This book had some pretty ugly topics and I get that’s what it was about but I still feel like the main character was just too young to be inflicted with so much. I just hate to think there are so many kids out there going through this same thing. It was good but not upbeat enough for my taste.

🌀Synopsis
Bria’s life is chaotic. After her drug dealing father leaves, she’s staying with her aunt but nothing feels right. Bria ends up loving some sort of double life at her young age. She’s lying to her aunt and sneaking out at night to see an older guy. Her sneaking out just leads her down her fathers path too. She sneaks back to their old house and finds drugs he left there. Once she starts taking them, she can’t stop.

I had a hard time believing the FMC was only 15. All of the drinking, smoking, pill popping, and sexual encounters she experienced felt like too much for someone so young, but perhaps that’s exactly the point: addiction can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any age.

Regardless, I have to admit the FMC was so unlikeable and selfish (a typical trait of an addict), but I really did feel for her and hate that her youth was stolen from her so early in life. It really makes you think about the real-world opioid epidemic and how many are silently suffering. It’s depressing, and I hate it here.

(Thank you, ECW Press Audio and NetGalley, for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

This reads kids of like an updated Go Ask Alice for today's Gen Z. It's dark and emotional. They describe it as a dark comedy, but I don't get that vibe. It's just dark, in my opinion. It gives an astonishing, but probably accurate, portrayal of what it's like for young people today who get into drugs. As a teacher, this both upset me and made me think about my students who are experiencing a lot of the same things as Bria with unstable home lives. As a book, not a whole lot happens, and it's mostly just Bria talking about her life and her past. If you like a book that's more people-focused rather than action packed, then this would appeal to you.

Wow. That was heavy. This book made me sad. It was an eye-opening look into the trap of addiction and how our circumstances shape who we are and who we become.

Bria is a 15-year old who's dad is in prison for selling drugs and who's mom is an addict and not in the picture. Bria lives with her aunt and cousins and could likely have changed her attitude and outcomes but, as is true in so many adolescent cases, chooses to do otherwise. There were many times in this book where I found myself not liking Bria, and other times when I felt sorry for her.

We watch as addiction takes hold of her and alters her decisions and life path. The ending make me hopeful, but overall it all just made me super sad. That being said, I needed to keep listening to see how everything turned out, so it was an engaging story and very relevant to things going on in our world today and the struggles many teens face.

The audio narration was very good and overall this wasn't a bad book, but it's definitely not a feel-good story. If you're looking for an eye-opening, heart wrenching, coming-of-age read or listen, this one is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for athe ARC audio version of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Nora Decter's WHAT'S NOT MINE is a heartbreaking tale of a young teen girl's summer caught up in a tragic environment of addiction in this coming-of-age/literary fiction in search of survival. It is both absorbing, darkly witty, and funny at times—a powerful and moving tale.

We meet Bria Powers, almost 16. Life in the town of Beauchamp is miserable, depressing, and claustrophobic. It is sweltering with insects and drugs.

Her mother was addicted to drugs and left when Bria was four. Her father is in jail for drug dealing. His girlfriend overdosed on fentanyl.

She lives with Aunt Tash and cousins Ainsley, Emily, and Doug. She and her best friend (cousin), Ains, babysit Ain's younger siblings, and they work at the fast-food Burger Shack at night.

Bria has an escape at night, an older guy named 'Someboy' she hangs with. In addition, she is receiving pornographic images from an anonymous sender via cellphone, which is not Someboy.

Turning 16 for Bria is not exciting as she does not have a life as a normal girl, and her Aunt's live-in boyfriend, Rick, is disgusting. Bria soon turns to pills, alcohol, and drugs and becomes addicted. She is drowning. Can she get help and rehab before it is too late?

WHAT'S NOT MINE explores a town facing environmental and social issues of addiction and how a young girl is caught up in a situation without a lot of control and no way out. It's a sad world with no strong role models. Can she break free?

Beautifully written with lyrical prose, dark and heartbreaking. Your heart goes out to Bria. The author captures the complexities of human experiences and balances them with dark humor. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I listened to the audiobook skillfully narrated by Billie Baird for a spellbinding performance. Written in a diary-journal-like format, I enjoyed Bria's POV, the waterslides, her love of her cousins, and the stunning metaphors. Timely, this story could be ripped from today's headlines.

WHAT'S NOT MINE is for fans of Between Two Trailers by Dana Trent, Educated by Tera Westover, The Women We Burned by Rachel Louise Snyder, and Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks.

Thanks to ECW Press and NetGalley for a digital advancing reading copy for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: April 2, 2024
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I love reading CanLit so I was excited to read WHAT’S NOT MINE by Nora Decter and I quite enjoyed reading it earlier this week. The main character, Bria, is sixteen years old and spends the summer working at a burger shop, taking care of her little cousins and spending time with her sorta boyfriend while living with her Aunt and her best friend/cousin. Her narrative voice felt very authentic so it felt like I was reading a YA novel. There’s some heavy stuff in this book as Bria deals with addiction, overdose, and creepy men. I liked the small town setting as everyone seemed to know everyone. I liked the balance with some more humorous and lighthearted moments and the audiobook narrator Billie Baird did a great job. This topic can be difficult to read but I found the storyline very engaging.

The girls we sent away is a very engaging story of Lorraine, a girl who has big plans for her life but very little agency to actually make them come true.

Is a mid century story, a historical fiction story, a southern story, and overall, a sad story about what happens to girls when they are taught nothing but expected to know everything.

After being with a "nice" boy for a while, he asks her to marry him before he goes to college and on his last night with her, he decides to go all the way with her and she let's him, but as you can imagine, things quickly go from bad to worst for her and she ends up at a place for " girls like her".

This story is very much of its time, and even though it is a story we have heard before, it was very well written, and it had me captivated for the whole book.

If you like coming of age stories, women's stories, mid-century stories, this one is the one for you.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fabulous! The story was interesting but some of it felt a bit disjointed in the way it was told. I would definitely read another by the author.

What's Not Mine by Nora Decter takes us through the summer of for Bria Powers. Bria tells about her trauma, struggle with addiction, her family dynamics, all while trying to be a teenager.
This book made me emotional and uncomfortable while listening because of his adult Bria's experiences were. This book is a great coming of age story to give the listeners an idea of what growing up is like for some now.
I definitely suggest listening/reading with caution and checking trigger warnings.
Thank you Netgalley and ECW Press Audio for the eALC.

3.5 stars. The summer Bria turns 16 is a rough one for her. Her mother disappeared years ago, her drug-dealing father is in jail, her (sort-of) stepmom has OD’d (with Bria saving her), her boyfriend is borderline abusive and someone keeps sending Bria dick pics. Although she lives with her loving aunt and three cousins – one of which is her best friend, Ainsley – it is not enough to keep her away from fentanyl, which has recently infiltrated the local drug scene. This is a story of gradual drug abuse and how easy it is to become addicted, especially opioids. With all she is dealing with, it doesn’t seem so bad that Bria takes an occasional pill to calm herself down. But when she finds herself panicked that her supply is nearly out and realizes how much her life has changed since she has been using, Bria must face the music.
Billie Baird does an excellent job of bringing Bria to life.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for this e-arc.*

An insightful look at the opioid epidemic told from the POV of a young Canadian teen who finds herself addicted. Moving, heartfelt and oh so relevant! This was great on audio and I look forward to reading more from this new to me Canadian author! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

A coming of age novel following Bria as she tries to find her place in life.

Living with her aunt, as her mother recovers from addiction and her father serves a prison sentence, Bria falls under the spell of Some Boy Aka Brian. While she initially finds the relationship exciting, a chance meeting with bear, serves to show her what and who really matters.

Touching on cyber stalking and drug abuse, What's Not Mine evokes all the confusion and uncertainty of being a young adult.

What's Not Mine by Nora Decter explores the dark complexities of family, addiction, and survival against the backdrop of a small town devasted by the opioid epidemic. We follow 16-year-old Bria, the protagonist, on her journey through a tumultuous summer and witness her descent into dangerous behavior. The narrative is fast-paced and unfolds naturally, especially in its audiobook format. I would recommend this book to fans of Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead.

Listened to this on the way back from Wales on a train journey, great relaxing listen. Was able to listen and finish in only 3 days. Really enjoyed the pace and plot

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for gifting me this ALC of the audiobook to review.

Unfortunately, this book was not my cup of tea. To me, a good book has to either be enjoyable to read or convey some sort of knowledge or insight or emotion into something in a unique way and this book was neither for me.

The whole book I was asking myself a) what is this book trying to tell me and b) how realistic is this representation?

Regarding a) I am sure most people have heard of the fentanyl crisis before and I fear that the book does not tell us more about it apart from that it exists and that the younger population also suffers from it. This was not news to me and I don't think this would be news to anyone that picks this book up.

Regarding b) obviously I don't know the realities of a fentanyl addict, not being or knowing one myself, so I won't comment on this. But what is more concerning to me is that this book is marketed as a young adult novel and narrated from the perspective of a 15/16-year-old. Having been a teenager before, I feel like I can comment on this. The narration felt a bit off for me. The MC deals with a lot of adult topics but does so very numbly and coldly. I understand that if you have been in certain situations before the novelty will wear off and emotions won't be so high, but there is no self-reflection happening on the MC's part regarding her actions her emotions and the emotions of others. As a result, the narration did not move me. Of course I was hoping for some sort of resolution for the MC, but the emotional depth of the story was just missing. This is not a coming-of-age story, because nothing was overcome or learned.

To conclude, this YA story dealt with a lot of adult themes without allowing their emotional depth, there was very little to no self-reflection happening on the MC's side which puts a lot of responsibility on a (teenage) reader to come to their own conclusions. This along with the inconsequential ending made the story feel very surface-level.

There were no problems with the audiobook adaptation.

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for gifting me this ALC of the audiobook to review.

Unfortunately, this book was not my cup of tea. To me, a good book has to either be enjoyable to read or convey some sort of knowledge or insight or emotion into something in a unique way and this book was neither for me.

The whole book I was asking myself a) what is this book trying to tell me and b) how realistic is this representation?

Regarding a) I am sure most people have heard of the fentanyl crisis before and I fear that the book does not tell us more about it apart from that it exists and that the younger population also suffers from it. This was not news to me and I don't think this would be news to anyone that picks this book up.

Regarding b) obviously I don't know the realities of a fentanyl addict, not being or knowing one myself, so I won't comment on this. But what is more concerning to me is that this book is marketed as a young adult novel and narrated from the perspective of a 15/16-year-old. Having been a teenager before, I feel like I can comment on this. The narration felt a bit off for me. The MC deals with a lot of adult topics but does so very numbly and coldly. I understand that if you have been in certain situations before the novelty will wear off and emotions won't be so high, but there is no self-reflection happening on the MC's part regarding her actions her emotions and the emotions of others. As a result, the narration did not move me. Of course I was hoping for some sort of resolution for the MC, but the emotional depth of the story was just missing. This is not a coming-of-age story, because nothing was overcome or learned.

To conclude, this YA story dealt with a lot of adult themes without allowing their emotional depth, there was very little to no self-reflection happening on the MC's side which puts a lot of responsibility on a (teenage) reader to come to their own conclusions. This along with the inconsequential ending made the story feel very surface-level.

There were no problems with the audiobook adaptation.

Bria Powers is 15, living in Beauchamp with her family. She is spending the summer with her aunt and cousins, as earlier in the year she got caught in a situation where she saved the life of her father's girlfriend after overdosing on fentanyl. Bria is struggling with how to deal with the trauma following the overdose, and continues to put herself at risk, from the company she keeps, to the alcohol and drug choices she makes herself, and not spending time with the good choices. To top it off, she keeps receiving "dick pics" from a random number, she's not allowed back to her house, and her dad has once again disappeared without a trace. As she struggles through the summer, she continues to fall more and more into her hole of her own making. When she discovers who sent her the mysterious "dick pics" she feels like she has reached rock bottom.

The story is heartbreaking and troublesome, while being somewhat relatable all at once. Bria is in a terrible situation and her options seem limited, causing her to face the difficulties herself.

The audiobook was well produced, and enjoyable to listen. The narrator was very engaging, and fitting for the story.

I will be recommending this to anyone interested in the premise. It was very good.

“What’s not mine” by Nora
Rating: 4/5
Narrator rating(audiobook): 5/5
Genre: fiction

To me, this book is about found family and true love, the kinda love that comes from your family and friends, people who really care about you.
I do not enjoy reading about addiction and drugs, but this book kept me interested. I genuinely wanted to see how Bria will finish her summer. She is way mature for age, and she’s dealing with some real adult issues.
The writing is funny and cozy, the story flows beautifully and each character is well placed.

The narrator did a fantastic job. I have no criticism for the amazing narration.

Thanks Netgally for providing me this review audiobook copy.

3.5 Blush Read

The blurb grabbed me, and I know it wasn't romance, but wow, this book was a hard listen for me. It was just ongoing sadness, chapter after chapter.
I did find it fascinating and sad; growing up in a world of addiction for Bria has changed her. She's been around it all her life, and slowly but surely, it begins to seep into her life. She has an amazing Aunt and cousins who try to keep her from succumbing to that life, but it's almost inevitable. Witnessing this slow descent was hard at times to see, but it gave me, the reader and someone who's never seen this, an inside view of addiction.

In a tragic story, the narrator gives life to the characters. The optimist in me would have loved an epilogue that showed Bria years later, living the life she often imagined and the one I truly wanted for her.

My heart hurts for this little girl and I wish I could just hold her and tell her that she doesn’t need to drown herself or her feelings in hate. That there is something so beautiful inside her, just fighting for a chance to get out. I was completely awestrucked by this story and almost brought to tears several times throughout. Briia, the main character grew up around addiction and started her addiction at an early age as well. This clearly takes a toll on her mental health, appearance, friends, and her chosen family that are there to support her. Without spoiling the story, everything finally catches up to her and all is how it needs to be. I related to this story in ways I didn’t understand, and still trying to figure out. This is a beautiful work of prose, and I wish it was 8 hours longer.