≫ PDF Free True Believer Make Lemonade Book 2 Virginia Euwer Wolff Books

True Believer Make Lemonade Book 2 Virginia Euwer Wolff Books

Download As PDF : True Believer Make Lemonade Book 2 Virginia Euwer Wolff Books

True Believer Make Lemonade Book 2 Virginia Euwer Wolff Books

True Believer is an award winning book that many would just overlook on the library book shelves. I admit I would be one of the people to overlook this book if it were on a shelf near me. The book itself has several key points that will be great conversation starters. For those of you who have not read the book yet I'll try not to spoil it for you. The book is written in a poetic style that is easy to read and follow; so even people who do not like reading should at least try this book, it was written for you. I was not that interested till the very end of the book, but you cannot just look at your own personal preferences when you read a book. That is a very shallow understanding when it comes to reading (if you let your own personal bias or preferences get in the way of the book.

The book is set in (I hate to use this word) a ghetto somewhere, and focuses on a poor mother and her daughter Verna LaVaughn. For the most part, the book is focused on the daughter and the situation at large. They live in a poor and violent neighborhood, and the two of them are struggling to get out of this situation by saving enough money for LaVaughn to go to college. Many of the parents in this neighborhood are trying desperately to send their children away from the squalor surrounding them.

So if you don't consider that enough trouble already, LaVaughn has to go through the drama of high school and the life of a teenage girl (so if anybody thinks that they have it bad, think again). She has lost her father to the violence on their streets when she was just a young girl, and her mother has had to work some hard jobs just to support the both of them (while saving for LaVaughn's college fund).

LaVaughn has to overcome her problems one English class at a time (for those of you who will read or have read the book you know what I mean). She is going through some very tough classes when her "potential" has been recognized by her school, and is propelled to the better classes. Verna has to deal with her extremist religious friends Myrtle and Annie throughout the story. Myrtle and Annie would probably be Verna's foil characters in this story and they are increasingly more and more hostile towards Verna because she will not conform to their religious group's standards or attend it with them. To make matters even funnier, the group is called "Cross Your Legs for Jesus", no joke! She is persecuted day in and day out by her once close childhood friends for most of the book.

But since we are on such a good start of not making things worst (yes, I'm being sarcastic), LaVaughn is head over heels for this boy named Jody. I won't say how she gets a big shock, but when you find out you will be looking at the cover for some time. This book has many twists and turns with the struggles that LaVaughn faces throughout the text. It is a good read for any age, and is worth hours of discussion. It deserves the rewards that it has received (even if this book is not my normal cup of tea).


Tags : Amazon.com: True Believer (Make Lemonade, Book 2) (9780689852886): Virginia Euwer Wolff: Books,Virginia Euwer Wolff,True Believer (Make Lemonade, Book 2),Simon Pulse,0689852886,Social Themes - Homelessness & Poverty,Social Themes - Violence,Conduct of life,Friendship,Friendship;Fiction.,Poor,Poor;Fiction.,Single-parent families,Single-parent families;Fiction.,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Family - Multigenerational,Fiction,JUVENILE,JUVENILE FICTION Family Multigenerational,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile FictionLove & Romance,Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14,Love & Romance,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Family Multigenerational,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Religious General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Homelessness & Poverty,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Violence

True Believer Make Lemonade Book 2 Virginia Euwer Wolff Books Reviews

Adaptation.
Jellyfish.
Limits.
Birthdays.

Verna LaVaughn is a teenager trying to navigate through her emotions while she adapts to her so called life. LaVaughn has such an "organic" personality that really went well with the poetic feel of the book. LaVaughn was not consumed with all the typical teenage "vices." Her father was killed when she was younger and she and her mother had a great understanding relationship. She was going through a phase common to most teenage girls. LaVaughn has a crush, Jody.

LaVaughn always kept college in view despite her low performing school and inner city environment she lived in. Her focus allowed her to be placed in advanced science classes and a grammar building project. Life was changing for LaVaughn. Myrtle and Annie, LaVaughn's long time friends, were changing since they had joined, "Cross Your Legs for Jesus." They were constantly pressuring LaVaughn to join. She was concerned about the toddlers she used to babysit, Jilly and Jeremy because their mother, Jolly was a troubled teen mom. There was her lab partner, Patrick, and his hard life in foster care. Despite all these things, LaVaughn's daily thoughts were centered around Jody. He had previously moved away for a better shot at life but now he was back and ever present in LaVaughn's life. What was meant to be a surprise gesture for Jody turns into a bigger surprise for LaVaughn.

I thoroughly enjoyed True Believer. It was one of those great books that I just stumbled upon. Wolff didn't dwell on LaVaughn's situation (poor school, inner city life, single mom) nor did she allow LaVaughn's character to wallow in it. Initially, I could not determine LaVaughn's race. One just "assumed" it but the author never really pinned it down. That disguised part of the narrative really stayed with me. It was refreshing how Wolff incorporated fun science and grammar facts within the narrative. LaVaughn was a teenager trying to find her footing in life. I found it quite endearing that she sought to find her own path toward faith and developing her beliefs instead of succumbing to the peer pressure of her friends. Even though LaVaughn had a crush on Jody, she never came off as boy crazed. This was a well balanced Young Adult read.
True Believer tackles serious issues in a stronger way than in Make Lemonade. I think that with LaVaughn’s maturity, we get a more mature narrative which is something that would’ve worked better in Make Lemonade. It’s nice that we get to see Jolly and her kids and meet a few new characters. I also enjoy going through LaVaughn’s emotions as she crushes. However, the main triggers in this book are not handled well by LaVaughn initially and it made the book off-putting. I think True Believer is a much better read and shows LaVaughn’s growth in a good way.
Book arrive in good condition
really enjoyed reading how the girls were trying to better themselves.
True Believer is an award winning book that many would just overlook on the library book shelves. I admit I would be one of the people to overlook this book if it were on a shelf near me. The book itself has several key points that will be great conversation starters. For those of you who have not read the book yet I'll try not to spoil it for you. The book is written in a poetic style that is easy to read and follow; so even people who do not like reading should at least try this book, it was written for you. I was not that interested till the very end of the book, but you cannot just look at your own personal preferences when you read a book. That is a very shallow understanding when it comes to reading (if you let your own personal bias or preferences get in the way of the book.

The book is set in (I hate to use this word) a ghetto somewhere, and focuses on a poor mother and her daughter Verna LaVaughn. For the most part, the book is focused on the daughter and the situation at large. They live in a poor and violent neighborhood, and the two of them are struggling to get out of this situation by saving enough money for LaVaughn to go to college. Many of the parents in this neighborhood are trying desperately to send their children away from the squalor surrounding them.

So if you don't consider that enough trouble already, LaVaughn has to go through the drama of high school and the life of a teenage girl (so if anybody thinks that they have it bad, think again). She has lost her father to the violence on their streets when she was just a young girl, and her mother has had to work some hard jobs just to support the both of them (while saving for LaVaughn's college fund).

LaVaughn has to overcome her problems one English class at a time (for those of you who will read or have read the book you know what I mean). She is going through some very tough classes when her "potential" has been recognized by her school, and is propelled to the better classes. Verna has to deal with her extremist religious friends Myrtle and Annie throughout the story. Myrtle and Annie would probably be Verna's foil characters in this story and they are increasingly more and more hostile towards Verna because she will not conform to their religious group's standards or attend it with them. To make matters even funnier, the group is called "Cross Your Legs for Jesus", no joke! She is persecuted day in and day out by her once close childhood friends for most of the book.

But since we are on such a good start of not making things worst (yes, I'm being sarcastic), LaVaughn is head over heels for this boy named Jody. I won't say how she gets a big shock, but when you find out you will be looking at the cover for some time. This book has many twists and turns with the struggles that LaVaughn faces throughout the text. It is a good read for any age, and is worth hours of discussion. It deserves the rewards that it has received (even if this book is not my normal cup of tea).