This week’s Review:
Book One entitled Between from the Straight From the Onion Vine series by Jody Scott-Smith (Published in 2011)
Rating: refreshing, inspiring, real…with no negatives at all!!!!
Like every Saturday morning, I’m looking for something to do. I get up pretty early, and it’s usually pretty cold in my house. I like to stay in bed; stay warm.
So over Christmas, I got an e-book reader… I think that’s what I should call it. And, I thought I’d start checking out some books on line. I love a good book… but they are really hard to find for someone my age. I guess I’m a tween, but my reading tastes aren’t trendy, I guess. I tried reading Twilight, which I read fast, but I didn’t like the rest of the books so much. And, I have to say, I’m really tired of all of this fantastical, werewolf, vampire, mystical, magical writing. I’m just tired of it. I’m also really tired of reading books about catty mean girls and rich snobs in private schools. I just want a book about someone like me. Simple, I guess. Real life — with no magic, and no supernatural.
So, I was on Lulu and I typed in tween and some other keywords, and this book popped up, Book 1: Between from the Straight From the Onion Vine series. I liked the book description (here it is):
For Kara, a cross country runner, finding her stride in high school is proving to be an uphill challenge. What worked in 8th grade is definitely not working in 9th. Is there some sort of high-school rule that says you have to choose between being smart and being popular? And, why is everyone making such a big deal out of the fact that she lives with just her mom; isn’t it ok to have just one parent? Between worrying about her BFF Annie being the right kind of friend, and the unexpected return of her father, Kara discovers enduring friendships and an inner strength to guide her over the rough terrain of growing up. With her flowing dialog and realistic characters, Jody Scott-Smith charms her readers in the first book of this coming-of-age trilogy. With her flowing dialog and realistic characters, Jody Scott-Smith charms her readers in the first book of this coming-of-age trilogy.
High school is still a year away, so I read all that I can get my hands on about it. My Mum and Dad also gave me some dollars to spend on Lulu, so at $2.99 what was there to loose, so I downloaded it on to my reader.
I had a great time reading it. The main character is Kara, and she’s just this normal girl, trying to NOT be a noticeable lost Freshman, but she ends up falling in the hallway in front of this football player. OK…boring right? Heard it before? Funny, Kara would have said the same thing! So would have I! Well, he is not a stereotypical football player. They end up having a thing for eachother — but I won’t give the whole story away. And that’s not what this book is focused on AT ALL! What I liked about the book is that I really felt like I was sitting in the same room the whole time. Most of the book is dialogue, so you really feel like you are part of the conversation. The only person who let’s you in a little bit on her feelings and thoughts is Kara which really works because you are seeing everyone around you as you would in real life. You hear what they say, but you don’t always know what everyone else is thinking. That’s when writing and the real world don’t coincide.
Kara’s this person who’s had to make a lot of decisions for herself — her Dad’s not around (well not for most of her life, I can’t give that subplot away, either) and her mom’s a nurse, but, at the same time, her mom is really super supportive. She’s the kind of mom who allows your friends to spend the night spontaneously on Saturday and the one who all the other parents trust. She also has a way of talking to Kara that’s more questioning than ordering, if that makes sense, so Kara’s decisions unfold along the way, and it’s really great to see what she thinks about as she is deciding.
What’s the most refreshing to me is seeing someone who doesn’t know she’s pretty become just that, and who doesn’t know how to be smart but ends up working at it. She totally struggles…and I think it’s really reassuring to have a first hand account of what high-school might be like. 50% of school work, 50% of it seems like some sort of crazy social experiment that I’m totally dreading but I have to live through.
I really liked that the first book is called Between. It made me think of me and this silly label for this age group I’m supposed to be in. Like I’m someone who is materialistic and dumb, when I’m really not! It’s not fair to think that all tweens are the same! It also made me think of what a transition it must be to go from being the oldest in middle school to the youngest in high school. You are just between. The best you can be is just be somewhere in between and accept it!
The book was really reassuring for me. I don’t have older siblings or cousins or older friends at all, and the thought of going to high school in a few months is totally crazy. I’m so not ready! All of a sudden girls in my class are getting really worried about their looks, and nothing else seems to matter.
It was nice to see Kara just sort of be herself, just let herself be who she naturally is.
***Side note: I even got my mom to read it! She just finished it today and loved it, too.
Straight From the Onion Vine: What does that title mean? Well, in the book there’s a gathering place where all of the students can meet up. It’s called the Union but people started calling it the Onion. I think the Vine is really about how information travels so fast…like the grape vine sort of…but you’re not sure who is the original source of the rumor.
I saw that the author, Jody Scott-Smith, has a web page (http://www.jodyscottsmith.com/) and I just wrote to her telling her I liked the book and asked her when the second book will be out. If I hear from her, I’ll share the news!
Anyway, I’m really excited to start my blog with such a great book. It was so good, it made me want to start writing! Happy New Year and stay tuned all you tweens (whatever that is)!