By: JD Holiday,
on 4/23/2013
This is a sketch for a short story called, The Boy In The Leaves, which will be in my short story collection: SHORT STORIES AND OTHER IMAGININGS FOR THE READING SPOT.
5 Stars Don’t Feed the Boy by Irene Latham Illustrated by Stephanie Graegin Pages: 288 Ages: 8 to 12 ……………………. Back Cover: No kid knows more about zoo life than Whit. That’s because he sleeps, eats and even attends home-school at the Meadowbrook Zoo. It’s one of the perks of having a mother who’s the [...]
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By: Cheryl Rainfield,
on 8/24/2012
As a survivor of incest and ritual abuse (cults), I always wanted to be saved while I was being abused. But how could I tell anyone when my life was being threatened? I was too afraid to speak aloud (they said they’d kill me if I talked). The one time I phoned a crisis line, I whispered, and it was a fast conversation. But there’s a free app now –Circle of 6–that *might* have helped me–and that I think could help a lot of children, teens, and adult women (or men) in danger, especially from something like date or stranger rape, or assault. (I think it’s harder when it’s your parents abusing you.) This app sends a text message to six friends that you pre-arrange to be your safety people, letting them know your exact location (through GPS). Depending on what you’ve decided ahead of time, this could get your friends to come pick you up, or call you to interrupt an uneasy situation or to check in on you.
There is also another app, Bipper, and Bipper For Kids, that does a similar thing.
I think these apps may help protect a lot of women and kids in danger, and help to save lives (and prevent trauma). They are also being used by people with Alzheimer’s, and even people going on long hikes or rides by themselves. Of course, you have to choose your safety people carefully. But if you have people you trust, this can help a lot.
I wish I’d had this app when I was a child and teen–though since I didn’t have anyone safe around me (cults make sure that doesn’t happen), it wouldn’t really have helped. But I can see it helping a lot of people today. The characters in my books could sure use these apps. And many of the teens who write me could have, to.
If you think these apps are useful, I hope you’ll let your friends know. We need everything we can use to help ourselves and others be safe.
Update: It looks like neither app is available for Android phones–which is what I have. BUT there are some other women’s safety Android apps. A list of safety apps for Android, iPhone, and Blackberry is here.
Some safety Android apps:
bSafe (for Android, iPhone, and Blackberry) Sends an emergency message to your chosen contacts via text with your GPS location, and one contact will call you. You can also program a fake call to you to interrupt an uneasy situation.
Guardly (for Android, iPhone, and Blackberry). Fast way to connect to your family, friends, and 911 if you’re in danger, and help them reach and locate you. You can specify exactly what the emergency is, such as “peanut allergy,” “walking home alone,” “stroke.” (Though for some reason this version isn’t compatible with either my Android phone or my tablet.) There are both a free and a paid version–the paid version connects you up to 911. (I personally think this service should be free–but I didn’t create the app.)
I Am Safe which notifies your location to your partner or parent.
By: Stacy A. Nyikos,
on 3/7/2012
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By: alethea aka frootjoos,
on 4/15/2012
5 Stars Hear My Roar: A Story of Family Violence Author: Gillian Watts; Illustrator: Ben Hodson Publisher: Annick Press 978-1-55451-201-0 No. Pages: 56 Ages: 6-9 .............................. ........................... It’s summer and Mama, Papa, and Orsa Bear are picnicking in the woods. Papa tells Orsa how they used to scare animals into traps by roaring. He challenges [...]
By: Julie,
on 8/9/2012
|
Title: 34 pieces of You Author: Carmen Rodrigues Publisher: Simon Pulse |
May Contain Spoilers
From Amazon:
| A dark and moving novel—reminiscent of Thirteen Reasons Why—about the mystery surrounding a teenage girl’s fatal overdose. There was something about Ellie…Something dangerous. Charismatic. Broken. Jake looked out for her. Sarah followed her lead. And Jess kept her distance—and kept watch. Now Ellie’s dead, and Jake, Sarah, and Jess are left to pick up the pieces. All they have are thirty-four clues she left behind. Thirty-four strips of paper hidden in a box beneath her bed. Thirty-four secrets of a brief and painful life. Jake, Sarah, and Jess all feel responsible for what happened to Ellie, and all three have secrets of their own. As they confront the past, they will discover not only the darkest truths about themselves, but also what Ellie herself had been hiding all along…. |
Review:
If I hadn’t received a review copy of 34 Pieces of You from the publisher, I never would have read this book, and that would have been a shame, because it is a moving and compelling read. The subject matter didn’t appeal to me prior to receiving the ARC, and the thought of reading about a girl who overdoses, leaving her friends to grapple with their confusion and hurt, just seemed too depressing for me. Which makes me wonder why I did pick it up, the same day it arrived in the mailbox. Why did I start reading this, and why couldn’t I put it down? What I found between the covers kept me turning the pages; there are so many flawed characters packed into this story, and there were so many opportunities for things to happen differently, but they didn’t. Everyone is so caught up in themselves, that they all ignored the signals that Ellie was so clearly broadcasting. Then again, in retrospect, everything is crystal clear, isn’t it?
I don’t want to give away any of the plot twists, so instead, let’s talk about the damaged protagonists in 34 Pieces of You. It seems that everyone in this book is crying out for help or attention, and even when they get it, they stubbornly dig in their heels and refuse to accept it. Ellie is so emotionally ravaged, unable to trust anyone, after she is the victim of abuse when she is a young girl. Her mother deals with this betrayal with alcohol. Emotionally distant from her children, her coping method turns out to be one of avoidance. Just don’t talk about it, and everything bad will go away. Just ignore the bad things, and everything will be fine. Ugh. I found myself so angry and irritated with her mother. By pretending not to see how self-destructive Ellie’s behavior was, she added to Ellie’s feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness. Even her own mother didn’t care enough to acknowledge that things weren’t right with her family. It’s the realization that if only someone had done something, paid the slightest bit of attention to Ellie’s behavior, that makes this story, and the cascading repercussions, so tragic. Ellie may have ultimately found some peace, but her friends and family were left reeling in the wake of her death, and ouch, not one of them emerged unscathed or unchanged.
Jake, Ellie’s older brother, is left with the most guilt, I think. After b
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By: Becky Laney,
on 1/23/2009
Chaltas, Thalia. 2009. (Pub April 2009) Because I Am Furniture. Viking. 356 pages.
I am always there.
But they don't care if I am
because I am furniture.
I don't get hit
I don't get fondled
I don't get love
because I am furniture
Suits me fine.
Anke has a difficult home life, though that is putting it mildly. Her father is abusive. She sees all. Hears all. Yet though a witness, she's somehow avoided being the subject of his abuse. (Though witnessing it is damaging enough as it is.) Can a teen girl break out of her silence and get help for her troubled family?
Because I Am Furniture is a verse novel about hard issues: physical, verbal, and sexual abuse. With all the negative going on in her life, Anke finds great joy in the one positive of her life: volleyball. Can what she learns on the court change her life off the court?
Here's one of the poems I enjoyed from the novel:
They call us
Nopes
the "out" crowd,
we don't fit their
dog-show guidelines
wealthy-beautiful.
We call them
Yups
they have to
all agree,
yup each other
every day on every thing.
And we say
Nope, don't
want any part
of your Yuppitude
so tight
society will burst
with any change
of thought.
But being a fractured, momentary gathering
and not an actual collective,
we say
Nope
individually
with scrambled cadence
and their
Yup
is way
louder.
(25-26)
Other reviews: Teen Book Review, The Compulsive Reader, Laura's Review Bookshelf, Flamingnet, Karin's Book Nook.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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By: Joan Enders,
on 6/6/2009
First off, congrats to the photographer whose work made the cover. Anyone will be drawn to the cover, and it does direct the reader to the book's content rather than "boing" you off in the wrong direction. Publishers are better at covers than they used to be, with online image files to choose and all. (Well, except when two books come out the same year with the same image. Ouch!) There used to be illustrators who, for example, saw the word "wedding" in their skim-through of the book, then created a cover with the setting, hair color, dress all wrong. Drives me absolutely bonkers! I so disgress....
Absolutely Maybe is absolutely a hit! Lisa does provides excellent characterization so that the reader, moi et vous, can picture even secondary characters like Chessy, Twig, Sammy and Jess so well that we move into their stories. Our three main adventurers, in Hollywood's Green Hornet, take off from Florida to Southern Cal for Hollywood/Daniel to make his mark in as a gifted film student at USC, Ted to work for an aging film star (thanks to Maybe), and for Maybe to maybe find her biological father after struggling through homelessness.
Best of all: such an entertaining romp of writing that shows how young adults have what it takes to save themselves. Brava!
ENDERS Rating: Buy it, read it, pass it on!
Lisa Yee's Website
Lisa Yee's Blog
Here is a perfect example of the reason why I love going to the public library to browse books. Yes I get invited to a few previews every year, and yes I try to keep up with the professional journals, but nothing will ever replace browsing a shelf. I am taken with titles and covers and upon reading the blurbs I decide what to check out. On my last trip, I picked up this gem of a novel and am eager to share it with you.
Delores, or Itch as she's known to her family, has been living with her Gram and Gramps since her mom decided to leave. She's a girl who collects favourite words, does some serious thinking on her swing in the backyard, loves hanging out with her best friend Bailey, and is a bit of a kindred spirit with her Gramps. When Gramps dies, Itch is upset that Gram wants to move up to Ohio and leave every single memory of him behind.
Once in Ohio, Itch gets a bit of sunshine when she sees that the county fair starts that night. When she goes to check out the grounds on the way to the local Woolworth's, she is beckoned over by a girl in a sequins outfit and Shirley Temple hair who needs help with a zipper. Little does she know that this is the beginning of a complicated friendship between the two.
Once school starts, Itch is eager to be Gwendolyn's (or Wendy as she's known at school) official friend, which is hard since she is friends with popular girls Anna Marie and Connie and she attends lots of dance classes. But once Itch gets her mind to something, she stays true to it, and soon Itch and Gwendolyn are hanging out. Gwendolyn's other friends are surprised when Itch says she's been up to Wendy's room...most of her friends aren't allowed over. Itch wonders why that is, but soon she begins noticing some things about Wendy that just don't seem right. Will Itch have to courage to ask the hard questions and expose what is going on?
Michelle D. Kwasney has written a poignant story that packs a punch. Family structures, friendship boundaries, the realities of abuse are all explored with aplomb. The dialogue between the middle schoolers of the 1960s rings true, and Itch's relationship with her Grams grows so nicely throughout the book, readers will feel privileged to get to witness it. Gwendolyn and her mother's relationship is harder to look at, but Kwasney does it right. The frightening aspects of the abuse are not overdone, but they do not all appear off page either. The amazing thing is that this doesn't feel like a message book...it simply is a great story about two families.
By: Joan Enders,
on 10/16/2009
Liam is handsome as his striking model mother is beautiful. He wears the best designer clothing, he has style, he has magnetism, he does not have his father's love.
Caught in a compromised position, drunk, on top of his father's desk, with an ugly girl he normally would not even glance at, Liam is sentenced to moving to Nevada with his grandparents, his version of Siberian exile with Stalin as his roommate. His beautiful but emotionally blugeoned mother intercedes by leaving his uncle's telephone number for Liam to call and beg mercy. Now Aunt Pete is quite a difference from the grandparents, and a secret solution kept from his father. Liam packs his amazing wardrobe and toiletries to find himself in a roach-infested trailer without a closet or an iron. As the story unfolds, the reader sees that Liam's mother is not the only casualty.
Written in her amazingly funny, poignant style, Going delivers another illuminating teenage story for us to consider. If you have not read Saint Iggy or Fat Kid Rules the World....stop that right now! Love the cover, btw.
ENDERS Rating: More, more!!!
K.L. Going's Website
By: Becky Laney,
on 12/13/2009
Alphin, Elaine Marie. 2000. Counterfeit Son. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 180 pages.
He chose the Lacey family at first because of the sailboats.
This was completely an impulsive read. There was no urgency in getting to it. It's not a new book. (Though I believe it is soon to be reprinted soon in paperback by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. January 2010, according to B&N.) But the moment I picked it up, the moment I read the first page, I just had to keep reading this one. It was so very readable, so very compelling. Which--just so you know--was so unexpected, because this is not a book in my comfort zone, this genre is not one I usually read. At all. And yet for some reason, it grabbed my attention from the start.
Long story short, I was surprised by this one. And I definitely recommend it! It is the 2001 winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Mystery.
What is it about? It's about a son who hates his father. With good reason. Cameron, our narrator, is a young boy--fourteen, I think--who has been through so much. His father, a man he calls Pop, is a serial killer and child abuser. But there is light, there is hope. Now that his father is dead--killed in a police raid--Cameron sees his chance. He wants a new life, a real life. By claiming to be someone he's not, by pretending to be one of the victims, Neil Lacey. But will this plan work? Or will his past catch up with him?
You can read an excerpt here.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
By: Rebecca,
on 12/21/2009
Eugene H. Rubin, MD, PhD is Professor and Vice-Chair for Education in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis – School of Medicine. Charles F. Zorumski MD is the Samuel B. Guze Professor and Head of the
Department of Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis – School of Medicine, where he is also Professor of Neurobiology. In addition, he is Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Director of the Washington University McDonnell Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology. Together they wrote, Demystifying Psychiatry: A Resource for Patients and Families, which offers a straightforward description of the specialty and the work of its practitioners. In the excerpt below we learn about the prevalence of psychiatric disorders. In the original article below they argue for funds to support drug prevention rather than for research for the resulting medical problems.
Heart disease, cancer, and stroke are the leading causes of death in the US. This is well known. What is less well known is that cigarette smoking (nicotine dependence) is the most important preventable contributor to these causes of death and alcohol abuse is the third most important contributor. These two legal substances have substantial addiction potential and together account for more than 400,000 deaths per year in the US. Once a young person smokes more than about 100 cigarettes, his or her chances of becoming addicted are substantial. Long term risky drinking predisposes a person to many health consequences in addition to enhancing the risk of becoming alcohol dependent. Risky alcohol use is defined as drinking 5 or more alcoholic beverages (12 oz beer equivalents) over a few hours on repeated occasions (actually, it is 5 drinks for men and 4 for women).
When misused, alcohol can lead to job loss, destruction of relationships, and a myriad of physical ailments not to mention its contribution to increased rates of traffic accidents, violence, and suicides. Alcohol-related disorders are major reasons why our emergency rooms (ERs) are so busy.
Cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin are illegal drugs that with repeated use can take over a person’s ability to behave rationally. These addictive drugs have severe physical and psychiatric consequences. They destroy relationships as well and harm society in obvious ways. They also increase our health care costs and tie up our ERs.
All of these drugs, including nicotine and alcohol, hijack the brain’s motivational system and hamper its executive system (the part of the brain that helps us think, plan, and learn). Each drug interacts with the “wiring” of these brain systems in different, but related, ways. The cigarette smoker who reaches for a smoke before getting out of bed in the morning, the alcoholic who needs an eye-opener to start the day, and the woman who prostitutes herself in order to get her next injection of heroin – all are responding to the control of an abused substance.
<
By: Becky Laney,
on 7/8/2010
Scars. Cheryl Rainfield. 2010. WestSide Books. 250 pages.
"Someone is following me." I gulp air, trying to breathe.
Kendra has had a hard life. She's in therapy now. And she's trying her best to recover her memories, recover her life. But when the novel opens, she can't remember her abuser. She remembers the abuse--the sexual abuse. But something is keeping her from seeing the face of her abuser. The face of the man who had tormented her for over a decade.
Kendra is convinced that this man is not finished with her yet. She feels that she is being followed, being stalked. That this man is leaving her messages, leaving her threats. Reminding her that if she tells, she'll die.
So yes, Kendra has had a hard life. And her home life is challenging to say the least. Her relationship with her parents is tense. She doesn't get along with either her mom or her dad. Kendra is angry that her mom has failed to support her in many ways. That her mom failed to listen to her as a child the few times Kendra tried to let her mom know she was being hurt. Her mom also has a hard time accepting that her daughter is a lesbian.
One way she copes is by cutting. Cutting herself numbs her emotionally. Whenever she feels overwhelmed, whenever the pain becomes too much, Kendra resorts to hurting herself. Another way she copes is with her art.
While Scars is a fast-paced novel dealing with hard issues, it's also a love story. Kendra has fallen in love Meghan, and Meghan has fallen in love with her. With Meghan she is able to be herself, to talk and have someone really listen, really understand.
Scars is an emotional, compelling novel. Kendra's story is haunting and the threats she faces are all too real. Scars is a book that is hard to put down.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
By: Tasha Saecker,
on 7/19/2010
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
Kendra has started to remember her abuse as a child, but she is unable to see her abuser’s face in her memories. She believes she is being followed by her abuser, so she lives in fear that even as she works to remember, he is stalking her. To cope with the pressure of the memories, Kendra cuts her arm, releasing all of her stress, anguish and pain and making it something she can handle. Kendra also does amazing art work that reveals the pain of her abuse and the emotional toll it is taking on her. Her mother, a professional artist, has been critical of the raw emotion of Kendra’s work, so Kendra hides her work from her. Her father has become emotionally distant after Kendra told her parents about the abuse, so Kendra turns to her therapist, her art teacher, and her new girlfriend for support. As Kendra’s memories build, readers will be unable to put the book down until all is revealed.
Rainfield, herself a survivor of abuse and cutting, has captured the situation with such power and ferocity that it can be painful to read. Readers will find themselves in a vise of tension and menace that mirrors Kendra’s. Rainfield has written a powerhouse of a book that is astoundingly honest and burningly real. The character of Kendra is written with empathy and skill. She never reads as a victim but as a heroine, seeking the truth about what happened to her. The use of her art in the book to connect her to other people, speak when she cannot say the words, and scream for her pain is hauntingly real.
Get this into the hands of readers who enjoy tense, realistic reads. The cover is beautifully done, capturing the cutting and the tension in a single image. A brilliant book written in nervy honesty. Appropriate for ages 14-18.
Reviewed from library copy.
Also reviewed by:
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By: shelf-employed,
on 10/9/2010
By: Joan Enders,
on 11/27/2010
Ben Campbell's life is thrown into turmoil when his dad announces that he is divorcing Ben's mother, and then chooses a boyfriend! Ben is furious that his dad would destroy their family and plots revenge. If he find trouble, he is there. And he brags about it. Make the old man's life miserable. So what does his father do? Plunks him down into population 400 Normal, Montana. Let the games begin. Did I mention Ben arrives with spiked hair? A real hit in a cowboy community. Soon the plot thickens as Ben discovers that even a town of 400 has some secrets.
ENDERS' Rating: ****
Michael Harmon's Website
By: Jennie,
on 5/5/2011
Jace's driven through the night, across the country, with blood on his face to reach his brother's doorstep, hoping his brother will take him in.
Jace's father is physically abusive. Jace grew up watching his dad beat the hell out of his mom and older brother. Then Christian disappeared and Jace's father started coming for Jace. Now he's kicked Jace out and he's on his way to find the brother who got out and left him there.
While this book explores how one does or does not escape an abusive situation, what it really focuses on is what happens next. How do you deal with the emotional and physical scars? How do you move on with life knowing that people you love are left behind? How can you get them out? Can you?
First off, Jace's dad is a judge. Major props for making this about a rich family. So often books with problems like abuse or drinking feature characters in a lower socio-economic class. Because they're poor people problems. (Ugh.)
This is a brutal book. Avasthi doesn't spare us the details of the beatings and more. Jace and Christian are broken. Their relationship is broken, and there are times when you don't think that they or their relationship can ever heal.
That said, I couldn't put it down. It's powerful and moving, but plot-wise it also moves really well as it shifts between Jace's life with Christian and flashbacks to Jace's life with his parents.
I wasn't sure about reading this one. It got RAVE reviews, yes, but I knew it was going to be a brutal book and a major downer just from the plot descriptions. And, of course, the better written a book is, the more brutal it's going to be, right? Or at least the more it's going to get to you. But, we were discussing Cybil's winners at book club (this won for YA fiction) AND we put it on the teen notable list for the in-system training I'm co-coordinating so I had to read it. I couldn't put it down. It's just that good. The pacing is impeccable and it moves really quickly, even more so when you consider that it's a book driven by character growth, not plot. Amazing, amazing work.
Book Provided by... my local library
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By: admin,
on 7/11/2011
WAKING ROSE: A FAIRY TALE RETOLDDoman, Regina. (2007) Waking Rose: a fairy tale retold. Front Royal, VA: Chesterton Press. ISBN #978-0-981-93184-5. Author recommended age: 16 +. Litland.com also recommends 16+. See author explanation for parents at http://www.fairytalenovels.com/page.cfm/cat/116//
Publisher’s description: Ever since he rescued her from Certain Death, Rose Brier has had a crush on Ben Denniston, otherwise known as Fish. But Fish, struggling with problems of his own, thinks that Rose should go looking elsewhere for a knight in shining armor. Trying to forget him, Rose goes to college, takes up with a sword-wielding band of brothers, and starts an investigation into her family’s past that proves increasingly mysterious. Then a tragic accident occurs, and Fish, assisted by Rose’s new friends, finds himself drawn into a search through a tangle of revenge and corruption that might be threatening Rose’s very life. The climax is a crucible of fear, fight, and fire that Fish must pass through to reach Rose and conquer his dragons.
It is difficult to capture the essence of this story coherently because it touches upon so many aspects of life. There is the mystery, of course, and continuing depth of family loyalty amongst the Briers. The craziness of those first years experienced when young adults leave their nest and venture into the outer world of college life, whether as newbie freshmen or advanced graduate students. Unlikely friendships as the strong nurture the weak with Kateri mentoring Donna in her mental illness, and Rose guiding Fish through abuse recovery. Fish’s loyalty to Rose, taken to the extreme, becomes unforgiving. But then self-denigration turns into enlightenment and hope.
And after all of that is said, we are left with the relationship of Fish and Rose finally reaching a neat and tidy conclusion :>)
The girls have progressed in the series to young adults. Blanche just married Bear and Rose is off to college. Fish continues in his college program too. Doman shows us the challenges young adults face when they first enter the world on their own, particularly in making friends and exploring crushes. We can imagine ourselves engaged in the chit chat and horseplay typical in budding relationships. Important also is the picture implanted in our mind of courtship.
Throughout the story, we can see the existence of three pillars: faith, family and friends. Whenever one of these pillars is weakened, internal conflict and unsafe situations arise. Maintaining the balance, we see Rose’s keen ability for discernment that has been honed as a result of consistency in faith life, family home “culture, and choice of friends. Her discernment is key to good decisions, keeping safe, etc.
Going beyond stereotypes, the dialogue paints a clear picture of the perceptions held by non-Christians against Christians, countered with a realistic portrayal of the passionate young Christian student. Previous books portrayed ac
By: Jenny Turner,
on 10/19/2007
Every day another life is lost. That person may not be physically dead, but their will to succeed and thrive may have been horribly impaired, if not broken altogether.
As a writer it is my pleasure to create lives filled with joy and happiness.
Though these people are often forced to overcome huge obstacles, I can make it possible. This is not always the case in real life. Domestic violence is one of the most horrible crimes ever perpetrated against another human being. I know. I've been there.
Many years ago, I met and fell in love with a beautiful man. Eyes the color of a summer sky and a smile that could melt ice in the Arctic. After a whirlwind engagement we were married. This time that should have been the happiest of my life became a nightmare. I had married an abuser--a drug abuser, a people abuser, and a life abuser.
I had only recently begun my journey as a writer and I found myself slipping deeper into my make believe worlds to escape the threats and insults inflicted upon me on a regular basis. Though I'd lived a life of love and encouragement from my family, I let that slip away. I grew deaf to the words of support they offered to me and I became blind to the abusive words hurled at me with such bitterness and rage.
I lived to write. I sat at my computer for hours on end, avoiding the physical contact of a man who dared to tell me I had no beauty or value to humanity. Day after day, I found myself going to work, only to dread coming home for another round of "You will never amount to anything!" I closed myself off from friends and family and sunk further into the depths of worthlessness.
Then one day I reached the bottom.
Finally succumbing to what surely must be the truth, I made the heart-wrenching decision to stop the charade of becoming a writer. I had no talent, I had no ambition, and I had no value to humanity. My muse had deserted me, leaving me empty and unfulfilled. Hadn't it?
I gathered all of my written words and research, accumulated over two years, and I angrily shoved them into garbage bags and carried them to the curb outside. Surely, this would be the answer. If I stopped kidding myself, I could spend more time devoting myself to becoming a better wife and person.
Distraught and broken, I said a prayer and fell into bed. The next morning I awoke with a clear head and a newfound determination.
I stumbled from my room and out to the curb to find everything gone. The words and characters I loved so dearly and who had never let me down had been stolen from me. It was, as I recall, my first epiphany. I had let another human being steal my heart and cast it aside like useless trash. It took some time, but with the support of several fellow writers and some very dear friends, I was able to find myself. I found the strength and the determination to rebuild my life.
As a single person, I have had many struggles, from working multiple jobs to begging food from friends. I have maintained my desire to write and touch people's lives with my words and characters. Everything I do now is for me. I am strong, I am brave, and I am successful. I don't have the money of kings, but what I do have is of far more value. I have the spirit of life.
My writing is a part of me, as much as my arms and legs. Though I know I could survive without any of them, I will fight to the death to keep them all. My body is my own and I find pride in it. My mind is also my own and I find peace in it.
The value of human life can never be measured. The wealth of love can never be diminished. No human has the right to steal another's spirit or desire and with the support of those we love, nothing is impossible.
There is good in every person and with the proper nurturing and faith, that goodness can be enhanced and shared. With love the value of human life can always be increased.
2007--
Today my life is very different. This piece was originally written several years ago and I could not be more pleased with how my life has turned out. I am now married again to a man who finds joy in respecting and loving me. His support is unconditional and has a profound effect on me as a person. Even in my newly found happiness with him, I have held firm to my independence.
I once let domestic violence rule my life and for that I have no excuse, but today I let joy and inner peace guide me. I still have bad days where I am unsure of my place, but those feelings are my own and no one else controls them, or me.
If you are in a situation that is violent or abusive, physically or emotionally, find help. I would never tell anyone to leave, not my place. But find help! Seek the peace you deserve and allow nothing less in your life. You are a human, with feelings and needs, and no other human has the right to control them.
© Karen L. Syed
When Jennifer was younger, she couldn't imagine getting through life without the help of Cameron Quick. Jen was overweight, lispy, and a bit smelly, due to the fact that her single mom was working full time during the day, and in nursing school at night. But Jennifer's life was not nearly as scary as Cam's, as she witnessed one year on her birthday. Now she knew why she wasn't supposed to go over to Cameron's house.
Everything changed for Jennifer when Cameron just disappeared. The mean kids at school told her that Cameron was dead. When Jennifer went home crying to her mother, her mom did not deny the fact. And Jennifer just about shut down.
Now in a different part of the city and in high school, "Jenna" is completely transformed. She works hard everyday to keep the weight off, to remember that boyfriends like Ethan like "happy" girls, and that Jennifer Harris no longer exists. Her mom ended up marrying Alan, and nobody around knows anything about Jenna's past.
And then, Cam comes back.
Jenna doesn't know what to think. Cameron Quick is supposed to be dead! That's the main reason why Jennifer Harris is no more. Not only is Cam in town, he's in her school and looking to deal with the past. A past that only exists in Jenna's head as slippery memories. What will happen when Jenna and Jennifer collide?
Sara Zarr has written an intense story that called to my mind The Rules of Survival by Werlin. Jennifer didn't have any adult help, and as a result, she and Cam had to survive together. What they have is beyond love and friendship. The reader feels real empathy for most of the characters in the book (save Cam's dad), and I found myself willing Jenna towards the truth.
By: Jenny Turner,
on 8/2/2008
Writing for Young Adults
It occurred to me half way through TWILIGHT by Stephanie Meyers that I am kinda thankful I don't have kids. You may be wondering what my personal life has to do with one of the most popular books of the decade. It's simple. I read this book, I am an adult, and the emotional and physical aspects of this book were intense.The physical longing of the two main characters is nothing short of obsessive. Almost frightening. The level of violence was a bit disturbing as well. This book is written for older teens? Thankfully this book had no violence. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book, but as I said, I am an adult.
Let's take it down a decade. A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS by Lemony Snickets. I voted for this one as one of the worst books ever. A children's book? The themes in this book are barely masked by the child characters. We read about substance abuse (alcohol), child abuse, neglect, incest, and slavery. Okay, maybe that one is pushing it, but the children are basically slaves to their uncle. This is a kid's book? These are the things we want to influence our children?
The last one I will bring up is ACCELERATION by Graham McNamee. This is the story of a kid who is working off some time in the lost and found of the subway. He finds a journal that turns out to be that of a serial stalker/potential serial killer. I liked this book, it was well written and kept my attention, but I question the logic in placing a kid in the role of stopping a psychotic killer. This book is very graphic and if I were a kid, I might be inclined to think I could do something like this.
Is there the slightest chance that when writers are working out the plots of their books that they are too concerned with selling books and not concerned enough about how their stories will affect young minds? Don't get lathered up, I am not placing any blame on any author…I am simply asking if there isn't some kind of a line that some authors are crossing over into gray area.
Some will argue that this is what kids want. Okay, I might buy this, but what if we are not giving them enough choices? What if we eliminated some of the sex, toned down the violence, and spent less time writing about ids doing drugs? What's the worse that could happen? We give kids stronger, more focused and versatile role models and things to occupy their time?
If the book industry offered up something that was fun, exciting, interesting, etc. and found a way to pull some of the kids away from the gaming world, got them out from in front of the TV, and reading more? Could this be a bad thing?
© Karen L. Syed
Blog Book Tour August Challenge #2
By: Erica Olsen,
on 9/16/2008
A friend is going through this. She needs legal advice and low-income resources.
Here’s the best of what I’ve found:
I’ve been finding a lot of links-to-lists-of-links. If you know of any *easy to use* resources that would help a mother with no money avoid a murderous creep, please comment, and thank you.
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I've been hearing some great things about this book, but I've been on edge about whether or not I actually want to read it. But your review has just convinced me! I love books that are so good that you feel like you need to read the last page, just to know what happens!
Can't wait to read this book, thanks for the review!
You what is so funny? When I read paper copies of books, I cheat ALL THE TIME! I always flip to the back page to see if they are going to end up together, etc. But now that I am reading more and more books on my kindle its much harder to just flip to the back of the book, so I find that I'm not cheating as much. lol
Thanks for the great review, this is the first I am hearing about this book and now I really want to check it out.