Cracked Pots by Heather Tucker is the sequel to The Clay Girl. I LOVED The Clay Girl so I had high expectations for this sequel. This continues the story of Ari who is now 17. Ari, is a great character. I absolutely loved her in The Clay Girl. And I love her little brother Mikey who she tries so hard to protect.
I found this book to start very slowly and it took me quite some time to get into it, but I eventually became hooked..
Both books are about perseverance and resilience despite some really crappy life situations.
The storyline in this one, didn’t capture me the way I had hoped. It is definitely about the people in Ari’s life who support her and care about her.
In the end, I liked it but it took a while for me to get there. This is a good book if you’ve already read The Clay Girl and if you like lyrical or poetic prose and you have to be okay with a slower pace. Heather Tucker’s writing is quite beautiful. and the audio is well done as well.

I loved this book. Beautiful characters, gorgeous writing.
Two tiny things- chute not shoot, and Conception Bay is not the eastern most point of Canada.
Still five stars though and that says a lot since screwing up details of NL geography is usually a deal breaker for me. SUCH A GOOD BOOK!

I really wanted to enjoy this book, however, I am not sure if this book was part of another series? I feel like I missed an entire backstory that would have given further context to the book. The storyteller was pleasant to listen to but the story itself still has many missing pieces. The cover is beautiful.

I didn't realise this was a book 2, i having read the first in series. I found the book quite moving and describes a life where nothing comes easy. It is centred around a 17 year old girl living in what most of us term a dysfunctional and abusive family, however this becomes a normal family in many situations. Story of never giving up no matter what is thrown at you, look after each other and learn to look after yourself to survive.Some harrowing situations of abuse and threats however this girl tries her best to break through whilst protecting her younger brother and looking after her incontinent and neglectful mother. The writing and descriptions are excellent and you cannot fail to understand the situations and feelings. Not an author I had read before but will look out for now. It's a long read takes a while to get into the style and the content, maybe because i hadn't read first book, so give it a chance. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

i absolutely loved this book. These characters completely come alive in my mind, they are raw, and gritty. It is ultimately a story of hope and opens our imaginations. This book has beautiful characters and has a gorgeous writing style. The Narrator was perfect, and told this beautifully story by a very talented author and added depth and personality to each character.

Excellent, really interesting read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

"Cracked Post" by Heather Tucker is An Ari Appleton Novel, Book 2.

OH, MY HEART!! I was blown away by the first book, 'The Clay Girl'. I read it to prepare for this one and I'm so glad I did. It was a wonderful reading/listening experience!

Ari Appleton is the sixth daughter of an alcoholic, drug addicted mother and a perverted father. When I first met Ari she's eight years old. As this book opens she is now seventeen years old.

The family Ari is born into is cruel, unloving, not nurturing. Ari strives to keep her life afloat as her family environment continues to deteriorate.

As others begin to fall, Ari falls prey to the unexpected, too but remains strong and a force of hope to others around her. Vulnerable yet resilient, Ari carries on one catastrophe after another, develops a plan, and comes out the other side brighter, wiser and better.

Ari creatively begins to develop her own family through her teenage and young adult years. Her rekindled relationships with her five older sisters, her two stepbrothers, her aunts, even her boyfriends, all become pieces and parts of Ari's new family and her future.

Stone is rigid and unbending but Ari is made of clay. Clay can be shaped into many things. Stone can break a clay pot but the fragments can be gathered, pieced together and reshaped into something different, something better. And so it is with Ari...

You can feel Ari winding down and moving on to the next stage in her life. She's so bright, so hopeful, and it's so exciting to see her grow into herself. I continued to love her story to the very end.

I fell in love with this author's writing style. It's a poetic, witty, and magical journey as she takes me through not quite 15 hours of listening time with the wonderful narrator Laura Kyswaty. I didn't want it to end but I like the way it did! Thank you, Heather Tucker!

Thank you to NetGalley, ECW Press Audio, and Heather Tucker for a free ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review. This audiobook is now available.

Ari is amazing like a pot, she was broken in so many ways, but her mended form, although it takes time to do, is far more amazing than her original form.
Her story, over the years, is a pleasure to read- very unique, but relatable.
How she faces her fears is the real tale- such a gripping read.
I listened to this book as an audio and found the narrator really helped to bring the story to life. I totally e re commend downloading, sticking in your headphones and letting the world pass you by for a bit.

I could not for the life of me follow this story. Too many people and too much going on. It probably didn’t help that NetGalley’s audio is a little muffled making it hard to tell when the narrator was changing characters.

I really enjoyed Cracked Pots, the story of Ari, a 17-year-old girl from a supremely dysfunctional family who parents herself and younger family members while trying to complete high school. The description says the book is about solving the murder of her friend Natasha, but that was really a minuscule portion of the story. Ari spent most of her time and energy trying to take care of and protect her young stepbrother, Mikey, who is also severely neglected. Meanwhile, her mother is a non-functioning alcoholic, her step-father and his friends bully and harass her, she juggles romantic relationships, and has a seahorse spirit guide who talks to her regularly. Ari continues to experience loss throughout the book, and she just keeps picking herself up after each one and finding a way forward, which is really the message of the book. Find your way forward, regardless of obstacles.

Ari deals with a lot of things a 17-year-old shouldn't have to deal with but does so with more maturity and resignation than is seen in the typical child of that age. It's fascinating to watch her navigate the world of adults where most of them underestimate her so she's two steps ahead, and those that know her treat her as an equal.

The narrator did a great job creating distinct voices for each character. I had a difficult time telling when the seahorse was the one speaking, but I think that was also due to the writing. I wish I had read Clay Girl, Heather Tucker's previous novel about these characters, before reading this one because I enjoyed the writing style but am I'm pretty sure I know how that book ends at this point.

Gosh I’m exhausted listening to this rambling book I missed the first in the series but there is no chance I will try it as I’m confused enough by this one.