A Rose for Melinda by Lurlene McDaniel

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: August 2002

Stars: (5/5)

Cancer isn't the worst ting that can happen to a person.  And neither is dying young.  Taking life for granted, living badly-these things seem far worse to me.  In many ways-ways that count-I'm the luckiest girl in the world.
-Melinda

Melinda Skye was a bright, intelligent, and driven little girl.  To her, Jesse Rose was her best friend, a boy deeply attached to all things Melinda.  From first grade and on, these two were joined at the hip.  Leaning on and confiding in each other like only best friends do, it was no surprise when they felt something more towards each other later on in the book.  This story is one of loss, love, and life beautifully written through "letters, journal entries, e-mails, doctors’ reports, and instant messages."

From a young age, Melinda and Jesse connected with each other.  Jesse even attended Melinda's first ballet recital for the Nutcracker, presenting her with a single rose that he bought all by his little self for the end of her performance.  When Jesse's parents started to have problems and decided to separate and divorce, Jesse was still young, and the Skye family was there for Jesse and practically took him in as one of their own.  The Roses were very grateful towards Lenny and Elana, Melinda's parents, because Jesse's mother had to work while Jesse was supposed to be brought home from school.  Jesse was deeply against going to an after school care program and preferred to spend his time with Melinda and her family.  The Skyes even made him his own room in their basement.  It was because of this arrangement that Jesse and Melinda had a very hard time adjusting when Jesse has to move away with his mother.  Separated, the two decide to email each other so that they could keep in touch no matter what.

As they grew up, Melinda became an amazing ballerina, working hard to fulfill her dream of becoming a prima ballerina and work for a huge dance company.  As she worked her way up the ranks, she got more important parts in the annual Nutcracker performances and was invited to an elite dance opportunity taking place during her summer vacation.  She later became best friends with Bailey, a boy-crazed girl at her school.  At the same time, Jesse got into skateboarding and began to have problems with his father who started to want to become more involved in his son's life.  Jesse is conflicted with this due to his loyalty to his single mother and her decision to go to college while his now married dad lives in New York with his new family.  During all of this, Melinda and Jesse talk about all of the previously mentioned things above contained in their personal messages to each other.  Despite their distances, can these two fall in love, especially at such a young age?

Suddenly, Melinda collapses during one of her special dance opportunity classes and is rushed to the hospital.  It is here that she finds out that she has leukemia.  She is only in her beginning teens and has a promising future ahead of her.  Everyone has to bear with it one day at a time, including her and her parents and friends.  Melinda wants to see Jesse soon, and he can't wait to get to her, but what will happen after they see each other for the first time in years?  Will what they feel for each other make it through all of the e-mails and phone calls, or was it all just a dream?  And most importantly, will Melinda make it through these tough days or lose the battle against her disease?

There are certain authors whose books I can continuously read, over and over again, year after year.  People like Rick Riordan, Darren Shan, Neal Shusterman, and...Lurlene McDaniel, are just a few.  Lurlene McDaniel always seems to amaze me.  Despite the fact that this book was only a short novel that consisted of 208 pages, it packed an amazing punch.  All of her books do.  By punch I mean that her stories leave me thinking about them for days.  She puts a lot into those pages, so much so that you wish it was longer.  They're beautifully written and full of heart and soul.  This is one of my favorites of hers.

Melinda and Jesse were so cute together when they were little.  The letters that they wrote to each other from first grade started out with Jesse signing his name from "Signed, your friend" to "Your friend" changed to "Your very good friend."  It's really adorable.  As they get older, you really get to see more into their lives, their dreams, and their struggles.  While it may sound that you only get to hear from Jesse and Melinda, you also get to read things from each of their parents' perspectives.  This was really interesting.  Not only did you get to see the hardships that the two teens face through Melinda's treatments, but you are also able to see into the eyes of what parents must go through in these situations.  I can't even imagine what people must go through when their children get sick.  It's unthinkable.  However, I think that Lurlene McDaniel does a great job portraying this.  She's an amazing author whose written over fifty young adult books.  That's a huge achievement!

I felt like Jesse and Melinda were real people.  The problems they went through were what people today have to experience all the time, divorce, sickness, relationships, and loss.  While this type of writing, in letters, conversations, and the like, may seem odd or unapproachable, but it was brilliantly executed in this book.  McDaniel outdid herself with this one.  Melinda just felt so real.  She never gave up on her dreams and desires, no matter what happened to be thrown in her path.  She was a true fighter, a true hero.  Jesse was also a true hero.  He fought for what he wanted and for Melinda, giving up so much so that he could give her things that would make her happy during the rough patches, including his skateboard.

A Rose for Melinda was ultimately awe inspiring.  It was heartfelt and a truly great read.  I think that many teen girls would love this story and all that it represents.  It definitely deserves a roaring five stars for its unique voice and inspiring presence in literature today.  I hope you have the chance to read it because if you do, I think that you won't regret it.  Maybe, you'll love it as much as I have and share my same feelings!

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Night Road by A.M. Jenkins

This review was written by: C

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: May 2008
Pages: 368

Stars: (3.5/5)

Short summary of the story:
Cole appears to be your normal everyday eighteen-year-old boy, aside from the fact that he's a vampire. Well, his kind prefers the term hemovore, or "heme" for short. Cole once lived in a small Ohio settlement until he was accidently turned by Johnny, an ancient heme, that, in the present day, has been running a fully functional heme colony at a location known as the Building. Cole enjoys the road and stops by occasionally to catch up with old friends. His most recent visit, however, is quite different. Johnny has requested Cole's presence and has a favor to ask, he wants Cole to train Gordon, the colony's most recent accident.
Cole, whose abilities lack in the mentoring department, holds little faith in himself for this task. He reluctantly agrees and hopes that he won't repeat the mistakes of his past. He is joined by Sandor, the one who turned Gordon, as they hope to make the young man an independent heme, who will eventually fend for himself and not draw attention to their kind. They hope that their travels on the road will allow Gordon to easily transition into his knew lifestyle, but there are so many well-thought-out plans that never go as expected, especially when you have a moody teen heme and a brooding Cole to contend with.

I was so glad when I discovered that A.M. Jenkins stuck with so much of the original vampire lore that I have grown to love, and I also enjoyed her own little twists to the hemes. Her characters were modern, yet held shattered pieces of their pasts that hinted at years of existence. These pieces appeared as relics of the hemes origins that they would never release, it gave them something to hold onto that brought back both happy and despairing memories. I found Cole to be the most interesting character. He viewed himself as an object outside of time, one that would forever witness the deaths of those around him as he was allowed to live. This is why he enjoyed the road so much, he would never stay too long in one place, so that he would never become attached. He also believes that it is impossible for hemes to die, even if the sun burned them to their very bones. He thinks that their shreds of existence, their consciousness, would still be tied to their remains, forever alive and unable to escape.
The hints at his past were perhaps my favorite aspects of the book. Cole was once an avid photographer and artist, taking photos and drawing his surroundings to remember important places, emotions, or events of his past. I found it to be quite sad when he would flip through his photographs and discard the snapshots that he could no longer recall.
Overall, I decided to give a rating of 3.5 stars because I felt that the story took a while to pick up. I did enjoy the events that transpired within the lives' of the characters (Jenkins did a phenomenal job at hinting and revealing the past lives of her characters, especially Cole), but I felt that the happenings of the story blurred together as Cole, Gordon, Sandor were just constantly moving from place to place. Many of the areas they passed through were similar and I just wish there had been a little something to give more edge to the story and maybe a bit more delving into each characters' past.

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Complicit by Stephanie Kuehn

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: June 2014
Pages: 256

Stars: (5/5)

You can only feel bad for so long when someone else's pain is hurting you, too.
-Cate

Complicit was a mind boggling book that was not only gripping, but also a  heartbreaking and amazingly executed novel.  I imagine that the less you know of the story, the more you will love it and find it hopefully intriguing.  So, I will try to keep that in mind while I review Kuehn's masterpiece.

Jamie Henry has had a tough life.  This doesn't mean that he's had a few ups and downs, but that he lived in a horrible neighborhood where his mother was shot while both he and his sister, Cate, were at home.  At the age of six he was ripped from his house and life so that he could be placed with a new, privileged family whose own two biological children died.  As replacements, Cate thrived in this new environment while Jamie suffered.  However, with time and a new psychiatrist to aid him, Jamie eventually learned to cope and get better, enabling him to live his life comfortably.  Strangely, with time, Cate turned into someone else.  She played mind games, took drugs, and ran around town like she owned the place.  Then, she was taken away for the unthinkable, burning down the local horse barn.  It was in this accident that a girl was caught in the fire, Sarah, who owned one of the horses residing in the barn.  Sarah was Scooter's, Jamie's best friend's, girlfriend.  After Cate was given her sentence, Scooter abandoned Jamie, leaving him lonely and desolate.

Now, Cate's out of confinement and ready to come after her brother.  Jamie has no idea what she wants.  He only knows that he's scared to death of her and whatever she's coming to do.  His life's looking up, and he can't let it fall apart.  Jamie's a skillful pianist, recently got a gem of a girlfriend, and is at the top of his class.  What more could he possibly desire?  Then it comes gnawing at him.  Answers.  Cate keeps calling him, badgering him, threatening him about how he needs to know.  Jamie's confused.  What must he know?  He can't remember anything before he was six years old.  His memory is locked up tight.  Jamie's only recollection of his childhood is the sweet, sweet smell of cigarettes that surrounded his mother and her long, dark hair. With Cate lurking around, he reverses and reverts to old habits from his young and faraway past.  He's anxious, agitated, and paranoid.  He once had a well known habit that included him ripping out his eyebrows, an action that's now returned.  The oddest thing of all is that, when he's overcome by extreme emotion, his hands go numb and he loses all feeling and function in them.  Cate's creeping closer, menacing and cold.  What does she mean to do, and why do all of these things keep happening to Jamie?  Will he ever finds the answers that will finally put to rest the questions driving him, pushing him around, trying to escape, or will he be doomed to a life of hidden truths, truths that Cate's not supposed to tell?

I love psychological thrillers, and this is such an excellent reason why I do.  Kuehn writes a story that takes you through time with a constant swing from Jamie's present to his past and back again, time and time again throughout the entirety of her novel.  Jamie's life is so damaged, a broken story that is so heart wrenching and initially shattered to pieces.  The issues surrounding his hands and their numbness is a very intriguing part of the book.  No doctor has been able to figure out the reason behind it or what disease it could be attached to.  His diagnosis falls flat of everything they know or can even understand.  However, I found it very strange that Cate knew what diagnosis he should be given or at least was familiar with it.

Cate and Jamie's relationship is truly unique and such an interesting aspect in Complicit to see unfold.  The two by themselves are unique alone.  Whenever Cate calls Jamie, she's nice to her little brother one minute and then suddenly enraged towards him the next.  Her past, which I won't spoil here, is unlike any other I've read about.  She's a true enigma.  Jamie himself is interested in the subject of fate and all that it means.  Even though this is interesting, I felt that it could have been elaborated on more in the book.  It seemed almost a slight background fact that could have been more. Both characters have a mental instability that will leave you wanting more and more from them.

This story was beautifully written from Jamie's very own point of view.  His story was powerfully explored and supported by his strong presence.  Whenever he was upset, I found myself upset as well.  When he was frustrated at Cate, I was frustrated with Cate to the point where I wanted to throw something.  Jamie's the character that's fun to see inside of, a person whose world is so different from your own that you can't help but want to know more.  Every chapter was relatively short.  This added to the initial suspense of the novel.  I was able to read this book within the capacity of two days, and that's not because it was only 250 pages.  It's because I was so invested in the story that I never wanted to put it down.

I'm sure that many people will be able to unravel the mystery surrounding Cate and Jamie's life before it is revealed at the end of Complicit.  However, I found the ending just as great despite this.  Everything was revealed and laid out at just the right moment.  I must say that, even though I knew how some of the story had to end, I didn't expect the conclusion to play out like it did.  At the end I myself was left broken and full of sorrow.  Kuehn wrote with an insanity and complexity, so much so that I was frozen at the end.  Rereading the last chapter over and over again.  My wheels are still turning from the aftereffect of this book.  I don't know how to get over it.

There are some dreams you can't wake up from.

Ever.

These are called nightmares.

-Jamie Henry

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Hero Worship by Christopher E. Long

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: January 2014
Pages: 233

Stars: (4/5)

It's easy to root for a winner, but it takes integrity to root for someone who's outgunned yet stays in the game to the bitter end.
-Marvin's Father

Marvin Maywood lives in a corrupted world where only the Core, a group of the greatest super heroes, is a shining light through the darkness.  It's Marvin's deepest desire to join the Core, but this is impossible. After Marvin discovers that he is an IWP (Individual With Powers), he goes to get tested, a government requested action that must be exercised if a one begins to manifest powers.  His results come back with a devastating end result telling him that he's a "dirty."  It turns out that his powers are fueled by others' fears.  This means that, like all other dirties, he may not use his powers to gain a profit.  This privilege is only an option for the "clean," those who are allowed to use their powers for monetary purposes.  If they are caught illegally using their powers, the authorities are allowed to take them into custody.  For this reason, Marvin refuses to usitlize his gifts.

Years after this horrible news, Marvin's a runaway who lives with two other dirties, Yvonne and Kent.  Still refraining to use his abilities, he takes up a normal occupation that includes working at the Midtown Cafe under a strange yet comforting man named Gus. Yvonne and Kent have no problem using their dirty powers for money and exercise them daily so that they can live without picking up an honest job.  Marvin still longs to be a member of the Core and dreams of joining them in their never ending battle of good against evil.

One night, Marvin finds a family in trouble on his stroll home from work.  While the attackers are armed and vicious, Marvin is determined to help these innocent people.  No matter what others say, no one should stand by, clean or dirty, while helpless people are being wronged.  Powering up from the surrounding fear, he saves the parents and their little boy.  Soon after, his story is all over the news, an unfortunate kickback after his heroic endeavors.  It's then that someone by the name of Eliza comes by the cafe soon after.  She claims to be one of the Core's very own super heroes, Roisin.  She promises that she is going to give Marvin the opportunity to try out for the Core.  This unexpected happenstance leaves Marvin reeling.  He finally has the opportunity and means to fulfill his utmost desire, but can this be real?  He has been labeled "dirty" after all.  Deciding to take Eliza up on her offer, Marvin starts to do all that she tells him, losing and distancing himself from the rest of his world, including his friends, job, and sense of right and wrong.  After finding out more about the inner workings of the Core, Marvin believes that they might not be the heroes he loved to worship.  Something dark and sinister is going on within it.  Will the secrets suffocate him, locking him up inside the insane web of deception, or will Marvin rise above it all and be the true hero that he always thought he could be?

Marvin Maywood is such an interesting character.  He's driven by his past mistakes and regrets, a trait that various people can easily connect with.  He's also the type of guy who has a strong sense of justice and a need to practice what he preaches.  It's not hard to observe that Marvin has a strong connection with this friends, even to the extent in which he challenges and changes their own habits and ideals.  It's evident that his desire for good rubs off on both Yvonne and Kent in such a remarkable way.  Maywood's inner struggle to figure out the correct paths to take when Roisin shows up and yanks him by the collar is a true and honest battle that is described like a true war that we humans encounter countless times over and over again.  Sure, Marvin sometimes fell short of himself and staggered towards becoming a different person entirely, but he was a real fighter, a true hero.  He knew who he was, who he is, and who he wanted to be.  Nothing could get in the way of that.  This is definitely a plus on Long's writing style and character building.

In some cases, writing a book with super heroes is difficult.  Do they live in a world like ours or is it different?  What's the extent of which someone's powers can reach?  Are there rules to their powers?  I can only imagine the extensive building it takes to create something like that, and really, this applies to all books.  I think that Mr. Long did a great job doing that in his book.  The action scenes were well placed and not to mention perfectly written.  I have come across some books that just come up dry when action or battles hit the story.  Whether it's the improper execution or confusing descriptions,  they're sometimes just not easy to follow or read.  This was not he case with Hero Worship.  Long's conflicts were nicely done.

At the end of the day, I was pretty happy with this book.  There was action, a little bit of romance, and tons of super heroes!  These types of books or just stories about people with any power(s) in general make me happy.  I guess that these characters hold something that we all want, even if it's just a little. That is, we want to make a difference in more than simply a small way. Hero Worship was a decent super hero book.  It was even funny at points.  It just wasn't one of my all time favorite crime fighting books which is why I gave it four out of five stars.  Nonetheless, if you love this type of thing or are a huge comic book lover, absolutely give this one a try.  You can definitely see this book play out just like a comic book, a unique quality for a chapter book

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Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

This review was written by: C

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: May 2012
Pages: 324

Stars: (4.5/5)

Here is a short summary of the book:
Emma is just your average teenager until a sudden tragic accident changes her life forever. While vacationing with her friend, Chloe, Emma literally stumbles into Galen, a cute young man who also happens to be a merman (although, his species prefers the term 'Syrena'). Galen immediately recognizes Emma's violet eyes as a Syrena trait, but her white hair does not fit the profile (apparently all Syrena have dark hair). He also finds it strange that she lives among humans, as this is a direct violation of Syrena law. After her embarrassing run-in with Galen and his sister, Rayna, Emma and Chloe go surfing. They are a fair distance from the beach when a shark attack ensues. Chloe is drug below the surface and Emma in powerless to help her friend, nonetheless she dives in after Chloe. Emma attempts to pull her from the shark's jaws, but these attempts are futile. In her frustration she commands the shark to drop Chloe, and to her surprise, the shark complies. The lifeguard arrives and pulls Emma and Chloe into the boat, however, Chloe is no longer alive. Unbeknownst to Emma, Galen saw the events transpire and was unable to get there in time to save the day. He also witnessed her strange ability to command the shark, a gift that only the direct descendants of Poseidon are known to possess.
Emma finds it extremely difficult to continue on after the death of her best friend and is completely oblivious as to how she will survive the school year alone. Galen, who just happens to be a Syrena prince and the ambassador for the Syrena and humans, wants to learn more about Emma and thus sets out to find her. He finds her school and immediately enrolls in the hopes of getting closer to Emma and finding out who and what she truly is. A few strange events transpire and Emma learns that she is actually half Syrena. She begins a complicated relationship with Galen as he teaches her about his world and the abilities that she may soon possess. She also learns that the Syrena are split into two groups, those under the descendants of Poseidon and those under the descendants of Triton. Both royal houses are supposed to carry a strange talent within their bloodlines. It is possible for the royals of Poseidon to inherit the ability to command the animals of the sea and the royal descendants of Triton are supposed to have an ability that enables them to have some sort of control over the water (this exact gift is not completely explained, as no descendant has actually inherited it yet).
Galen is also keeping a crucial detail away from Emma. If she truly possesses the gift of Poseidon, she must mate with Galen's older brother, Grom (a descendant of Triton), in order to keep the gifts alive and ensure the survival of the Syrena. The only problem is that Galen truly loves her and would never want her to end up with his older brother, a man that still loves his lost mate, Nalia.


At first, I thought this book would just be one of those typical mermaid tales in which a girl finds out she can grow a tail and goes to live as a royal fish under the sea. I was totally wrong. There was more depth than I thought there would be, and there were some fairly interesting plot twists (but so some were a bit predictable). I loved the fact that Emma was a strong female character that formed her own thoughts and was not afraid to voice her own opinions. There was also tons of humor and minor characters that kept the story fresh and interesting.
I loved the fact that Galen turned out to be a bit naive whenever human girls entered the picture, which just made the story even more hilarious. For an ambassador between humans and Syrena, he did not quite understand human customs and word choices (as he often mixed up the terms "mating" and "dating"). His constant bickering relationship with his younger sister, Rayna, brought a lighter tone to the story, too. Rayna and her mate, Toraf, had a great love/hate relationship that displayed how one can showcase their love and another refuses to acknowledge it.
It was a bit predictable when another character that 'possessed' Emma's gift was introduced. It seemed that Galen's and Emma's relationship just might become possible, and suddenly all hope was ripped away. The ending was also a complete cliffhanger!!!! I must read what happens next!

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The Thickety: A Path Begins by J.A. White

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: May 2014
Pages: 496

Stars: (5/5)

Happy endings, Kara often suspected, could only be earned through some sort of sacrifice.
-The Thickety: A Path Begins by J.A. White

Kara Westfall lives on a peculiar island, isolated from the World.  The strange villagers of this land follow the teachings of Timoth Clen, a man who, years ago, eradicated witches and their disastrous magic. Waiting for Clen's return, they follow very specific rules such as don't wish for anything and, most importantly, never practice magic. While the rest of the World continues on into the indefinite future, they stay put in their own time and only specific people may venture out on ships to get the supplies that are needed from the outside.  More importantly, the villagers stay clear of the Thickety, a secluded piece of forest that surrounds part of the island's border.  It is here that the demon, Sordyr, is rumored to reside.  Fearful of even the mention of magic, trouble quickly ensues when Kara's mother is tested for deceitful witchcraft.  At the fragile age of six, Kara sees her mother murdered in front of the whole island.  It is at this time, that Kara is also tested for using magic.  After great hesitation, she is finally declared innocent.

Years later, Kara is living with her younger brother, Taff, and her broken father, who hasn't been the same since his beloved wife died, simply scribbling in the same book day after day.  Confused, Kara is conflicted between feeling love or hatred towards her late mother, a now renowned and infamous witch.  The villagers haven't treated her as they once had, with love and compassion, for six years.  With her being a spitting image of her mother, with dark hair and not to mention a peculiar gift with animals that isn't a common normalcy, she is shunned, with only one true friend beside her dear brother, Lucas.  Kara's been told that her mother murdered two people with her father as a witness.  It was an awful endeavor, they said.  Her life almost seems not worth living, being poor day to day and looking after Taff who is frequently sick with fever every time you turn around, but now life, while not perfect, will soon take a turn for better or far worse.

Being lead by a mysterious bird, Kara is forced to travel into the mysterious and foreboding Thickety, a woods full of dark shadows, writhing shadows, and strange, unbelievable creatures.  Once there, she finds a grimoire, a book full of strong magical powers that might be her mother's very own spell book.  This is the story of her journey with magic and the holds it ties to her.  Being lured by Sordyr himself, the demon with hands made of branches and a body frighteningly cloaked in orange, her life is quickly hurtling towards darkness and even her own destruction.

J. A. White wrote a simply fabulous first installment that will undoubtedly become part of an amazing series.  I have always been looking for a good witchy book to devour but never got to do so until now.  This wasn't because I was hesitant, but because they were never at my disposal.  This was a great way to start off my adventures with this topic.  I like to believe that The Thickety: A Path Begins is one of those books that is fun to read at night, under your covers, with only a flashlight as your friend.  Even though so many people call it a middle grade novel, the writing is so diverse that I feel that it can fit into more than one category.  It can be read by a middle grader, a young adult, and maybe even some adults.  J. A. White has such a voice that makes it blur between the lines so that countless people can enjoy it.  It has magic, friendship, trials, and tribulations.  At the end of the day, though, it seems that family is also very prominent in the story.  I was so warmed by the development of Kara's helpless father into someone she could easily talk to and count on.

As you may have already heard, The Thickety: A Path Begins does have violence and "gore."  However, White conveys these happenings in such a fashion in which you know what happened, but it wasn't something that was described in detail, almost "swept under the rug," if you will.  For example, one character lost a few fingers at one point, but it was written so that you knew what occurred without going into the bloody details.  It was simply a part of the story line.  People are killed, bad things happen, and darkness is a part of everything.  That's what makes this book so interesting, the darkness fighting the light, the lies pitted against the truth.  It captivated me.  Kara struggled with the grimoire.  It blackened her heart and turned her into someone different.  Her character changes were so fascinating and very well portrayed.  For a middle grade novel it was amazing!  I have never read one like it.  I wasn't expecting so many of the twists and turns that the author presented to me.  It was a brilliant piece of work!  The ending about killed me, I was so not ready for it.  But, as Kara said, happy endings could only be earned through some sort of sacrifice.

If you have the opportunity to read this captivating tale, you should definitely do so!  If you are worried about whether or not your child should read it, then maybe wait for it.  Some nine or ten year olds may enjoy this spooky book while others may be frightened.  In the end, you may want to wait until they are twelve.  If you're an adult or young adult, take the chance on The Thickety: A Path Begins.  I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did.  I'm simply dying for the next one and am so excited to read more and more by Mr. White!!!!!  He's definitely an exceptional author who can twist a tale like no other.

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The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher by Jessica Lawson

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: July 2014
Pages: 224

 Stars: (4/5)  

 I kept my eyes down and picked at the scab on my knee, afraid to look up at her. Gently, she cupped my chin in her hand and tilted my head up to meet hers.  "You leave that scab alone, you hear me?  Keep picking and picking at something like that, making it bleed over and over, and your whole leg will be ruined.  Knees and hearts take enough bruising from life as it is.  They ain't meant to be beat up by your own self."
       -Miss Ada     


To be truthful, I was very hesitant going into this book.  It is very rare for me to not love a piece of literature that I pick up.  I'm funny like that, always enjoying every book.  That being said, I really respect and enjoy some of Mark Twain's work, but "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" simply wasn't for me.  When a friend of mine at the library offered "The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher" as a possible read, I was skeptical.  In the end, I promised them that I would read it and then hoped for the best.  The end result is simply WOW!  Jessica Lawson blew me away!  Before I get too carried away with my thoughts on this subject, I'll give you a little overview on what to expect in Jessica's book. 

Becky Thatcher's family recently moved to St. Petersburg, Missouri, in an attempt to start over.  Once her dear older brother, Jon, died roughly a year ago, her father, Judge Thatcher, decided they needed a change.  Becky's mother, yet to fully get over her son's death, keeps to herself and has faltered in her attempt to start living again.  To keep her brother close, Becky wears Jon's old overalls in hopes to make it feel as though the pressure building in her chest is  Jon's arms around her instead of the grief that threatens to overwhelm Becky's very being.  Not only does she do this, she also carries around his precious bag of marbles wherever she goes.  She promised that she'd take them on all of her adventures so that he can be a part of them as well.  Now, all Becky has to do is find adventures in this sleepy little town.

While Judge Thatcher frequently asks his daughter to start acting like a lady and grow up while taking responsibility, Becky continues to spit cherry pits, sneak out of the house at night, and make trouble.  It's not a big surprise when she quickly befriends one of the town's well known troublemakers, Sid Sawyer.  Sid lives with his tattletale younger brother, Tom, and their Aunt Polly.  Sid loves adventures while Tom's too scared to have one of his own.  With Sid's bosom friend, Joe, they strike a deal with Becky to steal from the Widow Douglas, the "town witch."  Becky then makes friends with Amy whose father happens to be the town drunk.  Amy's still going through the long lasting effects of her mother's death, bonding the two girls through a tie of loss.  Amy is then recruited in the Widow Douglas extravaganza.  In their preparation of gathering graveyard soil prior to their thievery job so they can protect themselves from the "witch," they see more than they bargained for.  Wanted murders are in Becky and Amy's sight.  Perhaps Becky got more than she bargained for in the adventure department.  What will happen next, and what in the world did these two get themselves into?           

In the middle of this well-written story is Samuel Clemens, also known as the famous Mark Twain, right in the center of Becky's adventures.  He's staying with the Sawyer family while waiting for the parts of his broken boat to come in.  He's consistently found writing down his thoughts and things that the children tell him, such as the idea of attending your own funeral (wink wink for those "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" fans) and having adventures for those who are too afraid to embark on them.

Jessica Lawson wrote a fantastic novel that really made me interested in what her story was played off of.  I never in a million years believed that I would enjoy something like this, but I did truly and unexpectedly love it!  To explain to you what this book is about, I must use an excerpt from Lawson's "Author's Note" page: This novel is meant to be an origin story, suggesting that Clemens's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was actually inspired by a happenstance stop in a small Missouri town during the author's river piloting days and, more specifically, by the adventures of a young girl he encountered there, Becky Thatcher. While I realize that this was not the reason for Mark Twain's book, it was imaginative and intriguing, not to mention clever on Jessica's part. 

I loved how every character in this book was depicted as someone so distinct and different from Mark Twain's original creations.  Sid and Tom practically swapped places.  No longer is Sid the tattletale and the "good child."  Tom has taken up that role.  Becky isn't the sweet girl who is engaged to Tom Sawyer, a friendless little boy in this story.  Becky is someone entirely different, and she was so well voiced, a superb strong presence.  Full of drive, courage, and loss, she's certainly a character not to be rivaled with.  The character of Sam Clemens was my ultimate favorite to read about.  Every time he showed up, he was so captivating to hear about and listen to.  The way that Lawson decided how certain things or people, such as Huck's character and the original Tom formed by this new one, got to be represented in the timeless and classic tales was so brilliant.  I was caught smiling at the end.

What truly amazed me in this book is something of a theme that I keep mentioning: loss.  It didn't weigh down the story too much, but its presence was there nonetheless.  The book had such profound thoughts on the subject.  This was shown in Becky's heart and mind which never stopped wondering when her mother would get over her deceased son and start to spend time with the one who was still living.  Becky realizes that Jon's death isn't something so easily forgotten, he'll always be there even if he's not with them, but she still deals with the struggle daily.  When Becky's mother refuses to acknowledge many of Becky's actions, Miss Thatcher's left with a feeling of being dead to her mother.  I never expected this subject matter in The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher's content.  However, it was such an enrichment to the story.  It made me love Becky more and realize what an amazing character she truly was.

All in all, The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher was a fabulous read.  However, I did lose interest in the book for twenty or so pages, henceforth the four stars, but I was quickly thrown headfirst back into the story once the adventure began again with no ending in site.  While Jessica's writing style was similar to that of Twain's own voice (an on purpose action, I'm sure), she also put her own heart into it.  It was great!   If you loved Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn, I'm certain that you'll love this book just as much.  It's funny, endearing, and a true voice in today's literature.  If you haven't read Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn's stories yet or didn't like them so much maybe you should give this book a try.  If you've never heard of or read those books, read this book anyway because it is definitely something to consider.  You might be surprised.  I know I sure was, and who knows...maybe I'll go and pick up The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and give it a try...all thanks to Jessica Lawson!

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