Book Review Coming Soon!

I have my first book to review! I am so excited to read it... Here you will find a little teaser from the pages I read last night:

"Often we feel life is unfair. Hard times and tough circumstances can trigger self-doubt and despair. I understand that well. But the Bible says, 'Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of any kinds." That is the lesson I struggled many years to learn. I eventually figured it out, and through my experiences I can help you see that most of the hardships we face provide us with opportunities to discover who we are meant to be and what we can share of our gifts to benefit others."

"...my 'burden' could also be a blessing, offering me unique opportunities for reaching out to others, empathizing with them, understanding their pain, and offering them comfort...neither my faith nor my sense of purpose grew strong until I went through some very scary times."

"...I despaired over my circumstances , feeling that I would never be 'normal.'...My heart ached. I was depressed, overwhelmed with negative thoughts and didn't see any point in my life. I felt alone even when I was surrounded by family and friends."

"If you have the desire and passion to do something, and it's within God's will, you will achieve it."

"You may hit hard times. You may fall down and feel as though you don't have the strength to get back up. I know the feeling...we all do. Life isn't always easy, but when we overcome challenges, we become stronger and more grateful for our opportunities. What really matters are the lives you touch along the way and how you finish your journey."

And all of these excerpts are from the Introduction!!!!!! I cannot wait to devour this book page for page! Full review and title coming soon!

By The Time You Read This, I'll be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

I just finished reading

I was immediately enthralled by the cover of BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, I'LL BE DEAD. It was a quick read at only 200 pages, yet it also was an uncomfortable read. I couldn't read it in one sitting because I wanted time to really analyze what I was reading. Julie Anne Peters does such a wonderful job diving into the head of teenager who feels hopeless. There were times I could feel Daelyn's pain jumping off of the pages at me. Daelyn is trapped in a life she cannot stand. She has tried numerous times to end her own life, and her resulting failures only add to her anguish that she shouldn't exist. The plot is centered on a message board that Daelyn stumbles across during an internet search. It turns out to be a message board of all individuals who are contemplating ending their own lives. Once she enters the website, she has only 23 days until the day of the deed. Each chapter counts back as the days tick away.

I read this book trying to incorporate two points of view. I wanted to consider the impact of bullying on the receiver. The similarities to what Daelyn lived through--her own private hell during her primary years--was eerily similar to some of the teasing I can recall as a young student. For this reason alone, the novel feels real. She hears so many negative comments from her peers, mostly directed towards her weight that she begins to believe them to be true. However, I also wanted to read this book from the point of view of a parent/educator. What were the warning signs Daelyn gave for her deep depression? She was so isolated, she never made eye contact with anyone, and her self-esteem had plummeted. How could the influential adults in her life not notice she is once again contemplating her own death? For this reason, also, the novel felt real. Every day suicide occurs among young adults and there are typically warning signs gone unnoticed.

For this novel, I would want to know more about the reader. It gives numerous ways to end one's life, and even goes as far as to tell how painful the deed would be. On one hand, I wouldn't want to put this book into the hands of a student who feels similar to Daelyn, completely hopeless. However, there are several useful resources listed in the back for bullying and suicide that would be helpful knowledge for most young adults.

I do love the way the author tries to portray Daelyn as a stronger person towards the end of the novel. I was certainly left with questions lingering, which educators will love. There is room to be creative. The discussion questions at the end are also really helpful to dive into the novel and examine your own predefined notions. More importantly though it will allow anyone who has noticed bullying, been bullied, or is a bully see how devastating and detrimental that teasing someone can be.

The only negative things I can say about BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, I'LL BE DEAD are:
* Each participant of the message board is assigned a Jane Doe user name; it can become confusing at times when the writers are changing'
* This novel also uses quite a bit of profanity, but does not allude to any sexual connotations.
* I didn't like the ending; I wanted to know more.

You can buy the book here. You can visit Julie Anne Peter's website here.

Bayou (Volume One) by Jeremy Love

I just finished reading Bayou (Volume One) by Jeremy Love. This was my first encounter with a graphic novel, and I am impressed. It's not a book that you will stay awake all night reading. You can read it cover to cover in about an hour. A graphic novel uses artwork to replace most of its words, so there is very little writing. You will spend more time analyzing the artwork to follow the plot than you will spend actually reading the story. With this said, the artwork is very powerful. It conveys many emotions and deals with some of the "not so nice" parts of American history, specifically Southern racism.

Directly from the back of the text:
South of the Mason-Dixon Line lies a strange land of gods and monsters that only Lee Wagstaff is aware of. When a terrifying creature emerges from the swamp and snatches her white playmate, Lee's father is accused of the kidnapping. In order to save her father from neing lynched, Lee must rescue her friend from this fantastic and frightening world, born from centuries of slavery and civil war. Her only guide is the blues-singing swamp monster called Bayou. Together they treck across a hauntingly familiar Southern Neverland, on a journey that will drastically alter both their lives... Bayou (Volume 1) collects the first four chapters of the critically acclaimed webcomic series by Glyph Award nominee Jeremy Love (Chocolate Thunder, Fierce).

Summary:
Love plays on the phenomenon of a fantasy-like world where Lee, a young African American girl, sets out to save her father by delivering the truth. Her daddy has been accused of a crime that he did not commit. In a "white world" he is destined to be lynched. Lee wants to prove his innocence. The world she ventures into mirrors the world she lives in." I believe that the Kansas City Star sums it best by saying this novel is "Spellbinding...powerful stuff, filled with hope and hate and trust and betrayal." The truth is, our world can be not so pleasant at times. This should not surprise anyone, but may leave younger readers full of questions and mixed emotions.

Lingering Thoughts:
Due to its content, I would recommend this novel to mature young adult readers. The artwork may appeal to a younger reader, but the theme of the story isn't to be taken lightly. Racism has been deeply rooted in the South, and that is not new to us. However, younger readers may be deeply affected by some of the graphics (including lynchings, a child being swallowed by a giant, "violence" in general, etc.). I only recall one instance where profanity was used.

It will leave you hanging, so I encourage you to purchase Volume Two with this book. There will be a Volume Three available in the future.

Click here to read more about the author, Jeremy Love. Click here to buy it!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I just finished reading




This is from the back cover of the book:
Once I'm on my feet, I realize escape might not be so simple. Panic begins to set in. I can't stay here. Flight is essential. But I can't let my fear show.

Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. The Hunger Games have begun.

The book trailer should intrigue you to read this novel.

The Hunger Games - Book Trailer from Sara Pyle on Vimeo.

Lingering Thoughts:
Wow! This book was hard to put down. It is the first of the series by Suzanne Collins based on war and its affects on young adolescents. With every dramatic twist and turn of its plot, I found myself wanting to know more. I thought Collins was brilliant to incorporate a "reality tv show" theme. It was also quite refreshing to see a female protagonist which often is over looked. The nature of the book itself will make it appealing to male readers, while the playful relationship between Katniss and Peeta (two of its primary characters) will appeal to female readers. I would classify their relationship as a modern day "showmance" for the entertainment of the audience who are watching The Hunger Games.

Although this book eludes to violent scenes, I wouldn't say they were any more graphic than what many of us dare to watch on primetime television.

I can not wait to see the movie that is set to begin production in 2011:


Click here to buy the book.

Click here to learn more about Suzanne Collins.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

I just finished reading


This is from the back cover of the book:
Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.

Lingering Thoughts:
This is a great book! I do not recall any usage of inappropriate language or content, so I believe it is completely safe for all age groups to read. As a Christian, I really appreciated Sparks' intertwining Christian principles within the story line, such as the importance of having a healthy relationship with God and an active prayer life. Although Christianity is mentioned, it isn't overpowering.

One characteristic that really stood out to me was Ronnie's relationship with her parents. I found it to be much like the relationship I shared with my parents at her age. I, too, was rebellious teenager eager to take on the world. Now, as a parent, I valued the attitude and parenting style of Ronnie's father. He tried to reach Ronnie on so many different levels, but he never force their relationship on her. He loved Ronnie enough to give her the space she needed to grow up as a young woman. This, in my opinion, had to be so unimaginably difficult for him. However, I feel he knew that was important in allowing Ronnie to see her need for family.

Another aspect of the novel's theme which resonated with me was the affects of associating with certain peer groups. For this reason alone, I recommend this novel to young adolescents. It easily illustrates how falling into the wrong peer groups can change one's life. In fact, it almost costs one character, Blaze, her life.

My only complaint of this novel was that I found it to be a bit predictable. Half way through the novel, I knew what the ultimate outcome was going to be, so I wasn't in a hurry to finish it--it didn't really leave me on the edge of my seat needing to know more NOW.

I am excited to see the movie when it comes out on DVD to compare/contrast the book and theatrical production. Here is the trailer if you want to check it out:




Click here to buy the book.

Click here to learn more about Nicholas Sparks.

The Shack by William Paul Young

This is from the back cover:
Mackenzie Allen Philips's youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgement he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

In the world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant THE SHACK wrestles with the timeless question: Where is God in a world filled with unspeakable pain? The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

Lingering Thoughts:
I love that this book addresses many of the questions that we ask ourselves day to day. I hate that it uses the pain of a family to answer said questions. We've all been a predicament where we ask ourselves, "What if I had only did...? What if I hadn't done....?" These are questions that Mack wrestles with after the abduction of his daughter, Missy. He places blame on himself (and GOD) for the terrible circumstances surrounding her disappearance. He finds himself asking, as I am sure you can relate to in midst of tragedy, "Where is God in my pain?" I felt this way while enduring infertility for five years. I wondered "Why me?" instead of "Why not me?" I felt forsaken by God or punished for past sins. All of these emotions made me feel even more inadequate, but now, after reading a book that addresses many of these concerns, I don't feel so alone. I feel God truly does understand that "when all you can see is your pain, perhaps that is when you lose sight" of God (page 98).

I also loved how this book encompassed what God expects of us regarding forgiveness. Mac has a really troubling situation in which he must forgive someone who hurt him dearly. He struggles with how to forgive and justifies his hatred of this individual until God intervenes and shows him the freeing power of forgiveness.

A final important topic which this book alludes to is the humans ability to be judge and jury of our brothers/sisters. I felt complete conviction during the chapter in which Mac was to be the judge at the risk of saving only one of his children and forsaking the other. Wow! Completely powerful!

If you haven't picked up this book to read you should! It's really good!

You can buy the book here and visit the book's website here.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

This is from the back cover:

Junior is a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian reservation. Born with a variety of medical problems, he is picked on by everyone but his best friend. Determined to receive a good education, Junior leaves the rez to attend an all-white school in the neighboring farm town where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Despite being condemned as a traitor to his people and enduring great tragedies, Junior attacks life with wit and humor and discovers a strength inside of himself that he never knew existed.

Inspired by this own experiences growing up, award winning author Sherman Alexie chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one unlucky boy trying to rise above the life everyone expects him to live.

Summary:
This book is about stepping out of your comfort zone in order to achieve your dreams. It's about going against popular opinion and taking control of one's destiny. Junior is the first to leave his reservation. An extremely bright and intelligent student, Junior is frustrated by the current education he receives on his rez. After all, he discovers he is studying from the same text books which his mother once studied from. So, in one witty (yet courageous) moment, Junior decides to seek better education outside of of his rez, or in the "white-world."

His reservation doesn't take this decision lightly. He is chastised and criticized for being a traitor. He even loses his best friend, Rowdy. In hindsight, Junior feels he doesn't fit in anywhere; he no longer fits in on the rez and, at first, he isn't accepted by his new white friends either. This book touches on controversial topics such as racism, sexual connotations, alcoholism, poverty, and death. It also emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and family. There is some language and sexual references, but overall, this book is fantastic! I really enjoyed Alexie's writing style and found this novel to be comical. This is the second time I have read it. I would recommend it to high school students or "mature" middle graders because of the sexual connotations.


Lingering Thoughts:
There were so many important life lessons in this book. One of the most touching moments in the novel to me was when Junior's coach is trying to convince Junior that he can take on his former basketball team.
"I can do it," Junior said to his Coach, his teammates, to the world.
"You can do it," Coach said.
"I can do it."
"You can do it."
"I can do it."
"[Junior is thinking] Do you understand how amazing it is to hear that from an adult? Do you know how amazing it is to hear that from anybody? It's one of the simplest sentences in the world, just four words, but they're the four hugest words in the world when they are put together."

I really enjoyed that Alexie chose to portray the image of supportive parents, because so many young adolescent novels do not. I believe students will enjoy the drawings through out the novel. I believe they really add character to the novel and to Junior. Here is an example you would find:



Check out the author's website here!

You can buy the book or take a peak at the first few pages here.