Push

Rating:
Summary: Powerful Portrayal of Life
Review: In the novel Precious, the main character, uses language, in terms of vocabulary and the spelling of words, that expresses her type of character. She has an aggresive languase yet in a colorful sense. Her attitude toward many subjects, made the novel seem more realistic, making this novel four stars. Precious's character seemed very realistic in that she thought and acted as one would with her level of education. This is expressed in her language, the way she thinks and speaks. This novel could have been rated five stars if certain changes could have been made to its content. Being in a disfunctional family, Precious experiences conflicts with her mother and father. One change that would have improved the novel, for our standards, would have been to lessen the descriptive material during certain conflicts between the parents and the child. If this had taken place we would have rated this book higher, possibly five stars with the other change being made. The decriptive material was disgusting as well as sickening. Precious's mother played an improtant role in _PUSH_. The other change would have been if some of the mother's background was given, some of her life. The mother's life could have been written as another novel, which might amount to be another four or five star rated novel for us to read. This would have helped give us an explanation on why she as a mother allowed certain events to start taking place. Another change could have been with how the mother continued on with her life at the end of the novel. In a sense, _Push_ represents a "powerful portrayal of life" meaning that Precious signifies the backbone of a deprived young woman who strugles to survive. Her early school years were not only difficult, but also critical. Therefore, she lacked a decent education. Considering that she was two grade levels behind, Precious never really had the opportunity to develop with her classmates of her age. In _Push_, the author helped the reader imagine the novel as it's read. _Push_ is a high powered, brilliant, stunning novel that has a basis of a true story. This novel illustrates an imaginable portrait and installs pride into our souls. Claireece Precious Jones exemplifies a precious jewel that sparkles with beauty, but has rough edges. Like every jewel it is significant because of its own beauty. In relation to Precious, she may have an absolute rebellion and bad reputation, but she is special and possesses something that not everyone could maintain, which is pride. This is an excellent novel which shows the reader not to take their lives for granted as well as seeing the true value of life. The novel tells the readers that when their situation looks bad they, the readers, should be thankful that they are not in a worse position. The novel also teaches that you may be in a bad situation but there are always going to be people in worse situations than yourself, so look on the bright side of things and on the future.

Rating:
Summary: Push is a heart breaking, horrifying, and vivid book.
Review: Sapphire is the author's name, she wrote this book called - Push -. - Push - is a story that is capable of capturing readers feelings and touching their inner-self causing them to want to save a young child in need of help. This young child's name is Claireece Precious Jones, she is 16 years old living in Harlem. Precious is what she likes to be called, and she has more problems than one person deserves. The author implies through her writing that Precious was conceived out of wedlock and meant for personal gain so that the parents could get welfare. This is inferred by a father that sexually abuses Precious before she was able to even walk or talk; the mother sexually abused Precious as well but she added to the troubles of the younger girl by beating her repeatedly. This mother Mary abused Precious because she hypothesized that her daughter was stealing her man right under her eyes. The language in this book took the reader to another level. The harsher the language the more the reader was able to feel the descriptive details Sapphire tried to portray. An example would be the way Precious writes in the beginning of the book. Precious wrote in the beginning with second grade level and this is how Sapphire expressed this in her writing and spelling of words. As Precious's life progresses through the book so does her writing. This shows how illiteracy does affect an average individual or so it seemed. A great strength this book has is it uses profanity that is uncalled for at first sight. However, through further reading an individual would know that this is the only way Precious was able to express herself. Precious is a child that has been left behind in her home life as well as her school life. Her teachers passed judgement upon her, her parents felt she did not need an education, and the welfare system failed to protect her from her family's abusive actions. The author does a great job describing in detail the abuse inflicted upon Precious as well as the vivid words expressing how Precious felt while this was occurring. As in how Precious was in the kitchen being beaten by her mother the author describes the frying pan being hit against Precious's body. Precious expresses her feeling while this is happening. This allows the reader to forget they are reading and puts them in the kitchen with Precious. The reason this group chose to give four stars is that through the course of this book we found Sapphire to jump around in an unclear manor. She would talk about giving birth in the kitchen then jump to the hospital where a nurse is hugging Precious. When our group discussed this, we felt as if it took us a little while to catch onto what is happening. The other reason the four was given was because the ending came so abruptly. It seemed unfair of Sapphire to leave us after we had sat for four hours not being able to put this book down then to end it as she did. Overall this book should be read by any reader who is willing to be objective and have an open-mind. Sapphire does a great job drawing the reader into her dream world and showing how a young child can prevail in life after so many wrongs can occur to one person.

Rating:
Summary: No Longer Invisible and Still Pushing to Whatever is Next
Review: In order for Claireece Precious Jones to get anything in her life, she has had to push. Being an illiterate, pregnant, sixteen-year-old African American girl, she has led a horrific and invisible life. "I can see when the picture come back I don't exist. Don't nobody want me. Don't nobody need me." Despite the abuse from both of her parents, she sees beyond the hand that life has dealt her and survives. _Push_ by Sapphire is her story.

The environment that Precious lives in creates a pool of dysfunction and emotional trauma, she has the ingredients for continued catastrophe. Precious says "cause I know from my hand in the dishwasher holding the butcher knife, I am through being hit. I am going to stab her she ever hit Precious Jones again." Precious screams "You don't know nuffin' what I been through!" Like other abused children, Precious is desperate and uses the escape mechanisms that are easily accessible to her, like the television and music. "I change stations, change bodies, I be dancing in videos! In movies!...heating up the stage at the Apollo..." Precious pushes herself out of the cycle of illiteracy, ignorance and abuse with help from her friends and teacher. As her classmate Rita so eloquently put it "forgit the WHY ME sh** and git on to what's next."

The author Sapphire uses the language to reflect the character's common speech and writing style. "I don't say nuffin' Monday in school, Ms Rain ax me what wrong. I say, I OK, talk about it later." The use of this type of expression really brings forth the emotions of the characters and gives you the feeling that you are actually there, watching. Although, you may need to read certain passages over to understand what exactly is going on and being said, the creativity of Sapphire is amazing. Her writing reflects emotion that very few writers can get across in words. She helps you understand the treacherous environment and psychological issues that Precious has had to deal with.

However, the ending of the story ends abruptly. Thus giving the reader the opportunity to form his or her own emotional conclusions. We find that this is a creative ending because we don't know what happens to Precious. We can continually hope for her successes. In resolving all of this Sapphire gives an explicit portrayal of a young woman with an ending that doesn't diminish the components of this story.

Precious is no longer invisible and still pushes to whatever is next.

Rating:
Summary: Very moving!!
Review: I enjoved reading this book. I know that there is someone out there living that life right now and that makes me very sad. Sapphire an excellant job. Thanks for opening up my eyes and my heart.

Rating:
Summary: Eye and soul opening!
Review: This was one of the most moving books I've ever read. I was moved by Precious' plight and silently cheered her on while reading. Sapphire knows how to get her feelings across and I think she is a tremendous writer. I also was repulsed, angry and sad as I read it. This only added to the overall experience of reading this powerful novel.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome, Humbling, Enlightening and Unforgettable.
Review: I am a physician. My practice deals solely with HIV affected individuals. This book allowed me to "hear" what my patients were probably trying to tell me in their own words. It put me in touch with my feelings and gave me a vision of how I probably appeared and was perceived. Especially, as an African-American female I identified with her sense of invisibility while growing up. But also as an African-American woman, I identified with her indefatigable spirit. Her spirit speaks to the ancestors of slavery who took from nothing, sometimes worse than nothing and fashioned a life of which one could be proud. I applaud this testament.

Rating:
Summary: This is a good book.
Review: This book reminds us that there are truly evil people inthe world, and they can be related to us. However, when Precious finds the support she needs, she truly becomes PRECIOUS!

Rating:
Summary: a brutally realistic portrayal of the social injustice
Review: This book kept my eyes open from the begiinning to the end. I don't think I ever put it down while reading it. The story of this downtrodden gril and her faces with injustices that most people can imagine was heartbreaking. I liked the comments about the injustices in welfare, social work, medical care, and poverty. However, the ending could have used more work and the Sapphire shows an inconstistancy on the way that Precious relates her story, switching between a second grade and a more advanced form of writing. I wish the ending has left more closure than it did, but, on the whole, this book does a good job in making people think and keep reading about a seemingly unimaginable life.

Rating:
Summary: Embarassingly Derivative
Review: Push is a decent book, but Sapphire is a lazy author. She has nothing new to say- only imitates and exaggerates the works of ALice Walker, only she can't write nearly as well, and Alice has a much better idea of the world. Rather than reading this derivative trash, pick up any of Walker's books. You'll get the same enlightenment without the authorial tricks of excessive vulgarity and violence.

Rating:
Summary: I'm glad the author is telling the story.
Review: How sad. Sad to imagine there are children living in these conditions. The ignorance of parents that have no idea of the pain they are causing their children. Pain that they have obviously endured had to endear themselves. The parents were a complete waste. The mother made me so angry, I had to put the book down on more then one occasion. The father was an animal. Thank God for caring adults, such as the teacher, who encouraged Precious to break the cycle.