Release Blitz & Reviews ~~ Letters Written In White by Kathryn Perez

by Louisa · November 30, 2015

Rating:

Title: Letters Written In White
Author: Kathryn Perez
Genre: Magical Realism
Book Blitz: November 30 – December 2
Release Date: November 30, 2015
Hosted by: S.B.B. Promotions

I’m dead.

I’m cold and alone and I’m dead. There’s no air in my lungs. My chest is as cold and hollow as a cave on a snow-capped mountain side. My heart no longer beats there. Frigid winds whistle through my ribs and the sadness inside me weeps like my favorite tree.

Days ago, I met with death face to face. The mirror, our meeting place. My two darkened green eyes stared deeply into hers. I tilted my head to the side. She did too.

“It’s time,” I whispered.

“It’s time,” she whispered.

And with that I turned away from her, the woman in the mirror who knew all of my secrets and all of my pain. I walked away from her and yet we’d never been closer than we were in that moment. The inner struggle was over. No more arguing with the woman in the mirror. No more arguing with myself. The choice was made. She was the victor. Or was I?

That was the day Riah Winter died.

LOUISA’S 5+ STAR REVIEW

This book! I am not even sure where to start. As Kathryn has stated, it’s not a romance novel though there is love interwoven throughout the entire story. The intense love and sadness we have all felt, the highs and the lows — it’s all here. Riah is me, she is you, she is all of us. We have all felt her pain, her inadequacies. Yes, she may have taken those thoughts further than any of us ever will, but she has taught me so many things in her death that will forever change how I live my life.

“I think I’ve learned that me dying is almost as bad as me living.”

Kathryn has taken moments from my life and put them in this book. She has snuck into my brain, like a dream ninja, and stolen so many thoughts. I am so glad she did, because as others have read this book, I have found my thoughts are that of most women. She has hit the nail on the head with her words.

“I’m not sure I could make it through a day without books and coffee. They save me every day. Books help us. They change us.”

Kathryn has put a face on depression with this book. Riah shares what her life is like, all of it. She does’t hold back… it’s raw, truthful and necessary. I have not experienced depression myself, but this book has given me a different perspective to those who have suffered.

“Others see depressed people as weak, and all I want to tell them is they can never imagine the amount of strength it takes for us to do something as simple as getting out of bed in the morning.”

If I could gift this book to every person I know, I would. This book has opened my eyes to so many different aspects of being a woman, a mother, a wife, a friend, dare I say a human being. It has seeped into my being, my soul.

“Our souls never die. They are the very root of who we are, not what we are, but who we are.”

If there is one book you read this year, let it be this one. If I were told I could never read another book, I think I would be okay, because this book has set the standard to an all new high. I felt, almost 2 years ago, when I read Therapy, that THAT was a life changing book. I have to say, Kathryn Perez has done it AGAIN. This book will stay with with me forever, as Therapy will.

Kathryn Perez’s heart, mind and skill with words is on full beautiful here and it is unforgettable.

**Please take the time to read the 10 letters that have been included at the end of the story. They are real people, real struggles, just another peak into depression. I think they offer even more to the story. **

KERRY’S 5 STAR REVIEW

I had to sit and reflect on what I had just read before writing this review. It took me time to process. This is one deep book that had me feeling so many emotions, there isn’t a one that I didn’t feel – sadness, happiness, elation, pure and utter devastation and finally peace.

I really didn’t know what to expect after reading the synopsis. This book has truly touched me and has left a mark on my soul. Kathryn has done an excellent job, this book was beautifully written the words were so gripping. I honestly believe there aren’t enough words in the English language that I can say that will make you read this book or do it’s justice. It is by far one of my Best Reads of 2015.

This book was an eyeopener for me. I felt so many raw emotions while reading, Riah gives us insight into her journey of her life and her death. She battles with depression and we have a front row view of her struggle. She makes a decision that she thinks and feels is the only way out but she didn’t know the effect her decisions would make on her family.

I read through each page at an agonizingly slow rate…it took me awhile to get through because I wanted to make sure I felt and understood everything. This book is a different read than I would normally want to read but I’m so glad I did. Letters Written In White has put so many things into a different perceptive, it was heartbreaking and it stole my breathe away so many times, I am also at a loss for words to describe how I felt.

There are no fairy tales, there are no rainbows and there is no HEA. But when you are finished reading you will feel peace. This is the true life of someone living every day with metal illness. It’s beautifully stunning, it’s a subject that most don’t want to talk about however, Kathryn has put, in the most honest of words, the reality of depression. It’s raw emotion! Riah could be a friend, she could be your mother, she could be a friend, or she could be you!

Kathryn Perez has written a story that will stay with you forever.

JADE’S 5 STAR REVIEW

I don’t know if Kathryn Perez was intending to shred and then repair my soul when she wrote Letters Written in White, but that is exactly what she did.

From the Letter from the Author I knew that this would be a soul searching journey that I would need to prepare myself for… only no one could prepare me for what I would learn from this woman and from Riah Winters. You see, the message in this book will be taken differently by each of us. And that is ok. But we will ALL identify with Riah one way or another, just as I did.

I am a mother. And the thoughts of being adequate run through my head day in and day out. I am one that deals with depression. The thoughts that swirl through Riah’s head aren’t foreign to me. The black hole and darkness are my friend. I have sought help and am getting better but I’ve been there. I am a wife. And my marriage has fallen apart just like Riah’s did. I constantly disappointed and always pushed away but constantly wanted him to pull in. I also hate Pintrest and the person who invented it. It’s the stupidest thing ever made and has made women feel like inadequate humans for years now. I AM RIAH WINTERS. YOU ARE RIAH WINTERS. And that’s the beauty of this book. To see my life written on paper was something I’d never thought I would ever see. An understanding… to feel someone relate to me. It was a priceless gift and I cried for myself and I cried for Riah.

Kathryn’s writing this time around is lyrically enthralling. I haven’t come across a book with such exquisite writing. Her words are poetry throughout, never ceasing. It will command you to keep moving forward, although hard at times because of the emotional aspect it. This is, by far, her best work to date without question!

I do not say this EVER… But this is BEYOND a 5 Blush Read… It is on the TOP of my BEST OF 2015 READS! Do not pass this up. You will be changed forever after reading this breathtaking story of redemption.

5 out of 5 Soul Shattering Blushes

An ARC of Letters Written In White was provided to Blushing Babes Are Up All Night Book Blog for an honest review.

Kathryn lives in her small East Texas hometown with her family. She ‘s a music infused writer and self-proclaimed book junkie. When she isn’t listening to music, writing or reading you’ll probably find her watching her favorite sport, UFC.

Kathryn is also an anti-bullying advocate and avid supporter of mental-illness and suicide awareness.