Customer Reviews

Strong for Potatoes

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

 

 

I loved the descriptions of the Maine Coastal area in which this lovely novel is set. One of the opening scenes in which two children look inside a frog still haunts me and sets just the right tone for this book in which a young woman must look inside herself in a variety of ways to find the strength to survive all that confronts her-rape, pregnancy, parental betrayals, etc.-. Through learning ancient Passamaquoddy traditions of basketweaving and learning where her heart lies, she ultimately saves herself. This is a wonderful first novel, and I hope soon to read a second one from Ms. Thayer!

For the first time in my life, I actually cried over a book. Cynthia Thayer created a character so real and so heartwarming, I couldn't help but feel her pain.

I really enjoyed this book for it's great writing and the characters of Blue and her Grandfather in particular. Blue struggles with many unusual problems that crop up in her life. She retains her hope, courage and persistence to find passion in her life and follows her dreams. Like life, itself, this book has a bit of everything in it.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I don't know exactly what it was, but I thought of the characters for days! I almost wish someone would make a feature film about it, but there is ALWAYS a chance that the book wouldn't match the film. Sigh. Anyway...I STRONGLY recommend this book!

I liked this book because it's about Maine and it's well put together, like one of the Indian baskets the main character learns to create. It pulls you along and concludes satisfyingly. But maybe a little too satisfyingly: At around 19, Blue has her whole life figured out, which I find hard to buy. Also hard to believe is how noble the Indian characters are. Some flaws would have been nice. My other quibble (I know this is truly picky) is the constant use of "alright" instead of "all right." I look forward to reading other books by Thayer but hope she's edited a little better next time.

This book was fabulous. I couldn't put it down. It's a book about Blue, who is a twin. Her other twin, Berry, died a few days after the birth because she had no brain. Blue seems haunted by the mystery behind Berry as her family never talks about her. This book tells of a girl growing up and finding where she belongs in all this chaos in her life. Blue has an accident when she is a child.....that leaves her missing one eye and other scars and a disability. Her father was responsible for the accident. Her relationship with her mother is strained, because of catching her mother having sex with a friend. The father hides behind his camera.....literally, not able to relate much to any one without using his camera to catch every moment he thinks is worth saving. The only stability that Blue finds is in her Grandfather, a Passamoquoddy indian. He teaches her about life, nature, and passion. He loves her unconditionally. He is her safe harbor, where she can go to ask all the mysteries of life. This book was a narrative of how Blue felt about her life and going through it. You feel like you are right there with Blue during the whole book. Again, this is a beautiful book. You will love it.

Great for the young adult reader who is learning about who they are in relation to the stereotypes that surround them in today's world. Writing style is easy to read, a good rainy day book. Also very nice description of Maine, somewhat idealic, but nice nonetheless.

My elementary school children came home upset that a classmate had been sharing material from this book at school. Apparently, a girl at school was reading this book outloud to them. Her mother apparently had read the brief description and reviews, and thought it would be an enjoyable book for her young daughter to read. Sometimes as parents,we do not have time to read the entire book first, but trust the general info we get from sites like this. Because of my children's concerns, I have now had the opportunity to review this book. This book is clearly not appropriate material for that age. There are graphic, detailed descriptions of premature ejaculation, as well as vivid descriptions of the actual sex act. With the other reviews, I wanted to post this so other mothers could be aware of this graphic content before purchasing for their elementary students. This isn't something that needs to be circulated around elementary school.