Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm "So Not Over" This series, July 26, 2010
This review is from: So Over It (The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt) (Paperback)
I've read a lot of young adult fiction, both Christian and general market. Even though I'm not a complete expert on the subject, I feel that I am one of the few readers who has read both kinds and can do a fair comparative. Sometimes general market YA has too much sex, language and drinking for Christian readers. Sometimes Christian YA is too clean and unrealistic for general market readers. I like reading books that have a balance between the two, where a Christian teen can read a YA book and still be able to relate to real life issues without sugarcoating.
Stephanie Morrill's series The Reinvention of Skylar Holt has manage to capture both worlds in a wonderfully written story. In the conclusion of the series, the reader finds Skylar still struggling with getting rid of her past and being able to move on with her life. A family vacation in Hawaii might do the trick..or it might not as her grandmother tries to fix her up with the cute next door neighbor boy. Skylar is still not completely over her ex boyfriend Chase so her feeling with new guy Justin become severely conflicted. Plus she is also having to deal with her teenage single mom sister and all the feeling and conflicts that go along with her situation.
Skylar has to tackle many things that a lot of Christian teens are carefully sheltered from. Since becoming a Christian, she's been able to stay away from her past life but it keeps following her around. There's a lot of boy drama in this book but it's handled realistically and that I feel a lot of girls will be able to relate to. Since this is the third book in the series, I HIGHLY recommend reading the other two books before delving into this one. While it could possibly be read as a stand alone, it is much better to read the other two books as you will be able to understand Skylar, her family, her situation and all the characters a lot better.
My only qualm about the book was that I felt it ended a little abruptly. I was a bit disappointed that the resolution to Skylar's problem (which had been plaguing her throughout the series) was only resolved literally at the very end of the book. I actually turned the page hoping to see more but alas the book was over. I just felt that a little bit more to the story might have helped.
Other than that, I thought this was a good conclusion to the series. Overall, I have really enjoyed these books as I felt that they have been a good portrayal of realistic teen life as well as introducing audiences to a multicultural family. I honestly feel that a lot of teens, whether Christian or not, will be able to relate to Skylar and her feelings, emotions, wants and needs. Morrill has done wonders writing this book and I will look forward to reading whatever she has coming up in the future.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great ending to a fantastic series!, July 25, 2010
This review is from: So Over It (The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt) (Paperback)
Morrill wrote a group of stories that felt real. The issues weren't sugar-coated and the characters acted like real high school seniors, then graduates. There was no pretense, no Christianese, no flowery stuff to cater to what people think Christian teens need to read. This story was real in every way. Skylar was like most girls... indecisive when it came to boys, often gullible, and very misunderstood. Her sister's issues were well-portrayed as well, especially when it came to teen pregnancy and parenting. Never before have I read more realistic descriptions of backsliding behavior with new Christians. This series showed that better than any book out there, too. I loved that!
I adored everything about this last book in the series. Like the first two books, the writing was flawless. The characters were so genuinely written that I forgot I was reading fiction. And let's face it, Connor was just the hottest Christian teen hero I've read about who happens to be a decent guy and friend to Skylar. It was his heart attitude that made him so lovable. That, and the fact that he wasn't perfect and willing to admit it.
I loved that Morrill showed a flawed Connor who had a rescuer complex, so the reader had to sort through things emotionally along with Skylar. Again, the author knows how to write it like it really is. The guilt, the shame, the holding things inside, not trusting, etc. It's all very real emotional "teen" baggage. Given the way the majority of Skylar's friends were, too, she had every reason not to trust them. And the way they all at one time or another used a guy or girl to get over another relationship was realistically portrayed. The author did an excellent job of showing how wrong that is without saying it.
The part where Skylar ran off to Hawaii was well done. It always seems easier to start over where no one knows you or about your past, but it's not the healthiest way to go about this and it's not an effective way to heal and grow as an individual. This story showed that very well. I loved the conclusion and how Skylar had to deal with the demons (figurative for painful memories) that haunted her for all three books. I loved how Skylar grew so much over the course of this series. There were so many things to like about it, I could go on all day. If you are looking for realistic teen fiction with characters that could easily be your friends (or the friends of your kids,) and and if you want honesty in novels but with a faith curve, you'll love this series. Highly recommended.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good finish to this series, July 22, 2010
This review is from: So Over It (The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt) (Paperback)
This is book #3 in The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series and both my daughter and I have been anxiously awaiting its arrival to see how the series would end. I liked both of the first two books and yet wondered where Stephanie would take this third one to wrap things up. She handled it expertly. This series deals with some heavy subjects (Skylar is given a roofie at a party and wakes up not knowing exactly what happened; her sister Abbie has a baby at 15; her parents separate and then work on reconciliation) but they are handled in a fashion by the author that I really admire. Normally I wouldn't let my daughter read books dealing with these subjects yet, but for this series I did. I love that Skylar turns to God to change her after the party and she realizes that just maybe she is headed down the wrong path. I also love that even after that she isn't perfect. She stumbles and makes more mistakes, but she keeps trying. She struggles with forgiveness but finally realizes that to move on she has to let go and let God. So this third book really deals with a lot of forgiveness and also finding the truth. It is a great finish to this series and I enjoyed each of the books
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
