Stray: Memoir of a Runaway

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Stray: Memoir of a Runaway is a memoir of a 16-year-old girl who runs away from her dysfunctional family, having experienced both mental and emotional abuse. It takes place in Port Alberni, BC and Vancouver, BC. Her journey towards a happier life takes many detours. She experiences living in the drug scene, the goth scene, and the drinking scene in her new living environment. The book covers two years of her life.

I am having a difficult time reviewing this book. Kirkus Reviews liked it: (https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/tanya-marquardt/stray-marquardt/).  Amazon gave it 3.5 stars and Good Reads has it at 3.42 stars (1007 Good Read reviews at the time of this writing). I have mixed feeling about this book. I want to like it but I just don’t, at least not very much. It did not draw me into her story as I hoped it would while reading it

I was compelled to finish reading it, but in the end, I walked away feeling that something was missing.  The story feels disjointed to me and the ending left me wondering what else happened. I sincerely hope that writing this memoir has helped the author. If that has happened that this book is successful, at least for the author.

Would I recommend this book to anyone? Not really. If someone was looking for a memoir from a lost soul I would recommend Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed.

My rating of this book:

2 out of 5 stars

You can tell I am not a fan of Stray: Memoir of a Runaway. One book that is so much better is Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen, by Sarah Bird.