Stronger Than You Know (edició 2015)

This first person #YAlit novela (a bit short for a novel, I imagine) was both very hard-hitting in its accuracy, and very hope-giving, if a bit too much so, perhaps, in the ending. I find myself agreeing with another reviewer about the timeline being too short for certain things, but I can understand or imagine that the author wanted to give hope and encouragement, and teenagers have very short attention-spans and time-line perspectives, in general.

For me, this was a difficult read emotionally because it had me reliving events from my own early childhood and teenage years, and the earliest were the worst, as the ending of the book brought the external and internal conflicts together in ways that confirmed my own experiences very uncomfortably. But this is a very important work, and it is crucial to persist.

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I started this novel thinking "Oh no! A novel that is going to describe abuse and neglect", but it is actually a study in the damage caused by perpetrators of abuse. The descriptions of abuse are not too graphic and the reader understands that the memories are too painful for Joy to revisit in any detail. I really grew to like Joy, to suffer with her through her anxieties and depression and to rejoice in her slow and realistic healing. It's an uplifting read, and while there are other characters in the book, this is firmly Joy's story. One small niggle - the minor characters are, for the most part, all goody two-shoes. (How can Tara and Trent not feel the tiniest bit jealous that their parents have "adopted" another child?) Justin's attraction to her feels a trifle contrived. Tyler, the "Bad boy" is warned off with merely a word from Trent) A little more tension might have made Joy's situation among her peers a little more interesting. But that's a small negative and I think I'm being really picky. Over all, it's a fantastic read. ( )

This turned out to be a great read about a teenage girl struggling with the affects of physical and emotional abuse. The author never went into explicit detail about what Joy had to suffer, but enough information was given to know she was horribly abused. However, the book was not seeped in darkness. Instead the reader follows Joy as she learns to trust and live a normal life, surrounded by a loving family and supportive friends. I empathised with Joy, but my favourite character was Uncle Rob. His gentleness and patience helped Joy come to realise that not all men were monsters. A gentle story worthy of my time, and certainly a Literature Circles contender. ( )

Young Reader Reaction: Readers will be changed by this book. Joy's story shows them a new perspective on how people who have troubled lives live. I liked this book. Stronger than You Know uses figurative language in a very creative style that got the message across and still made you empathize with the character.

It very realistically depicts abuse, and the way that teenager would handle that situation. It's a tough book to read, especially since you can empathize so easily with the main character. You don't want the horrible things to happen to her, as you've learned a lot about her. You follow her life and the ups and downs, and this is a very good aspect of this book.

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