Courage for Beginners
by Karen Harrington
by Karen Harrington
Format: Paperback
Price: Free - checked out from the school library
Price: Free - checked out from the school library
How I heard about it: it's a William Allen White Award book (I'm taking a break from my list and reading some of the William Allen White Award nominees for Battle of the Books at school)
Basic Premise: Mysti Murphy's best friend invites her to be part of a "social experiment," in which he tries to be "cool" by ignoring her. Ever the optimist, Mysti thinks it might be fun. But when the school year begins, the experiment begins to feel less and less like an experiment, leaving Mysti feeling hurt and rejected by the only person who ever accepted her.
My Take: 6 out of 10 (scale here)
This book was fine. I took it after one of my girls finished, and when she handed it to me, she said, "I have a love/hate relationship with this book." I think that's an accurate portrayal. There are deep, poignant moments to the story, such as Mysti's mother's agorophobia and the effects it has on the family - particularly when her father suffers a roofing accident and is hospital bound - but then there are issues that seem to need resolving and are left up in the air. I did like that the ending revolved around Mysti embracing her "weirdness" and the weirdness of her family and understanding that they were who they were and nothing anyone said or did mattered. Overall it's a good book for my shelf.
This book was fine. I took it after one of my girls finished, and when she handed it to me, she said, "I have a love/hate relationship with this book." I think that's an accurate portrayal. There are deep, poignant moments to the story, such as Mysti's mother's agorophobia and the effects it has on the family - particularly when her father suffers a roofing accident and is hospital bound - but then there are issues that seem to need resolving and are left up in the air. I did like that the ending revolved around Mysti embracing her "weirdness" and the weirdness of her family and understanding that they were who they were and nothing anyone said or did mattered. Overall it's a good book for my shelf.
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