Awake by Nancy Garden, Robin Reardon, Jordan Taylor, and Brian Katcher
Review by: Lauren
Copy sent for review, but all opinions are my own
Official Summary:
A girl trapped in a war between her school, her church, and her own family. A boy facing the pain of injustice and prejudice in the same rush as new love. A town shocked by the death of a young person, while one alone knows why. A loner fighting a losing battle inside, terrified by society, longing for respect. Poignant, funny, tragic, uplifting-Awake brings together the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teens through four gifted authors, including Nancy Garden, author of the groundbreaking Annie on My Mind, who have donated their time and talents. The Trevor Project is the nation's leading organization dedicated to ending suicide among LGBTQ youth. All net publisher proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit The Trevor Project.
Review: This is a collection of four very different short stories by a group of amazing author. The link between these stories though are the characters. Each one is somehow dealing with being gay, bi, lesbian, or transgender.
The longest story is probably Worth Waiting For by Nancy Garden which deals a lot with religion and wanting to be true to your self any way, but not having the proper support.
However, my favorite of the whole collection was probably A Line in the Sand by Robin Reardon. Dustin is out and proud, but he's had a hard time finding someone in the same situation that he can be with. Now he's on vacation with his parents and starts falling for a boy named Randy...except, Randy isn't out to his parents either and his father is far from accepting. I just thought this was a really wonderful story and you can't help but feel bad for both of the boys, for very different reasons.
It's been a little while since I read this book, so I might just be forgetting the name but I actually don't think the narrator in Shattered Diamonds has one. At any rate, this is either my second favorite story in the book or perhaps even tied for first place. It deals with a very different narrator...someone who picks on a new kid, Jeremy. From the beginning, you know that Jeremey is dead and you can guess just how that came about. The narrator tells his side of things, and even the things that he learns about Jeremy after he's gone. It's a very powerful, unique story. I would have loved to see this type of storyline in a full-fledged novel.
The final story is is Pervert. The narrator here is just the boy. It's all about how he likes to dress in his mom and sister's clothes, feeling more comfortable as a girl than the boy body he must live in. It's a sad story, but it's also a nice concluding one because it deals a lot with acceptance from various sides.
Overall, I really enjoyed Awake, and I do recommend it. Besides, a lot of the money goes to The Trevor Project, which is an amazing charity.
Don't forget about my auctions for the Living Beyond Tolerance scholarship, speaking of good causes. The first auction will start soon!!
The longest story is probably Worth Waiting For by Nancy Garden which deals a lot with religion and wanting to be true to your self any way, but not having the proper support.
However, my favorite of the whole collection was probably A Line in the Sand by Robin Reardon. Dustin is out and proud, but he's had a hard time finding someone in the same situation that he can be with. Now he's on vacation with his parents and starts falling for a boy named Randy...except, Randy isn't out to his parents either and his father is far from accepting. I just thought this was a really wonderful story and you can't help but feel bad for both of the boys, for very different reasons.
It's been a little while since I read this book, so I might just be forgetting the name but I actually don't think the narrator in Shattered Diamonds has one. At any rate, this is either my second favorite story in the book or perhaps even tied for first place. It deals with a very different narrator...someone who picks on a new kid, Jeremy. From the beginning, you know that Jeremey is dead and you can guess just how that came about. The narrator tells his side of things, and even the things that he learns about Jeremy after he's gone. It's a very powerful, unique story. I would have loved to see this type of storyline in a full-fledged novel.
The final story is is Pervert. The narrator here is just the boy. It's all about how he likes to dress in his mom and sister's clothes, feeling more comfortable as a girl than the boy body he must live in. It's a sad story, but it's also a nice concluding one because it deals a lot with acceptance from various sides.
Overall, I really enjoyed Awake, and I do recommend it. Besides, a lot of the money goes to The Trevor Project, which is an amazing charity.
Don't forget about my auctions for the Living Beyond Tolerance scholarship, speaking of good causes. The first auction will start soon!!
