Books often send us on an emotional roller coaster of tears (both of happiness and of pure sadness) pain, like that one you get in your gut when something major happens, and that great urge to throw the darn thing across the room. Eleanor by Jason Gurly did all of these things to me.
The synopsis of Eleanor is as follows: 1985. The death of Eleanor's twin sister tears her family apart. Her father blames her mother for the accident. When Eleanor's mother looks at her, she sees only the daughter she lost. Their wounded family crumbles under the weight of their shared grief. 1993. Eleanor is fourteen years old when it happens for the first time... when she walks through an ordinary door at school and finds herself in another world. It happens again and again, but it's only a curiosity until that day at the cliffs. The day when Eleanor dives... and something rips her out of time itself. (Source: Goodreads)
Needless to say, this was a book I absolutely couldn't put down. I am not often a sci-fi fanatic, but this book would put that to the test. It touches on important and controversial subjects such as PTSD, alcoholism, and depression, and follows a unique process of healing. It shows you that what we are born into doesn't necessarily define us, but presents us with choices, and then slaps a ton of emotions in your face (in a good way).
The story is well written, timeless (literally), and full of the love and compassion and struggles of normal life while also pulling you into a enriching magical fantasia. The combination is anything but overwhelming, but definitely like a drug you can't get enough of. (Hey, it's better than being addicted to Cocaine, right?) Needless to say, I highly recommend this book the anyone looking for a getaway. Who knows, maybe we all have potentials like Eleanor's within us?
