6 Seconds of Life

by Tonya F Fitzharris

• ISBN10: 1479273074
• ISBN13: 9781479273072
• Publish Date: 1 September 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 3 June 2015
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Createspace
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 303
• Language: English

Reviews

[inlibrisveritas]

3.5 Stars

6 Seconds of Life is a new adult book that focuses on the life of a college student named Maura, which each second that passing her descent towards the water below her we get to see a tiny piece of her life and the actions that made her take that final step towards ending everything.

This is definitely not a lighter novel, but it was one that I ended up being pleasantly surprised about. It was one of those books I had tucked into the dark corners of my kindle, and I just so happened to randomly draw it’s number on a slow day at the store. It tackles the tough subjects of suicide, mental illness, bullying, and divorce (and a few others but I don’t want to spoil any of the story for you), and I think it does so in a way that’s easy to understand and relate to, even if you’ve never found yourself in any of those situations. I did appreciate that the voice and tone of the novel stayed true to Maura’s voice, and didn’t deviate into purple prose or perfect philosophies that many of the books like this tend to do. It’s nice on occasion but most of the time it’s just necessary to have a book with a real voice.

The story itself takes a bit of build up as each little piece of the puzzle falls into place, but for a 300 page book it’s actually a fairly quick read and I managed it all in one sitting. There are some moments where Maura spins so out of control that I wanted to shake her, but everything she did…it just made sense. It’s rare that I find a character that I actually ‘get’ despite them handling things way differently than I would. I saw the reasons for her lack of trust and for her partying in college, I saw the reasons why she felt alone and couldn’t talk to anymore. And I think that alone is what made this one worth reading.

Overall I’m glad I blew the dust off of this one and gave it a try! It has some kinks here and there, but overall it was enjoyable and heartfelt. Definitely a great book for discussion.

[stressedrach]

Wow what an amazing story!
Maura commits suicide by jumping off a bridge but as she jumps she has flashbacks of all hurt, pain, everything in her life that was basically completely miserable.
The book was very emotional and a lot of people will probably be able to relate to it and it was very well written.
It was also saddening that she couldn't come out of that black hole she was in.
I will not say anything further as I do not want to spoil it for those wanting to read it.

I would definitely recommend it.

[violetpeanut]

Wow! This was a really intense and gut-wrenching read dealing with depression and suicide. It made me want to cry, made me want to shake the main character, made me want to scream at her parents, made me want to punch out her supposed friend. An author who can make me feel so strongly is doing something right in my opinion.

Maura has just jumped from a bridge in an attempt at suicide. Told in snippets that start in high school and end in college, we see glimpses of the major events that have shaped Maura's life and brought her to rock bottom. There are large gaps in time which may be jarring to some readers, but I found that it enhanced the feeling that Maura is falling and we're just seeing those moments that flash before her eyes.


Maura is one of the best-written characters I've come across in a long time. She is an utterly damaged person. She has a severe lack of self-esteem and crippling depression that overshadow her relationships with every person she meets. She acknowledges that her life is a disaster but has no idea how to make things right. Her attempts to improve her life are really just cries for help. She becomes obsessive and jealous about her boyfriend. She becomes a borderline alcoholic to loosen up and have fun. Despite her desire to form normal relationships and fit in, she continues to spiral out of control to the point where she feels she has nothing left anymore and the world would be a better place without her. This was really quite an amazing and intimate look at a person struggling with their own self-worth.


As for the plot, I found it absolutely compelling. I knew where things were going to end. I'm not giving anything away when I tell you that she jumps. But throughout, I just kept hoping that something would change for her. From one event to the next I wanted more.


This was a very well-written and compelling read. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for realistic fiction that doesn't mind subject matter that's a little bit dark.