Customer Reviews

My Life as a Rhombus

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rhombus: a parallelogram with four equal sides and sometimes one with no right angles. -Merriam-Webster online dictionary

On page one of this story, the reader meets the narrator, Rhonda Lee. Rhonda is a senior at Piedmont and tutors after school at West Columbia Community Center. Upon entering Piedmont, she was popular, but things have changed since she was a freshman. Enter Sarah Gamble - a junior, a cheerleader, popular, and forced by her mom, Justice Gamble, to find a tutor to help her with math.

What starts out as Rhonda's animosity towards Sarah and all of the kids like her at their school soon turns to a mutual understanding between the two girls. After their second tutoring session, Rhonda has deduced that Sarah is pregnant. With a simple "How far along are you?" by Rhonda, the friendship begins.

As Sarah struggles to come to terms with her pregnancy, and her ultimate decision, flashbacks by Rhonda fill the reader in on her history and previous pregnancy. Rhonda has shut herself off from anything but her studies and her goals to get into Georgia Tech on a scholarship. Her friendship and support to Sarah help her realize that past mistakes do not have to limit your future happiness. And so evolves the story, and the eventual outcomes of the choices each girl has to make, ultimately on their own.

Wow, what a great story! From the start, I didn't want to put the book down. And if it weren't for having to get up for work the next morning, I would easily have read the entire book in one sitting. As it was, I had to wait until the following day to complete it.

The most surprising thing is that the author of the book is a male. The story is told in the first person by a female. Mr. Johnson tells the story simply, without preaching, nor without choosing sides between pregnancy and abortion. He makes you think about the choices each girl has had to make with their lives, and how they will have to live with those decisions. Mr. Johnson is able to do that convincingly, even as a male. Reading the questions to the author at the end of the book, it was interesting to find out that the original concept of the story was meant to be written as an adult book, told from Rhonda's father's viewpoint. He has captured the struggles of teen girls perfectly, and the story is quite believable.

A similar story is Angel's Choice by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, but Mr. Johnson's book has even more depth and emotion. Because of his uncanny ability to portray teen girls without coming across as knowing the right answers, I bestow a Gold Star Award on this book.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

This novel features two teenage girls who become friends: a girl who has had an abortion and a girl who is pregnant. I like the author's nonjudgmental approach to the ways the girls dealt with their pregnancies.

But this is not a mere "issue book" about coming to terms with pregnancy. There is family strife, romance, friendship issues, and typical teen stuff such as prom and cliques and worries about college. And there are even math theorems, for those inclined. It's a fun read that will make you think too.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were engaging and fun, and it avoided being preachy at all. My only problem with this book, really, was the way it demonized high school sex. Like, at the end of the novel, Rhonda still thinks that it's impossible to have sex without getting pregnant. None. And she's never going to have sex again, ever. At least, this seems to be her opinion.

Plus, it's totally acceptable for the males to have sex, (the end of the book celebrates it for a man,) but for Rhonda, it is not OK.

I really enjoyed the book otherwise...but I think we could do with some more books with healthy teenage sexual activity. Just a thought.

I bought this book for my teenage daughter. I think the author did an excellent job of pulling together the emotions of teenagers in a way that helps parents understand and relate to their teens. The topic and the issues on relationships between the adults and peers was done very well. I wish there were more books written for teens in this way. Varian Johnson -- write more books for teens, you have a gift!
Hope this helps someone!

Varian Johnson gives girls particularly those who are African-American a likable protagonist with Rhonda Lee. An achieving black academic student who also tutors kids with math and happens to be a smart girl is lacking in the YA. And Johnson gives readers an interesting book that also examines righting past mistakes and dealing with unresolved anger. I liked many things in this book but I can't give it five stars.

Yes, this is a great coming of age novel and the character has a strong voice but I never got a real sense of a plot with this novel. I believe a strong character can carry a novel, but I just wish there would have been more action and reaction.

This book had me glued to my chair until I finished. A GREAT read about a tough topic. As the mother of daughters, I have to say Varian Johnson achieved something really special here. To explore the realities (and the real choices/decisions) of teen pregnancy without preaching in any way is very difficult. The characters are realistic, the writing is great, and the story is gripping. I highly recommend it.

This book is a must read!!!
I read it in one day and I just couldn't put it down. This is the first book I've read about teen pregnancy and I think the author did a splendid job. He talks about abortion but the author does not take sides for it or against it.
The only downfall I had was the language, I think the author could have left out the cussing. Other than that it was great!