Jess Porter spent her childhood bouncing from therapist to therapist and prescription to prescription. An outcast at school and a misfit at home, the only solace she ever found was in her relationship with her dad, Tom. Now he’s dead. Feeling rejected by her adopted mom and her biological twin sister, Jess runs off to South Florida. But she can’t outrun her old life. Watching the blood drip down her arm after her latest round of self-inflicted cutting, she decides her only choice is to find and face what frightens her most. Joe Becker is a successful divorce lawyer whose neat and tidy life was upended by his best friend Tom’s sudden death. When Tom’s daughter, Jess, calls, he can’t say no. But can this jaded attorney whose job it is to negotiate family breakups actually help Jess to find her true home? “BECAUSE I HAD TO” takes the reader inside the worlds of adoption, teen therapy, family law, and the search for a biological family. With a cast of finely drawn, complicated characters, it asks us to consider: can the present ever heal the past?
Jess Porter spent her childhood bouncing from therapist to therapist and prescription to prescription. An outcast at school and a misfit at home, the only solace she ever found was in her relationship with her dad, Tom. Now he’s dead. Feeling rejected by her adopted mom and her biological twin sister, Jess runs off to South Florida. But she can’t outrun her old life. Watching the blood drip down her arm after her latest round of self-inflicted cutting, she decides her only choice is to find and face what frightens her most. Because I Had To takes the reader inside the worlds of adoption, teen therapy, family law, and the search for a biological family. With a cast of finely drawn, complicated characters, it asks us to consider: can the present ever heal the past?
Because I Had To is an emotionally charged novel that will effortlessly take its readers on a poignant and moving journey that will entertain readers from beginning to end. Because I Had To is an emotional novel that will take its readers on an emotional roller coaster of a journey, and this is thanks to the hard-hitting, poignant themes that will undoubtedly evoke emotions in its readers. The book may be a hard-hitting novel; however, it is no way a struggle to read, in fact, the compelling real-world themes combined with the author’s dramatic literature make Because I Had To a delight to read and made me turn the pages with haste from beginning to end. If you are a reader who loves contemporary fiction which is laced with poignant themes that will move as well as provoke your thinking then Because I Had To is the novel for you, however, if you need more convincing then continue to read to learn more about this gem of a book!
Because I Had To introduces the reader to the protagonist of the novel, Jess Porter, a young woman who struggled from a young age after the death of her father Tom who she adored. Jess’s childhood was full of prescriptions and therapists, and she is described as an ‘outcast’ both at school and even at home. The reader will follow Jess on her journey after the death of her father and how she felt rejected by her adopted mother and also her biological twin sister. This leads Jess to take drastic action, and that is to run away to South Florida; however, Jess will soon realize that she can’t outrun her past and this will lead her to confront her past as well as her own issues which includes self-harming. What follows is a poignant and emotional journey that will explore themes of adoption, family law and mental health and the result is a stunning, honest and accurate portrayal of how a young person may feel when being adopted and how a young person feels when struggling with mental health.
The story of Because I Had To is a deeply profound and moving one, and I found myself compelled very quickly thanks to the author’s fast-paced approach that throws the reader into the story quickly. I personally loved this approach, I loved how David Bulitt, the talented author of Because I Had To decided to introduce his reader quickly which in turn kept readers invested and enthralled. The themes laced throughout Because I Had To are important themes, and the themes combined with the exceptionally well-developed story makes Because I Had To a must read. As I read Because I Had To, I found myself turning the pages with haste and this is thanks to how well developed the plot and how phenomenal the characterization was, particularly that of the protagonist Jess.
The excellent author of Because I Had To, David Bulitt effortlessly takes the reader on a captivating journey; Bulitt’s words managed to keep me intrigued as well as entertained as I raced through this book. It is the kind of book that is impossible to put down, and when I had to I longed for it! I wanted to be reunited with the story I had grown to love and the characters I had become invested in.
David Bulitt is a talented and a well-accomplished author who has written an unforgettable novel that features heavily on its characters and themes. Bulitt’s characterization of Jess is superb, and I believe that every reader will be able to like as well as root for her. This is because she is believable and her narrative jumps right off the page. As well as this Bulitt’s descriptive literature ensured that the reader is able to perfectly imagine every scene and character entirely which in turn keeps his readers invested and racing to the end.
Overall Because I Had To is a superb novel that has everything a reader would want in a story, it has a compelling narrative, magnificent plot development and excellent characterization that will thrill and excite its readers so of course, I have to award this impressive piece of literature five stars! Be sure to have a read of the preview below book lovers and also keep an eye out for my spotlight for David Bulitt which will be live next week!
Thank you so much for reading book lovers! I appreciate it so much, I love discussing wonderful books with all of you so please comment below and let me know your thoughts on Because I Had To. Do you see yourself reading this book? Do you love the genre? Please let me know your brilliant thoughts below and I will be sure to comment back. Thank you so much again for reading!
Goodbye for now book lovers.
“David Bulitt’s ‘Card Game’ is an eloquently woven journey of adolescent memories and present day realities. As JB and his lifelong buddies gather around the table for their weekly Monday night card games and bantering sessions JB finds himself peering inward at the boys they once were and the men they have become. In this often humorous, sometimes hilarious, and yet deeply intimate novel the reader will discover that there is a seat for everyone around the card game table.”