Review of “Back To Me” by Michaela Bush!

Congratulations to Michaela Bush on her newly-released novel Back To Me! I’m excited to share my review for this raw, powerful story! First up, some book and author info!

(EDIT: I accidentally trashed this post – don’t ask how or why cause I have no idea lol, so because I published it again, this might be the second time you’re seeing it XD)

Back To Me Blurb

I’m not me anymore.

Bridget Owens spends her days working and her nights trying to escape the nightmare she was born into. One year after leaving her old life, she still sees ghosts, hears threats, feels nails digging into her flesh, and can’t sleep unless she wants to wake up sobbing. Her memories become a graveyard of who she once was, and she nurtures it daily until she reaches her breaking point.

When Nick, a childhood friend, suggests help at the last moment, she finds it hard to sit across from a counselor who says he cares. She finds it impossible to trust anything, even herself. She’s broken, and she isn’t sure how to put the pieces back together. What if they never fit right anymore?

A story of redemption, calling, healing, and recovery.

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My Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 stars

Wow. I wanna say I have no words, but that wouldn’t be very helpful for this review, would it? All I can say is Michaela Bush deserves a round of applause. Back To Me is a gritty, raw story of redemption and forgiveness, healing and trust. It gets dark and painful at times… but it’s the sort of painful that reminds me of when Aslan was peeling off the dragon scales from Eustace Scrubb. (If you don’t get that reference, DUDE WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WITH YOUR LIFE ALL THESE YEARS? Go read the Narnia books after you read the review – oh, and after reading Back To Me, of course. 😉 )

In other words, it’s a good painful.

(Heads up: I’m gonna write this review in a more stream-of-consciousness way, instead of the usual sections I break up things into. But as always we’ll start with the characters first.)

Each character came alive for me. I loved the cast of such different people with their own backstories and conflicts who each came alongside Bridge and supported her in their own unique ways through all the darkness she was going through. It was so touching and heartwarming.

And, of course, I immediately sympathized with poor Bridget. I love how, IMMEDIATELY, we are hooked into the story with the first line “It overtakes me like the crashing waves beneath the bridge I frequent.” Now that, ladies and gents, is how to pull off a first sentence that captivates, raises questions, and sets the tone for the rest of the book. Wonderfully done. (And I know I’m getting ahead of myself… but don’t even get me started at that ending!!! AHHH SO BEAUTIFUL!!!! I CAN’T EVEN)

Now, I shall not lie. *sighs* I eventually got kinda fed up with how depressed Bridget was, how cheerless she felt, how nothing good ever happened. But the gradual, slow change felt so realistic and… it just needed to happen that way. And since she’s plagued by C-PTSD, it would’ve been ridiculously unrealistic for her to quickly get over it. So overall, Michaela did a remarkable job writing Bridget, creating a sympathetic, flawed, broken character who I rooted for the whole time!

As for Nick… what’s NOT to love? He’s so gentle and caring and boyish. 😀 I love how he was kind of relentless with Bridget, trying to get her to open up and be the friend she needed, while also respecting the boundaries she put up. (And the budding romance between them at the end was absolutely heartmelting and I ship them so hard.)

I also loved Nick’s relationship with his sister Nat. *grins to myself* That was sooo fun to read about. After all, good siblings relationship in books get me ev-uh-ry time.

This quote sums up each main character so well, that I have to share it: “Nat’s persistence, Nick’s protectiveness, Olivia’s unassuming presence, and the pastor’s deep-seated knowing that could unnerve the calmest person in the world.” Back To Me wouldn’t have been the same without any of these characters. Pastor Moore especially was a lifesaver, and was written very well. Poor Bridge really needed someone like him in her life!

The content in this book was pretty dark and heavy since Bridget’s backstory dealt with a pastor’s perversion, abuse, corrupt church leadership, etc. Sometimes, it was honestly rather exhausting to read because of that. But the author handled it so well, especially through how Pastor Moore counselled Bridget through the trauma. I love how it all pointed to Christ in the end, how the story illustrated how God heals the most painful of wounds, how He is our strength when all else fails.

The prose was clear, vivid, and immersive, with some beautiful metaphors (I love metaphors, hehe). And I so appreciated any bits of levity interspersed throughout to lighten things up, whether that be through something a character says or a sarcastic or humorously understated thought Bridget has. The story was slow-paced, but not in a way that you notice. It’s so character-driven I just didn’t even stop to think about how not a lot was happening externally. Which I am more than okay with – I LOVE those more introspective character-focused books.

Overall, I very much enjoyed reading Back To Me and am excited to read more by the author!

Favorite Quotes

When I lean into the dark that likes to envelop me, the demons that say I’ll never be okay and that I should stay down and wallow…I’m not healing at all. When I push against It, when I pray against all of this and follow His nudges instead of rejecting His help, that’s when His power moves. When His light floods in.

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I am Bridget Owens.

I am twenty-five.

I am brave, and I am strong even if strength means clinging to God when I can’t stand anymore.

I am not just a victim, a safe target. I am not just a nutcase. Not just broken, but healing. Gentle waves lick up my arm, silencing the sensations for a few moments. It invigorates me, makes me breathe more deeply. I’ve been deprived of oxygen for far too long.

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He gazes at me like I’m a million stars on a moonless night, and it doesn’t make me squirm.

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Doesn’t that last quote just hit SO HARD (even if you haven’t read it yet!)? 😍 Are you excited to read Back To Me? Have you read any other of Michaela Bush’s works? And for a random question, what fun autumn activities are you doing this year? (They don’t have to be big things; just something you can’t properly do in any other season! 😉 )