26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You do not want stop reading, May 7, 2009
You know those books you don't want to take out of your hands and you search for words to describe what you liked about it...Well this is one of them. This book, written from the point of view of a thirteen year old boy, who sees himself confronted with the fact that his five year old brother has cancer. It's straightforward, with no exaggeration. A work, full of wisdom that shows how we much too often think about things we can't change instead of seeing what we can.
Another book that opens the door to seeing other possibilities one can choose in life isWorking on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life
Give yourself the gift of both these books!
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A heartbreaker, August 25, 2009
I love this book. Sonnenblick tells a heartbreaking story, so heartfelt, with ease and humor that you must fall in love with the hero and everybody around him. The hero, Steven a normal teenager with a big passion and talent for drums basically thinks of his drum playing and the hottest girl in his class, who doesn't care about him. His world turns upside down when his little brother Jeffry gets cancer. First, Steven, whose parents give most of their attention to Jeffry now, dives into self pity. But very soon discovers that his brother needs him and taking care about his brother and family brings a new possibility in Steven's life. In the face of all possible Drama he discovers a sense of humour, well-being and the magic life has.
This is what I love most about the book, Sonnenblick is showing a way to have magic in our lives, even when the circumstances are challenging. And the story is just breathtaking, you won't want to stop reading.
2 other books I highly recommend to everyone who is looking for more magic in their life, whether your life is already good or you face some challenges of your own are: "Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment" and "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life" by Ariel and Shya Kane. The authors found a way of living and share it in their books, that opens possibilities to have a fulfilling and magical live regardless of the circumstances you live in. Both books are written so heartfelt and with humor it's treat to read, also they are very practical and useful in day to day life.
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A frank and honest portrayal of the uncomfortable realities of living with someone who's sick, October 21, 2005
This review is from: Drums, Girls, And Dangerous Pie (Hardcover)
DRUMS, GIRLS & DANGEROUS PIE starts out breezily enough. Told in the sarcasm-laced voice of 13-year-old Steven, the novel describes his various adolescent trials and tribulations, all of which are familiar yet still cringe-worthy --- he has a crush on the hottest girl in school, has an angelic-looking yet demonic little brother named Jeffrey, and his parents irk and annoy him constantly. With a droll and ironic tone, teacher and first-time novelist Jordan Sonnenblick paints Steven both convincingly and with enough color to make him an amusing and compelling narrator. Readers will be ready and willing to let Steven narrate the woes of adolescence for 273 pages, without expecting anything more or less from the novel.
Steven's story takes a sharp turn, however, into potentially over-dramatic emotional ground when Jeffrey's nosebleeds turn out to be an indicator of something serious. Yet Sonnenblick handles Steven and his family's reactions to Jeffrey's diagnosis and the onslaught of his illness with an admirable balance of humor and compassion. Jeffrey's initial question to his mother after they return from the hospital in Philadelphia is, "So Mom, everything's OK right? This whole cancer mistake is sorted out?" And Sonnenblick's treatment of the different reactions of Jeffrey's parents --- Steven describes his mother as "weepy" and his father as "a zombie" --- is both nuanced and realistic. Steven has to break his parents' emotional states into simple, one-word summations, because he fears grappling with the extent of what they're going through and why; by acknowledging the complexity of their anguish, he must acknowledge the fact that his brother might die.
It takes a while for Steven to come to terms with Jeffrey's illness, and the process is rendered thoughtfully and without cliché. Reflections such as "Once I was forced to believe that Jeffrey really had cancer my mind played another big trick on me. I started to think that if I just made the right promises to God. He would magically make Jeffrey better again" and Steven's frustration with teachers who call him a "trooper" are perfect examples of the little details that make this novel so honest and real. Steven's attempt to get a handle on all the anxieties that surround the progression of his brother's illness, while trying to balance school dances, drumming solos and head-over-heels-crushes, is handled with equal candor.
Steven is not the only remarkably credible character; his parents, his teachers, his brother and even his crush, Renee, are all well-drawn and believable. The fact that this novel never relies on formulaic plotlines or stock characters is no doubt due to the author's own experience with having a family member diagnosed with cancer. Sonnenblick has an obvious desire to present the potentially melodramatic and sappy subject of cancer with frankness, never shying away from conveying the uncomfortable realities of living with someone who is sick. The result is this honest, engaging, never syrupy, and rather groundbreaking novel.
Readers who have never gone through what Steven is going through will have a newfound understanding of what it is like to --- very literally --- battle someone else's cancer. Those who have will be grateful to Sonnenblick for getting it so right.
--- Reviewed by Jennifer Krieger
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