Don't Tell, Don't Tell, Don't Tell, book review

Shaw, Liane. Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell. Second Story Press, 2016. 272 pages. Trade paper $12.95, 978-1927583-95-1.  E-book 978-1927583-99-9.

Release date: April 2016 in Canada. September 2016 in the US.

Beautifully written and carefully told, Liane Shaw’s Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell effectively portrays the voices of its two first-person narrators. Frederick—a white, male high school junior with Asperger’s Syndrome, narrates much of the first half of the novel . His unlikely friend, Angel—an overweight, Hispanic female high school sophomore new to the school because her family has moved, yet again, narrates much of the latter half of Shaw’s story. Their differences earn both young adults opportunities to suffer at the hands of school bullies. Angel, who encounters Frederick in a corner of the school library while he’s engaged in an IM conversation using the name Kaleidoscope, actively pursues his friendship—beginning by calling him Kal. This confuses Frederick because not only does this nickname imply the violation of his personal space—Angel must have read over his shoulder to see his screen name, but also Kal is not his name. Over time Angel endears herself to him, provides countless social behavior lessons as his self-appointed socialization tutor, and confides in him. Confidences require listening with little talking, making Frederick well-suited to the position of confidante. Unfortunately, one such confidence comes with an oath, thrice repeated, to not tell just before Angel runs away. Her absence stretches beyond the projected several hours—planned to be just enough time to upset her parents—into days. Since Frederick was the last person seen with her, Chapter One opens at the police station where he is being questioned about Angel’s whereabouts. His interior monologue reveals much more to readers than do his verbal responses as Frederick puzzles through the unfamiliar social situation and the requirements of being a friend and of keeping one’s word. When Angel’s mother tearfully appears on the evening news, Frederick concludes that he must find his friend. His search and its aftermath introduce several firsts in his life: the first lies he’s told his mother, his first solo adventure out of town, the first time he has skipped school and the first time he has gone to any lengths for a friend.

Strong narration and powerful storytelling pull readers through the teens’ misadventures, making the novel hard to put down. Issues of self-respect and self-esteem are central to the novel, and issues of family, friendships and bullying are prominent. Appealing to both male and female readers in grades 7 through 12, and an excellent choice for character studies—even into junior college, the novel could also be useful in teacher education classes as future educators learn to work with diverse populations. Buy this book for your local library, and two copies for the secondary school libraries in your area. Include this title on summer reading lists…and let readers be reminded of how powerful an experience reading can provide. (Note: For summer reading, U.S. residents should be able to access the e-book now; the September release date for the U.S. applies to print books.) Highly recommended!

 Full disclosure: I received a free, advance reading copy of this book from Second Story Press in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Thrive, book review

Chayne, Kamea. Thrive: An Environmentally Conscious Lifestyle Guide to Better Health and True Wealth. Purpose Prints, 2016. 242 pages. Paperback $16.99, 978-0997132021. 

The dedication to Chayne’s book may tell prospective readers more about Thrive than will this review, for it beautifully distills the book’s essence into what I read as the author’s wish for humanity. “To exist is to be at one point in time. To live is to experience every passing moment with your five senses and your mind open. To Thrive is to think beyond what is best for each of us right now and to act upon what is best for our world for the future. And that is the rarest thing of all. It is our collective selflessness that can give us a chance to create a forever.” The Table of Contents presents a tantalizing menu of upcoming chapters, exciting the sentient reader into turning all of the book’s the pages. Promising “an evidence-based summary of how you can begin to life a healthier, happier life right away,” Chayne’s Thrive delivers from the first page. As one who already considers what I eat, how I interact and why I shop used over new, this reader was impressed by the multitude of ideas presented in every section, and by the simplicity with which each was explained and presented as actionable.

Due out in May, 2016, Thrive belongs on library shelves, in a multitude of gift boxes (with recyclable or reusable wrapping, of course) and on book discussion group lists around the globe. The simplicity of Chayne’s presentation, paired with the wealth of resources from which her conclusions are drawn, makes the work suitable for classroom use wherein a chapter is studied for content and craft and can be the basis of lessons on writing, argumentation, or research—lessons with the potential to reach beyond the narrow purview of classroom goals and objectives. Do yourself a favor and put Thrive on your reading list today.

 Full disclosure: I received a free, advance reading copy of this book from Purpose Prints in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Song of Silence, book review

Ruchti, Cynthia. Song of Silence. Abingdon Press, 2016. 320 pages. Hardcover $24.99, 978-1501816376.  Trade paper $14.99, 978-142-679-1499. Kindle $10.49, B016DZ3S68.

A symphony of language, emotion and movement, Cynthia Ruchti’s Song of Silence is a must-read title due out in April, 2016. Lucy Tuttle has devoted her life’s work to the children’s music program started by her father at the Willowcrest School, a small K-8 public school, and is devastated when budget cuts eliminate the town’s art and music programs. Still in her late fifties, Lucy is not ready to join her devoted husband, Charlie, in retirement—a venture he entered early and with which he is content—but job opportunities are scarce. Empty-nesters at loose ends until the RIF brings Lucy home full time, Lucy is not ready when Charlie wants to involve her in his new adventure in vermiculture. An endearingly annoying character, Charlie is devoted to his marriage to “LucyMyLight” and is clueless as to how a surprise retirement party might not be the best after-school activity he could plan for her just now. Encouraged to seek counseling, Lucy works with a wise woman weathering her own transitions and is lead to the HHATT book group, whose members support her as she struggles with questions of faith and self-worth through job loss, living with Charlie, learning of her son's impending marriage to a woman they have yet to meet and of her daughter's unexpected love interest. When an accident severely damages her vocal chords, God’s grace and mercy shepherd Lucy and her family as each member enters a new phase of life. Beautifully written and thoroughly engaging, Song of Silence is a gift for readers that belongs on library shelves, in book groups and gift-wrapped packages and on wise women’s lists of Christian fiction waiting to be read. 

Full disclosure: I received a free, advance reading copy of this book from Abingdon Press in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.