I paused and tapped my pen to my mouth. What's a descriptive word for love? I racked my brain. Adoration...affection...fondness...devotion...
I smiled and began scribbling in my notebook again.
Devotion.
After thirteen-year-old Alcyone (Allie) Everly's mother passes away, she is forced to move from her home in Tennessee to the shores of Maine. Her adoptive mother, Miss Beatrice, is nice enough, but Allie is convinced that no one can replace her "real" mother. Bitterness and resentment begin to grow in Allie because of the tragedies that she's experienced. She puts a wall between her and anyone who wishes to get close, and she's convinced that true love doesn't exist.
Several years later, the past suddenly collides with the present when Sam Carroll, an old childhood friend, comes to town. Sam's arrival and the war overseas that's beginning to hit too close to home cause changes in Allie's life that force her to deal with the feelings she's held inside for so many years and to discover the truth about love and family.
Sweet...lovely...touching. Rachel Coker's debut novel is truly all of the above. Allie is a well-developed character with a poetic point of view that I loved. I could also relate with her trying to find the perfect word to describe an object or feeling ("dreamy...alluring...enthralling..."). The whole novel itself was sort of "dreamy." I felt like I was watching an old film from the forties. Only a few times was I jolted out of the past when some of the characters spoke a word or slang that sounded too modern.
I will say, that as much as I liked Allie, I wanted to shake her sometimes to snap her out of her mulish tendencies, though I did forgive her later. And Sam...I loved Sam! He was so endearing and sweet. And finally, can I just mention how gorgeous the cover is? When I received the book, I just stared at it for a little while. It's so pretty and fits the mood of the story perfectly. I have to also agree with the Publisher's Weekly quote on the front: "Coker is one to watch."
* I would like to thank the author and publisher for sending me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Genre: Christian/YA/Historical Fiction
Ages: 12 and up
Pages: 247
Publication Date: February 2012
--I always love to check out the first chapters of books to see the author's writing style, so here's the first chapter of Interrupted: Life Beyond Words: http://media.zondervan.com/media/samples/pdf/9780310729730_samptxt.pdf
--Rachel is also a vlogger! Check out some of her videos. I especially loved the one when she describes receiving her very first copy of Interrupted in the mail. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/JCoker1960
--Also, here's the link to the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7MMGPI3q8A
Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Interrupted by Rachel Coker by clicking on the links below, and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen.
ADD Librarian • The Book Fae • Book Nook 4 You • Colorimetry • CTF Devourer • Gillian Adams • My Life with a Mission • Jill Williamson • Oh, Restless Bird • Rachelle Rea
Yes, I thought it had a dreamy feel about it too.
ReplyDeleteHa ha--I love that everyone felt so dreamy when reading my book! ;) Thanks for the great review, Jessica!
ReplyDeleteOoh, dreamy! Excellent description of the novel. Speaking of those mulish tendencies (SPOILER ALERT) I think one of my favorite parts of the novel is when Allie tells Sam that she loves him and hits him with her shoe! :)
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Yes, the "shoe scene" was one of my favorite parts as well. In fact, most of the parts with Sam are my favorite... ;)
ReplyDeleteYes!! I quoted "one to watch", too. I totally agree!! Great review.
ReplyDeleteLOL. I wanted to shake Allie a couple times, too, but I have to admit that the emotions she feels seem even more real because of how many times she annoyed me. :)
ReplyDeleteAn old black-and-white film from the '40s captures the essence so beautifully, too. Great review!
Rachel did an excellent job with the time period. And I loved her characters. I think there is this pressure to write likable characters in Christian fiction especially. But sometimes, real people just aren't likable. And Ally felt real to me. And even though I wanted to hit her with MY shoe sometimes, I found her situation understandable.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what Rachel writes next. Good thing I won't have to wait long!!!
:-)
Jill
Thanks, Laura!
ReplyDeleteRachelle and Jill, yes, I totally agree that Allie felt real. I think the best characters are the ones that make me love them and want to throttle them at the same time! ;-)