Book Review Numero 1 out of 25!
Brief Summary: Paulie is a part of Period 8, a group that gathers to discuss any and everything… truthfully. When Paulie comes out with the truth that he cheated on his girlfriend, Hannah, it doesn’t go quite as he has planned. Meanwhile, another member of the group, Arney, has his own plans and is behind one of the disappearances of another girl in their group, Mary. As Paulie and Hannah explore what it means to be faithful, honest, and forgiving, they face judgements based on little to no knowledge, a friend turned enemy, and teen questions galore. In the end, Paulie and Hannah come away with a better understanding of themselves and others.
Response: I did not enjoy this book due to the excessive curse words and sexual language. The lack of respect towards God at the end of the book was a turnoff, and in general, I did not feel that the characters ever really grew that much as a result of their trials. Nor did I like the nod that boys are animalistic towards sex and that it is okay, quite similar to the saying, “Boys will be boys.” I did, however, appreciate the viewpoints of not just the protagonist, Paulie, but that of Hannah, Mary, and Logs, the teacher. The book addressed concerns faced by teens and adults today and made an attempt to reflect the natural state of society. The book heavily focused on telling the truth and facing it’s repercussions. It did that successfully.
Connections: YA books boast characters that are or become independent. While Paulie asked his teacher, Mr. Logs, for advice, in the end, he was left to think and act for himself, becoming more independent. As with most YA books, this book also deals with common issues faced by teens today such as: do all boys really just care about sex, as questioned by Hannah (Crutcher, 2013).
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElflM95j4i4
Censorship: From the Author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kccTXaLyi8
Teen Book Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCbnY_v_oCU
Author Website: http://www.chriscrutcher.com/
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