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Summary: I really like the book because it was very realistic.
Review: The book Forged By Fire by Sharon M. Draper tells us about a boy named Gerald Nickelby who, when his loving aunt dies, is suddenly thrust into a new home filled with anger and abuse. A stepfather with a temper and an evil secret makes Gerald mad. Gerald and Angel grow close as he strives to protect her from Jordon and from their substance addicted mother. Sharon M. Draper hooks the readers by having something interesting happen and leaves you in suspense throughout the book. The storytelling pace was not fast and not to slow , but very action packed. It weaves the present and the past into a beautiful telling motion. The setting and the atmosphere is an abusive atmosphere in an cramped apartment in Cincinnati. The main characters are Gerald Nickelby, a young basketball player who discovers his strength and determination while protecting his stepsister's safety and his mother's honor. Aunt Queen is very loving and is the best aunt you could ever have. Angel is Gerald's youngest stepsister. Jordan is an abusive stepfather, and Monique is a substance -addicted mother. I understand the horrible feelings of an abandoned boy whose life is ruined when he meets his little sister and finds out that she's getting abused. As the book nears the end, the drug- addicted mother by the name of Monique now realizes the truth about Jordan. I really loved these book. It was one of the best books I've read in along time. It makes you think twice about taking life for granted. I think these would be a good book young adults (12-older) to adults.
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Summary: "Forged By Fire"
Review: Gerald was fasinated by fire when he was little. Because of his addiction to fire tragdey strikes. While his substance-addicted mother left to see "Mr. Leroy" Gerald is left alone in his small apartment. Since Gerald is only three he starts playing with the lighter. The apartment is set burning and Gerald is saved by a teenage boy from the next door. Gerald's mother is sent to jail and Gerald's aunt Queen takes custody of him. Aunt Queen dies and Gerald is forced to live with his mother,(whom just got out of jail), brutel step-father Jordan Sparks and his new sister Angel. Angel gets abused and touched by her father and Gerald's step-father, Jordan Sparks. Gerald is determined to stop this nonsense. He goes to a father on his basketball team for help. They go to court and Jordan is sentenced to jail time. Once Jordan gets out Gerald is afraid to let his little sister, the light of his life, in Jordan's hands. Has Jordan really changed? Read "Forged By Fire" By: Sharon Draper to find out.
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Summary: A Great Book
Review: I thought that this book was one of the best I've ever read. It was a very powerful book and talked about the life of an ordinary guy, destroyed by an addiction. I thought that is was a great book that explained how you have to sometimes fend for yourself and others and you have to tell the truth even if it means hurting others. I personally loved this book because it was nice to read about someone whos life is almost like mine. It helped me think about things and how bad my life could really be. All in all it is a one of a kind book that everyone should read.
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Summary: Forged By Fire
Review: Sharon Draper wrote Forged By Fire. She has written several other books in addition to this one. Sharon Draper was the 1997 teacher of the year. She is an African American who lives in Ohio. She used to be a teacher. Now since she started writing she stopped teaching at one school everyday. She no longer stays at one school but she teaches a little bit about herself and her books to the schools she visits. This is the second book in the Hazelwood High Trilogy. Forged By Fire was originally written as a short story. This book won 4 major awards, they are The Coretta Scott King Award for the best book written in 1998, ALA Best Book Award, Parents Choice Award, and ALA Quik Pik for Young Adults.
Geralds life gets changed forever while he is still a toddler at the age of 3. His mother leaves him alone in the house where Gerald discovers fire. Fire, that's what made his life change for the better or so he thought. From the time he was three till he was nine he lived with his loivng Aunt Queen. On his ninth birthday his life changes forever. Suddenly his mother reappears, along with her comes a sister and an abusive stepfather. This same day Aunt Queen has a heart attack, this ends her life and changes Geralds forever. Gerald is forced to live with his new sister Angel and also his abusive stepdad and careless mother. Gerald is constantly trying to protect Angel and is always battling his stepfather.
Angel struggles in this book through sexual abuse. Finally they get Sparks, his stepfather and Angels father, put in jail only to return years later. Gerald realizes that this is hurting Angel. He needs some time alone, his best friend just died, Angel is scared and he doesn't know what to do through any of this. This book takes place in a shanty apartment where they just barely make it by. Their life gets its fair amount of ups and downs but they all work out.
Forged By Fire deals with many of the things teens' today face; abuse, death, drugs, all these are things most teens these days have to deal with. I think this book is hitting some of the bad points in life to show people what life is like for teens these days and how hard it can be.
The characters in this book are well defined. There aren't many other characters but the main characters. She defines them well through their speech. Her use of dialect to define the speaking nature of most African American teens improves the story greatly. She gives both the characters some kind of dream bringing even more life to the story. Her skills in character development stand out more than any other author I have ever read a book from. This is one of the many reasons this book was one of the best.
This book is VERY different from Tears of a Tiger. In this book she only uses one type of writing. Instead of switching from homework assignments and so on she stays on one thing the entire book. This changes the book a lot. This helps you to get a better hold on what they are going through, especially if you are a teen reading this book because you probably talk similar. This helps you relate to the book in many different ways, improving it overall.
I would recommend this book to anyone who hates poverty, who dislikes abuse and who, most of all, cant stand people on drugs. This will show you a different perspective. It will show you what you hate. I would also say if you don't know much about kids who go through this or you think someone might be to get a better perspective on their life read this book.
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Summary: A book thatll keep you on the edge of your seat
Review: Abuse, Drugs, and a bond like no other, Forged by Fire is definatly a 5 star book. Gerald a little 3-yr-old African American child has been through more pain then one person can expireience in a lifetime. As Gerald strives to surivive with his crack-addicted mother, he finds himself behind a couch, crying and hoping that the fire would go out and his mother would come home. Once authorities find him, Gerald lives with his Aunt Queen for 6 yrs and his life was almost close to normal. But his happiness was soon to go away. On his 9th birthday Aunt Queen dies, and he sees his mother for the first time in 6 yrs. His mother (who had been out of jail for a year now) had a boyfriend, Jordan, and a daughter Angel. Jordan mollested Angel and hit Gerald all the time. As time goes on Gerald must protect his little Angel and face Jordan for one last time... This book is one of my favorites. It shows the things that can happen, and makes you look at life in a completely different way. Buy this book, read it, and share it.
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Summary: Kris's book review
Review: I really liked this book a lot. I would have to say that its the best book i've ever read. At the end of every chapter, the book kept you guessing and made you want to read more. The main character Gerald was my age, and I could relate to him very easily. It was about child abuse and drugs, and a lot of kids go thru this.
The worst part of the book is when Gerald's aunt Queen dies. He is thirteen years old, and has to go live with his mother who just got out of prison. They live in Atlanta, Georgia in a small apartment with Gerald, his mom Moniue, his sister Angel, and his stepdad Joradan.
The climax is definetly vivid along with the resolution. The climax is when Aunt Queen dies because there is much emphasis on that event. The resolution is also very vivid because Jordan dies in a fire. He molested Gerald's sister Angel, and beat him and his mom Monique, so he deserved to die.
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Summary: Really interesting book!
Review: This book is about Gerald, at 3 yrs old, was abused himself by his mother. His mother will hit him and leave him in his diapers all day if he poops in them, to teach him a lesson. His mother was on drugs and often left him in the apartment alone. Well, one day, his mother left to buy some drugs from Leroy, some man that smell sweet. And Gerald decide to play with his GI Joe and a lighter. Suddenly, the apartment is on fire. He goes and hide behind the couch. The neighbor decide to check up on him, if it wasn't for the neighbor, Gerald would of die from smoke inhallation. His mother goes to prison for child endangerment. And also she goes to drug rehab. Aunt Queen comes to the rescue and Gerald went to live with her for six years. Then his world comes crashing down on his ninth birthday. Aunt Queen dies and he have go to live with his mother. His mother is married to Jordan, who claim to be Angel's father, but isn't. Jordan is violent and will hit Gerald, his mother, and his sister, Angel, whenever he gets drunk. Also, Jordan will sexually molest Angel, which disgusts me. When Gerald went to move in with his mother, he couldn't bring himself to call her mama anymore, so he call her by her first name, Monique. Well, from the day Gerald moves in, he vows to protect his sister. His sister like to dance like any typical 7-yr-old. Well, Gerald turns in Jordan for sexually abuse, and he finally gets out of prison when Gerald is 17 and Angel is 13. Ok, when Gerald is 17, his best friend, Robert Washington, dies in a car crash because Andy was driving drunk and crash into a wall. This, indeed, is a real sad book that I read and I couldn't put it down. I have to order "Tears of a Tiger" and "Dawn by Darkness" one of these days. I read this book back when I was in the 10th grade. This book will made you angry against abuse of kids, and make you want to do something..
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Summary: Great!
Review: This book was awesome and you don't need to be a certain color to enjoy it. It is a book that transcends color and tells you an emotionally deep story. I read it in one sitting. It is amazingly well written and refreshingly free of dirty language. Highly recommended!
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Summary: mario's book review
Review: I liked this book because it has a lot of relations to me when i was young. In this story there is a lot of brutal situations. It involves a boy and his little sister who has a lot of problems at home with there stepfather who is a major alcaholic and he cant control the things he says or does. The mother is very scared of the stepfather and he often hurts her to. The boys name is Gerald and his sisters name is Angel the stepfathers name is Jordan. Jordan doesnt bother Gerald often but whenever no ones there but him and Angel he tries to molest her. The only person that knows about it is Gerald and he tries everything he can to stop it.
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Summary: A Good Book
Review: When I first started the book I didn't think I would like it. I don't usualy like reading books. but this book really caught my eye. By the time i got to the tenth page, I was almost done with the book. The book is very good. At the end of a chapter it doesn't really end it just ties into the next chapter. It always keeps you wanting to keep reading even if you have to put it down. It's a good book.
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