Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters

Bully and victim. 

Tormenter and tormented. 

Villain and hero. 

Ellie McCallum was a bully. No connection to anyone or anything. A sad and lonely existence for a young woman who had come to expect nothing more for herself. Her only happiness coming from making others miserable. 

Particularly Freaky Flynn. 

Flynn Hendrick lived a life completely disconnected even as he struggled to become something more than that boy with Asperger's. He was taunted and teased, bearing the brunt of systematic and calculated cruelty, ultimately culminating in a catastrophic turn of events that brought Ellie and Flynn’s worlds crashing down.

But then Flynn and Ellie grew up. 

And moved on.

Until years later when their paths unexpectedly cross again and the bully and the freak are face to face once more.

When labels come to define you, finding yourself feels impossible. Particularly for two people disconnected from the world who inexplicably find a connection in each other. 

And out of the wreckage of their tragic beginnings, an unlikely love story unfolds.

But a painful past doesn’t always want to let go. And old wounds are never truly healed…and sometimes the further you try to run from yourself the closer you come to who you really are.

Review after re-read

This is the story of Ellie and Flynn. Bully and victim. Ellie had been tormenting Flynn, when they were at high school, along with her group of friends getting pleasure from making his life miserable. Flynn has Asperger's and he couldn't understand why people were treating him that way. 

There was no coming back from loving

Flynn Hendrick.

Ever. 

Flynn has found his way deep into my heart and I'm not letting him get out of there. Seriously, thank you for this amazing book! Thank you for this lovely character! I cannot thank you enough for this. It touched me deep and I fell in love with Freaky Flynn. Of course I didn't like the bullying scenes , but sadly nowadays it's expected with the high rates of bullying at schools and not only. This is a sad fact, but it is however a fact. I was glad that Flynn though seemed to fight it and deal with it , at least at the present time scenes.

“I remember everything about you.

Even the stuff I wish I could forget” 

Six years pass and Ellie with Flynn meet again. Many things have changed during those years. But some things had remained the same. 

Was it possible for two people who had hurt each

other so badly be happy together? 

All you have to do is read this wonderful book and find out. Enjoy the ride through the journey between present & past, around Ellie's & Flynn's lives.I highly recomment this book,I'm sure that everyone will fall in love with this guy. 

5 Heart-breaking Stars 

Wow! This was truly amazing. A really tough read but a beautiful story nonetheless. 

Sometimes it was hard for me to continue, the bullying scenes were too much at times but I'm glad that I didn't.

This book was brutally hohest and eye-opening, it touched subjects that most people avoid to acknowledge even though they're big issues in todays society.

This book needs to be read. 

This story needs to be heard.

Bully and Victim.

 This is their story.  

     Flyn has Aspergers syndrome and because of that people in school bully him. Especially Ellie and her group of friends. But Ellie, when she's alone with him, she treats him like a friend, she says she is his friend. Flynn believes her..

After a life changing event, we see them 6 years after as they meet again and try to understand and heal the old wounds. 







 







God! Flynn is just a beautiful person. He has such a pure soul, so trusting, so forgiving even with the people who hurt him, who tormented him.
Flynn pulled out so many emotions out of me. I wanted to go to him and be his friend. He is one of the most loveable characters I've ever read. 

"I hate being alone. I want people to talk to me. 
I want them to like me. It makes me angry
when I try to say something and people ignore me. 
Or worse they laugh. 
They call me names. Lots of names. Mean names." 













And my heart broke for him all over again. Flynn didn't understand all the torment. Why people treated him like that and called him names. 

To everyone else he was weird, a freak like they called him but to him he was normal, this reallity was the only one he could see.

"What's wrong with you?" she asks me 

and my stomach twists up. 

Everyone always asks me that.

I don't understand why they ask me that." 

Walters did an amazing job showing how someone with aspergers syndrome saw the world. His blunt honesty, so innocent, his shy smiles made me love him even more. And I'm glad we got to see the world through his eyes.

Ellie just stole my heart. As mush as I was hurting for Flynn, I was hurting so much more for her. Ellie had a terrible childhood. She had no guidence, being shipped of from one foster home to another she needed to toughen up to survive. She used alcohol, drugs and her body to numb the pain. To make her feel wanted and cared for.

"I hated the joy his pain gave me.

But it was a power I couldn't have anywhere else." 

She didn't know how to deal with all the crap in her life and she needed somewhere to lash out, she needed to make someone to feel as small as she felt, to make him vulnerable so she can be stronger.

Don't get me wrong, I don't condone what Ellie did, it was horrible but I somewhat understand it. 

Flynn and Ellie both wanted to feel loved and cared for but neither of them knew how to express it.

This was an excruciating but beautiful read. It's a story that stays with you forever.

I would highly reccomend this book to anyone.