Here is the new giveaway! I am giving away the books that won the INSPY Award, which is an award created by a group of bloggers for "excellence in faith-driven literature"? Check out their website: http://inspys.com/ for more information.
I will be giving away these books one at a time, so be sure to come back again in a day or two for the next one!
Here are the rules:
A. Post a comment to this post to indicate you would like to be entered for this book.
B. Answer today's random question for fun.
Today's question: If you could read a fictionalized (but accurate in so far as the Biblical account) account of any Bible character, who would you choose?
My answer: I'd like to see what it was like to be Peter. He seems so human and yet so devoted to Jesus too.
C. If your name is drawn, I will send you an email to let you know. Please respond within 10 days or the winner will be redrawn.
D. Enter by January 28 for this book. Winner to be announced the following day.
E. Come back again soon for more giveaways!
Today's book: from the category Young Adult Fiction, Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr.
Description:
Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor’s kid, it’s hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam’s personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.
My Thoughts:
I've read quite a string of books lately about moms who are absentee mothers. (Nancy Rue's book, Motorcycles, Sushi, and One Strange Ride has a mother who is bipolar and in Chasing Lilacs the mother is severly depressed) In this case, the mom is an alcoholic and leaves to get help. Interesting to see so many books like this in such a short time.
Regardless, this book is excellent. I could totally understand Sammy's conflicted world where she had to look a certain way and act a certain way to maintain the public persona of a preacher's daughter. I grew up in a conservative town where everyone was expected to be a certain way too. I always felt the pressure to be "perfect" at church and around church people. I empathized with Sammy's mom's emptiness and the overwhelming burden of trying to be that perfect all the time. But more so, my heart ached for Sammy as she tried to then cope with the fall-out of her mother's alcoholism and absence. On top of that, she has to deal with the confusion and fear that comes from learning one of her friends is missing. No wonder she struggles with her faith and feelings of isolation.
I'm thankful to Zarr for the journey of this story. I was glad to ask questions and look for answers along with Sammy. I was glad to see the outcome too.
Book Bullets:
- My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
- Genre: youth
- Themes: growing up, dealing with the hard stuff of life
- Part of a Series: no
- Publication year: 2009
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Other books I've read by this author: this is the first
- Author's website: http://www.sarazarr.com/
