Review: Providence by Lisa Colozza Cocca

Providence

Author: Lisa Colozza Cocca
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Merit Press
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: ebook
Release Date: March 18, 2014
Source: eARC received from publisher via Netgalley
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Add to Goodreads
Buy the Book

 

 

 

 

 

***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***   

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The eldest of ten children on a dirt-poor farm, Becky trudges through life as a full-time babysitter, trying to avoid her father's periodic violent rages. When the family's barn burns down, her father lays the blame on Becky, and her own mother tells her to run for it. Run she does, hopping into an empty freight car. There, in a duffel bag, Becky finds an abandoned baby girl, only hours old. After years of tending to her siblings, sixteen-year-old Becky knows just what a baby needs. This baby needs a mother.

 

With no mother around, Becky decides, at least temporarily, this baby needs her. When Becky hops off the train in a small Georgia town, it's with baby "Georgia" in her arms. When she meets Rosie, an eccentric thrift-shop owner, who comes to value and love Becky as no one ever has, Becky rashly claims the baby as her own. Not everyone in town is as welcoming as Rosie, though. Many suspect Becky and her baby are not what they seem. Among the doubters is a beautiful, reclusive woman with her own terrible loss and a long history with Rosie. As Becky's life becomes entangled with the lives of the people in town, including a handsome boy who suspects Becky is hiding something from her past, she finds her secrets more difficult to keep. Becky should grab the baby and run, but her newfound home and job with Rosie have given Becky the family she's never known. Despite her guilt over leaving her mother alone, she is happy for the first time. But it's a happiness not meant to last. When the truth comes out, Becky has the biggest decision of her life to make. Should she run away again? Should she stay--and fight? Or lie? What does the future hold for Becky and Georgia? With a greatness of heart and a stubborn insistence on hope found in few novels of any genre, "Providence" proves that home is where you find it, love is an active verb, and family is more than just a word.

My Review:

The plot of this book was very original and not something that I would normally read at all, but since I’ve been trying to read more contemporary, I thought I would give it a try. I enjoyed this book for the most part. It was a quick read and it held my attention the entire time I was reading. However, for me, it ended up being mediocre. It had the potential to be a lot more, and while it was pretty good, it lacked that wow factor I look for in a great book.

The main character, Becky, runs away from home and finds an abandoned baby girl in a train car. She decides to keep the baby for fear of going to the police and having to return to her parents. Becky wanders into a tiny town in Georgia where she meets some nice people and some not so nice people. But she begins to build a life for herself and Baby Girl. I liked Becky. I thought she was caring and selfless, but for some reason I just never really connected to her. Perhaps it was because we had nothing in common (aside from a love for books), but emotionally I just never clicked with her.

The secondary characters were okay as well, but I also never clicked with any of them. I didn’t understand what was going on between Becky and John. They barely spoke and then they just kissed out of the blue. What? Although I did respect the fact that he understood that Becky wasn’t exactly in a place to have a relationship. He gave her plenty of time and space to figure things out. He was definitely a “boy-next-door” type.

I did like the Southern feel to the novel. (Please note I’ve never been to the South so I’m not sure how accurate it is.) The small town judgment Becky received I was able to relate to having gone to high school in a small town. But even with that, we still saw the famous Southern charm. I loved the descriptions of the town’s Main Street. It seemed so quaint and picturesque.

I liked the way it ended and thought that Becky made the right decision. But honestly, this book isn’t one that will stick with me. The lack of connection to any of the characters really killed it for me. Just shows that an enjoyable and interesting plot doesn’t equal an awesome book if your characters are lacking depth. I don’t regret reading this and I think others may really like it. It was an interesting look at being selfless and also learning how to trust and accept others for who they are. Happy reading all!

Have you read this one yet? What did you think of the characters? Did you have a hard time connecting to them like I did?