Consistent Reviews For My Trauma Novel! – Boy in the Barn: Journey of Triumph Over Horrific Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse, and PTSD

The first few reviews and ratings on Amazon and Goodreads are pretty positive. These are from previously recruited ARC reviewers and from first purchases. The average rating out of 5 thus far on Amazon is 4.6, and on Goodreads is 4.5.

Some of the common threads in reviews are as follows:

• Be mindful of the many trigger warnings; you must take them seriously and ensure that you are mentally ready to read this story.
• The author states, “we grew up in a repressive southern society of deep, dark secrets in the 1960s. Yet on the surface, it appeared that we grew up in a sleepy, conservative, unassuming, and uninspiring farming community.
• But under that cloak of disguise, we came from a society that clung to a past governed by strict adherence to culture, religious intolerance, and extreme racism.” This statement sets the tone for this story.
• This book is not for everyone; I say that, not meaning it was an awful book. Please take the author’s instruction to heart. This book proves we don’t know what someone is going through.
• The book was tough to read; however, an uncomfortable story that needed to be told and read. This story will linger with me for quite some time.
• Comprehending and processing this story was the most difficult. So many readers had to stop, collect their wits, and resume reading later when they felt they were in a stronger mental space.
• The story was quite heartbreaking. The author suggested keeping tissues nearby. This suggestion was warranted because multiple readers indicated they cried a lot.
• This book is not for the faint of heart! Indeed, the author does not hold back, and the details are not sugar-coated to make them more palatable to the reader.
• It’s amazing what the author went through and all he was able to accomplish in his life. But nevertheless, it was a shame that he did not get justice for what he endured.

To see all reviews, please go to Amazon or Goodreads. You can find a full review by Robin Ginther-Venneri on her website, “Robin’s Review,” and her site on Tiktok. In addition, you can see my novel listed in online blogs at “The Novel Bookstore” and “Readers Village.”

In summary, my inspiring LGBTQIA+ coming-of-age story is about hope, courage, and the resilience of the human spirit.

I sincerely hope my novel will inspire and support other sexually abused people or those suppressed by life events beyond their control.

If I reach at least one sexually abused person, I will have met my goal.