The Night My Life Changed Forever by Sara Lisowski

The Night My Life Changed Forever

By Sara Lisowski

Publisher: via Smashwords, 2010

113 pages, Kindle Edition

Date Finished: 23/4/2011

Genres: Mature Teen, Romance, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Serious Issues

Mary is a 16 year old girl, that goes to a party to hopefully get with the boy she thought she loved. After some events at the party, she realises that he isn't the boy for her. A new boy walks into the party and changes Mary's life forever, is this the real thing? Is this what Mary has been striving to have?
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "A life of danger, boys, trying to gain respect, 'fun' and never-ending turmoil . . ."
~Last Line: "This has been the most romantic moment of my life, dancing and experiencing this with my love, my heart, my life, my Zackary."

Review: This novel was a great short story to read in between book tours and Buddy Reads. The love scenes could have been minimized, or even taken out completely, but the general plot line was awesome.

The two main characters, Zack and Mary, never knew each other until one night at a party they both happened to be attending. Over the next few days they fall deeper and deeper in love with each other. It was definitely true love, and their parents, especially Mary's, were happy to see their children happy.

Zack cared for Mary, like, a LOT. There was no mistaking his love for her. He would do anything to keep her safe, anything to make her happy. Mary cared equally for Zack -- well, maybe a little less that Zack's extreme. She was so much happier after she met Zack. Her previous events in life had been haunting her for years.

Zack and Mary sort of remind me of Clary and Jace from the Mortal Instruments series, as far as loving each other goes, anyway. It was all they could do just to stop thinking about each other for even five minutes.

There's actually only one love scene in this book, and it was a little graphic, but not an extreme caution. This novel was pretty good. I hate that it was so short, though, because the plot was one that would've been great in a 200 - 350 page book :).

This Bird Flew Away by Lynda M. Martin AND Interview!

This book counts toward the following challenges:


__________________________________________________

This Bird Flew Away (Bria Connelly, #1)
By Lynda M. Martin
Publisher: Black Rose Writing, 2010
312 pages, Google Docs & Kindle Edition
Date Finished: 9/4/2011
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Some Action, Mature Teen, Some Romance, Serious Issues

What is real love? The whole world wants to know. They should ask Bria Jean, because she has it all figured out. Opinionated, stubborn and full of woe, Bria would tell you real love is having one person you can always count on through thick and thin. For her, that's Jack. And it doesn't matter to her that she's nine and he's twenty-three-not one bit. When, at the age of twelve, Bria disappears, he and his Aunt Mary search for her, and when she surfaces, injured, abused and traumatized, Jack fights to become her guardian with no idea of the trials ahead of him. By then, Bria is thirteen going on thirty, full of her own ideas on how her life should run and with some very fixed notions about who is in charge.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "According to Auntie Peg, if you couldn't hear my voice then I must have my nose in a book."
~Last Line: " 'Uhm. . .how are you?' "

Review: First off, let me say that I really want a physical copy of this novel. It was intriguingly appealing.

Our main character was the intersting Bria Jean Connelly. At first it took me a few chapters to really get unto thinking in her point of view, but the farther along I got the better the book was. Then something terrible happens (well, a lot of bad things happened, but what I found worst was...).

Bria Jean runs away from her aunt and uncle's house after having to defend herself from being abused. She tries to reach her other aunt's house on her own, and when she is somewhat close, she runs into an old acquaintance. Then he gets durnk, she gets sold, and poor Bria Jean gets raped.

That was the hardest part of the book for me. It broke my heart right in two to know that things like that happen everyday all over the world. But to have it happening and seem so close to home (it's written in first person), it made my cry.

However, this novel is not just terrible happenings. Bria has a love for rodeos. I find that aspect of Bria's personality truly amazing. I've always wanted to ride a horse, so I'm glad that Martin is letting me live my dream through one of her well-thought out characters.

Bria Jean honestly did have a hard life. I mean, sometimes I could sort of relate, but other times I couldn't, but still wasn't completely lost. She helped me figure out some things not to do, though. I wish I could tell you; you probably wouldn't even believe me, but ... OMG. It's just so big. It hit me hard smackdab in the forehead because I could possibly be in her position one day... Not gonna give it away, though :).

This book is definitely superb, and y'all should take the time out to read it if you have the chance!

 and a half :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LYNDA M. MARTIN:

1. What gave you the inspiration for This Bird Flew Away?

The inspiration for the novel came from two sources, my case files and my distress of how survivors of childhood abuse were portrayed in the popular media. I refer to such programming as Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, which gives such a distorted view, it is downright creepy – damaged, neurotic, psychotic, suicidal, ruined people. The truth is most survivors do put the trauma behind them and go on to live fruitful, productive lives. Not that they don’t carry scars; they do. I wanted to show reality as I know it: the conditions that leave children vulnerable, the road to healing, the power of family (no matter how unorthodox) and love that keep us together, a portrait of optimism, full of tenderness and humor. Dark subject matter does not always make for a dark story.

2. As a child, when asked what you wanted to be when you grew up, did you ever respond with "an author"?

Even as a child as young as seven or eight, I was writing stories and making my own little books, complete with illustrations. I’d sew them up on one side with yarn and pass them out to my friends. Perhaps, I should have become a publisher. But no, I would never have answered “an author,” because my father made it clear to me that writing was fine as a private vocation, but not as one on which to build a financial future. As I result of this advice, I studied finance and business administration. Was he right?

3. Can we expect more novels from you anytime soon?

Yes! The sequel to This Bird Flew Away, with a working title of Fly High; Fly Blind, is currently in edit and revision, and the third in the series, Finding Emily, is in draft and growing.

4. What are some of your favorite pastimes when you're not writing?

I read voraciously. I like to putter in my garden, cook, spend time with people and daydream (the source for most of my writing.) I work part time caring for seniors in their own homes and love that, spending time with these wonderful people who’ve lived for so long, hearing their stories, giving them companionship and helping them avoid life in a nursing home.

5. Can you name a few books that you would recommend to us?

You mean aside from my own? My favorite books would include To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple, Moll Flanders (in fact any good historical fiction, particularly the work of Phillipa Gregory,) Circle of Friends; the list is endless. I recently enjoyed The Cotton Queen, Peace Like a River and The Harmony Silk Factory and am currently reading The Book Thief.

6. What do you always make sure you have when you get ready to write?

Inner peace, all my chores done, a pot of coffee and a full pack of cigarettes (yes, I know – BAD!)
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Thank you SO much to Ms. Martin for doing the interview! I really appreciate it :). Thank you also to Majanka for starting this whole Book Tour "organization," so to speak. I'm really glad you emailed me about it! :D Happy Reading to everyone!,
 
Zakiya LadyWings

SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson

This book counts toward the following challenges:


___________________________________________________________________

SPEAK (Platinum Edition)
By Laurie Halse Anderson
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2006
198 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 12/1/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Serioius Issues

Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis." What could have caused Melinda to suddenly fall mute? Could it be due to the fact that no one at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and got everyone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? Or maybe it's because her parents' only form of communication is Post-It notes written on their way out the door to their nine-to-whenever jobs. While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knows the real reason why she's been struck mute...
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "It is my first morning of high school."
~Last Line: " 'Let me tell you about it.' "

Review: WOW! I have to start off with that word. I absolutely love this novel, and I'm glad that I spent my birthday money on it. It truly was worth it.

The main character, Melinda, was my favorite; of course, like every favorite character, there's a few things I would change. Although I understand why she stayed quiet about the whole unfortunate deal, I still would have told someone what happened.

I would say no real adventure, some action that terrible night at the party, and one time later in the novel that I won't spoil. The characters were well-written. My least favorite character -- well, not my least favorite, just one I didn't like all that much -- was Heather. In the beginning I loved her; then she tried to get with the Marthas and began using Melinda. NOT a good friend. Not someone I would hang with once I caught on to the fact that she never talks to me until she needs my help.

Overall -- before I start spoiling -- I really LOVED this novel, and for those of you who haven't read it yet, you really need to!



Quotes from the Book:

"She wears black stockings with runs and doesn't shave under her arms. She waves her hand in the air and you find yourself thinking of young chimpanzees."

"The other guys run drills and pass in to him. Brendan reaches up a skinny octopus tentacle and casually drops the ball through the hoop. Our boys are unbeatable as long as they are the only team on the floor."

"[In middle school] To tell someone you liked them, you had to use layers and layers of friends, as in 'Janet told me to tell you that Steven told me that Dougie said Carom was talking to April and she hinted that Sara's brother Mark has a friend named Tony who might like you. What are you going to do?'
It is easier to floss with barbed wire than admit you like someone in middle school."

"When I was in the sixth grade, my mom bought me all these books about puberty and adolescence, so I would appreciate what a 'beautiful' and 'natural' and 'miraculous' transformation I was going through. Crap. That's what it is. She complains all the time about her hair turning gray and her butt sagging and her skin wrinkling, but I'm supposed to be grateful for a face full of zits, hair in embarrassing places, and feet that grow an inch a night. Utter crap."