To Laugh Well: A Novel Audiobook By JC Alaimo cover art

To Laugh Well: A Novel

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To Laugh Well: A Novel

By: JC Alaimo
Narrated by: Josh Horowitz
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"Sometimes a person needs to be lost."

Alexander Biden dreamed of new beginnings that only leaving for college could deliver. But when an unexpected visitor shows up the weekend he moves to Augustine University, he becomes uncontrollably anchored to a haunting past.

While new friendships, one-night stands, and pharmaceuticals help him regain fleeting moments of normalcy, it's in a dangerous love affair that his fate lies.

©2018 JC Alaimo (P)2018 JC Alaimo Coming of Age Genre Fiction

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I saw that needing coming from a mile away and I couldn’t do anything to stop it. This book will have you laugh, cringe, and cry. Just be for warned. Everything is a party until someone gets hurt.

Saw that coming

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Alex had been in a download spiral that began to slowly scrape away at his very psyche. In spite of a room full of people, he was miserably alone. In his own way, he was trying to reach out for help but didn't know where to begin No one was listening. His silent cries for help went unheeded.

To Laugh Well

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I always hesitate when it comes to young adult novels, you never whether you're going to get something closer to hunger games or something closer to well one of the numerous other bad young adult novels. With the terrible forced romance

Good Young Adult

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Listener received this title free

Audiobook review **SPOILER TYPE REVIEW**

To Laugh Well, by J.C. Alaimo is a book about Alex, a high school graduate entering his first year of college, going to a different college than his girlfriend, and really being away from his home for the first time. What starts off as "normal" college behavior (binge drinking & partying on the weekends) quickly escalates to habitual, everyday habits and consistent poor choices. This is a story about a kid with all the potential in the world, and his too-quick spiral into chaos.

This is one of those books that I've been putting off reviewing because I just didn't know what to say. I finished this book and immediately felt blank. I don't know how else to explain it. For the entire book I found myself rooting for Alex, wanting him to make the obvious good decision, only to feel actual anguish when he chose the wrong path over and over. This book made me think back to the people I went to college with - those that I shared a dorm with, and which ones might have actually been going through something like this. How often I found myself in those very "chose your path" situations and am lucky to have made most of the "right" choices - the ones that didn't lead me down the path Alex kept choosing over and over. It broke my heart. This book broke my heart...that's what I'm trying to say. I'm not sad that I read it, I'm just sad that Alex's story had to end the way it did. I literally gasped "NO" with my hand over my mouth as it ended. While that sounds overly dramatic, I can easily slip back into the feeling this book left me with.

I have a son who is not even close to being college age and it made me think of ways that I could start now to make sure he knows to make positive path choices. I live by the saying "moderation in everything" and that includes things that are bad for me. Like Alex, I have a very addictive personality so I'm constantly telling myself that I can do something this weekend, but not again for many weekends. Alex couldn't say no. I know too many people who suffer from not being able to say no. This is a scary reminder of why "moderation" is extremely important. It's also a reminder that we need to let our friend and loved ones know that we care about them, regardless of their choices and that they can come to us for help no matter what.

The narration by Josh Horowitz is striking. He has a fantastic, convincing voice and he reads this book seamlessly. So much so that I had to double check that it wasn't the author self-narrating.

I requested and was given this book by the author, narrator, or publisher in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The sad journey of a lost young adult.

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wow what can I say about this incredible book I think it's just a wow book one of those that you want to cherish and cuddle and love this one was an incredible experience I just adored this book so very much
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review

sometimes a person needs to be lost

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