Who Am I Without Him? Short Stories About Girls and Boys in Their Lives

Rating:
Summary: Virtual look at relationships from many points of view
Review: At first, readers will enter the first few stories of this collection mad at the characters. Why did she put up with him? No, she didn't just do that! Soon it becomes clear that this is the point. Everyone makes mistakes in the dating game and must find the self-confidence and respect for themselves to become involved in the right relationship. WHO AM I WITHOUT HIM? offers a virtual look at relationships from many points of view, including a father, a boy with a roving eye, and many interesting girls.

Sharon G. Flake is a rising author with awards and talent for creating flawed but memorable and realistic characters, as well as surprising stories. In "Wanted: A Thug" a girl writes in to an advice column because she has the hots for her best friend's man, a thug, even though she has a nice boyfriend. A letter that is both humorous and threatening comes back from someone who actually knows her and the situation, and reminds her that friendship is more important than a passing crush.

"Mookie in Love" is the story of a girl who sees her cousin fall in love with a nice girl, but her mother and aunts try to split them up. And "Jacob's Rules" follows a class through a pretend relationship assignment as they try to find out if all boys are really dogs.

One of the strongest stories in this collection is the last, a letter from an absentee father to his beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter. He tells her that she has to stand up for herself and advises her on how to do it. He writes that finding a passion and work that she loves are too important to become distracted with bad relationships.

All girls should read this book! The characters are African-American but the situations are universal.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

Rating:
Summary: Laugh for 10 seconds, then cry....
Review: Sharon Flake's expertise in telling it like it is rings out in this collection. She and Chris Crutcher would make a great team! It is hard to say that girls and boys will 'enjoy' these stories, but they will not be able to stop reading them because they hit on the exact things my students witness, if not experience, every day. Each story has its humor and its pain. That's life, isn't it? As you read these stories, you see what is coming, and you want to shout "Don't do it!!!" But each one of us has to learn by our own mistakes and successes. By reading, we learn from others.

Rating:
Summary: Laugh for 10 seconds, then cry....
Review: Sharon Flake's expertise in telling it like it is rings out in this collection. She and Chris Crutcher would make a great team! It is hard to say that girls and boys will 'enjoy' these stories, but they will not be able to stop reading them because they hit on the exact things my students witness, if not experience, every day. Each story has its humor and its pain. That's life, isn't it? As you read these stories, you see what is coming, and you want to shout "Don't do it!!!" But each one of us has to learn by our own mistakes and successes. By reading, we learn from others.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Author Alive
Review: Sharon Flake's latest literary endeavor, WHO AM I WITHOUT HIM?, is a collection of ten short stories that explore different variations of teenage love and angst. These stories present an accurate portrayal of teens and their experiences. The tales range from humorous to serious and each teaches a lesson on love and life.
One of the stories that I enjoyed was "Wanted: A Thug" which dealt with one girl's desire to have a bad boy, who happens to be dating her best friend, without thinking of the consequences. Another story, "A Letter to My Daughter" has a guilt ridden absentee father writing a letter to his fifteen-year-old daughter to try and educate her about boys and give her a view of relationships from a male perspective.

Sharon Flake has again penned a novel that both entertains and educates teens by presenting them with characters that are just like them. These stories reflect the lifestyles and situations that all teens are familiar with and can relate to, but at the same time present positive messages. What I enjoyed and respected most is that the author keeps the stories authentic by not making them all preachy or having a sappy, happy ending. I highly recommend WHO AM I WITHOUT HIM? as a must read for all teens, but especially for the younger teenagers who are on the cusp of dating.