Monday, October 17, 2011

Faith

Faith, a novel by Jennifer Haigh, is the story of Arthur, a catholic priest in Boston, Massachussetts who is accused of abusing a young boy after a slew of similar accusations have been made against other priests. Narrated by Arthur's sister, Shiela, Faith also tells the many other stories that are intertwined with Arthur's, such his family's struggle in deciding whether to believe in Arthur's innoccence or in the accusations made against him. Shedding light on a topic that may be considered "taboo" by some, "Faith" is a complex, emotionally charged read that I found to be as much about faith in other people as it is about faith in God.

Reviewed by Kayla Britt


Friday, October 14, 2011

"Running with Scissors" by Augusten Burroughs

"Running with Scissors" is a quirky memoir about a boy, Augusten, making the transition from a non-caring, spotless home to a hectic, loving home. Augusten's first impression of his mother's psychiatrist, Dr. Finch, is a perfect one. Later on, he realizes that his vision of their house isn't what he expected it to be. Augusten, struggling with the fact that he's secretly gay, quickly learns that not every family is perfect and that it's okay to be different.
While staying with his new "family," Augusten meets one of Dr. Finch's patients, Joranne. She has a mental disorder that doesn't allow her to live on her own. When Hope, Dr. Finch's daughter, introduces Augusten to Joranne, he realizes that there is still hope for people who are mentally disabled. She was the complete opposite of what he expected her to be: her room was spotless, she was cleaner than the rest of the people in the house, she ws quiet, and seemed to be closed off. He knew that even though his mother was going through a rough time and had to see a doctor for her disorder, there was still enough hope left for her to get well again. The brief meeting he had with Joranne is what kept him holding on to reality.
I found this book both funny and relatable. It reminds me of those awkward moments of going to an adult's house as a child and having to get along with their kids who were the complete opposite of me. I reccomend this book to anyone who loves taking a walk down memory lane and people who struggled with something as a child, whatever the incident was.
Reviewed by Jordyn

"A Bend in the Road" by Nicholas Sparks

"A Bend in the Road," a book by Nicholas Sparks is based around a cop in his early 30's who has recently lost his wife. His son Jonah is in first grade, and is very affected by his loss. When Miles finds new love and everything is finally going well for him, he encounters a problem from the past that he seems to nevery get away from.
Then Brian comes along, a character in the book who you would never think could make a difference, and ends up becoming a major part of everyone's lives. Being Miles' girlfriend's brother, they see each other at family gatherings and parties but he was never expected to be a turning factor in this book.
I found this book tremendous, insightful, and interesting. It was really hard to put down, and my jaw was dropped for half of it. I highly reccomend this if you consider yourself to be into "chick flicks" or "sappy" stories.
Reviewed by Courtney McHugh

Thursday, October 6, 2011

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

"The Help," a novel by Kathryn Stockett, reveals the realistic, however fictional, tale of the colored help in the small town of Jackson, Mississippi. Starting in August 1962 and continuing through the next year, the story focuses on Aibileen and Minny, two maids going through their daily lives of working for the white socialites of the town, and the hardships that come with the occupation. Stockett also puts a focus on Miss Skeeter, who is somewhat of a social anomaly, an aspiring writer who calls into question the societal norms of the town and the time. Together these three unsuspecting partners set out to change a town that cannot see the flaws in its ways.

Mae Mobley is a young girl and a small character who is a major driving force in Aibileen's decisions throughout the novel. Mae Mobly is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leefolt, the family Aibileen is working for. Aibileen finds that she wants to change the ways of her small southern town in an attempt to make life in the future better for her "Baby Girl." As Aibileen teaches Mae Mobly serious lessons in the form of harmless stories, and as Mae Mobly takes these lessons in, Aibileen finds hope for the future of the town.

"The Help" is a must read, and should not be taken lightly. When you pick up this book be prepared to take an emotional roller coaster ride along side these inspiring characters. I commend Stockett on her outstanding job of shedding light upon the truth of life for colored help during the 1960's.


Reviewed by Heather Raimer

"Thirteen Reasons Why" by Clay Jensen

"Thirteen Reasons Why" is the story of Hannah Baker's suicide. After choosing, and before executing suicide, Hannah recorded herself on tapes explaining the reasons for her decision to kill herself. There is a list of people on the tapes who Hannah blames for her decision to commit suicide. If you receive the tapes, you are one of the reasons she decided to kill herself. So, listen closely, and see why you are one reason that Hannah Baker took her own life.

I thought this book was intriguing because the problems in Hannah's life seemed minor, not something anyone would kill themselves over. Like Hannah says, "everything affects everything" and things certainly started adding up when Zach Dempsey was stealing the last tokens of her self-esteem. I learned in this book that if you think you are just messing with someone, you could be affecting them more than you think because you don't know how many others are doing the same thing and how it can overwhelm them beyond belief.

Reviewed by Stephanie Burrill

"Incarceron" by Catherine Fisher

"Incarceron," a fictional story by Catherine Fisher, is a story centering around two worlds: the "paradise gone wrong" prison, Incarceron, and the oppressed monarchy of the outside world. The former is home to Finn and his oath brother, Kiero, as well as thousands of other prisoners who are either living in small towns or are in violent and territorial gangs, one of which both Finn and Kiero belong to. In the latter setting, the story centers on a girl, Claudia, the daughter of the warden of Incarceron. The outside world is under the rule of a queen who has established a "protocol" which keeps the world in an everlasting version of 15th century England in order to avoid causing another great war, the last of which was referred to as the "Years of Rage."

Claudia is constantly trying to impress and finds that she always has to watch her back, for the outside world is full of deception through politics and murder. The biggest conflict in the outside world is Claudia's arranged marriage. She was supposed to be married to Prince Giles, the Queen's stepson, but after he falls off a horse and dies she is instead set to marry the Queen's son, a mischievous and cruel boy who is always under mummy's finger and catering to her every whim. Claudia is in a constant struggle to get out of the marriage. In the prison, Finn and Kiero are thrown into a world of extreme danger and adventure when they embark on a quest to find a way out. Along the way, they fight gangs, each other, and the prison itself. They are joined by a girl named Attia and are contacted by a stranger from the outside. Near the end of the story, you learn something very surprising about one of the main characters, an you find out that something very minor, a pocket watch mentioned on the side throughout the story, is actually something very important, for on the chain of the watch is a small blue cube, and this cube, tiny, seemingly insignificant is, in fact, the prison itself!

I found this book to be a great read, full of excitement, deception, and danger. The story gets into it right off the bat, great if you hate books that take too long to get into the story. It's full of interesting and inventive twists that will keep you well entertained. I will say, however, that the author leaves you hanging a lot. I find this makes it better because it keeps you thinking, wondering, and when you've just gotten into the next chapter and almost forgotten about what she left you hanging with in the last chapter, she throws the explanation at you, as well as another cliffhanger. All in all, I thought this book was better than most in the genre (it was certainly hard to put down) and I recommend it to readers of any age who want an epic adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat right up to the end.
Reviewed by Jason Phillips

"A Wedding Quilt for Ella" by Jerry S. Eicher

In "A Wedding Quilt for Ella," a novel by Jerry S. Eicher, Ella, a young adult, is inspired by a picture her younger sister Clara drew; she longs to make it the centerpiece on her wedding quilt. When her beloved finance dies, she starts to lose hope and cares less about the world around her. However, she doesn't want to give up on the dream she has for a beautiful wedding quilt. She soon discovers, with help from family and friends, that even when someone you love dies, hope can still go on.

I found this story very inspirational and touching. It taught me that you can't stay mad forever when something bad happens in your life. No matter what situations we go through, life still goes on. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has lost a loved one or is just having a hard time in life.

Reviewed by Tricia Hanks

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Heart and The Fist

The Heart and The Fist, a memoir by Eric Greitens, centers on Eric's own journeys as a student, athlete, humanitarian, and Navy SEAL. Greitens' first travels abroad to China during college after receiving a grant that allows him to do an independent study abroad for the summer. From there, Eric volunteers in many other countries, working in refugee camps and helping the poor of Bosnia, Rwanda, and Bolivia.

The people he meets during his travels teach Eric many valuable lessons through the telling of their harrowing stories of survival and hardship and by showing him how tirelessly one can work for a cause.

Eric is also taught lessons in strength, perseverance and discipline when he takes up boxing. The many hours he spends training help prepare him for a much more difficult task, becoming a Navy SEAL.

Eric decides to join the Navy when he realizes that although he is helping others through his work as a humanitarian, he steps in to "ease the suffering," his work doesn't prevent terrible things, like genocide, from happening. This is how Eric develops his idea that "you have to be strong to do good, but you also have to do good to be strong."

This powerful true story taught me that one person really can make a difference, but it is up to you to "choose your own adventure." This is a book everyone should read.

Reviewed by Kayla Britt