A Penny's Worth by Nancy DeRosa
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am not really sure where to start with this review. I liked the book alright but it was nothing special. I was not a fan of the writing style. The switching between
character names and pronouns were odd. I feel like the pronouns were used incorrectly and at odd times. The fact that main character called her mother by her first name sometimes and mom the others irked me for some reason. Chapters were spaced oddly, with weird gaps that made no sense.

On the story itself, it was acceptable. I enjoyed how much we got to see Penny change but the constant self degradation was not flattering and Penny cried far too often for me to like her. Also, I had a difficult time with her increasing alcohol consumption. It was like the only way she could make friends was when she was drinking and I have a problem with that belief.

I did love Penny's mantra of "I'm worth more than that." As a therapist myself, having a mantra is something I encourage all my client's to do. Even when you don't believe it, reminding yourself is a powerful tool. I loved that many chapters ended with Penny repeating her mantra to herself. My own personal mantra comes from He's Just Not That Into You (the book, not the movie) which says "I'm not the exception but I am exceptional!"

My favorite character was nurse Reins who I thought they could have developed more. She seemed like a great mentor and someone who challenged Penny in good ways. Less mom, less self deprecation, more empowerment please!

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