Sarah Butland » Reviews http://sarahbutland.com/blog For Writers, For Readers, For You Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:37:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Deadly Secrets by Terry Odell http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2012/01/02/deadly-secrets-by-terry-odell/ http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2012/01/02/deadly-secrets-by-terry-odell/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:51:05 +0000 Sarah Butland http://sarahbutland.com/blog/?p=1478 [...]]]>

Facebook has been an amazing way for me to meet and learn from new authors. Most recently, I connected with Terry Odell and am so very grateful for the opportunity.

2012 is my year for writing and making a name for myself so I’m honoured to start it off with my review of Terry Odell’s mystery novel – Deadly Secrets (Mapleton Mystery).

Her first “true” mystery after many well-received romance novels, Deadly Secrets (Mapleton Mystery) tells the story of several characters in a beautiful way that doesn’t have the reader confused. Switching from Megan’s vacation and return home to Chief Gordon’s search for the criminal and then his feelings for Angie, Justin’s story is the one I actually connected with most. Mixed with all of them was Oma and Opa and their sordid past that they never discussed.

My connection to Deadly Secrets (Mapleton Mystery) first came with the introduction of Oma and Opa as I have grandparents from Holland who went by that. Although this Oma and Opa came to America from Germany their stories were interesting, offering the same comfort as my own grandparents.

But Justin went through some life changes, struggled with expectations and being the outcast but came out on top, or so it seems. His story of overcoming personal grievances and being accepted for what he had to offer made me root for him and his innocence but you’ll have to read it yourself to know who he actually turned out to be.

A must read for any mystery fan!

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

PS: Stay tuned for my interview with Terry in the coming weeks!

]]> http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2012/01/02/deadly-secrets-by-terry-odell/feed/ 3 Farsighted by Emlyn Chand http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/30/farsighted-by-emlyn-chand/ http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/30/farsighted-by-emlyn-chand/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:39:31 +0000 Sarah Butland http://sarahbutland.com/blog/?p=1392 [...]]]>

Farsighted is brilliant in that it had me understanding what it was like to be without sight! While I was reading it I stumbled over a few paragraphs as it seemed I was trying to find instances where this author slipped and was truly impressed when I didn’t find even one example!

Not reading anything about this book prior to diving in I was welcomed by wonderfully warm water in both the character end and the plot side. I related mostly to Alex, even though I have my first sight and that alone, as I was transferred to a new school mid-way through the year and felt blind by all the possibilities. Only Alex had a cane for guidance and luckily enough, for protection.

Perfect read for teenagers, both male and female, it’s also relevant to adult readers of almost any type.

The mystique of the fortune telling, the psychic powers, seeing into the future, all seemed like a subplot to me. A way to spin the tale of a “special” boy who was special in so many ways people were blind to.

Written expertly in present tense impressed me as well as I often struggle with staying in that tense. Emlyn Chand is certainly an author to keep an eye on, whether you’re using your first or second sight.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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]]> http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/30/farsighted-by-emlyn-chand/feed/ 5 My Review of In Leah’s Wake by Terri A. Giuliano Long http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/16/my-review-of-in-leahs-wake-by-terri-a-giuliano-long/ http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/16/my-review-of-in-leahs-wake-by-terri-a-giuliano-long/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:50:04 +0000 Sarah Butland http://sarahbutland.com/blog/?p=1425 [...]]]>

 

Although I found In Leah’s Wake slow to get into the brilliance in the heartbreaking window pulled at my heartstrings and kept me reading. Further into the book these situations got closer together and ever more hauntingly real.

Although I haven’t ever been in Leah’s position I’ve felt like she did many times and her sister Justine, in many ways, was me.

In Leah’s Wake follows a family who could be your neighbour, your friend, or you as two loving parents question their child-raising decisions as when their oldest turns 16 it seems everything they knew about their life alludes them. A soccer pro in the making, Leah excels at school and knows right from wrong until she falls madly in love with the wrong type of guy.

You’ve been there. Thinking you had your life together and then you fall in love.

Fall in love with In Leah’s Wake, then hate it and love it again for all it reveals about yourself, your decision and the cause and effect of all you do.

 

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland

author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One, and Arm Farm

]]> http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/16/my-review-of-in-leahs-wake-by-terri-a-giuliano-long/feed/ 3 The Gaia Wars – Read and Win up to $100! http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/08/the-gaia-wars/ http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/08/the-gaia-wars/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:43:47 +0000 Sarah Butland http://sarahbutland.com/blog/?p=1382 [...]]]>

About The Gaia Wars: DEADLY SECRETS have been buried in the Cascade mountain wilderness for centuries. Hidden. Out of sight and out of mind. Until today… Warren Wilkes, age 13, doesn’t like what a greedy housing developer has done to his peaceful mountain community, so he vandalizes the developer’s property, flees into the wild, and stumbles upon an ancient human skeleton revealed by torrential rain. More than old bones have been exposed, however, and the curious artifact Warren finds makes him question his own identity, and his connection to an ancient terror. A terror destined to rise again and annihilate all that Warren loves. He must fight or see his whole world destroyed. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About Battle for Cascadia: When Warren Wilkes, age 13, stumbles upon a mysterious relic deep in the Cascade Mountains, wonder reigns. Brimming with secrets and sentient energy, the relic leads Warren to a fantastic chamber, and to shocking revelations about his identity. Now wonder has turned to dread. A forgotten terror—a demon that knows Warren better than he knows himself—has risen again and is assembling an army; gathering power with a singularly evil goal in mind: to capture and enslave the wild spirit of the Earth itself. As war erupts and the planet slips into chaos, Warren embraces his destiny and finds help where he least expects it. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About the Author: Kenneth G. Bennett is the author of the Young Adult novels The Gaia Wars and Battle for Cascadia (the second book of The Gaia Wars), as well as the forthcoming Exodus 2018, a paranormal thriller set in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. A wilderness enthusiast who loves backpacking, skiing and kayaking, Ken enjoys novels that explore the relationship between humans and the wild. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son. Visit him on his website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Now please enjoy this sneak peek of The Gaia Wars…

Chapter 3

The ground climbed steadily and Warren slowed but didn’t stop. He knew how to pace himself, and ran lightly over the soft earth, weaving between the pines.

A plan formed in Warren’s mind. He would make for Pipestone Canyon, roughly two miles distant. He and his uncle had hiked, skied and snowshoed there dozens of times, and he knew it well. Perhaps he could hide among the canyon’s crags, cliffs and massive boulders. Perhaps.

Warren topped a low ridge, entered a clearing, and heard the sudden rush of brawling Nine Mile Creek, two hundred yards ahead. Born in the snowy Cascades, the sparkling stream clattered across the meadow. It was roughly fifteen feet wide here, but shallow, gravel-bottomed and easy to cross.

Now that he was out of the trees, Warren heard other sounds, too: the unmistakable baying of dogs, surprisingly close, and the low, steady whine of ATVs. The Finleys were after him, all right, and they were getting closer.

For the first time, Warren felt truly afraid. He remembered the rage on Mr. Finley’s face. Who could guess what the big brute might do? Or maybe Finley Sr. would simply turn a blind eye as Finley Jr. pulverized him. Junior was a good thirty pounds heavier than Warren, after all.

Wild thoughts flooded Warren’s mind. Maybe the Finleys would tie him up and drag him behind their ATVs, or let their dogs tear him to pieces. He couldn’t guess, and he didn’t want to find out.

Warren had an idea. Instead of running straight across the creek, he would run in it for a while. His shoes and socks would get soaked, but perhaps the ploy would confuse the dogs—at least temporarily. It was a trick he’d read about in numerous adventure stories. Maybe it would help.

He leapt into the clear, frigid water. It was only about a foot deep here, where it crossed the flat, open meadow, but shockingly cold. He sprinted upstream.

Though June meant summer in other parts of the country, it was still early spring here in the higher elevations of the Clement Valley. It had snowed heavily all winter, and the meadows only recently had become snow-free. It had just rained, too, so everything had a fresh, new quality and the air was crisp and clean. Wildflowers carpeted the creek banks.

Warren splashed on—the gravel stream bottom giving a bit under each sloshing footfall. He saw now that the snowmelt and recent rain had caused the clay soil of the stream’s banks to fracture. Here and there great slabs of creek edge had fallen into the water. In some spots, sections of bank teetered, like new islands breaking apart from the mainland after a catastrophic quake. Ahead, the creek jogged sharply to the right.

Warren scanned the meadow. In another hundred feet or so, he’d climb out of the water and run uphill, toward Pipestone Canyon. He sprinted, following the sharp bend in the stream.

That’s when he saw the skeleton.

It was a human skeleton, no doubt about that, lying face up on the soft earth. Warren could see at once what had happened: the skeleton had been buried in the reddish-brown clay of the bank, but a section of creek edge had fractured and fallen away, freeing the skeleton from its tomb. It lay there in broad daylight, as neatly and cleanly as if it had just rolled out of a crypt. Warren stepped forward cautiously and gazed at the remains in silent wonder.

He would have forgotten about the Finleys, his prank and everything else—only now that he’d stopped moving he heard the dogs and whining ATVs once more. Even over the joyful clatter of the creek, the sounds were unmistakable. The Finleys were coming through the forest, within a minute or two of the meadow.

Warren stared at the skeleton. He’d been to enough museums and read enough books to know that it was very old. The bones were light brown and smooth, like aged ivory. It occurred to Warren they might even be fossilized.

The skull, arm and leg bones were large, and the hips narrow, so he guessed he was looking at the remains of a man. The lower jawbone was missing, as were the bones of the right foot. Otherwise, the skeleton appeared intact. Warren leaned closer to the skull, but the empty eye sockets gazing skyward gave him a queer feeling.

He took one last look and …

There was something protruding from the dirt, near the skeleton’s right hip. Warren peered closely.

The “something,” whatever it was, was encrusted with soft clay. It blended with the surrounding soil, and was nearly invisible.

Warren gently traced the object with his fingers, pried some of the clay away, and understood. It was a pouch: leather, bound at the top with a fragment of cord.

Warren teased more soil from the object, marveling that the leather was still supple and intact. Even the design on the face of the pouch—a fine red spiral—had somehow been preserved inside the clay tomb of the creek bank.

Carefully, painstakingly, Warren lifted the pouch free from the soil, loosened the cord, and spilled the contents out.

The first artifact to tumble onto the creek bank—into the sunlight—was a stone spear point. It was about five inches long, brownish-yellow and lovingly crafted. It was still razor sharp, by the look of it.

The spear point made Warren gasp. But the object that thudded onto the bank after it stopped his heart.

It was a heavy, flat medallion of gleaming, hammered gold, inset with sparkling blue gems.

Dazzlingly beautiful, the medallion (medallion was the first word that came to Warren’s mind) could easily have been the centerpiece of a great king’s crown, or of a royal necklace. The object had seven equal sides.

A heptagon, Warren thought. It was a term he’d learned in last semester’s math.

Warren’s hand shook as he traced the perimeter of the heptagon with one finger. The object was about four inches across, and twice as thick as the old silver dollars in his uncle’s coin collection.

In the center of the heptagon was set a perfect circle of highly polished obsidian. The dazzling blue gems—there were seven of them, as well—were embedded in the gold and placed evenly about the obsidian circle. Warren turned the medallion over and saw that the back consisted of gleaming, hammered gold only.

He lifted the object slowly, reverently. It fit neatly in the palm of his hand and was so bright that it flashed in the warm morning light. It was beautiful. It was mesmerizing. It was …

Warren heard sudden, frenzied barking from the forest below and jumped to his feet. How had they scaled the hill so fast? How long had he been kneeling beside the skeleton? With a leap up the bank, he was off once more, bounding across the meadow and toward the sheltering forest beyond.

Warren had run perhaps fifteen feet when he realized he’d left the spear point with the skeleton. No time to retrieve it now. By the sound of it, the Finleys’ dogs would burst into the clearing at any moment. He had to make it to the trees—had to disappear into the forest—if he was to have any hope of escaping.

Thanks for reading and be sure to read more of The Gaia Wars by purchasing his book this today for only $0.99!

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

PS: As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of The Gaia Wars eBook edition has dropped to just 99 cents this week.

What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including a Kindle Fire, Amazon gift cards up to $100 in amount, 5 autographed copies of the book, and 5 autographed copies of its recently released sequel, Battle for Cascadia. Be sure to enter before the end of the day on Friday, December 9th, so you don’t miss out.

To Win the Prizes:

1) Purchase your copy of The Gaia Wars for just 99 cents on Amazon or Barnes & Noble
2) Fill-out the form on Novel Publicity to enter for the prizes
3) Visit today’s featured event; you may win an autographed copy of the book or a $50 gift card!
4) BONUS: If you leave a comment on this blog post, you have another chance at $100!

…And I can win too!

Over 100 bloggers are participating in this gigantic event, and there are plenty of prizes for us too. The blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card as well. So when you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to say that I referred you, so I can get a point in the poll.

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]]> http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/08/the-gaia-wars/feed/ 1 Back to Kenneth G Bennett and The Gaia Wars http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/07/back-to-kenneth-g-bennett-and-the-gaia-wars/ http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/07/back-to-kenneth-g-bennett-and-the-gaia-wars/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:34:27 +0000 Sarah Butland http://sarahbutland.com/blog/?p=1406 [...]]]>

HOW A NASA SCIENTIST’S THEORY INSPIRED A PARANORMAL THRILLER

The Gaia Wars is fiction, but it was inspired—at least in part—by The Gaia Hypothesis. This hypothesis, proposed by NASA scientist James Lovelock, states that the Earth—the entire Earth—is a living thing. A vast, “super-organism.”

I read an article about Lovelock’s theory a few years back and thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever heard.

The Earth is alive. Think about it. If Lovelock’s correct, the Earth isn’t simply a chunk of interstellar rock hosting a collection of random ecosystems; it’s a cohesive entity. An organism. A being. I daydreamed about this idea, mulled it over; wondered how it might be incorporated into a novel. And in my imagination, I took the theory to the next level: What if the Earth is not simply alive, I asked, but also sentient?

I did some reading, and discovered that a lot of so-called primitive cultures believed this very thing. Understood it in their bones. Our ancestors were in tune with the planet in ways that we’ve forgotten. They could feel her heartbeat. Interpret her rhythms. They created Earth Goddesses to worship and celebrate.

Gaia (pron. guy-uh) is one of the principal deities of the Greek Pantheon. Other cultures used other names: the Tibetan people called the deity Chomolungma—Goddess Mother of the World. The Sumerians knew her as Ninhursaga. To Mesoamerican peoples she was Tlazolteotl.

A fictitious Pacific Northwest culture called the Denelai is at the center of The Gaia Wars. As readers learn, the ancient Denelai people believed in the Earth goddess so profoundly that she would sometimes appear to them in human form.

At the start of the novel, troubled 13-year-old Warren Wilkes unearths a treasure deep in the Cascade Mountains while fleeing the law, learns about the Denelai and Gaia’s periodic visits, and finds that on one such occasion in 1550 AD, the tribe was attacked and the Earth Goddess wounded. The Indians were slaughtered and Gaia lost her memory and vanished into the wild.

As Warren soon discovers, Gaia is still alive and still trapped in human form. What’s more, the beast that attacked the Indian village 500 years earlier is on it’s way back with an army bred specifically to capture Gaia, unlock her secrets, and seize control of the planet. Warren must fight or see his whole world destroyed.

Readers seem to like the idea of a paranormal thriller with a thinking, feeling Earth at its heart. The feedback has been tremendous. Humbling. Yesterday (November 24, Thanksgiving Day) The Gaia Wars rose to #17 on Amazon’s list of Top 100 Best Sellers in Children’s Action & Adventure. The Second Book of The Gaia Wars, Battle for Cascadia, (just released) is also doing well. A huge thank you to all the wonderful readers giving these books a try!

Thanks for reading!

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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]]> http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/12/07/back-to-kenneth-g-bennett-and-the-gaia-wars/feed/ 2 Ties to the Blood Moon by Robin P Waldrop http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/11/21/ties-to-the-blood-moon-by-robin-p-waldrop/ http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/11/21/ties-to-the-blood-moon-by-robin-p-waldrop/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:28:04 +0000 Sarah Butland http://sarahbutland.com/blog/?p=1375 [...]]]>

I was fortunate enough to win a copy of TIES TO THE BLOOD MOON recently and although it’s not my typical read of choice I am glad I was able to read it.

Robin has a way with plot and making you wonder just what will be happening next; a perfect example is how she ends this book ensuring its readers will want to read the next one.

TIES TO THE BLOOD MOON follows a teenage girl on the brink of graduation who suddenly loses her mother in a house fire and is forced to move in with her aunt. Not so bad if it wasn’t in Alaska! As she gets used to a new school, making friends, the strange way days and nights work in Alaska, Gen suddenly discovers something else about herself she needs to get used to and straight hair is the least of it.

Rumour has it a princess arrived in town the same time Gen did and they need to know who it is immediately.

Thick with intriguing plot and suspense Ties to the Blood Moon had me anxious to read about a princess, werewolves and vampires which I normally avoid. Romance, action, mythical creatures – this story has it all. Although I was really eager to learn more about the characters the plot was magical enough to leave me wanting more.

A new and original look at the turn of life a teenager goes through. If you love coming of werewolf stories you’ll enjoy TIES TO THE BLOOD MOON.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland

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]]> http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/11/21/ties-to-the-blood-moon-by-robin-p-waldrop/feed/ 0 S., a novel in [xxx] dreams by Lee Thompson http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/10/28/s-a-novel-in-xxx-dreams-by-lee-thompson/ http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/10/28/s-a-novel-in-xxx-dreams-by-lee-thompson/#comments Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:44:21 +0000 Sarah Butland http://sarahbutland.com/blog/?p=1347 [...]]]>

A very different way of telling a story in novel format, Lee literally tells us who S. is through the characters in [xxx] dreams. What’s different about this novel is that, like our dreams and nightmares, it doesn’t always make complete sense nor does it give enough details in relation to the characters.

I did find myself more aware of the author, an acquaintance of mine, and the world of creativity behind a whole new world of story telling.

Overall the book, the story, the concept intrigued me and sort of has me wondering what comes next. As well as what actually was.

Dreams are a tricky topic, as you know, but this collection was very well written and each chapter was short enough that had you wanting more. What I did find missing was a concrete cliff hanger but as this was an unusual read for me I am very glad I read it, learned from it and now want to share it with you.

I also want to share Lee Thompson, its author, with you and will be interviewing him on my site in the next few months. Please stop by to see who my author of the month is any time!

As he clearly shares:

In which the author attempts to create, using only his dreams (obsessive on subject), a story through the after-image. In which the author decides to stand back and say here, with as little conscious interference as possible, is what happens when love fractures.

Is this fiction or non-fiction? Biography or autobiography? Prose or poetry?

-Lee Thompson

As always, thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland

]]> http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/10/28/s-a-novel-in-xxx-dreams-by-lee-thompson/feed/ 0 Light Lifting by Alexander MacLeod http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/10/03/light-lifting-by-alexander-macleod/ http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/10/03/light-lifting-by-alexander-macleod/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 01:09:02 +0000 Sarah Butland http://sarahbutland.com/blog/?p=1320 [...]]]>

A book that came to my attention as a result of being on the Giller Prize shortlist and having a newfound interest for reading short stories, I also found myself close to this book as the author is from my home province and his father, Alistair MacLeod, is a legend of a Canadian author.

When I had the opportunity to hear Alexander MacLeod read in River John, Nova Scotia, I was very impressed by his dark telling of a portion of The Loop which told the tale of a young delivery man and his glimpses of life before death. I knew I was buying it before hearing this tale, I craved reading it after listening to such a brief portion of the book.

Each story weaved darkness and hope so wonderfully and simply for me that, as a writer, I appreciated, longed for and knew I could strive for. Although it captured the attention of Canadians like a rainy, mild day in winter, it was subtle enough to offer emerging authors hope of breaking into the short story readership.

Light Lifting concluded with heavy machinery which wasn’t extremely well received by Globe and Mail’s reviewer Jim Bartley, he too couldn’t forget that that The Number Three was heavy hitting.

Each story was left in a way that the reader remained thinking and I for one enjoyed this as I still care and wonder about each stories characters. Now I just want Alexander MacLeod to come out with a new collection or his first full length novel.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland

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]]> http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/10/03/light-lifting-by-alexander-macleod/feed/ 0 Cosmic Fire/ Local Sparks: My Journey Into The Universe http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/08/22/cosmic-fire-local-sparks-my-journey-into-the-universe/ http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/08/22/cosmic-fire-local-sparks-my-journey-into-the-universe/#comments Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:51:55 +0000 Sarah Butland http://sarahbutland.com/blog/?p=1294 [...]]]>

Always wanting to support Canadian authors and needing to support local authors from Moncton or New Brunswick, when I saw this book by Carmel Higgins I actually mistook her for another Canadian author I know with the same first name. But am I ever glad I made that mistake.

I’m always questioning everything, religion especially, and know that I’m not alone in that. When I began this book and learned that Carmel Higgins would be taking me on a journey of discovery, learning and doubt – things we all need as much as breathe. We follow the author as she grows from a little girl asking questions to a wise woman finding answers and asking more.

Reading this gave me confidence and assurance that I’m not on this journey to religious confidence and knowledge on my own. To have it so closely linked with people and places I know from being in Moncton was even more effective.

When I passed this one on to a reader who is close to me, I was confident she’d either strengthen her resolve and faith or begin to question her devotion to one single reason for human life. Either way the read would change her life. But I was surprised as this book ended up in a typical non-readers hands first who fell as deeply as I did into the story. Although he began to step back when Higgins started to scratch the surface of other possibilities other than the God he believes in, he promised to continue until it’s completion.

Even if you didn’t grow up in Moncton, Cosmic Fire/ Local Sparks is a story local to your heart no matter where in the world you are. Make sure you visit her website to order this book before you ask another question pertaining to why we’re here.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland

]]> http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/08/22/cosmic-fire-local-sparks-my-journey-into-the-universe/feed/ 0 Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/08/17/speak-by-laurie-halse-anderson/ http://sarahbutland.com/blog/2011/08/17/speak-by-laurie-halse-anderson/#comments Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:32:08 +0000 Sarah Butland http://sarahbutland.com/blog/?p=1286 [...]]]>

Wow! A definite must read for anyone who has suffered or know anyone who has suffered, especially with a complicated childhood. And, truthfully, who hasn’t gone through a rough patch while they were a teenager?

Speak takes us on a journey of a typical teenager as she deals with her first day of high school after a traumatic summer. Instead of joining her friends from middle school, Melinda isolates herself and speaks minimal amounts, afraid of what might come out and how people will deal with it. This novel, Laurie Halse Anderson’s first, describes the frustration, humiliation and disgrace a person so young must feel after going through so much. Some turn to suicide, unfortunately, Melinda gives hope and an alternative healing process.

Melinda is ostracized by her friends for calling 911 during a party they felt privileged to attend as it involved underage drinking. When everyone scattered from the house, Melinda went with them. Unsure of what to do next she kept everything inside afraid of what her parents, who were too busy working to listen, and friends, who were mortified she called the cops, would say.

Her only escape seems to be art class where her task is to pour her soul into creating trees. Her art teacher was the only one who paid attention to her but was dealing with his own complications of cutbacks and artwork. It’s crazy that something like art in school is one of the first things dismissed but it helps so many with expressing themselves. Art can definitely be better than therapy. Even the artwork on the door of the bathroom stall saved some souls and aggravation.

A particular bathroom stall gave Melinda the strength to graffiti the name of her attacker and helped her breath in ways unimaginable if you didn’t live through the circumstances she did.

This book was written in a way that makes me regret not reading it as a teenager going through my own angst issues as it speaks to teenagers and adults alike. It is an easy read as far as language is concerned but difficult to know that the healing process takes a toll on so many in our own community and world.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland

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