[FOR THE PARENTS] Lie to Me by Kaitlin Ward

"Lie to Me," by Kaitlin Ward follows the story of a young girl who found herself in the hospital after falling - or being pushed - off a cliff.  The entirety of the book consists of her questioning everyone around her as she tries to find the answers as to what really happened to her.  Was she pushed?  Or was it an unhappy accident?  And if she was pushed, then...who hates her enough to want to kill her?

This was recommended to me by a reluctant reader at the school I'm currently teaching at. She absolutely consumed this book and another by the same author. She's 13, a typical middle school girl and I think the exact demographic that this book is aimed for.

I'm 29, well-read and I figured out the mystery just from reading the back cover. I'm not this book's demographic and it's not a book that is going to transcend ages.  It's very much meant for middle school readers and there's nothing wrong with that. 

I think this is an excellent book for reluctant readers because the action starts from the beginning. It does grab you from the first page and doesn't let you go, which is fantastic for those who find reading boorish.  There's quite a bit of romance and I would even say the romantic aspect is a bit more prominent than the mystery aspect, which I was a bit bummed about, but for young girls, it's certain to keep them entertained.

Most readers will likely gather what the mystery is at least halfway through the book, but there is enough of a creep factor to keep them reading.  

What I liked:

• The heroine and her brother have a nice relationship
• Depression is handled delicately and mental illness in general is not portrayed as anything to be ashamed of.
• Bisexuality is represented well, as is lesbianism.
• The family unit is solid and there is respect for the parents.
• Adults are not made out to be the bad guys and are turned to for help.

What I would warn parents about:

• There is a lot of physical contact; while there is no sex, there is plenty of kissing, handholding, etc.
• There is one scene in particular where she grabs her boyfriend by the belt in her bedroom while they're kissing; it does imply that they could go further, but they don't
• There is quite a lot of mention of homosexuality (bisexuality & lesbianism)

Who I would recommend this for:

• Young people who are questioning their sexuality.
• Reluctant readers. (Her writing style is very easy to read and flows well.) 

Overall, I think this is a nice 7th or 8th grade book for a quick read and might get those reluctant high school readers finally opening a book! 

ANNOUNCEMENT: Blogging Return & Upcoming Series!

Well, hello everyone! 

It's no secret that I've been gone from this blog for quite some time.  I even need to relink my social media accounts so that I can stop seeing those strange smiley faces!  I wanted to re-evaluate the way I wrote reviews; how much subjectivity do I want to place in a review?  How do I feel about the star system? (Spoiler: I don't like it and therefore do not give star ratings anymore unless it's a 5* because it just resonated with me.)  How do I want my reviews to be formatted?  Who am I trying to reach? 

All of these have been on my mind as I've toyed with the idea of coming back to book blogging and book reviewing.  Literature has, and always will be, my first love.  And I'm so grateful that I've been able to translate that love into others through my profession.

I've been having a great time living life and settling into my role as a teacher.  I've been teaching for 8 years now but I've been a middle school teacher for the past 4.  I'm currently finishing my MA and working part-time as an English and History teacher at an Orthodox Jewish school.  (They have their Judaic studies in the morning and their General studies in the afternoon.)  Teaching middle school has really opened my eyes to what students are reading and how much I want to encourage parents to let their students read and read voraciously.  Trust me, middle schoolers know so much more than you think and being exposed to new concepts is only going to help them become better adjusted adults. 

Thus my new series that I'll be starting on here is going to be called FOR THE  PARENTS.  These are going to be reviews of middle school/YA books where I will tell you what I liked about the book while also being open and honest about the content so that you can decide if your child is ready for it.  I do really recommend that parents think long and hard.  Literature is a good thing.  Reading is a good thing.  I hope that these reviews will help parents encourage their children rather than restricting them.

I've also been doing so much traveling, as you can see from some of the pictures I've been placing in this post. (I do have a travel blog here, by the way, if you're curious!)  Traveling and reading are my true passions, my true hobbies.  I've been lucky enough to travel to over 20 countries and teach in 4 of them.  And soon that will be 5!  I am currently in the midst of accepting a job in Kuwait for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year as an English teacher at an American Academy.

So what does this mean for my reading preferences?  On top of the FOR THE PARENTS series, I'd like to also start a BECOMING CULTURED series, where I read works by people of other cultures and about other cultures, whether it be historical or current.  This can include fiction and nonfiction, too.  I have been adoring traveling to new places, learning about events and seeing things for myself - as well as meeting absolutely lovely people - and now I'd like to take my mind there, too, when I'm unable to travel due to work. 

So, that's basically my long winded way of saying I'm back to book blogging & book reviewing and I hope to connect with the community again.  Let's get reading!

DOCTOR WHO BOOK TAG

I was tagged by the lovely Ivy over at IvAnReads.  Be sure to check out her video and fabulous BookTube channel!  Thank you so much for the tag, Ivy. :) 

This tag was originally created by Novels and Nonsense.  The gist of this tag is that you must relate one book to one Doctor. 


First Doctor: What is your favorite first book in a series?
I'm going to go with the first of Melissa Marr's beautiful faery series, Wicked Lovely.  I hold such a happy place in my heart for this book.  It's what finally rekindled my love of faeries.  There is a lot of betrayal, faery politics and underhanded doings going on, so I do understand that it's not for everyone - but I loved it.







 
Second Doctor:  What is your favorite sequel?

The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley.  Even though technically this book was written first, the events that take place happen after The Hero and the Crown (one of my favorite novels of all time) and it can also be read as a stand-alone.  I recommend this to any fantasy lover.







Third Doctor: What is your favorite trilogy?

This is actually really hard to answer as I tend to steer clear of trilogies, or to just never finish them.  That being said, I was deeply effected by Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices trilogy.  I liked the first book, hated the second, but fell in love with the third.  So, quite an interesting reading experience!

Fourth Doctor: What is your most colorful book?

Well... the majority of the books I own in physical copy are either literary fiction or classics, which don't exactly scream "colorful," but I do think that Like Water for Chocolate has a really vibrant and fun cover.  It's also an amazing book that I'll be doing a review on soon.







Fifth Doctor: What is a book about sports that you've read?

Unfortunately, I haven't.  I just scanned my read books and came up totally blank.  I know it's grasping at straws, but... Harry Potter has Quidditch. It takes up a good amount of his time.  Does it count?  Can anyone recommend me a good book about sports?







Sixth Doctor: What is a book with a really powerful evil villain that you've read?

A Game of Thrones.  Joffrey.  Need I saw more?
(Yes, I do, because nasty Ramsay Snow, too.  Ugh.)







Seventh Doctor: What is your favorite adult or dark book?

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is probably one of the most heart-wrenching, heart-breaking, tear-jerking books I've ever read in my entire life.  But it's such an important story to tell.







Eight Doctor: What is your favorite romance (or romantic) novel?

The Fire Lord's Lover by Kathryne Kennedy.  Really.  I know I've mentioned this before, but I just can't help myself.  This book is just perfect and sweet and sassy and all good things.

War Doctor: What is a book you wish you could forget you ever read?

Unpopular opinion time, but I absolutely hated Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas.  I tolerated Throne of Glass and am currently trekking through Heir of Fire, but I think it's time for me to admit that I seriously just don't like these books.







Ninth Doctor: What is a book that made you pick up a series or genre again?

Another book I've mentioned before... Gone Girl!  I used to love reading mystery novels when I was in high school and just sort of fell out of it.  Gone Girl reignited that desire and added a new desire to read more psychological thrillers.







Tenth Doctor: What is your favorite super-hyped book?

City of Bones!  I know that this book is not a perfect book and even I became disenchanted with the series after the fourth book, but those first three books - back when it was going to be a trilogy - were so much fun.









Eleventh Doctor: What is your favorite children's (or middle grade) novel?

A Little Princess.  This book was my favorite book growing up and also turned into one of my favorite movies.  I have such fond memories of read this and I believe this is where my love of India stemmed from.







Twelfth Doctor: What new release are you anticipating?

The Winds of Winter by George R.R. Martin.  I don't even think this bad boy has a release date yet, but I desperately need it in my life!

 

 

 

 

I tag:

 

Martika @ Fangirl Confessions

Lola @ Hit or Miss Books

Gloria @ GloriatheViolinist