Hey guys! I am excited to share my newest review with you because I loved this book. I loved, loved, loved this book.
Enjoy!
Title: Bruised
Author: Sarah Skilton
ISBN:
9781419703874
Pages: 288
Available: March 5, 2013
Source: Netgalley
Summary (from Goodreads):
When
Imogen, a sixteen-year-old black belt in Tae Kwon Do, freezes during a holdup
at a local diner, the gunman is shot and killed by the police, and she blames
herself for his death. Before the shooting, she believed that her black belt
made her stronger than everyone else -- more responsible, more capable. But now
her sense of self has been challenged and she must rebuild her life, a process
that includes redefining her relationship with her family and navigating first
love with the boy who was at the diner with her during the shootout. With
action, romance, and a complex heroine, Bruised introduces a vibrant new voice
to the young adult world -- full of dark humor and hard truths.
My Thoughts:
My little man is currently taking Tae
Kwon Do, so what first drew me to this book was the cover and the fact that
this figurine was in pieces. Clearly this book was going to have depth to it,
and I love a strong YA novel that has depth. I was not disappointed.
First I want to say that the summary
from Goodreads does not do justice to
this novel. Period. But to be fair, there is not too much to say about the plot
without ruining key points. Of course, that’s the hardest part of writing a
review, right? Staying true to the book and characters without ruining the
plot.
I will say this about the plot:
powerful. I am serious. I felt the author’s storytelling was solid, and
heartbreaking, and funny, and solid. Oh right, I said that already.
The question being posed is a strong
one—what is the point of life and all that we fill our lives with if we are not
able to use that to help others? And what happens when all we believe in fails
us at the most important hour of need? These are humanistic questions wrapped
up in a different package: a sixteen-year-old black belt present at a robbery
and the fallout.
Honestly, as much as I loved the plot
and the author’s storytelling (and have a box of tissue if you are a bit of a
crier like myself), for me the strength with this book is the character of
Imogen. I loved her, and I felt the author did a strong job with her
development.
When we meet her, she is lost. Her
experience has dug down into her core. This is not just a traumatic event. It
is an event she feels as if she could have prevented with her black belt
skills. That is a lot to take on at her age, but she does nevertheless.
As readers, we experience her fallout.
Her breakdown. Her struggle to remember and comprehend. Her pulling away from
those who love and want to help her the most. We spiral into self-destruction
with her, and I loved every moment of it. At times it was difficult to read
because the hurt she felt was in her soul, and there seemed to be no other
character that could help her. That was what I really liked about the
development of her character. It’s a reminder to readers that terrible things
happen in life. Those things are out of our control. In the end, we cannot
carry the weight and responsibility of the world on our shoulders. We are
responsible for ourselves and our own actions, and those who cause harm in the
world are responsible for theirs. No one expects us to heal overnight, but it’s
important to remember those who love and cherish us—and to open the door to
them.
In Imogen’s case, she closes more doors
that she opens. She must deal with this as well, and again, it was an element I
truly enjoyed about her character.
While Imogen is dealing with her
trauma, she is not alone. She was not alone in that diner. There was another
under the table. A male whom she did not know and is starting to believe was
not real. But he is, and he is struggling to deal with the experience as well.
Ricky. Oh Ricky. I just loved his
character. The two of them are drawn together because of a shared commonality,
the trauma of the robbery. Ricky is good for Imogen because he accepts her as
she is, and he understands. He understands what she is feeling because he was
there too, but he deals with it much differently.
His character is a nice contrast to
Imogen. He keeps her level-headed, real, and full of life. He celebrates her
black belt status by wanting to learn from her, and he wants nothing more than
her companionship. That was so refreshing, not just for me as a reader but for
Imogen’s character. She needs someone like Ricky in her corner, reminding her
of who she really is and what makes her special and worthy.
What I enjoy about Ricky’s character is
that he takes Imogen as she is, “damaged” goods and all. He breathes life into
her not because she needs a boyfriend but because she needs someone who
understands her and her trauma. And Ricky does. He does not push her, he does
belittle her feelings, he is just there. He learns from her, talks to her,
kisses her.
Yes, kisses are good too, and this book
needed them because there were enough tears to go around. Ricky provided that,
but it was in no way over the top. It was just in the right moments when it was
as if the reader needed a kiss too. Is that weird?
I cannot forget Imogen’s family.
Her brother Hunter reminded me of a
slick Ferris Bueller. He is popular with all of the kids, but most especially
with the ladies. As a matter of fact, he seems to prefer those who are friends
with Imogen, according to her, and this causes a riff within their relationship
as well as with some of her “friends.” This is a constant struggle with her
character as well, trying to be sixteen and have a normal life with girl
friends when Hunter is her brother.
Her parents are a bit absentee (which
is needed in YA because, honestly, sometimes parents just get in the way of the
storytelling) but they are still there. They are a necessity to the plot for
several reasons. Imogen’s father serves as a catalyst for a bit of her pent up
hostility because of his lack of care for himself. She seems to have little use
for her mother as well not because she is a bad mother but because she is
failing Imogen when she needs her mother the most. We see this struggle
throughout the novel, and I like that the author brought this element full
circle. I was afraid she would forget and not allow for closure for readers,
but she does.
I think I just told you all the reasons
why I not only enjoyed this book but Imogen as well. I told you I loved her
character. She is dark and twisty. I am dark and twisty. I really felt the
depth of where the author was taking the story, and I hope when you pick this
up and read it that you experience the same.
What the author has given is a
realistic story of what happens to a family when all the cards fall. It is slow
at first, everything seems to move in slow motion, but in the end there is a
pile that must be sorted and stacked.
This book will appeal to readers of
realistic YA fiction and for those looking for strong, complex character
development. It is recommended for readers 12 and older, and I agree with this
recommendation.
Have you read ‘Bruised’? What's the best book you've read lately?
Happy Reading!
-
The Hodgenator