Kids have a lot of energy; they act out in class, lie, and exaggerate tales. Trouble-making behavior is typical, or is it? This is what the police, schools, and other adults believed when they saw a young girl acting out and telling stories to her friends.

Why wouldn’t anyone listen to her?

As a child, Niki did not stand a chance against her abuser. He was intelligent, calculating, and manipulative. The isolation and anger threatened to consume her, leaving behind an empty shell.

She’s Done Pretending became more than one child’s experience of abuse; it is written permission for those who tire of being controlled by the abusers in our world. It is about persistence, resilience, and hope. Niki provokes a feeling of power behind standing up for yourself and taking your life back.

REVIEWS

She’s Done Pretending is a permission slip. It’s a permission slip for readers to step out of their abuses, heartaches, and abandonments…and to step into the light of a better life. Bergler’s story, although difficult to read at times, shines light on one woman’s story of perseverance and triumph over unbelievable odds. She uses her story to show us, the readers, that there can be “life after internal death.” Through graceful writing and a fiery spirit, Bergler inspires us to see that life is what you make of it. Let this book be your permission slip to create the boundaries needed to live your best life.

~Sarah Krosschell

It is impossible to put down a story about a brave woman who overcame a heart-wrenching childhood. This book is a must-read.

~Alexander Veglahn