About the Book:
13 Reasons Why meets the poetry of Emily Dickinson in this gripping debut novel perfect for fans of Sara Zarr or Jennifer Brown.
A Goth girl with an attitude problem, Elizabeth Davis must learn to control her anger before it destroys her. Emily Delgado appears to be a smart, sweet girl, with a normal life, but as depression clutches at her, she struggles to feel normal. Both girls are in Ms. Diaz’s English class, where they connect to the words of Emily Dickinson. Both are hovering on the edge of an emotional precipice. One of them will attempt suicide. And with Dickinson’s poetry as their guide, both girls must conquer their personal demons to ever be happy.
In an emotionally taut novel with a richly diverse cast of characters, readers will relish in the poetry of Emily Dickinson and be completely swept up in the turmoil of two girls grappling with demons beyond their control.
Guest Post:
When
I thought about the topic “books that saved my life,” my immediate response was:
All of them. The first Chicago neighborhood I remember living in was rough. The
abandoned house to the right of us was bulldozed after it was set on fire
multiple times. The one on the other side was also bulldozed when the resident
died and the city deemed it unlivable for anyone else. We went to the public
library often, and I always left with piles of books. We moved out of that
neighborhood after my dad graduated college and got a better job, so I think
the message I learned early on from my parents was, yes, books can save your
life and change your life. I was an early reader and have always loved to read.
It was hard to choose only a few that have affected me deeply. I narrowed my
options to children’s books, and it was still hard, but I did it. Here’s my
short list:
The Outsiders by
S.E. Hinton.
This was the first book I remember falling in love with in middle school. I
read it multiple times, and when the movie came out, although it was different
(of course), I could hardly contain myself. My friends and I saw the movie so
many times, we could recite every line. It was one of the first real young
adult novels I read with teen protagonists and serious issues, like classism,
family dynamics, and gang life. More than anything, it had heart, and I
connected with Ponyboy because I was a book lover who had lived in tough
neighborhood.
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Ah, Harry. What can I say? You
have given so many of us years of pure reading joy. When I was working on my
teaching certification, one of the instructors said, “If you’re going to teach
middle school, you have to read this book.” It was love at first read, and it reignited
pleasure reading for me. For many years, I had been reading books required for school.
Even Harry Potter was handed to me as
something I had to read, but it was more than a book needed to keep up with
popular culture. It was fun and reminded me how much I loved and missed
children’s literature. My nephew and I
went to the movies with lightning bolt scars on our foreheads, and I attended
midnight releases of future books. I can’t wait to read them again with my
daughter.
Speak and
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
and If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Each of these
novels affected me separately in different ways, but together, they remind me
of what the best of realistic fiction can do. These are great examples of quiet
stories, meaning there are no governments toppling, no explosions every other
chapter, but still, I was glued to the pages as I read them. Anderson and
Forman are masters of portraying a character’s depth of emotion, both
internally and how it plays out in relationships. These books have stayed with
me long after reading them.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. This series of vignettes about
Esperanza, a Latina growing up in Chicago, is alternately heartbreaking and
hopeful. The writing is beautiful and sparse. Every word matters. They are
powerful individually and collectively. I return to her work often, using some
of the vignettes for lessons in class, and each time, I am impressed by the
images and emotions Cisneros can evoke with so few words.
Dog Heaven by
Cynthia Rylant.
My dog, Rusty, who came home from the shelter at six months old, died 15 years
later in September 2013. It was a few weeks after school started, and I took
him to the veterinarian for what I thought would be just another appointment.
When he didn’t come home, I was devastated and had no idea how I was going to
pick up my daughter from school and explain what happened in a healthy way.
Several friends suggested Dog Heaven.
When we read it that night, I was a sloppy, crying mess, and so was she. At the
time, I wasn’t sure if I handled his death well at all. To this day, though,
whenever my daughter is sad because she’s thinking about Rusty, we talk about
him running off-leash in heaven and chasing squirrels without getting into
trouble. And, yes, we still shed tears (I’m even crying typing this), but it
helps every time.
For
me, each of these books struck me at a certain time for certain reasons. This
is the power of books, that words on a page can provide us with characters,
places, and stories that linger in our minds and provide us with a laugh or cry
when we need it most.
About the Author:
Cindy L. Rodriguez is a former newspaper reporter turned
public school teacher. She now teaches as a reading specialist at a Connecticut
middle school but previously worked for the Hartford Courant and the
Boston Globe. She and her young daughter live in Plainville, Connecticut.
This is her debut novel. Visit her on Twitter @RodriguezCindyL.
Giveaway:
This giveaway is US only for entrants aged 13 and older.
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