The 25 Cent Miracle by Theresa Nelson

I originally read this book when I was in the 4th grade, and I love it as much now as I did then. For a young adult book, I felt the subject matter was something that many kids could relate to: Family, and more specifically that families come in many forms, but are always there when you need them. I felt the characters were also very relatable.

I know that some reviews I have read previously for this book have indicated that they feel the 'over' use of hyphens (-) and ellipses (…) are not needed. I do disagree with this, as the author was trying to utilize these to indicate the slow drawl that a Southern accent would have, including these characters who were from Texas. Anyone who is from the Southeastern US or spoken to someone from the Southeastern US, understands that we speak slowly and we have an accent that accommodates our drawn out speech patterns. The author is merely using these punctuation marks in the capacity to which they are afforded, in this instance, to show the long pauses and drawn out words that the Southern dialect utilizes.

Overall, this book is a great read, regardless of age, and I highly recommend reading it for yourself!

Comments

The Wounded Shadow by Patrick W Carr (the Darkwater Saga)

I did receive this book at no charge for my unbiased, honest opinion. Let me start by saying this is part of a series, which I did not realize when I ordered the book. However, even though this is part of a series, it was easily read even without the context of the other books in the series. It is definitely a story in the same fantasy genre as LOTR, Narnia, or Harry Potter. Very well written with great detail, it easily allows you to imagine the journey on which the characters embark. There are only 2 real complaints I have: 1] that the story line jumped around a bit; I feel like the author could have made it a bit easier to realize when the story jumps to another character's leg of the journey as it was a little hard to follow from one jump in the story at times. And 2] while the story isn't numbered or if (like me) you miss the small note in the upper corner of the cover indicating that it is part of a series, as the reader, you have no idea there are books before it; t...

After the Shadows by Amanda Cabot

Disclaimer: Please note, I did receive this book from the publisher at no charge for my unbiased, honest opinion. When I read the publisher's synopsis of this book, I selected it on a whim. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy reading it, but I decided to select it anyway. Even after the first chapter, I was unsure if I would be able to finish it. However, the more I read, the more the story developed into a book I absolutely loved! It had elements that provoked surprise, compassion, frustration, and so many other emotions. It was a good example to show how everyone deals with grief and life's obstacles differently. Further, it is a good example of how a small, southern town in America really is: how isolating it can be; how important family and reputation can be in these areas. Neighbors really take care of each other (depending on who you are) or they may completely ignore you. If your reputation is tarnished they will ostracize and abandon you. Between hoping Em...

Battle Ready by Kelly Balarie

I did receive this book at no charge from the publisher for my unbiased, honest opinion. This book is fantastic! As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, I can absolutely see the benefits that this book will bring for many years to come. It is not your typical book that you read once and are done with it. This is one of those books that you can read and re-read, over and over and always get something new and helpful from each time. The author outlines 12 mindsets that we all at sometime or another get stuck and how to correct these mindsets to make our lives better. Each chapter is gives an example of how someone has struggled with that mindset. She breaks the examples down so they are easy to follow and understand. She goes over how each issue has different points of view (or mindsets) that you could view the issue and how each of those points of view provides different possible outcomes. It helps you to understand your options in similar situations, and since each...

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