A car accident robs the Loden Family of twins Van and Valencia shortly after they start college. Charmed, bright, and beautiful, they held their family together and elevated the Lodens to greatness. In their loss, a shadow is cast upon the family, particularly on the remaining child, who lacks the easy grace and popularity her older siblings took for granted.
As an adult, her life begins to turn … begins to turn from mediocre to amazing when she is saved by cool, artistic Adrian. The kind of happiness once reserved only for others is finally hers, until pieces of the past begin ruining what seems to be a perfect life.
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Surviving Valencia
By: Holly Tierney-Bedord
5 out of 5 stars
The story Surviving Valencia by Holly Tierney-Bedord is a book the I loved reading. It is a story that is thrilling, mysterious, and emotional. There are times when reading I was turning pages to find out what happens next. It took me on a journey that was unexpected and had some twists to it that I did not see coming. The Lodens are a family that experienced grief and pain when the twins Van and Valencia suddenly die in a car accident. Their deaths leave their parents devastated and unable to cope with the loss. The loss is also felt by Van and Valencia’s younger sister. She is one of the main characters in this story. She is someone that I could empathize and sympathize with how she felt. She is a woman who has self-doubts about herself. She believes she has found true happiness when she meets Adrian. He is a popular artist. Mysteries about the past start to resurface. Will they destroy her new life? Read this book to find out. This is a story that hooks you in from the very beginning and doesn’t let go until you have read the final page. The dialogue is both interesting and intriguing. There are other secondary characters that you are introduced to and each has their own part to play in the story. I enjoyed reading about them and how they fit into Adrian and the younger sister’s life. My emotions went up and down the entire time that I was reading this book. There are heartbreaking moments. There are times when the disappointment and sadness of the characters can be felt. Van and Valencia’s younger sister is a character that you can relate to and I came to care about. This is a story I would recommend reading.
Surviving Valencia by Holly Tierney-Bedord
My rating 5 out of 5 stars
WOW! This was a brilliant book and a crazy ride. The characters are wonderful and the story line is amazing and original. Once I got started, I could not put this book down.
In this book almost every other chapter is a switch between present day and the past when our narrator was a kid. Her older brother Van and his twin Valencia die in a car crash when she is around eleven years old, after that her life became even more bleak than she already felt it was. I feel devastated that she grows up the way she did with her parents treating her as if she was invisible and forgetting they had another daughter. She basically lives her life believing she is ugly, untalented, dumb and not worth anything to anyone. She has no friends and the only person she can rely on is her husband Adrian.
Adrian is a touchy subject for me. On one hand I do believe he has fallen in love with her, and does want to spend forever with her, on the other hand there are many secrets that his wife discovers that basically ruin anything they would have in the future. I solely blame him for not being completely honest with her from the beginning and letting her know what happened when he was younger that lead to them meeting and knowing each other.
There are so many twists in this book, some I saw coming and some I did not. The ending is left somewhat open, so I am hoping for a second book to continue on the crazy information we find out in the end. I would definitely recommend this book, it is very entertaining, mysterious and a great story.
Surviving Valencia by Holly Tierney-Bedord
5-stars
Surviving Valencia was an interesting novel that seemed to be a coming of age novel with a bit of mystery. It was a difficult book for me to put down. I was addicted to the storyline from start to finish. I loved the main character and how she finally came to her own. I loved how in depth the author was about her character and how different she was from her twin siblings. I did not expect the crazy twist and I was amazed how the past came back up like it did in the present. This novel was excellent and I definitely feel it deserves its 5-stars.
Surviving Valencia was an emotional 5 star read.
This was my first read from this author. She pulled me right in with her writing.
We jump from past to present as we learn about Valencia’s past growing up with her siblings. She is now happily married to Adrian trying to move on with her life.
Growing up Val’s parents were always falling all over her siblings and treating her like a nobody. They were the popular kids in high school and could do no wrong. Your heart broke for the things this poor girl went through.
Things take some interesting twists when Adrian gets a mysterious letter in the mail. She’s not sure if she should confront him with what she finds or if she’s misinterpreting the contents. Are things as great as they appear to be in their marriage?
There is so much more that goes on in this great read. There are several twists and turns. The secondary characters added a great element to the story. I despised Valencia’s parents, they were horrible. Overall I really enjoyed this read, I was pulled in by the story, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to see my home town mentioned as well, considering we are in a rural area of Wisconsin. I look forward to reading more from this author. 1-click and get started today.
Surviving Valencia by Holly Tierney-Bedord was an okay read, that will keep you guessing.
Not my first read from this author, so I was excited to get my hands on this read. This book was interesting, and has a good plot line, but at times it fell flat, and there are some loos ends that aren’t sitting well with me.
The transitions between the past and present were done well, and it helped tie some of the plot points together. The ending was a little off putting as well, and I do kind of get it, but at the same time it was bittersweet and not satisfying. But again, in a weird way, it fit. One point I would love to make, is that, you never find out what the younger sisters name is. And it was something that I didn’t notice until I stopped reading and started to process, and forming my review. Very well done, and a nice added touch to make this read more layered and complex.
Overall this isn’t a bad story, it has lots of good things, but at the same time, when the MC was narrating it was like she rambled and nothing came to a close. This made certain plot points confusing and unbalanced. But, this book will keep you on your toes with its unfolding mystery, and trips to the past.
This books gets my recommendation and my stamp of approval.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
Surviving Valencia is my sixth book by Holly Tierney-Bedord, and it has definitely got to be the best by far! I was totally hooked with this read, I couldn’t put it down until the very end.
I liked how we got flashbacks from the present and past but it was done smoothly and effortlessly that it flowed each time.
It’s an emotional read, and also a read that stays with you even after you have finished reading it.
This book was filled with twists and turns that kept you turning the pages continuously. Holly Tierney-Bedford has an incredible writing style and has a way of making even better characters. This is an incredible story that should not be missed! This author has become one of my go-to favourites and I can’t wait to see what else she brings, and hope this isn’t the last we read of these characters.
Surviving Valencia is book by Holly Tierney-Bedord that will really make you evaluate your life. I really found this book very different from anything else I’ve ever read. For a start, you never find out what the main character’s name is! How weird is that?
This book is the story of a woman on a voyage of self-discovery. In her younger years she lived totally in the shadow of her siblings, twins Van and Valencia. Her parents doted on the twins and acted as if the main character didn’t exist. When her siblings died in a car accident her parents became even more weird than they had been before. Her parent definitely acted as if they had some sort of personality disorder.
Always they strange left out kid growing up, our main character is now married to artist Adrian and is trying to find her way in life. Her endeavour to find out more about the twin death leads her and Adrian’s lives in danger.
Jumping back and forward from the present day to the past, I did at times find this book a little difficult to follow. The author does a great job of developing the character and we really get into the head of the main character.
This book is really interesting and thought provoking and I enjoyed it very much.
Surviving Valencia
By Holly Tierney-Bedord
4stars
I have read quite a few books by this author now and I do really like her writing style. Her stories are always engaging and great to read but Surviving Valencia wasn’t what I was expecting at all and it actually was great to read something a little different from Ms Tierney-Bedord! The story was a little slow to begin with but within a few chapters I was really into what I was reading. The more I got into the story the more I began to understand about the characters and their story. I sometimes find books that go back and forward in time confusing but I think that this book needed that to enable me as a reader to fully understand how the events of the past have influenced the lives of the characters in the present.
I think I will say that this isn’t an easy book to read, it makes you think a lot and there were a few times I had to stop and go back re-read things but once I had finished it everything kind of made sense! I think that the author wove a very original tale that whilst it took while to get into I am really glad that I read it!
Surviving Valencia by Holly Tierney-Bedord, 4 stars.
This is a story that twist and turns your heart strings. It really does make you think about your own childhood life experiences and how that has possibly shaped you into the person you are today.
I absolutely loved how Holly integrated the past and present tense to build up the story of mystery, secrets and life changing events that led the main character where she is now.
This isn’t the first novel I’ve read by Holly and it most certainly won’t be the last.
Surviving Valencia by Holly Tierney-Bedord is much different to her other stories and I must admit I skimmed over a lot of it because it was a little confusing at times and I found it hard to keep my interest and it was a little slow. The story alternates between the past and the present and is told by a younger sister, who remains nameless, which is fitting because she always felt invisible to others. The story is a mystery suspense and there are lots of twists and turns that keep you on your toes.
When a tragedy strikes and the twins are no longer around the family fall apart. Little Sister is haunted by her past and the story unfolds. There were times when I wanted to shake her and tell her to grow up and grow a backbone but I guess it makes sense within the parameters of the story. The end is interesting and leaves a lot of questions. Now I have to wait to see if there is a follow up to find out the answers.
Tierney-Bedord is a masterful wordsmith. She has put to paper a tale with such depth…no words. Her characters jump off the pages. They are written masterfully, with extremely thoughtful detail, down to the in depth character study provided to the reader. The plot moves flawlessly and I found myself reading as fast as I could in order to absorb this well crafted treasure. I loved this book from beginning to end. Just fantastic.
Surviving Valencia By Holly Tierney-Bedord. I was definitely hooked on this incredible story from page one. I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I loved this story, I knew going in it sounded good but it was definitely much more than “good”. The author takes readers on quite the emotional mysterious journey the characters take in this story. I had moments where I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough for my liking. Each character brings something unique and different to this story. It’s well written and paced nicely never feeling rushed or lacking. At times I was on the edge of my seat and the only thing I didn’t like is that it had to end. Five stars all the way. Highly recommend also!
Surviving Valencia by Holly Tierney-Bedord
4 Stars
This is a story about a girl who lives in the shadow of her sister, struggling to find her self worth and become someone. Growing up in a household with her older siblings Van and Valencia was hard. The twins were practically perfect. Van the jock and Valencia the cheerleader. Both were vivacious, friendly and popular. She was the complete opposite. She was bland, introverted and had no friends. Her parents practically ignored her. She was invisible. Valencia was the only one who saw her. She was twelve when they died. Her life was forever changed. Somehow seemingly impossibly, it got worse. Her parents took their anguish out on her. They yelled at her, grounded her or ignored her. All she ever wanted was to fit in and be accepted.
The book is written from the first person point of view which allows us to fully understand what she is feeling. Never once throughout the book do we learn her name. I think the author was smart in doing this. It adds to the main character’s unremarkability. Her whole life is dedicated to living vicariously through others and not making waves. It is a sad story of a depressed woman living in the past and struggling to deal with specifically the loss of her sister.
This book was cleverly written with many twists and surprises that you never see coming. This is definitely not a joyous story with a happily ever after ending. It is a book with much deeper meanings, showing how death affects everyone differently. The author shows how one event can change your life drastically. It was a gripping tale of self discovery.
Van and Valencia are the perfect kids for their parents. Their younger sibling overlooked except by Val. Van and Valencia die in a car crash on their way home from college for Thanksgiving. Everyone’s life is changed.
The story flashes back between the present and the past. As I write this review, I can’t tell you the main character’s name, because I don’t believe it is every mentioned in the book. Which makes sense considering how she feels invisible all the time. That’s actually pretty brilliant!
The story is good, but I felt some of the flashbacks were not necessary for the book and made it feel slow to me. Things picked up for me when the envelopes started showing up. I found myself getting aggravated with her because she comes across so wishy washy and she is always giving into Adrian and never seems to stand up for herself. Until the end of the book, then I cheered for her.
When her past comes back to haunt her, and Adrian, things get really interesting. I would have liked to have seen more emphasis on this. While the ending does make sense with the way the book went, you still can’t help but want to see a tearful reunion. But, like I said, the ending actually makes sense.
Surviving Valencia is definitely one of those difficult books for me to review. I am torn in a lot of ways. First off don’t get me wrong for one second I truly enjoyed all of my time spent reading it, even during the moments where I struggled with the slow pacing of the storytelling. I think the one major part that I am left struggling with the most however is the fact that I am left still feeling empty, for lack of better words. I can see where we could almost get another novel someday out of this storyline from Holly Tierney-Bedord, and I would not complain. I would simply hope it would maybe answer some of those gaps that are still there. I truly felt a lot of compassion and longing for our main character here throughout the entire novel and truly wanted to just hold her. It is very difficult to live in the shadow of someone else, let alone two someone else’s, and to have to feel so imperfect too… I just can’t fathom that emptiness. Anywho, the writing it strong and beautiful, vivid and flawless much like all of Holly Tierney-Bedords novels, and I am eager to see what we will get next from her!
Surviving Valencia by Holly Tierney-Bedord
5+++ Stars
Oh my goodness..What did I just read?? This is my 3rd book by this author and I will say that I have to break this review into 2 parts..first the story and characters themselves…I’ve never read a book and finished it where I was sad and angry through 80% of it, Van and Valencia’s little sister who was the absolute star in more ways than one in this story was probably the strongest most pitiful person I have ever read about. Her resolve with the way her life was was both heartbreaking and sort of inspiring..this still confuses me so I can’t explain what I mean by that, but I’ll just say this, I absolutely loved her. Then there’s Adrian, I think I’m still a bit confused on him, I feel like I need more, maybe from his POV…I was left thinking positive about him because that’s the way I wanted to end that part of the story, for me..
I really can’t say much more about the actual story itself, so now I have to move into the writing of this story. AMAZING!! When I got done reading I sat for like 30 minutes with question marks over my head blinking in bright neon, trying to digest everything that happened, then thinking back wondering if I missed something…I actually picked it back up and read the last few pages over again, praying there was more, wishing there was more and absolutely needing more. This was yesterday and I’m still struggling with how to write this review…I’ve finally decided it’s just like one of those movies you get done watching and are like wth, it can’t end like that…I’ve finished this story in my head and made each aspect end the way I wanted it to end and I’m happy with that 🙂 This was a brilliant read, I’ve read some of the reviews where so many were confused and I don’t understand that because I followed every word and every thought and I was literally consumed with the writing of this book. I have to say that this has already been placed on one of my favorites so far this year and I know that it will stay with me for a long time and I also know that I will reread this book, maybe many times in the future.
I would not be heartbroken if there was more of this story to come in the future, I would be the first in line if this happened and I can’t wait for more from this author.
I 100% loved this book, I 100% recommend anyone that wants to read quality crafted writing to sit down and tune out everything around them and read this story!!
Amazingly Awesome!!
“Surviving Valencia” is about twin siblings Van and Valencia and the people who loved them. From the point of view of the twins’ younger sister, this story weaves quite a tale. Their sister, always feeling invisible, never even divulges her name to the reader. She always just saw herself as Van and Valencia’s sister, never as a person of value or deserving of anything. Her life feels normal, like it should feel, until it doesn’t. Secrets can’t stay hidden forever, no matter how hard a person tries. This fascinating story stayed with me, long after the book was over. I really did not want to put it down! My mind kept floating back to the story when I was unable to read more, always curious about what would happen or what I would find out. The book is just as mysterious as my review, so I apologize if I haven’t given much detail. Yet, if you were curious about this book at all, READ IT! In the beginning, I wasn’t really sure what I was reading, but this character draws you into her story and doesn’t let go. So, I give “Surviving Valencia” by Holly Tierney-Bedord five stars!!
Surviving Valencia by Holly Tierney-Bedord
Four Star
Madness is something that comes up out of nowhere. One moment you’re fine the next things just don’t look good. Valencia’s story was told in a way that almost didn’t make sense but you keep reading because your confused and want to know what is going on. I didn’t like the flow of the story almost like we were stuttering. There were some funny parts that made me smile. Overall it was ok. I gave it four stars because of Valencia. She was odd but thoughtful. She was just going through life with no real path until she needed a change and made that change. She is a different person by the end of the story.
Surviving Valencia by Holly Tierney-Bedord is a read that had my emotions all over the place. This book has so much in it. The death of college-age twins rocks a family. How will they recover? The younger sibling has to find her place in the world. The writing is well done and the characters were written well. I really enjoyed this story and how it alternated between the past and the current day. This added to the story by explaining the past and how it fits into the current day. There were twists and turns some that I did not expect. Overall, I recommend this for a read.
3.5 stars
I’ve read this author’s short stories before. Her shorts are light and fluffy and very uncomplicated reads. I chose this book purely on the author’s name and did not read the blurb before cracking the binding. It was very different from the stories I’ve read from her before.
This is a story that switches between past (which reminded me of many of my favorite childhood things) and present and always in the same “voice”. This story is basically told from a single point of view. We shall call her “little sister” (because I don’t think we ever really learn her name). The story is full of mysteries and suspense and lots of twists and turns. As I was reading, I thought I knew where this story was going but that was not the case at all. It held my interest but at times I was very confused and a little disinterested. “Little Sister” is very haunted by the past and she bugged me a bit. I was very surprised by some of her actions.
This was an interesting story but the ending… oh that ending. I have questions!! I wonder if there is a crossover story that would answer these questions. I shall go investigate.