Book Review: Invisible Me

A hearty congrats is due to one of my favorite bloggers, JACP, on becoming a published novelist! While she's been (phenomenally) in print before, this is way different; her first book was a memoir so this is the first time we get to see her creativity and insight in fiction. And I am impressed.

Tzipi has chosen a meaningful, relevant theme, expressed it through a very original content choice, and written it in a style both original and pleasing. Add that to the humor in realism we have come to expect from her, and we have a real winner on our hands.

I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't yet managed to get their hands on a copy (well, what other excuse would you have for not reading it yet?) so I'll just touch on a couple of points:

While the format (not your typical narrative!) took some getting used to and seemed potentially annoying at first, I ended up applauding that choice. Besides for lending an original character to the book, it keeps the reader moving along at a smooth clip. Between the dialogue, writings, and narrative, you never get that feeling of dragging through the print.

Telling a story through the thoughts of a person with selective mutism is an extremely original and quite ingenious way to examine greater themes of communication and relationships. Very, very clever. However, I'm a trifle concerned that it may be too clever. Not because Tzipi didn't weave her themes well enough, but because I don't trust the majority of the intended audience to appreciate the subtle messages. And although Tzipi has been very careful in her portrayal of selective mutism, the case in point is rather unusual, so I wonder if it mightn't inadvertently deepen misperceptions of the condition. Hopefully I'm just underestimating the depth of the average reader...

Of course, you can't really judge a book until you've reached the end; the entire journey hangs on the point of arrival. Fear not -- the final pages of Invisible Me are both satisfying and definitely un-cliché! The only problem is that it is liable to leave readers shouting "Encore!" So, Tzipi, thanks for the read but I hope your pen is still moving merrily along!

Book Review: 6 Diaries

Congratulations to Targum on publishing a truly original, meaningful work for the frum audience! 6 Diaries shares the personal accounts of the members of an experimental workshop focusing on issues of modesty. The workshop seems to have been an overwhelmingly good idea; the book -- also monumental, though I felt it had just a bit of room for improvement.

The good news first: The thoughts shared in 6 Diaries are realistic, universal, and successfully touched me to think a little more myself. At the risk of sounding cliche, this book is deep, but in a real-world way. The diaries were fairly easy to read and stylistically quite OK -- I guess they would resonate better with the intended teenaged audience than a nitpicky old English teacher like me. You could call it authentic. I was pleased to note minimal typos.

As I read, I started off making mental notes of powerful lines to quote in this review. But I may as well have just re-typed the book. There is profundity on every page.


The diary entries are presented with the 6 writers in a predictable rotation, which helps the reader keep track of who's writing. The workshop consisted of monthly meetings with writing assignments in between, so the chapters are organized by month. With the exception of a brief introduction to each chapter, we don't really hear the group leader's voice, although her notes to the members are included in the appendix. I would have liked to see them included sequentially with the students' writings; it would improve the flow and help the reader to make the connection between what was going on in the group and the individual diary entries. It would also be nice to have just a bit more detail in the session notes of each meeting; although I understand that the focus of the book is the students' voices, I was left wondering what prompted the changes in their thoughts (brainwashing?!) Perhaps to the same end, future editions might include an appendix or companion booklet of inspirational/informational materials for those readers who might want to step further into the experience but might not know how or where to start.

One more cautionary note: Although the book is thin and easy to read straight through, I don't recommend it. It needs time to be digested. Due to intervening circumstances, I had to read it one half at a time, and I definitely enjoyed it more after the break. The changes in the writers' attitudes did not occur overnight and it's difficult to believe when reading them overnight.

Overall, this book is an excellent addition to the Jewish library and I hope it becomes something of a classic. I think many can gain from reading it, adults and youth alike. Whether or not the reader makes any immediate or lasting changes to their observance, I believe the strongest, most important message is bound to penetrate: Everyone struggles. And it's OK to grow anyway.

Coming Next!

I haven't posted about tznius in a while, but being a Bas~Melech, it's always close to my heart. In fact, it's an issue that weighs heavily in the lives of Jewish girls and women everywhere, yet much of the literature on the subject is preachy, patronizing, or just irrelevant. Today I'm holding a book that promises to be different.

6 Diaries is based on the journals kept by a group of actual Jewish teenage girls as they participated in what seems to have been a kind of tzniyus support group. Its aim appears to be simply to express and share what tzniyus means to real people.

The paperback weighs in at a respectable yet manageable 200 pages. Cover design is quite clean and contemporary, though a little crowded on the spine and back. Nothing a teen should be embarrassed to be seen with (Oz vehadar, anyone?) though that doesn't guarantee anything ;-). The six teen narrators are denoted by little icons -- I wouldn't have minded a change in font as well, but I can appreciate the uniformity too. Nothing particularly distinctive about the font choices overall, but very readable and enough white space all around. Not something I take for granted in frum publications. Though the diary entries vary in length, all are rather brief, so I anticipate a smooth, easy read (like a blog! One of the many things I love about Miracle Ride, too). Overall a very nice-looking book.

What's that? You don't judge a book by its cover? You just don't have any appreciation for the graphic designers in this world, do you. Oh well, then, give me a couple of days to read and then come back for the full review. Stay tuned!

Reclaiming Youth

During my unscheduled hiatus from blogging, I had the opportunity (or rather, coercion) to do some paper reading. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that some of my required course readings are actually enjoyable. Of course, those are the ones that I finished first, and now I have to get back to the drudge. But first, I thought I'd share the joy with y'all.

My number one reccommended book of the semester is Reclaiming Youth at Risk (pictured at left) by Brendtro, Brokenleg, and Van Bockern (who graciously help uphold my tradition of reading works by people who belong in the performing arts.) This small, slim volume gets right to the point, completely bypassing current mainstream behavior management practices and presenting a strength-based model that actually makes sense. It's largely based on a Native American "Circle of Courage" which outlines four basic elements that a person needs in order to be well-adjusted (belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity). The idealized waxing about Native American society has to be taken with a grain of salt, but a little common sense will reveal that there is a lot of wisdom between these lines. The CoC model may seem impractical at first just because of its differentness, but I suggest reading it a second time with some specific individuals in mind -- you may be surprised to find how simple it is to create positive, respectful interventions for kids who have been failed by the system. Whether you're a teacher, parent, or just a friend -- Read it. (I'm done with my copy for now...)

Stay tuned for more reviews... but first, I need to do some more reading...

A worthy read

As overtired as I am, I could hardly put this book down. It's intended to be a children's book but I think it should be required reading for adults who have anything to do with kids, for they will certainly encounter several Joeys in their lives.

The book is written in a humorous, juvenile style, yet I got choked up a few times while reading it and once almost cried. It's just so real. Though I enjoyed the style, I actually didn't find it funny at all.

Joey is a regular, bright kid with serious ADHD. His father also had it and it was never addressed, which led to a sad family situation. The book takes you into Joey's mind for a most dizzying rollercoaster ride, all the way to a proud finish. (can't say more because I didn't finish it yet myself, but took a peek at the last page...)

Give it a look, and it will give you a look into a whole new world.