Tag Archives: death of a parent

Review: Bullied by J. D. Jacobs

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Bullied by J. D. JacobsBullied
J. D. Jacobs
Published April 2, 2017

Amazon | Goodreads

About Bullied
When tragedy destroys Ricey Kennedy’s family, Fear is never far behind. Forced to leave everything she’s ever known and move to New York, Ricey thinks life can’t get any worse. But then she meets Katrina, the high school’s mean girl. Day after day Ricey suffers the humiliating onslaught from the smooth-tongued bully, and it doesn’t take long before her self esteem is crushed into nothingness.

Struggling through life, romance is the last thing on Ricey’s mind when she meets the cute Tom Wilson. But Tom is determined to show Ricey that she could have a real chance at a new life and love, if only she can face her biggest fear of all . . .

My Review
One of the most intriguing things about this book was the author’s description of the story being narrated by fear. I thought looking at bullying through the lens of fear and how it affects victims and perpetrators alike would make for a really deep and unusual story, and in a lot of ways, I think that’s true here.

I wouldn’t call the story entirely narrated by fear, though. There are sections where we get this kind of sidebar update on how Fear interacts with each of the characters and why that’s significant. But for the most part, the story follows the point of view of a large number of characters, often hopping from one perspective to another without warning, and gives insight into each one’s thoughts and feelings.

On the whole, I liked the book. Toward the middle I felt like the plot dragged a little bit with some repetitive scenes. I wished the scenes from the teacher’s and dad’s point-of-view had been left out as they interrupted the flow and purpose of the story, in my opinion.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Characters appear to be white, often from affluent families.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Ricey begins to feel attracted to Tom and worries about him possibly betraying her. Their relationship isn’t the focus of the story, but it does become an important component as the story progresses.

Her teacher’s dating life also has a role in the story. Again, not the focus, but she worries about being single forever and feels pressure to find a husband, fast.

Spiritual Content
Ricey recalls her mother asking her to promise to keep loving God no matter what. A couple of times Ricey has significant conversations with mentors about her anger toward God. I thought these got a little bit clichéd.

Fear comments several times on working for the Boss, which we assume to mean God. In the story, Fear behaves in the service of God, sometimes driving the other characters toward healthy behaviors by a survival instinct. Other times, Fear directly challenges them, providing opportunities for growth. While I think this worked on a practical level, I occasionally found it difficult to reconcile this with Biblical principles. I wished there had been an aside clarifying how the story world fits into the Biblical worldview. Just to reduce any confusion readers may have.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Ashley remembers drinking wine at a family wedding and making choices (befriending a guest) she regrets later.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Review: The Hopper-Hill Family by Erika Castiglione

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , ,

The Hopper-Hill Family
Erika Castiglione

Amazon | Goodreads

Twelve year-old Piper has always dreamed of having a sibling. She never imagined gaining three siblings in one weekend. But that’s exactly what happens when a tragic car accident brings her three orphaned cousins to live under her roof. Between their grief and the shock of the cross-country move, the cousins’ first days are rough. Piper tries to be her best self, to comfort them, but it’s hard to know what to say and do. She and her parents wrestle with the desire to welcome the three into their family without making them feel they have to forget their parents.

I think telling this story from Piper’s perspective was an interesting choice. She functions primarily as an observer, watching her parents wrestle with this unexpected change and watching her cousins work through grief in different ways. It’s not that Piper doesn’t have her own adjustments to make. She’s pretty mellow and even, kind of just goes with the flow of things, but she does have to face her own trials in the course of the story.

The conversations between Piper’s parents felt real and true to life for people experiencing not only grief and regret over lost loved ones but also feeling torn about bringing three children they feel they barely know into their home. While I loved the relatability of those moments, I felt like I didn’t get to hear enough from Piper. I wanted more dialogue between her and other characters.

As a divorced and remarried parent, I’m always looking for books that address issues of grief and blended families. Though The Hopper-Hill Family doesn’t merge families due to divorce, I felt like it presented some of the same questions, fears, and grief that children in a newly blended family might feel, as well as creating a sense of hope. Piper doesn’t experience the loss of her own parents, but her close observation of her household and her care for and patience with her cousins shows empathy and kindness in the face of the kind of grief that often leaves us not knowing how to respond to survivors.

All this might make the story sound really heavy – it’s not. I read through the whole tale in an afternoon. Despite the sad topic, it’s got a lot of hope and a lot of emphasis on what it means to become a family.

Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Sam, Cora, and Seth’s family all attended church in their Colorado town. Sam requests prayer at bed time after he moves in with Piper’s family. Cora continues to pray and keep in touch with a spiritual mentor. Piper’s parents worry that their non-religious home will be uncomfortable for the kids, but don’t make any changes regarding their own practices.

Violence
References to a car accident which killed two people. A child and dog are injured in a car accident as well.

Drug Content
Seth smokes cigarettes. Piper’s family eventually confronts him about this and he agrees to try to quit. Piper’s Uncle Carlos comes home drunk and vomits on the floor. He briefly tells Piper that he’s addicted to alcohol but moves out rather than getting any help. Later he sends a note to the family explaining he’s been clean for a few weeks.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship: Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Because You’ll Never Meet Me
Leah Thomas
Bloomsbury USA Children’s

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Unusual circumstances lead two remarkably different boys to become pen pals. They’ll never meet, as Ollie is severely allergic to electricity and Moritz relies on his pacemaker to keep his weak heart pumping. Ollie lives in an isolated cabin deep in the woods, longing for people and things he can never have. Moritz lives in a crowded city and longs for nothing more than solitude. As they compose autobiographical letters to one another, each discovers that what he needs most is a true friend.

Don’t be fooled by the mild-mannered premise. This book explodes with sci-fi-esque drama as the boys explore the secret genetic experiments which connect them. Bring your willing-suspension-of-disbelief and be prepared for the reward of a wild ride. What tops the story, though, are its central characters. Thomas has created a distinct voice for each boy. As the letters progress, each boy grows. They challenge one another. They wrestle with the obstacles and losses that life throws at them. They draw us in and move our hearts.

I read somewhere recently that one of the benefits of reading for children (indeed for us all) is that it inspires us to have empathy for those different from ourselves. Thomas succeeds in this venture. Through her words, we share in and sympathize with Ollie’s desperate optimism and Moritz’s fragile first rays of hope. We find ourselves reminded about the power of honesty between friends, about the vital truth that we are all valuable, all human. It’s a powerful, ultimately inspiring story.

Language Content
Profanity used with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Brief kissing – boy/girl and once boy/boy.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Moritz and another boy suffer at the hands of a bully. Descriptions are short but disturbing. The bully ends up severely injured later.

Drug Content
None.

Soundclip from Audiobook (available at Audible.com)

Review: Canary by Rachele Alpine

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Canary
Rachele Alpine
Medallion Press
Published

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Sixteen year-old Kate still reels from the recent loss of her mother. Now she and her brother Brett communicate with their emotionally-absent father through a series of post-it notes. When Dad lands a new job as basketball coach at a ritzy private school, he opts to transfer both kids to the new school.

Kate, determined to adjust and desperate to reconnect with her father, begins attending basketball practices and cheering from the stands. That’s when she meets Jack, a gorgeous and popular star player and boyfriend of any girl’s dreams. But the thrill of being Jack’s girlfriend soon loses its shine when she discovers several unsavory habits of his. Jack pressures and Kate bends, pressing herself into the mold he expects her to be. Then with one drink, everything changes. Those who should protect her wound her instead, and Kate begins to unravel.

But beneath her tumultuous emotions and failing hope, Kate finds a steel resolve within herself. Instead of being destroyed by bullying, she finds her voice and dares to make herself heard, no matter the consequences.

Canary is a raw and beautiful story. At intervals, Kate’s often poetic and poignant blog posts appear, adding another layer of depth to an already fascinating story reminiscent of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak or Sarah Dessen’s Just Listen. Fans of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher may also enjoy this novel and its bold attention to the devastating problem of bullying in schools and communities today.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No F-bombs, but regular use of other swear words.

Sexual Content
Several references to sex and some jokes about aberrant sexual behavior. A girl discusses pressure to engage in sex with her boyfriend. She succumbs to his persistent requests. At a party, a boy drugs and attempts to rape a girl who is barely able to fight him off. The scene is pretty brief and without a heavy number of details. The instance sparks rumors, rude comments, and general mistreatment toward the victim.

Spiritual Content
Brief reference to heaven in the context of a funeral conversation.

Violence
During the assault, the boy shoves the girl, bruising her. Several boys bully another boy in the cafeteria. Students also harass the assault victim.

Drug Content
Several scenes features parties at which teens consume alcohol. A boy slips a drug into a girl’s drink, rendering her disoriented and helpless.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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