Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura by Annie Hughes made me shed more tears than I care to admit - some were of laughter, others turned into some truly ugly crying... and if I hadn't liked the book as much, I'd hate how much I actually loved both kinds (in some twisted ways).
From page one, I immediately fell in love with the writing - it's very authentic, and makes it extremely easy to believe that the narrator is a girl in her teenage years.
The writing captured me from the start, but the story itself started somewhat slow for me - for a while, I even questioned the plot and some of the characters. If it wasn't for the topic of the novel, for Anna's story, the writing would make this an easy and very light read, which was what ultimately kept me reading in the beginning. After about half the book though, Una Familia Segura suddenly turned into an absolute page-turner and I couldn't put it down anymore - I just had to finish reading it right then and there. The story of Anna's past, which haunts her until the end of the novel, is anything but light - it's dark, and some of it might call for a trigger warning, as it's very realistically - believably - written.
I really like how Hughes pointed out the differences between the UK and the US, between British and American things, when her main character, Anna Rosa, finds herself moving from one country to the other, rather than just stating that she has 'switched countries'. It makes things more real, and makes it really easy to take part in Anna's journey. The overall writing also makes it easy to empathize with Anna, which made the novel turn me into an emotional mess at times.
Una Familia Segura has a little bit of a Cinderella story spin - without wanting to give too much away, Anna goes from an abusive, traumatizing childhood of terror, to living with a wealthy, well-known and at times seemingly overly loving family. In the beginning, this made me feel like some of the characters were a little too 'shallow', for the lack of better words, but as I kept on reading it became perfectly clear that this was needed to emphasize the contrast between her old life and her new.
I also very much enjoyed the cute little lovestory developing in the almost-hidden, making it a lot more real than instalove and constant puppy-eyes ever could have in the situation Anna finds herself in.
Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura is, despite - or maybe especially because - of the dark matter it touches a beautiful story that underlines the importance of family and true friendship.
I'll have to treat myself to a paperback of this, and am looking forward to the next part in the series, which releases July 17th!
4.5 / 5
Anna Rosa Castillo is unlike most 16 year old girls.
She doesn't care for clothes or make up, nor does she giggle with her friends about hot guys. Coming from a small town in the North of England, where drugs and criminals are at the top of the food chain, Anna's life is an impossible mixture of pain and sorrow. She lives by only one rule - do whatever he says, and she might live long enough to get away.
All that changes when a fatal night lands the monster of her nightmares in a prison cell and herself in a hospital bed, staring into the eyes of a father she has never known.
The addition of a father and a family turns Anna's life upside-down, thrusting her into a world she could never understand. Inner demons and unspeakable memories claw at her as she tries to build a relationship with her new family. But with her past looming over her new life, will she be able to break free?
Hello Everyone :)
I'm a brand new author who's just released her very first book baby - Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura.
I'm a full time working mother to a gorgeous little boy and when I'm not busy with mum chores you can guarantee that I'm staying up until obscene hours either reading or writing.
I hope you all enjoy reading my stories, lots more to come in the future I think :)
*** I received a review copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review! ***
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