Customer Reviews

The Way He Lived

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Wow. Great book. I think the author did a great job making this a cohesive story. There are 6 different voices throughout it and yet the book seems to really flow.

The other thing that really got my attention was how "in-touch" this author/book is with the audience. I think homosexuality is an issue that so many authors are afraid to touch, but it's also an issue that is front and center with today's youth. And the whole Mormon thing? I don't think readers need to be Mormon to appreciate the undercurrent of religion vs. sexuality, another great feat!

This book doesn't shy away from the major issues teens are facing. Great story, big props!

The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith tells how people deal with death from six different points of view. Joel Espen has recently died and his six friends and family members have to decided what to do now, how to move on, why he isn't here, and if he died on purpose. Also, they are mormons.

This book is not at all what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was some action story about a boy without enough water on a camping trip, but really it's about the effects of that boy's death. Smith split the book into six different sections, each by a different narrator who was effect differently by Joel's death. But each character has a supreme sense of loss during their narrative, especially Joel's two sisters and the girl who was in love with him. They don't know how to move on. Each narrative ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, but then you see the character in the next person"s story, and it's clear that they are going to be okay. The last narrative is by a girl who never really thought about Joel, but her's is meaningful because of how he affected her life.

The book is very powerful. Smith took the poem about children being born on the different days of the week (Monday's child is face of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, etc.) and assigned each line to one of the characters in the book. The main theme is dealing with loss, and the reader gets to see each characters method of coping.

But there is some confusion at the end. It's revealed that Joel was in love with his best friend- who is male, but it's not quite stated outright, so I was a tad confused. I wasn't sure what it had to do with the rest of the book, and it seemed almost like a different story.

Overall the book was wonderful. It was emotional and real, and it portrayed themes of loss and grief wonderfully. I'm not a Mormon, so some of that terminology was confusing. But the fact that they're Mormons doesn't change the loss they feel, or how wonderfully Smith portrays the themes. The book is very short, but very powerful, and I definitely recommend it.

This is one of those books that you think about long after you finish reading it. It's presented in a different way than most novels. Six teenagers each write about the relationship they had with a boy named Joel Espen who died of dehydration after giving away his last bit of water during a Boy Scout trip gone bad. Very intense.

In addition to the insights gained about human nature, one mystery runs throughout the book. Did Joel do it on purpose? Well written!

Joel died living the way that he lived. He gave away his water on a hike, in order to save the lives of his friends. Six teens are left to find out who Joel was and how much he mattered to each person. His two sisters, Tabbatha and Clair are able to show how they see their family without Joel. Their mom locks herself away from the world and their dad has thrown himself into his work. His debate partner Alden and his best friend Miles are not sure what to think of Joel's death and are slowly trying to get over the tradegy that happened. Norah is trying to get over her confusing crush on Joel. Lissa is trying to move on from not Joel, but her boyfriend Miles and deal with Joel's death. The impact that Joel had on each person is unique and displays how many different dimensions a person has.

The characters seemed as real as people that I know. Their personality shine through like a light. This book is unlike anything that I have read. Smith creates a one of a kind tale. Smith is an amazing writer and created such a great story of six teens that are trying to find themselves in such a great tradegy. Smith is an amazing writer. She created a fantastic setting and set of characters that I didn't want to leave. I recommend The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith to anyone that is searching for an emotional story that just make you cry.

I loved this book. It made me feel like I was back in High School again. Emily Wing Smith did a great job showing what it is like to be a teenager in a small mostly LDS community. This book sent me back to my High School days.

THE WAY HE LIVED is about Joel, only Joel isn't around anymore. He died in a tragic camping accident. Those left behind are trying to make sense of it all and decide how to continue on without him.

Written from six different points of view, it reveals Joel piece by piece. His sisters, Tabbatha and Claire, tell what life is like for them since his death. Both are confused that their parents chose this difficult time to move the remaining family from the house where they grew up to a luxurious seven bedroom home in the high-end part of town. Their father throws himself into his work, and their mother, who always had her "bad days," seems to only find solace by locking herself away in her room and letting the family muddle on without her.

Emotionally sensitive Tabbatha gradually finds a reason to slowly move on toward a possible college life, and Claire has to run away before she is ready to come back and face what is left behind.

The other voices of the novel belong to Joel's friends and acquaintances. They include Adlen, Miles, Norah, and Lissa. Their stories link to Joel through direct personal relationships or by way of others connected to him. Each person has their version of this respected but slightly mysterious individual.

Much like our own lives, each person presents a unique picture to each different person with whom we connect. Can a true picture ever be created of anyone after they are gone? It seems only you might know the real you.

Emily Wing Smith is able to capture each personality. The flow and tone of each chapter is unique to the individual. She presents their pain and their fear of moving on without this missing person who so touched their lives. There is a feeling of true loss and sadness, but it is coupled with hope and the human desire to carry on.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky"

I found this book at the bookstore and bought it because the author is a local writer. The story caught my attention immediately and held it through the entire book. The writing is superb. She has such a skillful way of capturing the culture in Utah. Most notable is the way she is able to divulge and bring such depth to Joel Espen, the main character, even though he is never actually in the book. This book is beautiful. I hope it wins awards, and I highly recommend this book to both teenagers and adults.

I love this book. The writing is strong, sparse, poetic, and beautiful. The author takes risks with style and voice that pay off wonderfully. This book is made up of six short stories told from six diverse but equally strong voices. Each story has its own emotional development and climax, but each story fits together into a larger story that reveals who Joel Espin was and why he did the the things he did. This book poses a few interesting and thought-provoking questions without handing the reader the answers on a silver platter (nor by hammering them over the head.) Very well done.