The Upside of Down Review

The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley

My Rating: 3.5 stars



Back Cover Blurb

"Hmmm," the doctor muttered.
Natalie wrinkled her forehead, almost afraid to ask, and said, "What does that mean?"
"You do know you're pregnant, right?"
Her breath caught in her throat. "Excuse me?"
"You're pregnant."
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. "I'm what?"

Natalie Drake certainly has her hands full raising a large family, dealing with her difficult mother, and maintaining a relationship with her rebellious teenager. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, she finds out another unexpected surprise--she's going to have a baby. Faced with so many challenges, Natalie must learn to trust in a plan that isn't what she imagined and discover that every situation has an upside.

Beloved author Rebecca Talley carefully creates this touching and heartfelt story that is sure to inspire you. With true-to-life characters and situations, The Upside of Down will reignite your faith and remind you of the importance of family.

My Review



Warning: This may contain spoilers...sorry.

This book was written for an LDS audience. Reading this book was very surreal for me. Just like the main character, Natalie, I am an only child with six kids. I really could relate to all of the crazy things that would happen, the snide comments from others about having a large family and feeling overwhelmed with just daily life. In fact, it kind of made me feel good--that maybe I'm not alone. Natalie was kind of a stress case and I think I handled the situations differently than her. I'm a little more easy going.

A couple of years ago, I had to go through the experience of having my child diagnosed with Autism. So even though it wasn't the same disability as in the book, I could understand some of Natalie's feelings. Even now, I have to deal with others not accepting my daughter or the fact that she is quirky, odd and doesn't fit in. Even more...I had another daughter that had a fever at 3 weeks old and I had to take her to the ER. I blubbered the entire time they were doing her tests, including the spinal tap. She ended up having a urinary tract infection just like in the book, although we had to stay in the hospital instead of taking her home. Maybe I didn't pray enough (just kidding).

Anyway, it was crazy how much Natalie's life experience was like mine. We had the poopy finger painting and the haircutting. I'm sure my parents could relate when I, like Andrea in the book (don't mind the fact that we have the same name) was dating someone and had to decide whether to get married or serve a mission. They struggled as they let me make my own choices, even if they didn't agree. In the end, I made the right choice. I guess this book and story really came to life for me...because a lot of it is my life in one degree or another. The only thing I couldn't relate to though, is the husband. He's pretty near to perfect and I'm not sure if any husband is THAT supporting and loving. I wish...Anyway, I enjoyed reading the book and I really loved the resolution at the end-- the dawn after the darkness. Thanks for the ride, Rebecca.