The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun by Paul Hattaway7/2/2020 Hello my lovely book bees! (If you've been around before and you wonder why I call my readers lovely book bees, it's because I love bees and thought it'd be cute)
The first time I read The Heavenly Man, I was living in China. I don't remember how I got a copy, except maybe through another foreigner. But I was so enraptured and inspired by the true story of this Brother in Christ who was persecuted in China. He is essentially equated to/as the Paul of China. His contributions to the modern Christian Chinese movement is huge. He kicked off a revival of a new generation, and under his leadership the church in China grew exponentially. Brother Yun's relationship with God as well as the trials and tribulations that he goes through are remarkable really. I can't even comprehend the pain and torture his body and his spirit were put through. I remembered loving this book so much, and I had given my copy to a friend at school for her to read, and she never gave it back, so I had to buy a new copy. Well, first, actually, I got my Abuela (my Puerto Rican grandmother) a copy in Spanish for her birthday because I knew she would enjoy it just as much. After hearing her thoughts on it and how it inspired her faith as well, I knew I had to buy my own copy to reread. So I did, and I reread this amazing book (I got myself the kindle edition), and I loved it even more then I did when I originally read it. Paul Hattaway so completely captures Brother Yun's character and experience in such a way that you are almost right beside him walking the journey with him (without the pain of course). When you first read it, you might be tempted to think that there's no way that a man could've endured all that he did. It's just not possible! And you're right, a mere man would not have made it through all of what Brother Yun did, but he didn't do it as a mere man or by himself, God was with him every step of the way. God provided for Brother Yun even in his darkest circumstances, and preformed miracles that we have trouble imagining and believing. Brother Yun's whole story just reminds me of how great my God is. If you have an open mind and you want a inspirational jumpstart to your faith, this book is definitely for you! If I had a list of top ten inspirational Christian books (which is a great idea for a newsletter), this book would definitely get the first slot. Anyone interested in strengthening their faith, missions, China, or martyrs should read this book. I don't recommend it for anyone under 13 because some of the torture is graphic. But parents, if you read it, you'll love it, and you'll want your children to read it because it's just that amazing. Extra Links:
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Hello my lovely book bees!
So I started reading this book for my small group at church that my pastor's wife leads on Wednesday nights. And I deeply appreciated this study. First of all, I love Beth Moore, she truly is a gifted writer and has such an anointing from God. I really look up to her. To Live is Christ is basically a study of Paul's missionary journeys. And as my pastor's wife says (I'll paraphrase), 'When we read the New Testament we speed through it and we don't recognize that the space between some of the verses or chapters took months or years. We don't slow down to realize that, and we get to slow down and examine that with this book.' Plus....we also get to recognize that Paul is a mere mortal, a human, who made mistakes just like us. He wasn't perfect even though we (the church) tries to put him on that pedestal. Honestly this book helped me to grow so much in my faith. Coupled with the video series, Drive Thru History: Acts to Revelations (on TBN), you get to visually see where Paul traveled and learn the histories of these places that affected Paul's ministry. You get to delve deep into who Paul was as an individual person, and the struggles and triumphs that he had on his journeys. It's highly educational, spiritual, and realistic. Beth Moore doesn't just help you connect to Paul and his missionary journeys on a deeper level, she also helps you take the lessons that Paul may have learned and gives you ways to apply them to your daily life. It's a revelation! I honestly cannot emphasize how important this book is to my growth. I think that any Christian looking to seriously go deeper in their faith should read this book. Anyone who wants to know Paul (who I personally place second to Jesus), the man who wrote most of the New Testament, on a more human level, should read this book. It's a great book. Use it as your devotional, for a small group, or read it with your family! There's no wrong way, just read it. Extra Links: June's Book of the MonthI finally decided to do something a little different for my book reviews from now on and do a little photo shoot! Photo credit goes to my amazing sister Rebecca. She has a great photography account on Instagram, so go follow her here.
Confession time: I got this as an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) from Shadow Mountain Publishing, and for those of you who have hung out long enough you know that I love them!!!! But.....I've been bad about writing the actual review. I'll read the book but then I find myself procrastinating on actually writing the review. It's time consuming and I guess I give myself all of these excuses as to why I can't write the review even though I'm not technically that busy. Also...I waste so much time reading stories on Wattpad that it detracts from my reading of actual books. Sometimes I forget that the stories on Wattpad aren't actual books because they are so well written. So I've been doing a lot of reading, but not the kind that I can log into my Goodreads account. Anyways, onward. Hello my lovely book bees! Let's discuss The Milkman's Son. Firstly, the title!!! If you think you can discern what the book is going to be about by the title you are absolutely right. I personally love family histories and genealogies, which is what originally got my attention with this book. And let me say ya'll, this is a read you won't regret. The author interweaves comedic moments all throughout the book. It's humorous really, which aids the story in its telling and makes it easy and fun to read. I was constantly laughing while my family gave me funny looks. I read this book pretty quickly because I enjoyed it so much. But it does have some serious themes. The Milkman's Son begins with a guy named Randy, who has both adult children and kids still at home, who decides to help his dad with a family genealogy project. He gets as far as he can get with records and stuff that he can find on Ancestry.com, so he decides to do a DNA test to see if that can help him further connect to his ancestors. Long story short, and without too many spoilers, that's how he finds out that his dad is not his biological father. Which is a SURPRISE and shock for someone in their 50's. Randy has what I equate to a midlife crisis over this new revelation and hence the humor comes in, but so does a more serious theme of family, belonging, and love. Randy questions his place in the family he was raised in, if his father loves him less because he doesn't share genetic material with him, and who his other half of his real family is. So he goes on this journey of self discovery to figure all of this out, and man going along for the ride was a real treat. It's a great book!!!!! Anyone who loves genealogies, memoirs, comedy, or just fun stories in general should read this. Honestly it's just amazing and I don't think there's anyone who shouldn't read it. If you have the time, and you like to read, this book is for you! Would you like the publisher's synopsis? Okay, here it is (but I like mine better): Raised in a family he bore little resemblance to, Randy was jokingly referred to as "the milkman’s son." This warm and candid memoir chronicles the unraveling of a family secret, which begins with Randy’s dad having dreams about deceased relatives urging him to complete their family tree. Randy agrees to help with the genealogy, but after his searching leads to a dead end, he takes a commercially available DNA test. The results reveal a possible genetic match to a sister, which begins a familial quest that forever changes the author’s life. Featuring a cast of vivid characters, richly drawn from two distinct families, The Milkman’s Son reveals one man’s family tree, pulling back layers of new information as he gets closer to the truth—a biological father, siblings, and family members he never knew about. This is a story of accepting, forgiving, reuniting, and, most importantly, it’s about the bonds that connect us and the unconditional love that makes us feel like we belong. Extra Links: Hello my beautiful bees. It's Rachel here and it's time for another book review. Before we really dive in, I'll preface this with letting y'all know that it's an art biography and it's the first of it's kind that I've ever read.
So when I go to my college library it's usually to study in a quiet environment. The desk that I usually sit at has a beautiful view of the woods and man made stream that passes the outside of the library. Right behind my usual spot is the art book section. I've always loved art but I've never studied it, its history, or know much about artists in general besides what you typically learn about in school. So I decided I was going to read the first art book on the shelf behind me, and Georgia O'Keeffe: An Eternal Spirit by Susan Wright was the lucky winner! I also want to preface by saying that I am in no way an art critic or an expert in this field at all. These views are simply from an art loving (aka someone who likes any kind of art that she sees that she can vibe with) book worm. ART!!!! I love looking at it. I got to see some amazing, beautiful, and inspiring art work of Georgia O'Keeffe printed in the book. Her art visually spanned from abstract, flowers, New York, and southwestern scenes. My favorites were definitely her abstracts, sky scenes, and flowers. I enjoyed the back stories and learning about her journey through life and then subsequently looking at the art that correlated with that part of her journey. The book is separated by the stages of O'Keeffe's art journey/life journey, which I really appreciated. It was cool to see which pieces of art correlated with whatever she was going through or the area that she was living at during that time. The book also discusses her relationship with her husband, who was a photographer and had his own art studio (spoiler alert: her art debuted in his art studio and their relationship continued slowly from there). It was honestly an educational experience and a fun introduction to a new genre that I had never previously delved into before. I definitely want to read another book from this genre next semester. Maybe I'll grab the second book from that shelf and see what I come across. Overall, Georgia O'Keeffe: An Eternal Spirit was an easy read, and I give it 5/5 stars. If you are a creative or enjoy the arts, or simply want to explore a new genre and educate yourself on a little known artist, this book is definitely for you. Give it a try!!! Links: Okay, so the world (both in the big and personal sense) has gone crazy. I transferred schools, switched majors (now I'm an Environmental and Sustainability Studies major in STEM), coronavirus, social distancing, my university closed and moved all classes to online learning platforms for the rest of the semester, my workplace closed and now I have to (temporarily) apply for unemployment, AND on top of it all - like icing on the catastrophic cake - my mom just got diagnosed with diabetes. But let's not focus on the negatives. Before we get to our book review, let's look at some of the positives of our (my) situation: 1. I'm a natural introvert, so asking me to stay indoors for two weeks is amazing. 2. (I haven't done it yet, but I plan to) Now is the perfect time to connect with friends that you haven't heard from in a while. 3. I stocked up on some of my favorite foods (right now I'm eating chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream). 4. Spending time with family (though they kinda drive me crazy) 5. Time to focus on things you like/catch up - Now is the perfect time to dust off some of those TBR books sitting on your night stand or bookshelf Anyways, without further ado, here is your book review: Basic Book Information: It was published earlier this month (3/3/20) Retail Price: $16.99 Page Count: 256 Middle Grade Fiction Publisher (also sponsor of this post): Shadow Mountain Publishing Synopsis: (this part is copied and pasted) After losing her mom, Willa is grieving and having a hard time living with her dad and his new family on an island off the coast of Washington State. Her dad tries to cheer her up by taking her whale watching, something Willa's mom used to do. While all the passengers are on one side of the boat, Willa encounters a humpback whale on the opposite side. Willa feels so lonely that she starts to talk to the whale-and the whale talks back! The whale, named Meg, quickly becomes a trusted friend and confidante Willa can speak to whenever she's by the ocean. Meg offers sound advice Willa needs about dealing with a nemesis at school and trying to figure out why her friend Marc is keeping secrets about his family life. Before the story ends, it will take all of Willa's courage and connections to tackle a problem that's as big as a blue whale! My Thoughts: (as you can see I'm ditching my normal format for what feels comfortable for me right now) Let me just say, I normally don't read in this genre....I don't necessarily like kids. Let me rephrase that, I selectively like kids. But when I was asked to review this book, I decided to go ahead and read it (mostly because I liked the cover and that it had whales in it - I'm a nerd). But I really liked it. So, first thing I noticed as I read this book is that Willa is a nerd child. Like super nerdy. She has an abnormal childhood because her mom is a marine biologist, so I get it. But the way that Willa relates to the world is by comparing things, situations, and people to marine life. You start noticing this because at the beginning of every chapter there's a journal entry. In the beginning, there's a lot of marine facts that I didn't really feel contributed a whole lot to the story initially. As you keep reading however, the journal entries start to make sense and give you more insight into Willa's mind. But the main point of this book, which I really appreciate, is childhood grief (and loneliness). Willa's entire world is uprooted and turned upside down (I can totally relate) when her mom dies. She moves across the world to live with her dad....who has married another woman. So now Willa has to navigate her grief from her mother's death, moving, an awkward dad, a stepmother, step-siblings, a new school, and old but broken relationships. That's a lot for an adult to handle, let alone a lot for a kid. That being said I really like how the authors showed Willa's grief and how she was able to work through it. Eventually her dad and stepmother encouraged Willa to get professional help to help her with her grief. Which was done in a masterfully beautiful way. Willa's dad reassured her that going to a therapist because you need help isn't shameful, it's like going to the dentist when your teeth hurt. As someone who is deeply aware of the stigma around mental health and seeking professional help (because I've had to go through that myself) I am very grateful at the way the authors portrayed that. Okay - quick side note - in the synopsis when it says "...trying to figure out why her friend Marc is keeping secrets about his family life," my only thought was a quote from Stranger Things "Friends don't lie." (I mean....am I wrong though?) Overall, the book was great. I really enjoyed reading outside of my normal genres (something that you will see I am doing a lot this year). And I definitely give Willa and the Whale a 4/5 star rating. Thank you so much for reading! If you haven't already, please go to the contact page and subscribe so you will know whenever a new book review is posted. And don't be shy! Feel free to drop a comment, a like, or (seriously please) share this to any of your social media pages! I would appreciate any of these actions so much and I will reply to all comments or emails (you can email me through the contact page). I love all of you guys so much! Stay tuned for my next book review (it's my first ever art book). Archives March 2020 *This post contains links that will lead you to other web destinations, including links to buy items. HELLO 2020!!!! I'm so happy to be writing to all of my lovelies at the start of a new year and decade. It's crazy that it's 2020. I move into my new dorm on my new college campus on Sunday, I have orientation on Monday, and will start classes really soon. I'm so elated to start this new chapter of my life!!!! Well before we get started with the actual book review I would like to put a well placed plug and say....I'm trying to grow my subscriber list this year! My goal is to have 500 subscribers by 2021. Won't you help me out and do a couple of things for me: 1) go to the contact page and subscribe! 2) if you enjoy a book review please share it on your various social media platforms and spread the word, and 3) just subscribe, I won't spam you and you'll get exclusive member content. (also when I reach my goal of 500 subscribers I'm going to upgrade my website platform so plllleeeaaaseee help me out. thanks) As I'm writing this I'm listening to Teenagers by My Chemical Romance, which I think is strangely fitting to the series I will be reviewing today.
Why am I reviewing all the books together as a series instead of separately? Well, quite honestly because it's one big flowing story line, and also I read them all very quickly and together, so why not review them that way? Series Summary: No one has set foot on Earth in centuries—until now. Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth's radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents—considered expendable by society—are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life...or it could be a suicide mission. CLARKE was arrested for treason, though she's haunted by the memory of what she really did. WELLS, the chancellor's son, came to Earth for the girl he loves—but will she ever forgive him? Reckless BELLAMY fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And GLASS managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth. Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind's last hope. Okay, so I read these on my brand new Kindle Fire 7 as e-books and I really enjoyed it. BUT I'm a huge fan of the show (and am seriously excited for the next/final season that comes out this year), so I couldn't help to compare the books to the show.....and like WHATTTTTT the plot....was murdered. ATTENTION: what I'm about to say is extremely rare - I liked the show better WHAT? Did Rachel really just say that on her book review blog? Yes, yes I did. I think I've only ever said that before about one other series: Lord of the Rings (please don't hate me). I mean honestly, I liked the show better. The plot of the show was more exciting and it was so well done.....the book seems like fanfiction? I don't know, that was really my impression of it. To be completely honest the books are great if you're longing for the next season of the show and want more time with your favorite characters (Clarke and Bellamy) (also I like their relationship because I ship it and they get their happy ending sooooo) Oh gosh, what can I say without spoiling the plot???? IDK. I just want to point out every single difference but that would be just plain mean. Okay, you should totally read it because it's a great book series, but c o n s i d e r maybe thinking of it as a fanfiction that you'll really enjoy or not watching the show until after you finish the books (if you haven't already watched the show like I have). Who Should Read This Book: Okay, so the only mildly inappropriate thing here may be some violence (it's a dystopian YA/sci-fi what'd you expect?) and in the last book Octavia gets a girlfriend? But like if you watched the show there's tons of lgbtq+ content so if you're okay with that then the book is fine. If you're homophobic, it should still be okay for you because it's just in the last book and it's brief. Also I think there was a gay couple mentioned, and there's a scene where someone sees them snuggling. It's really not that bad so get over yourself. About the Author: To be honest this is just a copy and paste from her Goodreads author bio sooooo..... Kass Morgan studied literature at Brown and Oxford, and now resides in Brooklyn, where she lives in constant fear of her Ikea bookcase collapsing and burying her under a mound of science fiction and Victorian novels. Fun Extras:
Conclusion/Rating: 3/5 Okay, so....technically I didn't read this in December. I read this and did an advanced review so I didn't have to stress about consistently reading during college....and then procrastinated on typing it up and posting it. Well now I'm older and wiser and I am committing to being a better book blogger in 2020. I promise y'all at least 2 book reviews every month. (Hopefully I can pull through....if I can pull myself away from Netflix long enough that is.)
Anyways, so as I was writing this book review I was in my new Southeastern University college dorm room, it was my first night and I had time to finish this book (it was from the library and my mom had to travel and take it back with her to Georgia and turn it in). I was trying to (unsuccessfully) create a steady flow of content (once a week was quite an ambitious goal), but I was and still am a freshman in college so....that didn't happen. The reason I chose to read this book is because it is about a fangirl (I am a fangirl so that drew my attention initially) and this fangirl is also beginning her first semester of university (as I also was at the time). So I could relate to the main character on many levels. Cath, the main character, is a bit of an extreme on the fangirl scale, but I love her dearly anyways. What I Liked: I loved that Cath was an introverted, inexperienced, innocent(ish) girl who was beginning college. Because, at the time, so was I. I was experiencing college anxiety and so regarding that the book didn't really help, but at least I can relate up to a point. I will say this, I love Cath and I love the journey that she went through and I think the book was well written. What I Didn't Like: Cath and Wren write gay fan-fiction. Yay fan-fiction! but I don't enjoy that it's very obviously gay. So it did take away some of the enjoyment, but it's not too big of a deal for me. Cath's mother left them, and that struck a chord in me because my dad left my family semi recently, so it did kind of make me sad. But that's all me my dudes. Wren drowns her sorrows in alcohol, which....is relatively realistic for a college student, but still unhealthy behavior....but it does lead to good character development later. The dad is manic??? I couldn't really relate and the subplot, to me, was poorly developed. But again, maybe that's just me. And maybe it's realistic to the extent that families are diverse and have unique struggles and challenges within them. Who Should Read This Book: I would say anyone who loves YA, or realistic fiction, or coming of age type stories, and doesn't mind romance and girl stuff. Parents (Christian parents) maybe read it first to see if you mind the level of gayness in the book. Personally I think it's okay for a high school kid, but maybe not anyone younger. About The Author: Okay, so basically the author: Rainbow Rowell, likes to write realistic fiction about teenagers and adults. She makes her characters as realistic and well rounded as possible, which shows. Her bio on her website is short and not at all detailed so I don't really know what to tell y'all. *This post contains links that will lead you to other web destinations, including links to buy items.
*This book was sent/sponsored by a publishing company, but this will not influence the content of my review or my opinions in any way. You can expect complete honesty from me. Hey guys! I was so, so, so VERY excited when Shadow Mountain Publishing contacted me and asked me to review another book for them (my first review for them was Success is Never Final by Dale Van Atta)!!! I chose this book to review based off of the summary that they gave me and boy have I loved it! I am literally so excited to share this with you guys so let's get started! Back Cover Summary: Can the fairy tale bring Charlotte the happiness she’s looking for, or was he always there to begin with? A modern, reimagined Cinderella story. When aspiring author Charlotte Kingsley finally gets published, she thinks all her dreams have come true. But the trouble begins when her publicity firm reinvents her quirky online presence into a perfectly curated dream life. Gone are the days of sweatpant posts and ice cream binges with her best friend, Anders, replaced instead with beautiful clothes, orchestrated selfies, and no boyfriend. Only, that carefully curated fairy tale life is ruining her self-esteem and making her feel like a fraud. When a bestselling author takes Charlotte under her wing—almost like a fairy godmother—she helps Charlotte see the beautiful person she already is and the worth of being authentic. But is it too late to save her relationship with Anders? The clock is quickly ticking towards midnight, and Charlotte must decide between her fairy tale life and the man she loves, before he's gone forever. My Thoughts: I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!! Right off the bat I'll tell you my rating is a 5/5. I connected a lot with the main character Charlotte (or Lettie, or Char) because she's an introverted writer nerd! The plot is well thought out and includes a lot of messages and themes from society today. It's a great book for looking at the undertone messages that society throws at us: is having a picture perfect life and an amazing Instagram the recipe for happiness? Is a fictional, online persona the only way to find success and love in the modern world? Is there a place for authenticity and all of life's imperfections? It's a very interesting concept. Personally I have never struggled with the negative aspects of social media that experts are telling us are causing mental health issues, but I have many friends that have and do and that is why I chose to read this book. So, like I've been trying to say, in story format, this amazing book addresses the growing concern that social media has become so highly curated it is distorting reality and adversely affecting self-esteem. It also addresses the Fairy Godmother theme in a funny, but sincere way, first as a "where's my fairy godmother at my freezer doesn't have ice-cream," to a mentor type relationship. Okay, so the plot is well thought out and written, and I had to calmly set the book down in several places and make the sea-lion sound and clapping hand motion that only you other fangirls will only ever truly understand. And once I put it down to take a short walk. I don't know about you guys but sometimes I get so wrapped up into the main character that I'm just like "NOOOOO DON'T DO THAT!!!" Because of course I care WAY too much about a person who isn't even real and I have to die of second hand embarrassment. It's all good, what I'm trying to tell you right now is that this book gave me the feels, and it made me really happy. Literally every time, during various parts of the day, when my roommate walked in the room I'd be smiling like a complete idiot and she'd be like "Wow, you're really happy today." And I'd look up at her, and again, smiling like an idiot, said, "This is a really good book." Okay, but now let's talk ROMANCE. Okay, I didn't understand why the book says "Proper Romance" on the top of it. Like, what is that? But I think the point is to say that it's wholesome romance, which it totally is. The relationship is healthy, it's funny, it's witty, it's everything a romantic relationship should be (well there is a rough patch in the relationship, but that's kind of the point, plus it's realistic). I loved the romance between Lettie and Anders so much. They're the cutest canon couple ever and I totally ship them!!! (If you didn't understand that last sentence, it's okay, it's fangirl speech, a different language.) Overall, I really loved the messages and themes of this book and the relationships and the characters and the writing and everything!!!! What I Didn't Like: I know you guys are like "Wait Rachel, didn't you just say you like everything? Why is there a 'What I Didn't Like' section?" Dang, give me a second to explain why won't you? NOTHING! There was absolutely nothing about this book that I didn't like. And y'all should know by now that I'm always honest when it comes to books, whether or not the publishing company sent it to me. So you can trust that this is my honest to God opinion. This one, this book, was my personal definition of perfection. Who Should Read This Book: Everyone. It has a great message and a great romance. I do think writers (or aspiring writers) and/or nerds will love this book because they can relate to the main character a little bit more, but I think that this book is so wholesome and pure and happy I would honestly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Christians: It is safe for your children (middle school+) to read. There is absolutely nothing inappropriate that I can remember in it. If you wanna read it first because that's your practice, then that's completely fine, but I think you'll love this book as much as I did. About the Author: Julie Wright is the author of more than twenty novels, including the Proper Romance® novels Lies Jane Austen Told Me and Lies, Love, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. She is a Whitney Award winner and a Crown Heart recipient. She is represented by agent Sara Crowe. She loves reading and writing, playing on the beach or hiking with her husband and kids, and watching her husband make dinner. Additional Information:Publication Date: 10/21/19 Paperback ISBN: 9781629726076 Retail Price: $16.99 Page Count: 336 Fiction / Romance / Contemporary Cover Design: © Shadow Mountain Art Direction: Richard Erikson Design: Kimberly Kay *This post contains links that will take you to other web destinations. Hello lovelies! Thank you so much for being patient for this book review, I know I promised I would have it published last week, but being in college has been rough and I never got the chance. But I'm actually ahead of the game today. I have all of my homework done ahead of time, so I have a little bit of free time to get this done and get some reading done before I go to my home football game. And hopefully I'll get some reading done after the game as well. We'll see. So I'm going to format this book review a little differently since this book is unique. I got this book from the library. It was an easy read because the story is told through poems. I know that might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I find that trying something new every once in a while can be a good thing. I personally love books that are formatted so uniquely because it is kind of a refreshing break from the normal book format. Okay, so first the cover is gorgeous. It's colorful and artistic and really drew me in. The whole look of it says "Read me." So coo-dos to the publisher. 2) The main character/family is Dominican. Which is really cool because I'm Puerto Rican and our cultures have a lot of similarities. Xiomara (the main character) is a second-generation Dominican though, and I'm a third-generation Puerto Rican. So while I can relate to her in some ways, there are still a lot of disparities between second generation immigrants and third generation immigrants. Which means her mother still brings a lot of cultural heritage while mine feels kind of white-washed/Americanized. 3) Feminist themes! I feel like they could've been developed more, but I guess telling the story from a 15/16 year old perspective didn't really allow for that. Xiomara touches a lot on women's bodies being objectified and her struggle with that shift in her life and how it makes her feel. Xiomara also talks about body-positivity, but in a more abstract way. She hates her body because it draws more attention to her in a negative way. But she also loves her body in some ways. It's a love-hate relationship. So it's a theme, even though it's not expressly talked about. 4) Faith/Religion. Like most Latinx families, hers is Catholic. *Deep sigh* I don't like Catholicism because of how it was formed, its sacrilegious/heretical doctrines, and it can be kinda hateful. Which you see exemplified often with the mother-daughter conflicts that are religious in nature. Which brings us to talk about the suffocation mother of this story. I. DO. NOT. LIKE. HER. She's mean and she doesn't allow her daughter to feel like a valued, loved human being, and pushes her away from God (inadvertently). She's not a good mother, though at the very end of the book there's a monumental shift in the family and things look like they might get better. Oh, and the mother is the proprietor of Catholicism, she's very harsh with her words and shoves her religion down her daughter's throat in an unhealthy way and then wonders why it backfires. Ugh. 5) Relationships. Oh this family is so messed up that I feel so sorry for Xiomara and her brother. Husband-wife. The husband/dad used to be a major player. The wife/mom's family arranged for her to get married to him just so she could get into the US. Their relationship sucks and they basically don't talk to each other unless it's about the kids or food. But we do learn that after they had kids, the father/dad got serious. He stopped listening to music (which is crazy insane), stopped being a player, and straightened out his life. Which would be great...except he went from one extreme to the other. Father-kids. The father was always there but he was absent. He didn't really speak to his kids, or bond with them. He was there but he wasn't really there. And it made me a little mad. Mother-daughter. The mom is a control freak and is so strict that her kids barely have room to breathe. Xiomara doesn't feel heard, valued, or even loved. Her life is dictated by words. It's not a healthy relationship. Plus, Xiomara's mom favors her brother, so there's a little resentment there too. Sibling/Twin. Xiomara has a twin!....and that's what she calls him. Twin. She doesn't call him by his actual name. He goes to a school for smart kids, and they have a decent sibling relationship for the most part. It goes through a rough patch, but they are the only ones who can have each other's back so they end up making up. Family dynamic. As a whole it's messed up and really unhealthy. I would want to get away too if I was Xiomara. There's no room to flourish as an individual. Romance: So being Latinx and romance has two stereotypes 1. You're a freaky hoe, or 2. You're a saintly church girl who waits till marriage. So the mom's expectations is the second stereotype. But because of this she doesn't have any healthy conversations with her daughter about her body, puberty, sex, or romance. And then expects her daughter to be chaste and not date until after she graduates from college....Xiomara is a sophomore in High School. So when Xiomara doesn't feel loved at home, and she's curious, and she has doubts about God that no one seems willing to answer, OF COURSE she's going to try a romantic relationship out. Not that I condone it, but the mom not seeing it coming is ridiculous. So....there's a lot of kissing. There's one poem where it's obvious she is masturbating (don't worry it's not graphic), and there's a scene where clothes come off, but Xiomara stops it before they start having sex because she's not ready to go that far. Oh, and her Twin is gay...so there's that. If you've read my reviews before, you know where I stand on that so I'mma leave it alone. I'm kind of questioning if I should've even read it. But I'm also kind of glad that I did. I wish the author had focused more on Xiomara fighting to be heard/finding herself, and less romance/sexual daring. It was uncomfortable for me to read at some points even though it never became graphic. So, if you love YA and you have no problem reading any of the things above, go for it! But if you're a Christian I would warn extreme caution. I give it 3/5 stars because of all the stuff I didn't like, but I don't feel like it warrants a 2. But I really do love the poetry format the book was written in. It gives it a unique feel, and takes way more creativity for an author to write in that style. QUOTES "And even that young I learned music can become a bridge between you and a total stranger." More About the Author
So I know this has been a really long book review, so instead of putting the author bio here, I'm going to put a link to it. Fun Extras: There's so many good things:
Conclusion: It was a decent read, draw your own conclusion from it, think your own thoughts. Read it, don't read it. Overall I liked it, and I will probably eventually read With the Fire on High, there's a book trailer to that one in the fun extras links above. Don't forget to follow me on my social media accounts, and comment on this post if you feel so inclined! Thank you guys so much if you stuck through the book review and read all of this!!! Guess who's in the path of Hurricane Dorian? ME.
For those of you who don't know, I moved about a week ago to college....in Florida. I just got here and already I have to evacuate. I'm going to my roommates home because she lives more in-land. Because of the hurricane I don't know if I'll have WiFi or power, so next weeks post is being postponed. Pray for my safety and for the safety of Florida in general and I'll update y'all when I can!!!! |
About the AuthorHi, I'm Rachel, and I'm here to share reviews of books with you so you can know what to read next! Archives
October 2021
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