I just received my first review for my new Free e-book, JUSTINE.

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March 20, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

A great addition into the personality of Justine, after reading ‘Not My Story To Tell’ Both books together honour The life of Justine -ups and downs and the love and strength of the family supporting her

My book Not My Story To Tell has been reviewed all over the world. Here are what my readers are saying:

USA

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December 7, 201

Format: Kindle Edition

My heart ached and was warmed by this moving story of Justine, a young woman who struggled with a bipolar mental health condition, as told by her loving mother. Nearly every parent can relate to the trials and tribulations of raising teens and many of us know the pain of seeing our children step down the wrong path. That’s why this story is a story for all of us. It is a story of love, acceptance and forgiveness of our children and of ourselves. I highly recommend this book.

Canada

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December 30, 2017

Format: Kindle Edition

Not My Story to Tell accomplishes what it sets out to do. Cathy Lynn Brooks makes “Justine’s life matter.” Cathy shares her daughter, Jus tine’s, story from a mother’s point of view, in a telling. mater-of-fact style without “sugar coating.” She helps other teens “not feel alone” and other parents “realize they are not alone” in parenting children with severe mental health issues.

Cathy asks many good questions and raises some as she explores a difficult subject matter with sensitivity. I felt compassion for her as I read of her life on the outside—of what occurred, the commiserators’ empathy, and as she sought help beyond pharmaceuticals. One can only hope that caring for the mentally ill has improved in the years since Justine’s youth. Perhaps new therapies such as EMDR will bring some healing to children and their parents.

This is Cathy’s story to tell and now that Justine has died it is doubly so. As the subtitle so aptly states, this is the story of a mom who both loved and lost her daughter. I am grateful for Cathy’s bravery to venture here. She demonstrates how a mother and daughter can experience love and forgiveness and cultivate a relationship after a grievous offense.

It was Cathy’s hope that Justine help her share Justine’s story but unfortunately that story was lost to us when she was killed in the accident. I hope Cathy’s story inspires teens, and people of all ages, to tell their stories. In my opinion, this story belongs to all who it affects—family, friends, educators, law enforcement, and medical practitioners, and all these stories need to be told. I can’t think of anyone who is not affected by mental health issues either personally or with someone they know and love. I commend Cathy for sharing her story.

Australia

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1 March 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

Cathy Lynn Brooks’ memoir is a tribute to her daughter, Justine. It is told simply and concisely. It’s a quick and easy read; some of the content is as many normal family circumstances: school, first jobs, graduation-and there are also some very difficult times too. There are many ups and downs; making bad choices, as lots of teens do. So many times Justine has a lucky escape. It’s not all sad times and bad times-as Cathy says: “It was easy to overlook the troubling times because things would go so well for her at other times.” Justine very sadly died at the age of 29 years old as a result of a car accident.

Cathy felt a strong urge to tell Justine’s story. She really felt it might help other people who are bi-polar and family members of people going through this and other mental health conditions. The author spent forty years working with special-needs children and young adults. She would have been used to the usual scenarios, yet nothing could have prepared her for when the troubled teen was her own daughter.