The Merciful Scar by Rebecca St. James & Nancy Rue

About the Book
Kirsten has spent her life trying to forget. But mercy begs her to remember.
When she was in high school, a terrible accident fractured her family, and the only relief Kirsten could find was carving tiny lines into her skin, burying her pain in her flesh. The pain she caused herself was neat and manageable compared to the emotional pain that raged inside.
She was coping. Or so she thought.
But then, eight years later, on the night she expects her long-time boyfriend to propose, Kirsten learns he’s been secretly seeing her best friend. Desperate to escape her feelings, she reaches for the one thing that gives her a sense of control in the midst of chaos.
But this time the cut isn’t so tiny, and it lands her in the psych hospital. Within hours of being there she knows she can’t stay—she isn’t crazy, after all. But she can’t go back to the life she knew before either.
So when her pastor mentions a treatment program on a working ranch, Kirsten decides to take him up on the offer and get away from it all. But the one thing she can’t escape is herself—and her shame.
The ranch is home to a motley crew, each with a lesson to teach. Ever so slowly, Kirsten opens herself to embrace healing—even the scarred places that hurt the most. Mercy begs her to remember the past . . . showing her there’s nothing that cannot be redeemed.

My Thoughts

This book was so much better than I was expecting! Not that I was expecting it to be bad I just thought I would like it less than I did. The only real “problem” I had with it was that I am extremely squeamish so whenever the cutting parts came up I was cringing a lot! Though it actually wasn't too horrible and I'm sure normal people will be able to read it without a problem. And now that that's out of the way, on to the good stuff!

The characters were very well-written each with their different pains that they needed to face! The authors did a great job of pacing the revealing of their stories so that you were constantly turning more pages so that you could peel back the layers and see what was hidden beneath. It was so easy to become emotionally involved with all the characters till I really felt like I was in the story.

I also really liked how the authors seemed to have found the perfect balance to create a story that was deep, helped you grow, made you laugh, cry, and left you feeling better for having read it. I highly recommend this book!

About the Authors

Rebecca St. James is a Grammy and Dove Award recipient and a best-

selling author whose books include Wait for Me and What Is He Thinking? Her leading role in the pro-life film Sarah’s Choice won critical acclaim. A passionate spokesperson for Compassion International, more than 30,000 children have found sponsorship through her worldwide concerts.

Nancy Rue is the best-selling author of more than 100 books for teens, tweens, and adults, two of which have won Christy Awards. Nancy is also a popular speaker and radio guest due to her expertise in tween and teen issues. She and her husband, Jim, have raised a daughter of their own and now share their Tennessee lake home with two yellow labs.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.