Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: choices

  • IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS

    IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS

    After widow Marti Geller, died having battled with cancer, her three complex but distinctly different adult daughters, are both taken aback by the terms of her prescriptive Will but also by the video which makes the girls wonder if they ever knew their mother! Why is Marti so adamant that the beloved family vacation home in Mount Desert Island, Maine be sold promptly? Is she trying to manage her daughters from the grave, or is she just attempting to bring them closer together?

    The Geller sisters’ lives and their relationships with each other are very complicated. Their mother, Marti, isn’t the only member of the family with long-held secrets; the girls are harbouring several of their own. Each daughter is living with a secret, which is based on a lie about themselves; painting a slightly skewed picture of her life to the other two. Will their mother’s death be the impetus for the women to divulge the truth and embrace new possibilities?

    Eldest daughter Beck, is disinclined to sell the summer cottage, whereas the younger two Claire and Sophie, who are at the crossroads in their lives, are reluctant to keep it.  C.J. Reynolds, who has recently been released from prison has returned to the island and is very anxious to buy the property; he has a shared past history with one of the women.

    Author, Therese Anne Fowler’s, book ‘It All Comes Down To This’ is not only a story about choice, fate and coincidence but also explores the notion of being true to yourself. With its many twists and turns, the reader will find this ‘Sister Story’ a light holiday read.  

  • Be More Vegan

    Be More Vegan

    The young person’s guide to a plant-based lifestyle

    Many young people are becoming increasingly interested in where their food comes from, and how it is kept and processed. With this in mind, Niki has produced Be More Vegan which addresses a wide range of issues dealing with Vegan choices. The way the book is presented, makes it easy to read. The author looks at a variety of relevant topics, and is nonjudgmental, which will ensure its success. Whether browsing or reading through the chapters, one can’t help but enjoy the relevant and interesting facts.

    The chapters begin with the following, “Why am I VEGAN? The VEGAN kitchen. There are recipes given towards the end of the book. There are suggestions for substitutes for products such as milk, eggs and chocolate to use in baking, and a list of store cupboard essentials. These include condiments, fresh herbs and products for your fridge and freezer. To begin, the author gives information on planning recipes, staying safe and clean, and weights and measures. The support given for a young cook is thorough.

    Simple examples for making a nut cheese and plant milk are given so that the breakfast menu can be followed. With photos and clear instructions, easy dishes, such as oat pots with different toppings, look scrumptious. The lunch menu follows a similar format with easy to read instructions, and tips on serving. The photos add to the appeal.

    There is a Glossary of Useful terms, and an explanation of Cooking Techniques and ingredients at the back, as well as an Index. This is a powerful way to introduce young people to the kitchen, as well as to a different lifestyle and thinking.

  • I Just Ate My Friend

    I Just Ate My Friend

    Friends are not easy to come by, and to have the misfortune to have eaten your friend is a challenge indeed. This humorous and innocent story is really a learning opportunity, showing how eating your friend is going to leave you lonely, and how finding a new friend is difficult. Not just anyone can replace the friend you had, friends need to be of a similar persuasion, and size.

     Heidi has written this book with a delicious sense of humour, and pays tribute to the impulsive nature of children and the consequences of that spontaneous action. The story shows how the main character confesses to eating his friend, who was a good friend! The obvious step is to find a new friend, but that is not so easy; so many are unsuitable for many reasons. Some are too big, some are too small, and some are downright scary. The hunt for a new friend is now beginning to feel like a lost cause.

     The design and illustrations in this book are striking and powerful. The story is really told through this marvellous art work, where most pages have a black background and only one or two other characters depicted. The main character is yellow and we follow his journey through the pages of the book easily. He is simply drawn, with a body, two eyes two ears, and a mouth (showing a few sharp teeth). Other characters are shown have the same simple style and come in different colours and shapes.

     The text is in white against the black background, which makes it easy to read. The sentences are very short and succinct. “Hello, would you be my friend”, is often repeated, encouraging involvement by younger readers. The size of the text is large enough to be followed by a finger, and is predictable.

     Once the character begins to question his impulsive action, doubt begins to make him wonder if he will ever find another friend. The ending is quite shocking and realistic which makes for a humorous response again. This hardback picture book is one which presents children with a gutsy, believable look at life in the funniest and simplest way.

  • Siren

    Siren

    This is such an important story, so uncomfortable, “Gritty”, and totally believable. The title suggests several things; a siren in mythology was one whose singing lured sailors to their death, and of course, the siren to signify a game of football. Both of these meanings apply to this story, although the luring by the siren in this case was innocent.

     Jordi was a young sixteen year old, from a loving, but poor family. Her father, Kane, was working somewhere trying to get some money for the family he loved so much. Her mother was trying to cope at home with four children, little money, no support, and not much of an idea of parenting. Jordi was the oldest of the four children, and determined to complete her year twelve exams and aim for a better life.

     The story is structured in such a way that we could assume this family was uneducated. However, we are shown the back stories of Jordi’s mother and father. We see that they were both determined to complete their education and join a profession. The love they felt for each other was deep and lasting, but it resulted in Petra (Jordi’s mother) becoming pregnant. All Kane and Petra could think of was being together with the beautiful daughter they had made. They lived in a caravan with no assistance from others. More children came along, and the lack of choices for an intelligent man like Kane, saw him washing dishes, and working in a laundromat; anything to get some money.

     Jordi was lonely at home and went out with a friend to get drunk on a Saturday night. She finished up going home with a football star, a good man, but devastated by the news that his hand was never going to be repaired to play footy again. They drank and sang and partied the night away. With Max, Jordi was safe. However, a mate of his was in the apartment and raped Jordi.

     The story follows the path of the young woman, who can’t get the feeling of force out of her mind, Max who couldn’t stop what had happened, and Petra and Kane. Bit by bit, the back story of all these people is revealed to add complexity and an understanding to the reading. It all makes sense and seems to follow a predetermined path to which every character contributes.

    Many issues are resolved after being interwoven through the story. Max reports the rape to the police, Jordi takes action, and the other characters behave in accordance to their behaviour along the way.

     The most important message to come from this story is the timeless one of, Who would believe me if I reported this behaviour, I must have been stupid to get in this mess, and How embarrassing it would be if everyone heard what happened to me. Sadly this is still a major reason that rape and forced sexual behaviour are not reported. So much more education needs to lead to a greater understanding of this issue.