Book Review: Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

 

Dear Mr. Knightley,

I thought about you last night and stayed up reading Emma. I adore her, though she's out of my reach. Can you imagine such confidence and assurance of your own significance? Do you know anyone who would dare declare that he or she "cannot really change for the better"? I'd like to believe that--even for a moment.

Lizzy Bennet. Jane Eyre. Edmond Dantes. All fictional characters, but all real, constant friends to a girl who grew up in the foster care system after being taken away from her neglectful and abusive parents. Now grown up, Samantha Moore still has trouble connecting in relationships. Why trust the real world when the perfect companions are readily available in her beloved books? When all seems lost, Sam is given the opportunity to gain her Master's degree in journalism (though literature was her first choice, of course), but there's one catch. She must keep her anonymous benefactor informed with how her studies are progressing through letter-writing. So Sam reveals not only the details of her studies but her life to the silent but dependable person whom she only knows as as her Dear Mr. Knightley.

Except for the last chapter, Dear Mr. Knightley, Katherine Reay's debut novel, is comprised entirely of Sam's letters to Mr. Knightley. This format took a little time to get used to and the story began a bit slow, but a third of the way in I was captivated, halfway through I was completely invested, and by the end, I loved the characters and Sam's story dearly. Though written in first person, all of the characters--Ashley, Kyle, Alex, Father John, Professor Muir and Mrs. Muir--and the situations come across achingly raw and authentic. I only felt a bit jarred at the end when I had to get used to seeing the world in third person, outside of Sam's intensely personal perspective. I suppose that's how our main character felt when she was forced to look up from her novels, encounter the real world, and discover herself as well.

Like Sam did with her first copy of Pride and Prejudice, I want to read this book until the covers wear thin and I'm forced to buy another copy. Heart-breakinglyly honest, brilliantly hopeful, and sweetly romantic, I believe Jane Austen would approve.

Genre: Contemporary/Romance/Coming of Age
Pages: 297 (ebook version)
Age Range: 15 and up
Publication Date: November 2013

Novel Teen Blog Tour: Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker

 

Our family seemed so cracked lately. And I was the only glue keeping us together. Juli was defiant; Grandpop Barley was erratic; Cliff was well, Cliff; and Mama and Dad seemed dangerously close to breaking.

I was nowhere near being ready to fly.

Most families have their troubles and quirks, but Scarlett Blaine's family seems to be overloaded with them. From her parents financial struggles and sister Juli's eccentric hippie lifestyle, to Grandpop Barley's obsession with peanut butter and her little brother Cliff's collection of random Spanish trivia he casually drops into conversation, Scarlett often feels overwhelmed and under-appreciated. But during the summer of 1969 when her family seems to be unraveling at the seams, one promise she makes to Cliff--to build a rocket to Jupiter--will serve as a turning point that will change all of their lives forever.

Rachel Coker (Interrupted: Life Beyond Words) has a gift of creating not just one or two but a whole cast of three-dimensional characters. Each character is written in a realistic and touching manner that makes you care about each and everyone. From the high moments to when tragedy strikes, Chasing Jupiter tugs at the heartstrings and makes you long for a happy ending when all seems lost. I like how Coker dealt with various circumstances in a realistic way and showed how when viewing things through God's eyes, peace will come.

*I'd like to thank the author and publisher for providing me with a free copy of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

Genre: YA/Historical Fiction/Coming of Age
Ages: 12 and up
Pages: 216
Publication: January 2013

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker by clicking on the links below, and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen.

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Book Review: "There You'll Find Me" by Jenny B. Jones



"It's beautiful," I said, my voice clouded with embarrassment.

"It's more than that." He watched the ocean below. "It's like God painted it himself, then spun it into motion." Beckett angled his head toward me, took his aviators off, and let his eyes burn into mine. "This is Ireland, Finley. It's rough. It's wild. And it is holy."

 

Finley Sinclair is trying to make a new start as a foreign exchange student in Ireland. But the past is deeply entwined with her present as she uses her deceased brother's journal to follow his time in Ireland years before in the hopes that she can rediscover the same closeness to God Will had when he was alive.

 

Beckett Rush is a distraction Finley doesn't need. A famous and ridicuously good-looking movie star, Beckett offers to help Finley retrace her brother's steps--if she helps him rehearse lines for the movie he's starring in. Along with Beckett, Finley soon finds her life entwined with a dying old woman who needs peace, a wise nun, a classic mean girl, and the love and warmth of her host family. Stress and a myriad of tiny pressures begin to weigh Finley down, from drama with Beckett to unsuccessfully trying to compose a piece of music based on Will's life for her audition with Julliard. She tries to cope the best way she knows how but it leads her down a dangerous road. Can she find her way back?

 

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones is in my top ten favorite books, and I don't see it moving any time soon. Finley is a phenomenal main character who's emotions are felt deeply as if you are inside her head. There are so many great lines in this book I wish I could list them all, from the poignant moments, like in the prologue, to the hilarious moments between some of the characters that had me laughing out loud. All the characters are three-dimensional, complex, and played critical roles in Finley's character growth. The setting is described in rich detail that made me feel like I was actually in the small village of Abbeyglen or in Galway or wherever Finley and Co. went. I wanted to buy a ticket to Ireland after I finished reading!

 

I actually passed by this book several times in the bookstore before buying it. I saw the cover and thought it looked interesting. The second time, I picked it up and read the synopsis and the prologue, thought it sounded good, but I didn't want to spend the money. Finally, after a few times of being drawn to the book like a magnet, I bought it, read it, and was changed. There You'll Find Me dove deeper than I thought it would and beautifully displayed the dark truth of earthly struggles but also the light that's the truth of God's never failing love.

 

Genre: Contemporary Christian/Coming of Age/Romance

Ages: 14 and up

Pages: 303

Publication Date: October 2011

Part of a Series: Spin-off of Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones