Gybe by Kristi M. Turner - Book Tour + Giveaway
Gybe
By Kristi M Turner
Genre:
YA Contemporary Fiction
YA Contemporary Fiction
Nicole is an 18-year-old, juvenile delinquent who desperately wants to take
control of her life but must find a way to overcome her own
self-sabotage and a judge who will not easily let her escape her
past. She keeps food on her plate and clothes on her back by
stealing. It is far from the life she wants, but she has known little
kindness in her life and, therefore, gives little back. When Judge
Newton charges her for the first time as an adult, Nicole recognizes
a separating path. She can stay on her path to destruction or she can
accept the unexpected generosity of the Kutcher family, whose house
she is charged with burglarizing.
control of her life but must find a way to overcome her own
self-sabotage and a judge who will not easily let her escape her
past. She keeps food on her plate and clothes on her back by
stealing. It is far from the life she wants, but she has known little
kindness in her life and, therefore, gives little back. When Judge
Newton charges her for the first time as an adult, Nicole recognizes
a separating path. She can stay on her path to destruction or she can
accept the unexpected generosity of the Kutcher family, whose house
she is charged with burglarizing.
Child psychologist, Cynthia Kutcher, believes she can help Nicole confront
her anger and build back the self-worth she lost when her father
abandoned her to a drunken uncle after her mother’s death.
her anger and build back the self-worth she lost when her father
abandoned her to a drunken uncle after her mother’s death.
Along the way to building a more valuable life, Nicole meets Keagan, an
affluent young man with whom she begins an often overwhelming love
affair despite the conflicts their disparate pasts bring.
affluent young man with whom she begins an often overwhelming love
affair despite the conflicts their disparate pasts bring.
Rock-bottom.
That’s all that I can think of as I’m handcuffed and
roughly shoved
into the back seat of a police car; saturated with the
stench of urine
and sweat. The cushioned seat is wet with God only
knows what
already.
I glance out
the window, and look at the family whose most
valuable
possessions I was trying to take and I remember my mother
saying to me
one time, “Baby girl, people have gotta hit rock bottom
before they’ll
ever willingly turn their life around.” At the time she was
talking about
my cracked-out father. Little did she realize her daughter
would be at the
bottom of that rock several years later.
The family
stands as still as the columns that hold up their two
story house
while Burkley, the policeman, that I’ve come to know, fills
out the report.
They weren’t supposed to be home. Why are they not at
work? It’s
morning. A young boy with light brown curls poking out
from underneath
his gray, flat bill cap and a girl who looks to be a
couple of years
younger, with her scattering freckles and deep auburn
hair pulled
back in a neat bun, stare back at me; their faces scrunched
up in disgust.
If you only
knew, kids, I think to myself. I do what I have to do to
survive. Not
everyone gets to live in a big fancy house with parents that
will fulfill
their every want and need. I bet neither one of those two has
ever had to
steal anything they needed just to survive.
The father of
the family, looking a little worse for wear with his
slightly mussed
comb over and wrinkled navy khakis, steps away from
his wife and
Burkley. Pulling hard at the knot in his tie, he walks
toward the
kids. He says something as he puts a hand on the young
man’s shoulder
and points toward the house. Both kids start making
their way
towards the front door, the girl, turns to look back over her
shoulder with
mock curiosity. Once his kids are inside, the man walks
back over to
his wife and leans down to whisper in her ear. They both
turn to look at
me, pity highlighting their face.
I hold their
gaze for a few seconds before narrowing my eyes in
resentment.
They seem to have the disgustingly perfect little life I
crave. I know
what I tried to do is wrong, but this is my way of life. I
stare down into
the vomit stained floorboard; by the time I glance back
up, Burkley is
ripping a sheet of paper out of his book and handing it
to the man.
Burkley then gets in the car without saying a word, buckles
himself up, and
puts the car in drive. When he reaches up to flip the
lights and
siren on I say to him, “Are those really necessary?”
He grunts and
flips the switch. “Cuts down on the time it takes to
get to the
station.”
He drives like
he is auditioning for the next Batman role, slamming
me hard up
against the side door with every curve. I am being
bounced all
around the backseat. “Hey! Watch it! You forgot to buckle
me up.”
“I didn’t
forget.” He looks at me in his rearview mirror. “Why
should I waste
my time buckling you up?” His eyes go back to the
road. “At the
rate you’re traveling in life, if we wreck and you die, the
world is less
one piece of trash burglar.”
I’m outraged.
“I am not a piece of trash! I can’t help the bad hand
I was dealt in
life.”
He keeps his
eyes on the road. “Oh stop it! A lot of kids are dealt
bad hands. I
have a nephew, poor kid, who has a druggie for a momma
and who knows
for a daddy. He’s never met him. You know what he
does? He
studies hard to make good grades so he’ll get a scholarship.
He stays out of
trouble. That’s what he does. That boy is going places.
You, on the
other hand, have quit school, and you’re constantly in
trouble. I
personally have transported you to juvy two times in the past
year.” Coming
to a stop, he looks both ways, before pulling out onto
the next road.
“Maybe this time will change you. I doubt it, but for
your sake I
hope so.”
Kristi M. Turner grew up in a quaint little southern town in central
Alabama. After high school, she went on to further her education at
The University of Alabama at Birmingham and graduated with her
Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. She never dreamed that one day she
would become an author, however, sometimes, life throws you curve
balls. After her precious daughter was born, she suffered from
post-partum and all the self-help books tell you to write your
feelings down. For her, that didn’t work. Instead, she wrote Gybe.
Kristi M. Turner currently lives in Curry, Alabama with her husband
and daughter, along with their Shih-tzu, Bingo. She enjoys reading,
writing, Hulu, Netflix, music of all kinds, the beach, and bantering
with her husband on a fall Saturday over football. For their house is
divided. Her husband is a hard-core Bama fan, while she roots for the
Auburn tigers.
Alabama. After high school, she went on to further her education at
The University of Alabama at Birmingham and graduated with her
Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. She never dreamed that one day she
would become an author, however, sometimes, life throws you curve
balls. After her precious daughter was born, she suffered from
post-partum and all the self-help books tell you to write your
feelings down. For her, that didn’t work. Instead, she wrote Gybe.
Kristi M. Turner currently lives in Curry, Alabama with her husband
and daughter, along with their Shih-tzu, Bingo. She enjoys reading,
writing, Hulu, Netflix, music of all kinds, the beach, and bantering
with her husband on a fall Saturday over football. For their house is
divided. Her husband is a hard-core Bama fan, while she roots for the
Auburn tigers.
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