Chantelle Branch’s book, Decisions, is an emotional roller coaster ride…blindfolded. The reader knows that you are on a ride, but you do not know when or where the twists, turns, and drops are coming.
We follow Branch’s main character, Maci Stevens, through an arduous journey of emotional and physical abuse.
Maci is a bright, young, beautiful woman from Chicago whom you think never would be caught in the sticky web of domestic abuse. Branch’s Decisions reminds us that that is no “typical victim” when it comes to Domestic or Intimate Partner Violence. Branch’s vivid and detailed descriptions bring each character to life. If you are anything like me, you will find yourself developing relationships with each one of the main characters. There are many times while reading this book that I caught myself talking to or yelling at the characters out loud. Branch weaves in an undercurrent of how each decision a person makes has short and long consequences on their future.
As you read, you will also notice how Branch transforms the culture of the City of Chicago and the culture of its inhabitants into another character. Even though Decisions is fiction, its background is set against actual events that add additional realism to the storyline.
The Cycle of Domestic Violence is an issue that permeates the deepest levels of our society, and Branch takes us through all of the highs and lows of this cycle through the eyes, life, and experiences of Maci. Do NOT buy this book until you ready to be “in your feelings!” When you are ready, Decisions is a “must-read.”
Buy this book if you are a survivor of domestic violence. Buy this book if you know someone that is a survivor or is in the grasp of domestic violence. Buy this book if you are a professional that works with people in domestically violent situations or if you want to know what it is really like being in a violent relationship from the inside looking out.
The bottom line is that your decision is an easy one…buy Decisions by Chantelle Branch.
