Customer Reviews

My So-Called Family

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I couldn't put this book down! I fell in love with Leah on page 1 and I couldn't wait to see how her story ended. Leah's journey to find her biological siblings from their shared donor is engaging and real. She faces challenges from friends and family along the way and her revelations at the end of what it means to be a family are true and hard won. The author breathes such life into her characters! Little details make for fully developed people you truly come to care about. My very favorite part of the story was Leah's relationship with her little brother Charlie. I think tween readers will eat this story up and ask for seconds!

I loved this book. The main character is so cool. She thinks and acts just like me and all my friends. I was really into finding out what happened to her. Even if you don't always love to read, this book was really worth it!

I bought this book for my daughter and she finished it in one day she loved it so much!!!

Terrific writing, a fast-moving, contemporary plot. Courtney Sheinmel really knows how to write for the teen and tween audiences. A must read!

Ever since she was little, Leah's known where she came from: her mother and a donor from Lyons Reproductive Services. She enjoyed life as an only child and didn't mind having a single parent. When her mother got married, Leah gained a stepfather - and later, a little half-brother - who loved her unconditionally. Though very content with her home life, Leah's always had questions about her biological father, questions her mother can't answer. She doesn't know his name, only knows that he was Donor 730, and that her mother selected him based on certain attributes listed in his profile at the clinic.

Shortly after her family moves to a new town, Leah befriends classmates at her new school. That fresh start, along with the family tree assignment given to her little brother, prompts Leah to once again wonder if her donor had any more children. Thanks to an online match system - which she keeps secret from her mom - Leah finds other kids who were fathered by Donor 730. She quickly bonds with a girl her age named Samantha. She is comforted and contented by meeting her half-siblings. She doesn't search for them in an effort to upset her mother, but rather to find what she feels is a missing piece of herself, her history.

I really liked the fact that Leah loved and valued her mother, her stepfather, and her half-brother. She was grateful for her family and never pushed them away. She was frustrated and confused at times, but she was never mean nor difficult on purpose. Instead of having a rebellion or acting out, she truly had a search, something she wanted and needed to do for herself. When she bends the rules, and again when secrets are revealed, she apologizes and she tells the truth.

Sheinmel's young characters sound and act their age. Dialogue between them rings true, as do Leah's thoughts. Each of Leah's new friends - Avery, Brenna and Callie, and, later, her half-sister Samantha - has her own personality and family. Even Avery's college-bound brother Chase factors into the story, as Leah watches him interact with his sister, his father, and his girlfriend, Lizzie. I really enjoyed Leah's stream-of-consciousness narration. She felt so real, so honest. I was utterly delighted by her younger brother. Carefree five-year-old Charlie says the sweetest, smartest things, a combination of intelligence and imagination.

My So-Called Family by Courtney Sheinmel gets my recommendation - and my appreciation. This is a great story about family values and valuing your family. This notable debut has earned a spot on my Best Books of 2008 list.

Leah loves her family, she really does, but there just seems to be a hole that just can't seem to be filled. While she has a mom, she doesn't really have a dad. It's not that he's not around, as she has a great stepdad, but she's a donor child.

When trying to find out more about her donor, Leah comes across the Lyons Reproductive Services sibling directory, where a list of all the children that a donor has fathered is compiled. Using her "emergencies only" credit card (who wouldn't declare finding long-lost siblings an emergency?), she signs up to see the list and discovers that Donor 730 fathered four other children. The best part is that there's a girl who's exactly the same age as she is. Leah is too excited for words, but then there's the issue with her mom. See, her mom doesn't think there is anything wrong with the family that Leah currently has and doesn't understand that Leah feels incomplete.

While growing up, becoming a teenager, and dealing with the fun of eighth grade, Leah struggles to find out who her real family is. Rebelling against her parents, finding trustworthy friends, and, most of all, learning about oneself, we will all be able to relate to Leah's warm story.

What to say about this book? I loved it; it was heartfelt; it was magnificently constructed; or all of the above? Actually, MY SO-CALLED FAMILY was more than the above. Courtney Sheinmel created a one-of-a-kind novel that was one of the truest self-discovery stories I have ever read.

Whether old or young, everyone can relate to Leah. Whether it be finding the right friend that you can trust with a powerful secret, loving the skin you're in, or discovering the true meaning of family, we can learn so much from her. Leah also makes us remember what it was like to be an eighth grader, and she grew up in just the right way. She rebelled, she apologized, and most of all she didn't made it look easy. Most books these days show us that becoming a teen is easy for the most part. While you may hit a couple of bumps along the way, overall it will be like nothing happened. Courtney Sheinmel reminds us that it's not all fun and games, but we will survive.

Another great thing about this book is the reality of it. I could really envision Leah's life and felt like I was right there walking beside her. I loved how the sights were real and the story just unfolded in my head. I felt like I was actually living the story instead of just hearing it.

Overall, this was an amazing book that readers of any kind will enjoy. Whether you are a young reader, a teen, or even an adult, you will be mesmerized by Leah's story and will learn to truly value the meaning of family. I hope that Ms. Sheinmel will continue on as an author, as she has an amazing talent that definitely shone through in her debut novel.

Reviewed by: Tasha

We loved this book! Courtney Sheinmel's debut novel takes on an up to-the minute topic with warmth, humor and the extremely likable voice of Leah Hoffman-Ross. My 13 year-old daughter would NOT stop reading until the very last page! Not since Judy Blume, has anyone handled such a complicated topic, with complete honesty and candor. I would recommend this book highly. It is a fast-paced, fabulous find!! We can't wait to see what else Sheinmel has in store for the future.

I had to read this book for school. When I started to read, I didn't know what to expect. After a few pages I started to get really into it and I liked it. It had a great ending to it. Nothing about this book I didn't like. The book kept me interested in the story.

I love this book. It's a wonderful story and a great read. I couldn't wait to find out what happens to Leah, but I didn't want it to end!

What a wonderful [and touching] story of exploration and growth- Sheinmel is a terrific new writer - I loved it. Judy Blume Judy Blume born again again.