12
Thu
March
Black Sheep
by K E Stokes (Author)
£9.75
Blacksheep is a hard-hitting story about a young girl's struggle with an abusive mother and its fallout throughout adolescence into adulthood. During a tumultuous and often harrowing journey, the main character meets with an unlikely guardian and must compromise what is right in order to survive, enhancing the story's outlandish finale.
Description
Gem was a quiet girl from a loving family, or so it seemed. She was four years old and playing in the garden when her mother’s sudden unprovocated and brutal attack changed everything.
A life of intolerable cruelty ensued and Gem existed purely for her mother’s gratification in a home where all personable traces of a once functional family had been systematically removed.
An adverse event during her teenage years forced Gem to leave Lanebridge, so she fled to London to live with her sister, but the sibling relationship soon turned sour, forcing her to seek independence within the hostile depths of a big city.
The effects of childhood trauma and present day issues forced her to seek therapy and try to make amends with her father. The world was full of deceit and uncertainty and Gem seemed to attract life’s predators like a magnet to metal.
Finding love and a successful career finally came, but for an underlying bitterness gnawing at her soul and echoes of her past life twisting all rationale until the presence of an unlikely saviour seemingly appeared from nowhere, watching and waiting.
Justification can be one’s own sense of reality, where we compromise what is right in order to survive.
Publisher Name : Blossom Spring Publishing
Publication Year : 2025
ISBN : 1917938241
Awards or Recognitions : https://literarytitan.com/2026/03/06/literary-titan-silver-book-award-13/
Reader Testimonials / Reviews :
Black Sheep Black Sheep tells the story of Gem, a young girl who begins life deeply loved, only to experience a sudden and devastating shift when her mother becomes cruel and brutal. That rupture shapes Gem’s childhood and adolescence, and the emotional impact of that early betrayal follows her long after she escapes and starts a new life of her own. What makes this book stand out is its originality. This is not a predictable story, nor one that follows a familiar path. There is a thread of bitterness running through Gem’s adult life, but it is interwoven with strange, mystical elements and the presence of a quiet guardian watching from the sidelines. These moments add an unexpected layer to the narrative and keep the reader questioning what is unfolding beneath the surface. The story is full of surprises, with characters who spark curiosity rather than give everything away. Each person Gem encounters leaves a distinct mark on her psyche, and you gain a strong sense of how these relationships shape her inner world. The author does this in a way that feels thoughtful rather than forced, allowing the reader to reflect alongside Gem. This is very much a book that keeps you guessing. You’re never quite sure what will happen next, and the journey builds steadily towards a powerful conclusion that feels more transformative than simply dramatic. By the end, you can clearly see the evolution of Gem as a character, and the changes she has undergone feel earned. I would highly recommend Black Sheep to anyone looking for something genuinely different—something unique, thought-provoking, and unpredictable.
Author Website: http://www.karenestokes.com
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/KEStokes.author
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/smith.k51/
Twitter : https://x.com/KEStokes2
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@karensmith5315
