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Summary: what a book...
Review: True Believer is exceptional! It was a very powerful and moving story. The feelings expressed by LaVaughn were familiar, but in a fresh way. I haven't read _Make Lemonade_ yet--I would recommend _True Believer_ even if you haven't read the first book. I can't wait for the sequel!
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Summary: True Believer
Review: True Believer is one of the best books I have ever read. I strongly encourage all teens to read it. I promise you that when you finish it you will be a TRUE BELIEVER. This book shows that it doesn't matter where you come from, you can still be somebody. This is a great book for teens. Please read True Believer. You won't be sorry.
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Summary: True Believer - I believe... In the awesomeness of this book
Review: True Believer is truly amazing. It is published in unique formatting - the paragraph structure giving it the illusion of a poem. Upon picking up the book, I believed it would lack content, a plot, based on the format. Do not be fooled as I was. This book tells the story of LaVaugh, a 15 year old girl, struggling with a difficult ethnic background of severe violence, poverty and a lack of safety. She battles hard, with the support of her mother, to excel in her schoolwork and in her job so that she will be able to succeed in her life and career, unlike the many unfortunate residents or her venue, who either die violently or end up nowhere due to a lack of options. Along the way she is forced to overcome several obstacles in the journey- her two best friends Annie and Myrtle slowly detaching themselves from her as they become more and more Jesus-crazy, for the worst. Her mother begins to see another man, who is not her father, which tears apart her insides, and painfully too. On top of that, a boy who likes her to whom she doesn't return the sentiment and the return of a shady part of her childhood, Jody, which brings back so many memories. But now she develops strong feelings for him. She crushes on Jody, but does she stand a chance? He himself has issues to deal with... Yet she has help from all those who truly believe in her and in her potential, who encourage her to glide towards her destiny. This novel is an amazing must-read as it tells the intriguing story of a young girl fighting against her past and present to achieve and secure a future.
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Summary: Believe, Believe until everything you believe in comes true!
Review: True Believer tells the story of fifteen-year-old LaVaughn, growing up in the violence and harsh realities of the inner city. LaVaughn is determined to make something of herself by working her way out of her rundown neighborhood. LaVaughn's ability to remain focused on her goal of going to college is challenged by the world around her: peer pressure, love interests, and violence in her school and neighborhood. Wolff masterfully expresses LaVaughn's deepest thoughts through the use of free verse in this second novel of Virginia Euwer Wolff's Make Lemonade trilogy. LaVaughn's strength and conviction come shining through in this inspiring book, offering hope and a belief in oneself to young adult readers.
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Summary: Not Another School Book
Review: True Believer was an inspiring book. It related to the way that all young adolescents feel everyday. When we all started to read this book, we thought,"Oh no, not another boring, dull, school book." But as we all started reading it we realized that we three totally different students could come together and share the things that go on in our lives as well as La Vaughn's (main character). Issues such as sex, boys, family, and friends are topics in the book and in our lives. We all would recommend this book. It's a good laugh, a cry, and we promise you'll enjoy it.
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Summary: This is a truly beautiful book!
Review: True Believer, Virginia Euwer Wolff's National Book Award winning novel in the Make Lemonade trilogy is a great work of fiction, one that I cannot recommend enough to both young and older readers. The narrative style that Wolff employs in this book is highly effective and refreshing (especially in comparison to other young adult novels). La Vaughn, the protagonist-narrator of the story is so captivating in all her sense-making introspection over life, love, longing, and learning. Out of the dozen excellent adult and young adult novels that I have read this summer, this is my absolute favorite. Not only would I like for my friends and family to read True Believer, but also I cannot wait to present the novel to my seventh graders this upcoming fall semester. I would like to say to Ms. Wolff: This is a truly beautiful book! I will do my best to share it widely.
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Summary: Beautiful
Review: Verna LaVaughn is back, in yet another compelling and brilliant volume from Wolff. I prefer the first, but the second is still amazing. LaVaugn still dreams about college, and now it is finally looking closer than ever before. She's taking grammar buildup and loving learning, and other things are happening in her life too. Her usually stern mother has fallen in love, and so has LaVaughn - with an old neighbour, Jody who's returned to their building once again. Jody's stirred up some new emotions in LaVaughn, making her think about love and romance all the time. And her best friends Annie and Myrtle are drifting away from her since they started praying all the time with the Cross Your Legs for Jesus group. LaVaughn's not sure about their new church. She's not too sure about anything at the moment. But she won't let anything distract her from college! Right? More of the same, with some twists and turns along the way - and that's a compliment.
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Summary: Poetry
Review: Virginia Wolff's book, True Believer, tears at the soul and makes you view your own life differently. This book helped me make some personal choices about what I want to do in my own life. I recommend this book to everyone, because everyone needs to be reminded that life is short, tough, beautiful, and ultimately, a gift.
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Summary: We will rise to the occasion........
Review: We will rise to the occasion which is life. The one sentence that LaVaughn knows well. The slums are her home with their shootings and their drugs. The thing is she is used to this for those of you who have read Make Lemonade. She has lived there all her life. But when things that she knows well change, a friend who moved away comes back or her best friends diside to join some weird religous group. They are life every day challenges. With a twist.
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Summary: Magnificent
Review: When I first tried this book, I have to admit I wasn't sure what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised, however. The story follows a young girl's life and is written entirely in a free verse poetry style. It is the second book in the Make Lemonade series (I highly recommend the original as well) and has been highly anticipated for 8 years. The lead character (LaVaughn) is a typical fifteen-year-old. She's unsure of herself, loyal to friends she doesn't necessarily like that much and downright confused about the person she wants to become. Her father died when she was very young and she and her mother have had to struggle to survive ever since. She brags that she painted the ceiling over her bed to look like a tree with a bird's nest in it so that she could always feel close to nature. She has a crush on her childhood best friend. And she has a lot of growing up to do. The book takes a long series of turns of events. It is not only interesting, but also beautifully written. A must for any fan of fiction.
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