Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made

Rating:
Summary: A review by Eshaunda M. Howard
Review: Tryin' to Sleep in The Bed You Made by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant a Review by Eshaunda Howard

Gayle Saunders and Patricia Reid were total opposites who chose each other as best friends when they were children. Through the years they were raised together, as close as sisters. Gayle, the beauty, pampered by her working-class parents, believes a man will make her world complete. Pat, the brainy one, is the hand-me-down child whose mystery parentage haunts her. She's determined to finally make a home for herself, in the executive suite at the top of her career. And then there is Marcus Carter, linked to both women from the moment a childhood tragedy takes the life of his older brother that bonds them in secrecy. In all honesty, I feel that this book has had a good impact on me. In a way it has given me advice on how to handle the realities of life. I could see parts of myself in Pat, because I am like her in many ways a hand-me-down child, the result of losing one parent and the other not giving a damn what happens to me, being raised by my Aunt out of obligation first, and love second. Unlike Gayle's family where I guess you can say that they love her a little too much, to the point where they shelter her from the realities of the world which causes her to go throughout most of her life half blind and letting other people do the thinking for her. I learned a very important lesson from her life: not to shelter my children from the painful realities of the world whether it is encouragingly good or terribly harsh. Gayle's situation has taught me that it is better to explain everything to my children in the best possible way that I can, letting them know first hand what is going on. To give them the chance to learn and think for themselves, without them having to depend on me solely to do their thinking for them. The novel Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made is a very realistic tale of two girls that are bonded by their differences, growing up together brings them closer than any best friends can get. Yet, their different goals set them apart as they learn to deal with the realities of life. But, what both girls go out in search of leads them right back to each other. This novel deals with some of the harsh realities that life throws our way. Reading this novel is like seeing parts of my life being lived through Patricia Reid and Gayle Sunders being able to become a part of their lives, being able to live and learn from their mistakes is what I believe is to be one of the great things about this book. Any person who reads this book will benefit from it unquestionably.

Rating:
Summary: The Power of Friendship
Review: When I first started to read this book. I thought it would be intresting but on the boring side. Once I got further into the book it was impossible to put down! At my school we have SSR [silent substained reading] wich is only 15-20 minutes depending on the teacher[im in the 10th grade *hehe*] When it was time for it to be over i begged my teacher and got others to agree to extend it. We ended up reading for an hour!

What i like most about this book is the message i got from it. Gayle: Don't live just on dreams because they leave you nowhere.
Patricia: Work for what you want and don't dwell on those who doubt you, because the one's who doubt will enventually end up beneathe you in any form.