Interrupted: Life Beyond Words by Rachel Coker

Interrupted by Rachel Coker

Genre- Teen Fiction

Published by- Zondervan

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 256

Age Group- Young Adult

Description of book- paperback, list price $9.99, ISBN: 978-0-310-72810-8, link to the book on Zondervan

Allie loses her mother to cancer when she is fourteen and is sent to Maine where she lives with her adopted mother and sister.  Allie is so bitter that she retreats into a journal where she writes to her mother about her new life and her Christian mother.  Sam, a childhood friend, comes back into her life and Allie is forced to deal with the past in a new way.  Will Allie accept Sam and the Christian life she has been fighting so much?

About the author- Rachel Coker, a sixteen-year-old homeschool student, currently lives with her parents and two sisters in Virginia.  She has helped her parents with a family-run Christian book business.  She was given a year of lessons with a professional writing Coach when she was eleven.  Her other book from Zondervan is Chasing Jupiter.  Her blog is www.rachelcoker.wordpress.com

Go here for my review of Chasing Jupiter .

My thoughts- Life is not always fair.  It certainly wasn’t fair for Allie, but I wish that she had reacted differently to her adopted mother.  It took almost the whole book for Allie to accept Beatrice as her mother.  I’m so glad that her heart of stone was brought up in prayer by Beatrice and was over heard by Allie.  Allie had spent so much time believing she didn’t need God and that Beatrice didn’t love her.

I thought Rachel Coker did a good job with character development.  I really enjoyed Beatrice and Irene.  I felt sorry for Sam.  I’m glad he was so patient and kind to Allie and how he came to see her later in life.

Rachel Coker wrote a wonderful book and I highly recommend it to you.  Please pick up a copy today.  Remember to tell your public library if you liked it, so they can get a copy for others to read.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Interrupted: Life Beyond Words by Rachel Coker for free from Zondervan.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.  All links were current when posted.

Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker

Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker

Genre- Teen Fiction

Published by- Zondervan

Copyrighted- 2012

Number of pages- 224

Age Group- 13 and up

Description of book- hardback, list price $15.99, ISBN: 978-0-310-73293-8

Scarlett Blaine is growing up in 1960’s Georgia.  It isn’t easy for her; with her sister’s struggles, her brother’s unique behavior, and her parents’ financial problems.

Since Cliff is so unique he gets left out and teased.  Scarlett loves him greatly and when he asks for a rocket to Jupiter for his birthday, she works to make it happen.  To raise the money needed to build the rocket she decides to make and sell peach pies.  Cliff and Scarlett become friends with the peach farmer’s son, Frank.  Frank helps them make the rocket.

Everything is going well for all of them until Cliff has an accident.  Will Cliff recover from the accident?  Will Scarlett gain trust in God?

About the author- Rachel Coker, a sixteen-year-old homeschool student, currently lives with her parents and two sisters in Virginia.  She has helped her parents with a family-run Christian book business.  She was given a year of lessons with a professional writing Coach when she was eleven.  Her other book from Zondervan was Interrupted.  Her blog is www.rachelcoker.wordpress.com.

 

My thoughts- I enjoy reading books by both young authors and those who have been homeschooled, because I don’t see it very often and they are truly talented.  Rachel Coker doesn’t disappoint.  I felt as if I were there in Georgia with Scarlett and her family.

One thing I would have liked was more references to Scarlett’s and Cliff’s ages.  I kept forgetting how old Cliff was.  I thought he was much older than ten.  Rachel Coker did a very good job with describing Scarlett and how much respect she had for Cliff and that is what tricked me into thinking he was so much older.

Scarlett’s love for her family, no matter how eccentric, is very admirable.  She is an inspiration to me to be kind to all people.  It shouldn’t matter how eccentric they are or what they do.  It takes a talented author to inspire the reader to do more in life. 

I would recommend this book to all young adult readers.  Adults can gain from reading this book too.  It would be a book for discussion groups.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker for free from DJC Communications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. All links were current when posted.