Book of the Week: The Time Capsule

    4 Stars

  So, again another Monday…and the days are getting nicer!!! Spring is finally here in most of Alberta, and it’s great to see all the snow melting and the themometer hitting double digits. 23 degree Celsius (74 degrees Fahrenheit) today alone. Lets hope it’s here to stay.

  Now with summer on the way, I will have more time for reading!

  So…what book is it today? Well, I was looking through this her blog and was slightly confused when I say that for some unknown reason I have not reviewed very many Lurlene McDaniel novels. Crazy, consider she is partially what lead me to try Jodi Pilcout novels and explore the realm of other teen novels.

  So, while I was thinking about the sun, the cover of The Time Capsule popped into my head. Sunny, summery, a good summer read.

  I have always liked this book. It’s light, but once you get into it, it’s deep, scarring and will make you think.

  McDaniel’s novels have always been like that. They deal with real issues, and it deals with a real topic that most authors either blow out of the water, or make light of. She takes a topic that is either taboo or overdone, and makes it real.

 What I liked most about this novel was the sincerity and the pure honesety that radiates from her writing. It tells a unique story that may have acctually happened to somebody. It is well written in the ominscent tone, but the narrative does not really matter in a story so well told.

  What I did not like was the shortness…with a deep concern such as this, i felt that the story needed to be longer to more thourougly explore the topic. But no. Never happened.

  If you were super close with your twin brother, would you know if he had a secret? Would you know if your entire life was about to change?

Adam and Alix have always been close; after all, they were womb-mates for almost nine months. But their life have never been easy.

When they were young, Adam had cancer. It tore the family at the seams, straining, and continues to do so. And all Adam  wants to do now is have the senior year of his life with his sister and friends by his side.

But will that happen? Or is Adam hiding something that just might cause the family to re-evaluate what’s important and what’s not.

 

Author: Lurlene McDaniel

Published: May 10th 2005 by Laurel Leaf (first published 2003)

Page Count: 224

ISBN: 0553494317    (isbn13: 9780553494310)

Monday Mulling #2

4 Stars

I had trouble choosing what book I would mull over today. But, I have come to the conclusion that perhaps another Young Adult novel would be best, as I am reading through them on my book shelf. So, on that note, Telling Christina Goodbye, by LURLENE MCDANIEL has won that award.

It was the first Lurlene McDaniel book I had read at the time, and it was also the first book that was so wrenching for me that it made me cry…on multiple occasions.

Lurlene has written lots of YA novels that usually revolve around some sort of major issue; disease, a death, etc. All things that some teens will face in their lives. She writes about how if affects us, who we are, and those around us. It is, to some aspect, like Jodi Pilcout…just that Lurlene’s novels are shorter, usually involve a romance, and she has been around a lot longer.

In this novel, the aftermath of a tragic car-accident is explored. This topic is raw, and acctually based on the true story of four teen s who went through the same thing.

I think what I liked most about this book was just that; the raw emotions of people who go through this thing, and the torture of waiting, watching, not knowing.

The few things that I did not like about the novel was the length. It seemed much too short for such a topic. The aftermath seemed too quick, but in parts it seemed like the author was unsure of what to say, or how to move the story along.  It was definitely an easy read, and if you are like me, a day will do it with ease. I also found that once the book was over, I just shrugged and walked away. I would rather have that lasting impression that characters can leave on you.

Everything is going right for Trisha and Christina. Their senior year is going wonderful, they both have popular boyfriends who love them. But it’s not without  a few bumps in the road. Like, for example, Christina’s boyfriend, Tucker. He is controlling, and even a little abusive. But the Christina believes that it will blow over – until she gets a scholarship to University of Vermont. Tucker is oppressive and does not want his girl to go so far away when he will be restricted to the community college. Both Trisha and her boyfriend Cody try to convince Christina to leave him.

One night at a basketball game, Tucker’s temper and possessiveness boils over when Christina talks to another guy about the yearbook. The friends end up getting kicked out when Tucker goes to fight him, and Cody stops him. A reaction of events is set in motion, and on the drive home, Tucker’s anger boils over at some idiots on the road. Seconds later, the car is flipped.  Cody is in a coma, Trisha is badly injured, and Christina… is dead.

This story is about the fight for life and getting a grip on reality when all that you know is shattered.

Author:  Lurlene McDaniel

Published:  April 9th 2002

Page Count:  240

ISBN:  0553570870    (isbn13: 9780553570878)