This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Author. Creator. Adventurer. Human. In that order.
Debut novelist Liv Hadden has been writing ever since she was a little girl. But, it wasn't until 5th grade when her teacher said she'd one day write a book that she started taking it seriously.
Her Shamed series began in college, when Hadden employed her writing as an outlet for her feelings during a serious bout of depression. After a brief, yet impactful first night of writing, she dreamt of a shadowy figure, tormented and demonized by their own mind and realized this was the shadow of pain that hurting people everywhere felt.
She woke from her dream feeling more energized that she had in months, picked up her computer and began to write. "I felt if ever there was a story inside me and a character worth taking the leap, it was Shame and this story," says Hadden. "This one in particular is personal in nature, and perhaps the very reason it's so close to my heart."
Incredibly inspired by artistic expression, Hadden immerses herself in creative endeavors on a daily basis. She finds great joy in getting lost in writing and seeing others fully express themselves through their greatest artistic passions, like music, body art, dance and photography. "I get chills when I have the great privilege of seeing someone express their authentic selves," says Hadden. "I believe it gives us a true glimpse into the souls of others.
Hailing from the land of Ben & Jerry's, Hadden has since settled in Austin, TX with her partner and two dogs, Madison and Samuel.
Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite
In the Mind of Revenge (The Shamed) (Volume 1) by Liv Hadden is easy to read and difficult to review. The easiness rests in the captivating psychology behind the persona of the protagonist, and in the riveting chain of events into which the protagonist, simply named Shame, finds himself or herself. If that last statement confuses you, it's because the reader never really knows if Shame is male or female, but as Shame often muses, why is gender that important?
It's reflecting on issues like gender that makes In the Mind of Revenge more than just a rather exciting read. Liv Hadden leaves us in the dark as to whether this character, who awakens from a coma after a horrific attack by a bunch of bullies, is a girl or a boy. That bullying, and how it affects a young person, is yet another of the social issues raised by Liv Hadden in this book. With a new body, now constructed of metal parts, Shame sets out bent on revenge, and in the first few chapters kills off two of his/her attackers in a most brutal manner. As reason takes over, Shame is now on the run, concealing a badly scarred face beneath a hoodie and hiding in alleys, while trying to locate a childhood friend and first love, Cassie. As Shame searches Baltimore for Cassie, he/she meets up with a host of unusual people, and manages to get beaten up and survive time and again. If a cat has nine lives, Shame has 29, and given that In the Mind of Revenge is Volume 1 of a series, who knows how many more strange people Shame will meet and how many more beatings he/she will take. Oh by the way, this all takes place in the future.
Readers might not be comfortable with the language and sexual references are often borderline. However, such language and references make the protagonist real: this is the way Shame would talk and think. So, for me, that is acceptable, especially as it becomes obvious by the end of the book that Shame has his/her reasons for being the way he/she is, and is really just another human being looking for the good in people and the love we all want.
