Customer Reviews

Katy's Debate (Katy Lambright Series, The)

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Katy Lambight is back again in Katy's Debate and whether this is the first Katy Lambight book you have read, or the second, the story is sure to appeal. Looking at the teen years through a Mennonite girl's eyes is very interesting and different and Katy is a wonderful character to see life through her eyes.

It does help some to have read the first book but I don't think it is a necessity. Most of the backstory is alluded to so the reader would not feel lost if this was the first book about Katy they picked up. I really enjoyed this second look into Katy's life. It focused more on inner struggles this time than her school life because most of the book takes place over winter break. Katy is still trying to find her place in the local high school but still holding fast to her religious beliefs as well. Now she is dealing with the possibility of having a step-mother and she's not sure how she feels about that. And as she spends time in the world, the more worldly beliefs begin to come in and she must decide what she believes and how to act on those feelings.

A wonderfully written story of Katy. I enjoyed this one as much as the first. These tiny glimpses into Mennonite life are intriguing and I love seeing how Katy will work out her beliefs. Great for ages 12 and up, there are some wonderful lessons for teen girls in these books. The author does a great job of entertaining as well as making a point in this book and it's a story that will stay with me for awhile.

I want to go to Katy's school - not only do they have a cool debate group that travels to compete, but the second half of the year she takes forensics (competitions in which competitors deliver an original speech on a subject of their choosing, though the speech must be factual.) It all sounds like such fun!

This novel was a page turner. Katy and her friends are a year older than in the first novel. And their emotions and interests have changed. This is not a stagnant series. I read on Kim's Facebook account that Katy has boy trouble in Book Four of the series. As usual, the writing is solid. Kim creates pockets of visuals for the reader to have a glimpse into this mysterious Mennonite community.

The ending of this novel was wonderful. All the plot points were tied up. But what I liked the most was that a character had made a couple of mistakes and that character made amends in the only biblical way : by confessing their sin to the other person and asking for forgiveness. I LOVE that because this novel is geared towards tweens and teens. A great example of Christlike behavior.

Katy Lambright is back in Kim Vogel Sawyer's Katy's Debate! Katy enters the world of debating and using words to win and persuade. When Katy's dad starts courting Mrs. Graber, Katy feels like she has to fight for her dad. She begins using her debating skills to persuade her dad that they don't need Mrs. Graber. But is she making a big mistake?
Meanwhile, Katy develops a crush for a member of the debate club. But he's "worldly", or non-Mennonite! What is a girl to do?

This is an excellent sequel to the first book in the series. It definitely left me wanting to learn more about Katy's life and read future books. Katy's feelings are very real, though her life in the Mennonite community is different. As with the last book, there are lessons to be learned and good morals throughout this book, such as the importance of honoring parents and trusting God. I highly recommend it.

Note: This book was provided freely to me by Zondervan publishers. I am not obligated to write a positive review- only an honest one.

I love this YA series by Kim Sawyer that offers insight into a teenage Mennonite girl that enters a public high school. What I love even more is that my almost 14 year old daughter loves this series. It is giving her an eye opener into another culture and outside her usual social circles. In this book Katy is still a sweet girl whose world is turning upside down as her father decides she needs a mother and starts courting a nice lady. To Katy it doesn't matter how nice she is or isn't, her goal becomes proving to her dad that they don't need a woman around because she can handle it all herself. She gets a little underhanded at points, but does she really know what she wants? A great second book in the series by Kim Sawyer.

Katy's Debate by Kim Vogel Sawyer is the second book in the Katy Lambright series about a teenaged Mennonite girl attending a public high school. Katy has finally settled in at the school and is thrilled to be a part of the debate team. Her love of words brings her great success on the squad and in her writing class, but things at home aren't going so smoothly. She has always felt like she has to fight for her father's attention, so when he starts courting a widow from another county, she feels threatened by Mrs. Graber and decides to use her newly discovered debate skills to logically prove to her father why he doesn't need a new wife. But her faith makes her question whether it is right to be sneaky. She also learns a powerful lesson about friendship and when to remain silent as well as how to speak the truth in love. Sawyer has created a vibrant and intelligent heroine in Katy, who is just like any other teenage girl who worries about boys, fights with her parents, and questions her future, despite her bonnet and long dresses. I do wonder about her friendship with Annika; the reader only sees Annika's regular attacks on Katy without seeing them enjoy each other's company as well, so she comes across as self-righteous and untrustworthy. Katy is a delightful character whose growth and wit will carry several more books in this series.

Katy's Debate is the second book in Kim's 'Katy Lambright' series, geared for young adults. You can see my review of book one, Katy's New World, on my blog: thecreativesideofsteph DOT blogspot DOT com.

In book two, Katy has to deal with her widower dad's interest in kind widow Mrs. Graber. Katy is definitely not in favor of having another woman in the house.

Having joined her high school's debate club, Katy feels she has all the right tools to convince her dad she is all he needs. When Katy scores the win she was looking for, is it really what she wants?

As in book one, Katy struggles with choosing right or wrong - don't we all? But, again, I felt like Kim Vogel Sawyer has created a well-rounded, safe series for my daughter to someday read.

I was looking forward to this book as I had enjoyed the first book in the series. This is due to the unique perspective of a teen who is normally not allowed to pursue higher education being allowed to do so. Katy is from a strict Mennonite family but she is allowed to attend a public high school which is giving her a whole new look at life. She's still following the strict background she's grown up in as she doesn't wear makeup or even watch TV when staying in a hotel room. However both her and her father are willing to adapt to the new way of life and allowing her to explore new experiences like joining the debate or forensics teams.

The main focus of the story deals with Katy having to deal with a potential new stepmother in her life. Here I felt the story falls into predictable territory. Katy doesn't want another woman in her father's life. While she doesn't do anything drastically horrible, she does her best to not make this union happen. Since she is from the Mennonite background, the things she does seem very tame compared to what an average teen might do. I just felt that this story line could have been handled a bit better but I still enjoyed seeing her go through this debate in her head about what to do.

While I enjoyed this book, I felt that it's more geared towards younger readers than the average YA audience. Even though Katy is a teenager, due to her religious upbringing and background, she's quite naive when it comes to normal things and therefore looks at things with young innocent eyes. The other qualm I had with the book is that I'm not a big fan of the cover. I don't feel that it has anything to do with the story and doesn't really give the reader a clue as to what the story is about other than the fact that it's clear that Katy is Mennonite and therefore not like the reader. As I felt with the first book, it will be interesting to see what will happen when Katy gets older and has to deal with harder classes and having to deal with more technology. Overall, this is a nice safe read. A bit innocent, but it is refreshing after most YA that is out there.

At first I was hesitant about reading this because it is from about a girl who is a Mennonite (for which I know almost nothing about). I didn't think I would be able to identify with the main character. But the character of Katy is very well written and likable. I can see why there is a series of these books about Katy Lambright, she has real emotions and is put is situations that almost all Christians have to deal with at some point.

The highlight of this book is the people in it. The characters are built up, not quickly raced through. Katy's innermost thoughts, sometimes right, and sometimes wrong, help reveal the relationships she has with secondary characters. These secondary characters help give Katy good direction on her behavior when she strays from the Lord. Katy never looks at these people as bad, even though they are opposing her when she's having her trouble in her walk.

It honestly took me about 40 pages before I actually got into the story, but when I did I could not put the book down. I love character studies and sometimes they have a slow start. This development is worth the wait in this book. I was fascinated by Katy's world.

I am by no means a Mennonite, but this has good Christian values that I can support.

Review by Mick McArt
Author: Tales of Wordishure
[...]
6/28/2010

Review by Susan's teenaged daughter.

Just as life settles down and Katy joins the debate team, her world gets turned upside down. Can Katy balance life, school, and family troubles?


MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:

Katy's life at school gets interesting as she joins the debate team. She believes that if only she would be given the chance to compete, she can be as good as anyone on the team. But when her big chance finally arrives, can she do as well as she has dreamed or will her nerves get in the way?

At home, life becomes complicated when Katy's dad starts courting a woman. Katy feels she's old enough to handle her own household. More importantly, she doesn't need a new mother. She believes she and her dad are doing just fine on their own, and she schemes to send the woman packing. Despite the fact that everyone, including her best friend, believes that her dad's courtship is a good thing, Katy does her best to convince him he doesn't need a wife. Her worst nightmare comes true when the woman accepts her father's proposal. Is it too late to convince him to her way of thinking? Katy refuses to give up her efforts to curtail his future marriage.

Meanwhile, Katy is dealing with her growing feelings for a boy at school that she knows her father will never accept. Can Katy balance school and the Mennonite life she has grown up in? Will she destroy the relationships of those she loves?

This is the second book in the Katy Lambright Series. I really enjoyed it and I look forward to the next book in this series, Katy's Homecoming, releasing in February 2011!