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Against All Odds
Against All Odds is a blunt and emotional memoir about growing up in poverty, surviving horrific abuse, entering the foster care system, and clawing a way toward stability, purpose, and adulthood. The story moves from early childhood trauma to the revolving door of foster homes, then toward the author’s eventual growth, education, service, and advocacy for youth in care. At its heart, the book traces the long road from hurt to healing and highlights both the failures and the rare moments of compassion within the child welfare system.
While reading, I felt the author’s voice come through with a kind of quiet force. The writing is simple, but it hits hard. Scenes of abuse and fear are described without dressing them up, which makes them linger long after you close the book. I found myself stopping every so often just to breathe and process what I had read. The honesty feels brave. It also feels painful, because the book never hides the worst moments. I appreciated that the author doesn’t try to make the trauma sound noble or inspirational. Instead, he shows how messy, lonely, and confusing it was to survive it. That kind of truthfulness made me trust him as a narrator and connect with the story more deeply.
I found myself moved by the way the author talks about resilience, not as some magical trait, but as something built slowly from tiny sparks of hope and small acts of kindness. The sections about teachers, caseworkers, and foster parents who actually cared warmed me more than I thought they would. I also felt frustrated at how often the system failed him and his brother. It made me angry and sad at the same time, because these aren’t rare stories. The mix of systemic critique and personal reflection felt honest and relatable. The author talks about mental toughness, purpose, and choice, but he also never forgets how much environment and support matter.
By the time I reached the end, I felt a mix of heaviness and admiration. This book would be a strong fit for readers who care about child welfare, social work, or youth advocacy, but it would also resonate with anyone who appreciates raw, emotional memoirs about surviving hardship. It’s tough in places, but it carries a steady, quiet hope that makes the journey worth it.
Pages: 204 | ASIN : B0D8K36XWG
My Own Version
Against All Odds is a historical romance novel that gives a Regency spin to the Cinderella story. What inspired you to write this story?
When I was a kid I love the story of Cinderella there was so many version of the story and movies based on Cinderella. I wanted to write my own version of the classic story and and bring it do a Regency era. There is one Cinderella story that stays to my heart is a book called Yeh-Shen by Ai-Ling Louie I found the story magical. So over the years I am grateful to write my own version of the classic tale.
Hazel is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind her character’s development?
Hazel was inspired by my mom and big sister. I took inspiration of both them to make my character. After losing our father long ago. Our mom work 2 jobs to take care of us and my sister made sure that I was watch when our mom was at work. I took from each of them and put them in the blinder and Hazel came alive in my story. My mom with heart and working hard and never giving up. And my sister who is strong and heartwarming.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Making Hazel a strong person. Letting her know that she not along in the world. And there always a choice to make even when you have to give up the things you love to get away from the bad to find the good.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
At the moment I am working on a Suspense Thriller that takes place in 1888. I know it will be out next year. Crossing fingers.
Author Links: Amazon | GoodReads
Against All Odds
![Against All Odds by [Luis Ammerman]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51oZzU6p7iS.jpg)
Luis Ammerman’s Against All Odds is an interesting remake of the Cinderella fairy tale. It follows the life of Hazel, an orphan who is continuously mistreated by her stepmother and two stepsisters. Set in England in the regency era, it is full of colorful language, characters, and events.
Hazel seems to be primarily concerned about getting a well-off husband to whisk her away from her troubles. Even her stepsisters Anna and Mary seem to be obsessed with attending soirees and getting betrothed. And like in every regency romantic piece, the honorable knight, Stephen, does eventually come for the helpless princess.
Stephen is described as tall, dark, handsome, reputable, and wealthy -exactly what you expect from the male romantic interest. Once he enters the plot the story follows their love and all its dramatic ups and downs. The plot will appeal to anyone looking for romantic regency era melodrama in the same vein as the show Bridgerton.
While the plot line is well know, it is still filled with interesting moments that test our main characters in different ways and places them in intriguing situations, but I would have appreciated some unexpected twists.
This book is written for ardent fans of the historical romance genre. It is very easy to read and is quite emotionally charged. It draws you into Hazel’s circumstances and makes it easy to relate with her. It is hard not to root for her, especially after all she has gone through.
Apart from love, the book clearly depicts the themes of family, belonging, friendship, loyalty, and resilience. At the heart of it, it is a story of a girl who refuses to give up on life, love, and hope amid painful circumstances.
If there is one thing the author does a good job of though, it is highlighting the cruelty of Hazel’s stepmother and stepsisters – they are literally the worst people in the book. And while that does paint them in a unidimensional way, it stays true to the Cinderella narrative.
Against All Odds is a well-written Victorian era love story that sets riveting characters against an exquisite backdrop where the drama is high and so is the entertainment value.
Pages: 359 | ASIN: B094RK1DKT
LITERARY TITAN 