Tag: love

The Decoding of Lana Morris by Laura & Tom McNeal (YA)

It’s Tween and Teen Tuesday where we review either a juvenile (J) or young adult (YA) book.

The Decoding of Lana Morris.jpg

The Decoding of Lana Morris  

Laura & Tom McNeal (Young Adult Fiction)

If you had one wish…just one…what would it be?

Sixteen-year old Lana Morris lives in a two-storied foster home that she shares with four special needs kids (Snicks for short) and her foster parents, Whit and Veronica.  Lana wishes for a different foster mother; she wishes to fit in with the cool kids; she wishes she didn’t have to live in Snick House; and she wishes she understood her feelings for Whit better.  Lana wishes for a lot of things and soon, after she visits Miss Hekkity’s Oddments & Antiques, she’ll have not just one wish, but 13.

First, I want to focus on the positive aspects of this book, which is the attention the McNeals devote to young people with special needs.  They give us insight into their daily lives and allow us to understand their challenges and individuality.  Too often society judges these amazing people by their outward appearance or behavior alone.  It is also heartwarming to see Lana’s role evolve from disparager to defender as she connects with her housemates and appreciates their uniqueness.

Unfortunately, the negative aspects of this book vastly outweigh the positives.  The McNeals make Veronica excessively cruel and evil for no apparent reason.  Her treatment of Lana is childish, snippy, and incredibly mean-spirited.  The authors provide no insight as to why this kind of person possesses such disdain and disregard for the children in her care.  We find out late in the book that she is unable to have children of her own.  So, are we then to assume that these children are somehow meant to fill a personal void or is she putting her own feelings aside and doing it out of selfless love for Whit?  Surely, she can’t be putting herself and these children through such torment for just a monthly stipend.

Additionally, and more disturbingly, is how the authors portray Whit.  Before Lana gains access to her “wishes”, Whit is a beloved, meek, and kind foster father.  The children adore him and Lana views him as a father (although her affections often overlap between familial and hormonal).  After her visit to Miss Hekkity’s, Whit inexplicably becomes increasingly salacious and lecherous toward Lana.  As a lonely teenage girl in want of a father figure, Lana is naturally drawn to Whit, but Whit’s reciprocation, and even encouragement, of her interest cross a very distinct line which is both disturbing and unsettling.  If the authors merely did this to shock their teen readers with provocative and edgy content, they handedly hit their mark.  What is supposedly a book about a teenage girl desperately trying to find love and acceptance dives abruptly into a world filled with infidelity, child exploitation, abuse, and neglect.

If I had one wish…just one…it would be that the McNeals had stayed a little truer to their book’s proposed purpose.  Unfortunately, the strong and encouraging themes of love, acceptance, and friendship are overshadowed by hate, jealousy, and lust and no amount of wishes can overcome that.

Rating: 2/5

* Book cover image attributed to http://www.goodreads.com

 

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (J)

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane  

Kate DiCamillo (Juvenile Fiction)

“Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a rabbit who was made almost entirely out of china.”

Edward Tulane is almost three feet tall (from the tip of his ears to the tip of his feet) and is the beloved companion of ten-year old Abilene Tulane.  A birthday present to Abilene from her grandmother Pellegrina, Edward thinks of himself as a rather fine specimen.  He adores his fancy outfits and very much prefers not to think of unpleasant thoughts.  But one day, something rather unpleasant does occur and that, I’m afraid to say, leads to only more unpleasantness.  You see, Edward is a rabbit who only truly cares about himself, but all that is about to change very, very soon.

DiCamillo is one of the most talented and gifted children’s authors of this generation.  Her characters reach deep into your soul and her stories leave an indelible mark on your heart.  The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is perhaps my favorite DiCamillo book.  It’s a story about learning to love and being loved.  It’s about belonging to a family and finding your way home.  Edward never knew about love, but then he opened his ears and began to listen.  When he listened, he opened his mind and began to care.  When he cared, he opened his heart and began to love…and that changed everything.

Abilene’s grandmother once asked her, “How can a story end happily if there is no love?”  DiCamillo gives us an enchanting and heartwarming story that brims with love which, in turn, promises readers a very happy ending.  Open this book, open your heart, and prepare yourself for an amazing and unforgettable journey with a china rabbit named Edward.

Rating: 5/5

* Book cover image attributed to http://www.amazon.com

 

A Cup of Tea by Amy Ephron

A Cup of Tea

A Cup of Tea

Amy Ephron (Adult Fiction)

A Cup of Tea is based on the short story (of the same title) by Katherine Mansfield.  It is set in New York City during World War I and primarily centers around three characters: wealthy and privileged Rosemary Fell, her fiancée and self-made shipping mogul Philip Alsop, and homeless, penniless, and “astonishingly pretty” Eleanor Smith.  When Rosemary happens to see Eleanor huddled beneath a street light one rainy evening, she offers to take the destitute woman home for a cup of tea.  This seemingly innocuous and kind gesture sets events in motion that will have unintended and unimaginable effects on all three of their lives.

This book has good bones, but unfortunately there is little to no flesh and blood to go along with it.  The story lacks depth and feeling and so little attention is paid to the main characters’ development, that by the end of the book, I neither cared nor sympathized with any of them.  By skimping on details and providing no thoughtful backstory for Rosemary, Philip, or Eleanor, Ephron falls far short of delivering her readers the love story that this book professes to be.  Although this story had so much potential and possibility, this particular cup of tea did nothing more than leave me unsatisfied and wanting something else.

Rating: 3/5

 

Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith

Joy in the Morning

Joy in the Morning

Betty Smith (Adult Fiction)

            “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

                                    —Psalm 30:5

 Carl Brown and Annie McGairy are young and deeply in love.  Just past her 18th birthday, Annie travels from her home in New York to the Midwest to join her beloved in marriage.  Much to their mutual surprise, Carl and Annie’s first year proves to be unexpectedly difficult.  Carl is attending the university studying law and holding down several jobs while Annie tries to adapt to her new surroundings without the security and familiarity of friends and family.  Together, through lean times and unforeseen events, they must rely on their faith and love to pull them through.

What I admire most about Smith is that she gives us a strong, witty, and self-assured female character without diminishing her male counterpart.  All too often we see one character being lowered for the sake of elevating the other.  Despite their differences in education and social standing, Carl and Annie view each other as equals and share a mutual respect and passionate devotion for one another.  This alone is refreshing to see in a novel.

Set in 1927, Smith presents us with a small university town populated with principled (albeit flawed) people who all share a strong work ethic, solid moral compass, and innate desire to be decent, kind, and fair to their fellow man.  Her stories are charming and heartwarming without being overly sentimental or trite. A truly uplifting book that focuses on the goodness of humanity rather than its faults and follies.

Rating: 4/5

The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright

The Wednesday Letters (Adult Fiction)

Jason F. Wright

Jack and Laurel have been married for 39 years and every Wednesday, Jack has written a letter to his beloved…starting on their wedding night and ending on the night of his death.  When their children discover these letters, everything they thought they knew about their parents will be changed forever.

I found this to be two books in one. The first half is a love story told through weekly love letters, while the second half abruptly turns quite religious and spiritual—touching upon themes of redemption, faith, and forgiveness. While the story was laid out slowly and tenderly by Wright, I found the ending to be rushed and forced.  The author’s desire to wrap up every loose end in a nice, pretty bow felt awkward and sloppy and didn’t provide the satisfying conclusion that the author perhaps intended.

Rating: 3/5