Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne

“My cousin came to live with us a while ago, and right off the bat he drove me nuts. In fact, I hate his guts. Don’t ask me why, I just do. So I thought to myself, how hard would it be to murder him in his sleep? I mean, really. But I haven’t done it. Not yet anyway. So now I’m living with the consequences, which totally suck.”

Welcome to the life of Phoebe. Her parents are divorced, her beautiful but moody sister locks herself in her room and won’t come out and talk, her mother seems to be in her own world, and her father is never around. Now, to add to the list, her cousin Leonard has moved into her basement…and Leonard is anything but normal. Prone to loud outbursts of his colorful nature and an annoying tendency to never know when to shut up, Leonard drives Phoebe and her family nuts. But something about Leonard catches on in the town. He is upbeat and more than willing to give anyone and everyone a lifestyle makeover…whether they want it or not. When Leonard is pronounced missing…and later, dead, Phoebe realizes that she, the only one in town Leonard didn’t want to change, was given the most surprising makeover of all.

This book was very well written, epically for a first-time author. It is comprehensible yet has interpretable depth that is sometimes hard to see. The characters are loveable and full of personal defects, which makes you love them even more. The purpose of this book is clear: understanding. You come to understand people of different worlds. You see the news from the side where the pain is a day-to-day thing that doesn’t turn off when the television does. I recommend this book to anyone with an open mind. Four stars.

“I dunno for sure, but may the whole purpose of evil in this world is to get people who aren’t really good and who aren’t really bad to, ‘y know, be better.” ~Absolute Brightness

Converting Kate by Beckie Weinheimer

“Converting Kate” is a novel about a teenager named Kate, who has just moved away from home. Throughout Kate’s life, she has followed her mother’s religious beliefs at the Church of the Holy Devine. This church is strict and demanding, controlling every aspect of its followers lives. They are told everything from how they should dress (in brown skirts to their ankles) to how long to pray (about two hours a day) to which books they should burn. Kate has always followed along with these rules, because by obeying them, her mother will love her, god will love her, and everything will be as He wills it to be. However, there is one small problem with this “paradise” Kate and her mother are set to create. Kate’s father. When Kate’s father dies, Kate and her mother move from there home to live with Kate’s aunt. Upon arrival, Kate re-discovers her father’s old books…the ones she never dared touch before. Books that her church would never allow. To learn more about the father she never knew while he was alive, Kate begins to read. When Kate’s mother finds out what Kate is doing, Kate is forced to decide; should she go along with what she has always thought was right, what her mother feels is right…and risk loosing her mother and her past? Or discover something more, find out what else might be out there…find out if she is wrong. Kate has to learn if it is more important to be secluded and safe in one’s beliefs, or to risk finding out something she might not find as comforting. When Kate begins to question her mother, she asks;

“Has it ever, even once in your whole life, occurred to you that
maybe God accepts other churches besides yours?” I ask in a
voice that surprises me with its steadiness and calmness. I
continue with a speech, one I’ve carefully prepared in my head
for months.
“Did you ever once wonder if maybe the Holy Devine Church
isn’t as special as you think? I mean, isn’t it arrogant to think
that a small group of people, who have inbred for generations
and make it a practice not to study other religions, really have
the monopoly of religious truth?”

I think that this novel is inspiring and extremely thought-provoking. It goes to depths that not many young adult novels have dared to reach. It’s theme is based in a complicated question that has been asked for centuries; Why are we here? However, this question is twisted into a more modern perspective; Is what I’m doing right? This is a question many teens, adults, and parents can relate to. This novel is for anyone of any race, religion, and viewpoint to enjoy. I believe this is a book that those of all opinions can read and love. This book is suspenseful in it’s own way and ultimately satisfying. A great read.

“Beyond the ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” ~Converting Kate

you can find this review and others of Converting Kate at http://www.beckieweinheimer.org/books/reviewsreaders.htm