American Wife

American Wife                                  10/10

Recently, I have finished reading American Wife by Taya Kyle, wife of Chris Kyle, who was retired Navy Seal, murdered while trying to help a struggling Vet. This book is heartbreakingly raw, full of emotion, love and laughter. 

It's been a while since I've read anything that wasn't fiction, my obsession is YA fiction, so this was a nice break. I was impressed by the courage, strength and unyielding faith that Taya had in life's purpose, her family and God amidst all the struggles and trials she was facing. The rawness of her story caught me off guard; it felt as if I was talking to a lifelong friend, instead of reading a book. 

I'm grateful she was willing to share her story, including all the bad parts. It truly is a beautiful story and I know without a doubt in my mind that she'll be reunited with Chris again. I look forward to reading American Sniper, and learning more about this wonderful man who sacrificed so much for our country. 

This is Where it Ends

This is Where it Ends                     Rating: 10/10

This book is heart-wrenching, devastating and yet it is still beautiful. Marieke Nijkamp takes things that are taboo and discusses them without fear, but in a sensitive, kind and understanding way. There were many things that I loved about this book, the first things being that Nijkamp wrote a book about a school shooting, something that is horrible and unthinkable, but sadly happens in our world more than we would like to admit. I think she did a beautiful job of showing the betrayal that could drive a person to do something like this and she also adequately showed the fear of the students who were victims of the shooting.

The second thing I rather enjoyed about this book is how the author addressed common misconceptions we have about each other. One of the main character's best friend is from Afghanistan, and because of this he's usually the first suspect when something goes wrong (despite the fact that he's a good, trustworthy student). I think this really teaches an important lesson about humanity and the way we view others. By addressing this common misconception, the author shows that we need to look past the outward appearances of those around us and see them for who they truly are. No two people are exactly alike, even if they do come from similar backgrounds. Just because you have two apples, it doesn't mean they're going to taste the same.

The third reason I love this book relates to the second reason. While the shooting is taking place some of the students are on their phones using Tweeter to communicate to the outside world. I found these interactions between the victims and the outside world to be very realistic and heartbreaking. A lot of the comments on the Tweets were talking about how sick and twisted it is to fact something like this for attention (which I think a lot of the time we believe people are just crying wolf, instead of actually coming to their aid when they're in trouble). A few of the other comments were from news reporters, who were so concerned about the story they were covering and catching their big break, than the students suffering in the school.

The last reason I really loved this book is because it deals with discrimination. One of the main characters Autumn is too afraid to admit her true feelings because she's worried about what others may think. I don't think anyone should have to face feeling like that. We shouldn't backlist and shame people because they think differently than us, and I felt that was a point the author tried to get across.

Warnings:

There is a bit of swearing in the book and the author refers to rape, but that's it. Overall this book is a fantastic read, very insightful and I would recommend it to anyone. I think it should be taught in schools as there are a lot of valuable lessons that can be learned. I will definitely be reading this book again.