First, my review:
I want to start off by saying that I was thrilled that the book was set in Coronado, California - I often visit that island and I was very familiar with every landmark mentioned in the book, from Petco to the Del Coronado Hotel. That said, the story was good. We all knew what the novel was building towards (Charlotte's hearing loss), and despite the heady subject matter that the author addresses, she manages to weave a tale that is both lighthearted but able to pull at your heartstrings. I honestly thought the book might be a little depressing because it deals with cancer, but it was done so well. I was impressed and pleased to read something so refreshingly real. When you find yourself displaying sympathy for the main character, becoming angry or sad along with her and identifying with her pain, then you have created a memorable character. The character that stays with you after the novel is finished and you're staring into space, thinking about her after the story is done. That's what Jacqueline Abelson has done, and I would urge anyone looking for a great YA read (it can easily cross over into NA, as well) to pick up HEAR. It's
fantastic.
Here's what the author had to say about this!
Hi, Jacqueline! Thanks for stopping
by. Why don’t you introduce yourself to everybody?
Hello! My name is Jacqueline Abelson,
I'm nineteen–years–old and I live in Pasadena, California. I will be enrolling
at Mount Holyoke College in the upcoming fall. I plan to study literature,
writing and psychology, as well as joining Mount Holyoke’s swim team (favorite
stroke is backstroke). From the beginning of sixth grade, I’ve been an avid
reader, reading everything from Gregory Maguire’s Wicked to Suzanne
Collins’ The Hunger Games. I think that I enjoy reading as much as I
like writing. Overall, it's a toss up.
Give us a rundown on the plot line of
your novel, Hear.
The story of HEAR is about a
girl by the name of Charlotte Goode, who has grown up with this rare genetic
disease that causes benign tumors to grow along her nervous system. She copes
with her disease through music – she’s a violin player. When Charlotte is
informed that the surgery will save her life, she also realizes that the price
she has to pay is her hearing. That’s when her doctor informs her that she has
a month.
Hear deals with some pretty serious subject matter. Where did
you get the idea for this, and were you ever hesitant to write a book that
dealt with something like cancer?
The idea came to me when I
encountered a news story on Good Morning America back in the summer of
2008. A young woman by the name of Jessica Stone has the same type of disease
as Charlotte. She also encountered the same choice when a tumor was found
pressed against her brain stem: Hearing or life? Jessica was given a month to
keep her hearing and savor the sounds around her before she went in for her
surgery. As for the cancer aspect, the answer is no. I think that young adult
readers are mature enough to deal with serious subject matters like cancer.
Unfortunately, cancer definitely exists in the world. And readers (young or old)
need to learn how to deal with it, if only in stories.
How long have you been writing – and
what is your favorite reading (or writing) snack?
I LOVE REDVINES! Redvines are
positively addictive, and I eat them whenever I get my hands on one of their
boxes! As for the writing part, I've been making up stories since I was eight,
and I knew that I had "the bug" to write because I couldn't find the
will to stop writing.
What do you hope readers take away
from your book?
I really hope that my readers will
take away from HEAR a better sense of life, challenges, and how to
overcome them.
You can pick up Hear for 99 cents on Amazon right HERE!
Later, lovelies....!
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Get fictional - it's fun! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon!