summed up in one word: POWERFUL. This is not a light-hearted, uplifting story. Although there are moments of hope and good, Something I Am Not is filled with pain and with the horrors and torment the depravity of sinful and greedy people inflict on those who can’t defend themselves. Or those who are so starved for affirmation, acknowledgement, or affection from the people in their lives.
While Cher Gatto doesn’t go into gruesome detail of all the abuse Billy suffers at the hands of others in his life, the nuances are there to give readers a pretty good idea of the many forms of abuse extracted on him. And when he loses his places of escape, the oppression deepens.
Gatto’s debut is thought provoking, emotional, and absolutely soul-wrenching.
Sometimes in my comfortable life in my comfortable home, it’s easy to forget about those who don’t have that reality. And that’s something that’s been on my heart and mind these last couple of months for those people who are now at home with no escape from their abusers.
I wish everyone had a Dan or a Jersey in their lives. People who show unconditional acceptance and love no matter your past. I pray God uses me as that person for someone who has been eaten down by the hands, the words, or the actions of others.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cher Gatto is the award-winning author of Something I Am Not. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and their five teenaged children. Together, she and her husband founded a kids’ ranch in Mexico (www.ranchoelcamino.org) and a recovery ministry (www.recovery-hub.org) based in NJ. Cher also launched the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) NY/NJ chapter to support other writers in her area and currently serves as president.
Visit her website: www.journeywithwords.com and sign up for her newsletter and monthly blog for inspiration and encouragement. Follow her on Instagram @chergatto.
CONNECT WITH CHER: Website | Facebook | Instagram
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight April 27, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on May 4, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
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Great cover.
And a wonderful story inside to go with it!
Really neat to learn about this one, good review.
Thank you. I hope you get an opportunity to read this powerful story.
Agree with this 100%!!! Thank you for sharing! – Rachel
My pleasure. I love the new authors/stories I’m introduced to through these tours!!!
Thank you for your review on “Something I Am Not” by Cher Gatto and for being part of the book tour.
Definitely sounds like a book that I would enjoy and going on my TBR list. This is a new to me author but hope not for long.
She was new to me as well but this read is worth the time invested!