Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Fall Reading Challenge 2014: Hit by Lorie Ann Grover #FRC2014



This fall, members of the Vise Library are going back to school by participating in a Fall Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!








The book for our Hot for Teacher class is Hit by Lorie Ann Grover.


About the book:

After receiving a full-ride scholarship to Mills College for Girls, it appears Sarah's future is all laid out before her … that is until she walks into a poetry class led by Mr. Haddings, a student teacher from the nearby University of Washington. Suddenly, life on the UW campus seems very appealing, and Sarah finds herself using her poetry journal to subtly declare her feelings for Haddings. Convinced Mr. Haddings is flirting back, she sets off for school in the rain with a poem in her back pocket—one that will declare her feelings once and for all.

Mr. Haddings has noticed Sarah's attention; the fallout from any perceived relationship with a student is too great a risk, and he has decided to end all speculation that morning.


But everything changes when Mr. Haddings feels a thud on his front bumper when he glances away from the road, and finds Sarah in the street with blood pooling beneath her.


This book was a little heartbreaking and sad at times, but also has a lot of teaching moments to it.  Sarah is a senior and high school and has a crush on her 21 year old poetry teacher, Mr. Haddings.  It is really not known if Mr. Haddings reciprocated those feelings, but he has made it clear that no relationship can happen between them.  One morning Sarah is walking with a friend to school and is hit accidentally by a car that Mr. Haddings happens to be driving.  The rest of the book is told from Sarah's and Mr. Haddings' point of view as they deal with the aftermath of the accident.  Everyone deals with grief very differently and we see that in Sarah's friends and family.  There are emotions of anger, resentment, guilt and sadness to be dealt with.  Sarah's family has to play the "what-if" game with their choices from that morning.  They also have to come to terms with the fact they maybe didn't show Sarah attention like they should have and took their relationship with her and others for granted at times.  Mr. Haddings has to deal with guilt of being the one that hit her.  He struggles with figuring out the right thing to do.  Should he apologize to her and her family?  Should he keep his distance?  Does he need a lawyer in case he is charged?

This book was a very fast read and brought up a lot of interesting questions.  While Sarah's family and friends are angry with the accident, which they should be, you realize that accidents do happen.  Sarah's dad brings up the point that he answers a phone call or zones out to something that his is listening to on the radio as he is driving.  I'm pretty sure every person has done that at some point.  Even though their feelings are justified, you realize anyone could have be the driver that hit her.  So in a way you sympathize with Mr. Haddings, because his life and possible future are forever affected.  Sarah handles the situation very well and she grows from this situation.  It is really hard for her to deal with the way she currently looks, but overall she has a positive attitude.  You see that she is a very strong person.   I won't give away the ending, but there is a twist of emotions and a feeling of hope in the end.  Also, Sarah's family dynamics change in the end and are very different from what they were in the beginning of the book.  Lastly, I think this book would be a good refresher for people to read in order to relearn the action of gratitude.  I think this book really shows how we get caught up in our day-to-day lives and take important relationships for granted.  Instead of going through something to teach us that lesson, this book hits that lesson home so that it is fresh in our minds. 


Buy the book:
·        Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/1BCxEP4

·        Amazon Hardcover: http://amzn.to/YzY0lE



About the author:


Lorie Ann Grover was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She used to pretend to read before she could by carrying around Nancy Drew books and flipping through the pages. She studied ballet for ten years and was a member of the Miami Ballet Company. When she grew too tall for the profession, Lorie turned my focus to fine art at the University of Miami. Eventually, her love for the written word yielded verse novels and board books. Her fantasy novel, Firstborn, received a Kirkus Starred Review, and her board book, Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish, was named a Parents Magazine Best Children's Book. Lorie co-founded readergirlz and readertotz. Living with her husband in the foothills of Mt. Rainier, Lorie writes, practices weapons tai chi, and watches hawks take flight.

Connect with the author:
·        Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1peG7D8
·        Twitter: https://twitter.com/lorieanngrover
·        Website: http://www.lorieanngrover.com/
·        Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1qqoZXo






If you want to find out more about the Fall Reading Challenge and the rest of our course schedule, click our student ID above!

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