Gem & Dixie audiobook

Two sisters -Gem 17....Dixie 14 The sisters didn't have a charming - faithful mother -or a strong benevolent father. Adria is a mother who self medicates. Russell, their father - into other women- had been gone for years - but then comes back. Russell brought back with him a backpack filled with cash. With unrelenting poor living conditions--Gem 'especially' felt the burdens being the older sister from so much neglect and abandonment. She also remembers more... and is most suspicious of her father and his 'cash' when he returns. Gem is a buffer - in ways for Dixie. They grew up in the same household- but felt things differently- and were different in personalities. However - they each must find ways to survive and cope. Dixie tends to act older than she is - is more outgoing- flirtatious-and is aware of her beauty. Gem is more a loner. She is also often in her school counselors office - seeking advice.In time... Gem convinces Dixie that they should split....leave their parents - leave their Seattle home - take their father's cash and just leave. Survival only gets harder on the sisters adventure. These two sisters know each other and where they each came from better than anyone else in the world....but they don't hold onto to each other as if they are all that matters. They were taught 'disconnect'......and in time that's what begins to happen to them: they disconnect. There were some very realistic situations in the ways each sister responded to their mother. Dixie, the youngest got along with her mother --she wished for peace between her mom & Gem. However... Gem carried the heavier baggage of knowledge of things that just were not right. The conflicts between the sisters - were in part - 'because' of there different ways of relating to their mother. I thought of my older sister Gail. Gail is 5.5 years older than me. She was almost 10 when our father died. I followed her around like a favorite stuffed bunny whenever possible after our dad died. I loved everything about her...but she often bolted herself. She was angry at our mother's behavior... for leaving me home alone at night at 5.... and for not being a more 'cozy' type of mother. My sister was angry at my mom for not taking me to the doctor when I was sick. ( and I turned out to be very sick in 8th grade).... My sister was mad at 'me' for defending mom - and not her. For not cooking...for lists of things. I was just sad that everyone was leaving -or dying. By age 15... my sister was almost never home. Our relationship suffered for many years. She was angry at me because I wasn't angry at our mother 'with' her. I didn't want to be angry at my mom. I figured I already loss a dad - and my sister was running away. I was hoping for 'somebody'.... even false hope was better than nothing. BUT ... years later - I fully understood things which my sister was dealing with - trying to be the adult - and getting no agreement or validation. It must have been the most lonely experience. A few years after my marriage-- my sister and I began to 'returned' to each other. The day our mother died... [11 years ago]....my sister and I re-built our relationship. I held onto my sister - like a lifeline. I wanted my relationship with her more than ever. She still was never able to forgive our mom... but she understands why I held on 'wanting' a mother - even if most would say she was unfit. My sister and I ARE very close today. I treasure her more than life itself. This book had 'many' of those same 'older/younger' sister elements I experienced ---It's not an award Pulitzer Prize book - but for the 'sisters' of the world - it has elements in here which I think many will relate to. NOT PERFECT ... There are better written books- but--- I liked it for what it was! This is a Young Adult book - heartfelt- tender. The resilience of Gem and Dixie is moving. 3.5Thank You HarperCollins and Sara Zarr

Every new book by Sara Zarr I think, It's not possible, but this one was EVEN BETTER than the last one! So guess what? GEM & DIXIE was even better than the last one!How does she keep doing it? Is it . . . a secret voodoo ritual? Do I even want to know? Nah. I will approve any black magic that continues to bring me books like these. Also, every time she has tackled a topic that could be too sad, or too embarrassing, or simply too raw to make the book enjoyable. Like abuse, teen pregnancy, abduction, addiction, loss of faith, loss of family, loss of reputation. But, although she pulls no punches, and her books are incredibly naked and heartfelt, I've never thought, Whoa, she crossed a line! Or, I really hate this!No, I love it. I laugh. I cry. I see myself and others that I know and love in her characters. She brings about understanding. She makes you see and feel what these lives are like, she makes you walk in these shoes that you never thought you would care about. In short, Sara has an amazing gift, and the fact that she is sharing that gift with the world is an amazing thing.GEM & DIXIE is about sisters, and it's about childhood, and well, not having a childhood. When is a kid considered "at risk?" When does the school qualify them as "in danger?" How bad do things have to be? What if you're not abused, what if you're not homeless, but you've just had enough? You're just close enough to poverty, you're just close enough to not having food, that you try and pretend things are okay, and the adults around you pretend it too? How long can a teen girl go, being the only one in the family keeping it all together, before she cracks? What are the actual duties of a big sister, and how much of herself does she need to sacrifice? This is a beautiful, fascinating look at these questions. I'm a little sister. I went to the book launch with my big sister. Our childhood looked nothing like the one in the book, yet I can see so much of myself in both these girls. This is a gorgeous, honest book, and one that I am pleased to tell you, also contains a great deal of hope. Read this. Read it now. Then, if you haven't, go pick up literally any other Sara Zarr book. You're welcome.

WHHHAAAT???!!!?! A sad book with a bittersweet ending that doesn't involve a love interest??!!?! Someone healing and moving on in life without having to have a relationship?!!?! My single, damaged ass is HERE FOR THIS.

I really like Sara Zarr's style. I haven't read all her books, but I like that she moves around to different topics in her books, and she captures emotional strain soooo well. I felt all the heartbreak and hopelessness of Gem's situation, especially in her last discussion with the high school therapist (oh my gosh, the tears!). Tragic, but also beautiful and poignant.

This story hurt my heart. I felt so much for Gem. I wanted to give her a hug, I wanted to sit and talk to her, I wanted to do so much for her. This hit me in the feels. Damn you for making me feel, Sara.Full review can be found here: https://agingerlyreview.wordpress.com...Holy crow my heart hurt with this story. I knew it was about sisters but this felt deeper and more powerful than just that.Short recap: Gem and her sister, Dixie, have not had an easy life. Their father left when they were young and their mother all but gave up on them. Gem does the best she can to take care of herself and Dixie, even if that means doing what is not right.From the very start, I was cheering for Gem. This girl had been dealt a crappy hand by the universe. Her mother is practically worthless and blames Gem for everything. Dixie, the youngest daughter, could do no wrong. Gem is the one fighting, working, and sacrificing to keep the family together. Their dad left years ago for the next million dollar idea and easy girlfriend, leaving behind the family he shattered. How can I not have my heart tore to shreds after a premise like that? Gem was such a strong character and I adored that. She pulled herself up by her bootstraps and did what needed to be done, even when she didn’t want to. She felt responsible for keeping what was left of her family together. She was constantly met with a disapproving mother and sister that thought she was overreacting. As for Dixie, I did not like her. She walked around oblivious to their reality. Dixie always thought her dad would come home and everything would go back to the way things were. She was living in a fantasy and it wore on my nerves. I wanted to slap her so hard. She was a bitch to Gem every chance she got and always took her mother’s side. She even bought her mother pain pills from kids at school so she could get high. What daughter does that?! The girl had a subscription to her issues. Their parents (I use this term loosely) were just as bad. Mom was in denial and blamed Gem for everything, whereas Dixie could do no wrong. Their dad comes back but only talks to Dixie because he is a con artist and knows how to pick his victims.The plot of the story was a pretty good one. I was intrigued by the idea of their deadbeat dad leaving a backpack with thousands of dollars in cash under Gem’s bed. Gem wants to take the money and run but Dixie, being the brain dead twat that she is, wants to tell her parents. Are you mental, Dixie?! What a stupid idea. They should have just made a run while they could. Instead, Gem treats Dixie to a night away from home. They go to a hotel, order room service, watch movies, and just have fun. The entire time Dixie has a massive guilt complex and keeps wanting to “check in” to let her mom know she’s okay. Traitor. Idiot. Judas. She was the weakest point of this entire story. Everything she did went against what Gem was doing. It felt like she was pulling the entire story down with her, “*sobs* I just want things to go back to the way they used to be! *sobs*” bullshit. That got old fast. I kept wanting and hoping that Gem would drop her sister like a bad habit and move on. Did she? … I won’t ruin the surprise for you. But when you read this, or if you have already, come back and talk to me. We’ll trade frustrations. The ending did feel a bit rushed. The last 15% of the book was a whirlwind as Zarr tried to wrap everything up. I’m not the biggest fan of when authors do this.I will leave you with this: this was a heartbreaking story and a hard reality for the way some families live. I believe this story needed to be told. There was a harsh realism to the struggle of kids today trying to find money for one meal a day thanks to less than interested parent(s). The reality that sometimes one meal a day is all kids will get. Or that they are forced to grow up far too quickly in order to save themselves. This story will kick you right in the feels so don’t go into this thinking it is a feel good story. I do hope people will give this a chance because it is a heck of a powerful reality check.

3.5 stars-Gem and Dixie is an excellent realistic contemporary fiction tale of two sisters who grow up in poverty in Seattle area. The characters are well-drawn and the narrator likable, but flawed. Gem and Dixie True are raised by neglectful using parents, and then later by just their mother. The reason I gave this book 3.5 vs. 4 stars was the plausibility factor of the sudden influx of money- I just found it incredibly difficult to believe, especially in a story as beautifully real in terms of common obstacles facing kids in America today, their sudden, though likely dirty, riches seemed like a cheap way to highlight the differences between the lives of the main characters and their peers and provide an easy plot point to be exploited. Beyond that, I was invested in these characters from the very beginning of the novel, and it reminded me much of a modern day Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voight- I believe a ton of kids and teenagers would really enjoy this one. So 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars- probably my favorite Sara Zarr book so far.

For as long as Gem can remember, she's been taking care of her little sister, Dixie. Their dad is mostly out of the picture; their mom works a lot and has drug and alcohol problems. When Gem gets a chance to escape, she has to decide if she'll be able to tale Dixie with her (or if Dixie would even want to go). I loved this book. It's a hard read (no, Gem's life isn't AWFUL but she still has responsibilities teenagers shouldn't have and it's also pretty horrible that people act like her life is fine because she's not being abused) but there's also so much hope in it. I love Sara Zarr's books because they have these incredibly real characters and the books are intense and amazing. Highly recommended.

Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!Gem & Dixie is a wonderful book about the power of sisterhood and what it means to take care of those who are closest to you, even if that isn't always the easiest thing in the world.Gem has been taking care of Dixie for as long as she can remember - her parents have never been there for them, and in fact, they split up years ago, leaving their mother to care for them, although she doesn't do a very good job of it. Gem has always looked out for her younger sister, taking care of her, feeding her, making sure she does well in school - while their father is out there somewhere chasing his dreams and their mother struggles with jobs, drinking, and drug use. "She used to need me to take care of her, and I liked doing it. I liked doing it because, then, I thought I was the one who could. Even though nobody was taking care of me." It's been hard for the both of them, especially as they grew up and Gem found herself alone - while her mother was sometimes coherent enough to take care of Dixie and befriend her, and Dixie has even recently gotten a letter from their father, while Gem seems to be ignored more often than not. Even at school, Dixie is the pretty one with friends, while Gem tends to be more of a loner, borrowing money for lunch so she can eat, because there isn't any food at home for them.One day, when their father comes back, he buys them groceries and tries to give their mother money to help take care of them, but she won't take it - and she even throws all of the food away, even though she can't afford to buy them any more. Before their mother kicks him out of the apartment, he hides a bag full of money under their bed - more money than either of them have ever seen before. Trying not to think about where the money might have come from, Gem forms a plan - what if they were take that money and leave? Surely they could make a better life for themselves. Gem and Dixie check into a fancy hotel and try to figure out how they can make their plan work. "I wondered if she'd ever forgive me for this whole mess. Everything that happened, it was only because we wanted our parents to be better, to know how to take care of us. We could at least try to forgive ourselves for wanting that." When things don't go as planned, and their father becomes frantic wanting to know where the money has gone, Gem and Dixie are faced with either carrying out their plan or going home to face what they already know - disappointment, struggle, and a lonely world where their parents seem to forget that they exist.I've read a ton of books about kids and teens who have struggles at home, and not too many of them have stood out to me the way that Gem & Dixie has. It's the first book that I've picked up by Sara Zarr, and it won't be my last - that's for sure! As an author, Ms. Zarr has plenty of talent and knows how to draw in readers, making the book one to get lost in and remember.This hauntingly emotional novel is told from Gem's point of view, and gives readers a glimpse into their lives as they struggle for the simplest things, such as finding money to buy food for lunch. There are several flashbacks from when they were small kids, and some from before their dad left them - back when they felt there might still be some potential for them to be a happy family. Reading about the struggles of Gem and her sister is really difficult because it makes you realize that there are a lot of kids out there who are actually struggling in this way.Watching a parent struggle with drug and alcohol abuse is never easy, especially when they are the only parent and they have children who rely on them for care and the fulfillment of basic needs, such as food and a place to stay. Gem and Dixie's mom struggles from addiction, and as the story progresses, she even starts to ask Dixie to get her drugs from people in her school. The ugly reality of this is that it really is an issue for some kids to have to deal with these sorts of things on their own, and then when you throw an addicted parent into the mix, it becomes even more heart wrenching.And that's exactly what this book was, in so many ways - heart wrenching. Reading this tore me apart inside, but at the same time, the bond that Gem and Dixie shared from years of only having each other was the kind of bond that can mend a broken heart. I'm not going to lie - Dixie could be mean as anything to Gem, but deep down, you could tell that she really loved her older sister. Gem, on the other hand, tried her hardest to care for Dixie since the two of them were young children, and even as teenagers she does nothing but look out for Dixie to make sure she is well taken care of.If you're looking for an emotional read with the beauty of sisterhood, this is a really great one to pick up. The characters are full of personality (and sass, in Dixie's case), and it portrays a situation that a lot of kids have to face, making it really hit close to home.Note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This heart wrenching story of sisterhood and self-discovery is beautiful and relatable and surprising and painful. I felt like Gem and Dixie were real live people I could wrap my arms around or take to coffee. And even in their darkest hour, these girls felt complex and lovable, and I was always rooting for them.

GRADE: B3.5 starsGem takes care of younger sister Dixie, as she has all their lives. Gem is more responsible than both their parents combined, their dad gone and their mom barely remembers to stay sober or buy groceries. When their dad returns with a backpack of money the girls take off, but for Gem to be truly free, she may have to leave Dixie behind.GEM AND DIXIE made me feel sad and hopeful and everything in between. Gem is a complex, easily rootable character, carrying more than her fair share on her shoulders. Parentified from a young age, she never stops looking out for Dixie, even as Dixie becomes a teenager and treats Gem poorly. Dixie, a survivor, learned how to get what she needed through manipulation. I felt for her, but wished she appreciated Gem more and treated her older sister better. Sadly, I've worked with parents like theirs and known kids like GEM AND DIXIE.Sarah Zarr has a pleasant writing style and paced the story well. The ending was the weakest part of GEM AND DIXIE and left me feeling meh. It wasn't horrible, but fizzled and didn't live up to the rest of the story.

Gem & Dixie is a great story about two sisters who live with their unstable mother. One day they had both parents then the next minute the father walks out on them never to look back. So the sisters stay close as Gem takes care of her younger sister Dixie. But make no mistake Dixie is young but she is smart as a whip and does things that her older sister does not like.One day their father is out of the picture and next thing they know he calls them and tells them he is coming back. At first Gem is weary about her fathers return while Dixie is so excited to have her father back. But once their father comes back all hell breaks lose. Dixie and Gem find a bag of money under their bed so they take it and run away.When their father realizes the bag is gone he is pissed off and wants the girls to bring the money back. As the girls go on their road trip they discover things about their dad as well as themselves.

This book explores the relationship between two sisters - Gem & Dixie. It talks a lot about their family life. They run away a couple of times but never make it very far. It's a nice heart-felt read about family and relationships, and the bonds of sisterhood. Being an only child, it's hard to really feel that but the books gives a good glimpse at that bond.

TW: Language (a lot of language)--Exceptionally good and realistic, as Zarr always is. I'll write more when I think more on it.

Gem & Dixie: ★★★★Did I really pick this up thinking it'd be a "fun read about sisterhood and road trips" because I was very wrong.This is one of those books which was solely written to make you cry on one page and then restore your faith in humanity on the next and so on, and it worked SO WELL. I am officially weeping.It's not a fun read, if I'm being honest. It's a really hard one but it gives you a strong perspective and the amazing thing about the writing is how much is said that isn't said... if that makes sense?? I don't know anything about the author but I feel like she put loads of research into this book because it felt so, so real.Okay, I just a great idea for a new Silly Goose reviewing unit, and that is the Silly Goose Tear Review, in which I rate how much the book made me cry or want to cry.Tear Review: 💧💧💧/5Notes: Physical eye-watering, mental weeping.

Victims of a toxic home life, teenage sisters Gem and Dixie hold onto the only things they have -- hope and each other. Then one day an opportunity presents itself that could change everything -- maybe. Though the story weighs heavy the whole way through, it brings with it an understanding and acceptance of the futility of a situation most of us have never had to experience. But it also reveals the enduring strength of the relationship of the sisters through all they're forced to endure. Their survival tactics couldn't be more different, and they are both more fragile than either wants to admit, but even as they doubt each other they hang on, because as Gem points out--they're the only ones who know what it's like to be them.This is an insightful look into human nature that kept me hanging on and hoping right along with Gem and Dixie. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.