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Book Review: What Happened to Hannah by Mary Kay McComas
by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . January 28, 2012 . 11:00PM
Sometimes, you have no choice but to go home again. Hannah Benson left her hometown 20 years earlier due to a tragedy that she has not yet moved past. However, when she receives a call from her old flame letting her know that her mother and sister have passed away and she is now the guardian for a niece she has never met, Hannah takes a deep breath and prepares herself for what is coming. Hannah has her reasons for not returning, Grady among them, but her niece, Anna, is there and she feels responsible for making sure Anna is cared for, which is more than anyone ever did for Hannah.
What Happened to Hannah by Mary Kay McComas is the story of what can happen when we allow ourselves to let our guard down and try to move beyond our past hurts. More so, it is a story of what happens when we forgive ourselves and allow ourselves the understanding of the people around us and why they make the choices they do. What Hannah discovers about mercy, compassion and love will fill your spirit as well.
As a character, Hannah is endlessly complex and completely frustrating. The entire book is spent talking her down from a ledge of her own making. But isn’t this what we all do? We spend so much time making up drama in our heads and then dealing with the upset from that that the real life issues we have are minuscule in comparison. Hannah moves through the story keeping secrets not only from the other characters, but from us, the readers. It was frustrating to have a clear understanding of why she was doing what she was doing until the end of the book, but the tension was not altogether unpleasant.
Other characters in the novel were pleasantly involved, but I found Grady to be a little too supportive. He showed so little emotion and the end felt inauthentic. I wanted more of Grady’s story and to know what Grady was doing when he was going home at night. Or what he was thinking, feeling or doing at work. How was Hannah’s pulling away really affecting him? There is a little of this in there, but I could have used more insight into both him and Anna.
Out of all of the characters, Biscuit was probably my favorite and I can’t tell you why without giving away some key details of the novel. If you read it, just know that I appreciate his wisdom beyond his age and his ability to truly see people as they are. I enjoyed the addition of Biscuit to the novel.
What Happened to Hannah is not a difficult read, though it may be for those that have abuse in their histories. The story is an interesting one, though there were some turns that I would have expected to be explored more fully (Jim). Either way, this is one that is a take it or leave it, but if I had the choice again, I’d probably take it.
Note: I was given a free copy of this novel in order to review it. Thank you for allowing me to share my opinion.
Life is like a game. We all have challenges, thoughts, opinions and beliefs. Often, it feels like something out there, life, karma, catty people, or blue shells (for the Kart lovers), seeks to bring us down. Luckily, we always get up. This is where I wear my heart on my sleeve and my foot in my mouth.
