Love can be a trouble word for some people. Crazy is also a trouble word.
- Used Book in Good Condition
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Phenomenal
By LondaLocs
phenomenaladjective1. highly extraordinary or prodigious; exceptionalThat is what I think of this wonderful book by Karen Harrington. Sarah Nelson is a newly minted twelve year old who just happens to be a logophile. She also has a pet plant that she confides in and her favorite novel is To Kill a Mockingbird.How could I not love a kid like that? Sarah just wants to have a great summer for once in her life. Unfortunately, she and her alcoholic dad are always trying to keep one step ahead of a devastating secret about her mother. Sarah is always worried that she will turn out too much like her parents, and this causes her to continually question herself and her actions.This novel was well done and I would recommend it to ages 11 and up. I would caution recommending this for the 9 to 10 year olds that are usually included in the middle-grade reader group, because of an implied sexual attack and because of the crime Sarah's mother committed.I am so glad I had the chance to read and review this novel I won on goodreads, and as usual my review is unbiased.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
Clear Eyed and Charming - Neither Grim nor Traumatic
By Pop Bop
This book is not at all well served by the professional reviews on the Amazon page that suggest this is a dreary tale of trauma, kitchen sink conflict, dread and survival. It sounds so grim and heavy handed. It isn't. The over-the-top framing story is an attention grabber, but the exaggerated premise mainly allows for all sorts of creative variations on the coming-of-age theme, and allows the author to lead the character Sarah through wildly imaginative, clever, witty and touching emotions, insights and predicaments that just wouldn't be possible with a more mundane approach. Her Mom's crazy, her Dad's an alcoholic, her brother was drowned at age two by crazy Mom, she was almost drowned, her best friend is a plant she talks to, and she is on guard to see if she's going crazy. That sounds to me like a normal twelve year old's head, just amped up a bit for effect.And that's what you get. Do me a favor and scroll up and read the sample chapter. I'll wait....Good. If you liked that you'll like the book. Sarah is flinty, romantic, observant, articulate and good hearted. Before Atticus Finch showed up in the book I had already seen Sarah as a modern, more sophisticated and more articulate Scout character. The letters to Finch just sort of confirm that the reader and the author and Sarah are all on the same page and understand what's going on.The two greatest joys of this book are getting to spend time with Sarah, who is easily one of the most appealing characters I've encountered in quite a while, and in enjoying the remarkably accomplished and yet restrained writing. On any page you can find a sentence that is just right - spare, delicate, and balanced, with arresting and appropriate word choices, phrasing and tone. It is very interesting that Sarah is fascinated by words, includes definitions of words in her diary, talks about the words she chooses for her diary entries, and weighs the merits and meanings of different words. This is in many ways a book about words and writing and thinking, and isn't that a lovely bonus when you already have great characters and an engaging story?On any of these levels and for any of these reasons, this book is a wonderful choice for a confident, or adventurous, younger reader. A very nice find. (Please note that I found this book while browsing for my book project. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful.Excellent Writing and Engaging Characters
By K. M. Martin
SURE SIGNS OF CRAZY is the story of a momentous summer in the life of Sarah Nelson. She has just finished sixth grade and turned twelve. Her best friend Lisa has gone away to camp and Sarah has finally convinced her father that she is old enough not to be sent to her grandparents' house for the summer vacation. Sarah and her father have lived many places in Texas and are currently in Garland. Each time they are spotted, they have moved.Sarah's mother is infamous because she tried to kill Sarah and successfully killed Sarah's twin brother Simon when they were two year old. Since then, she has been in a mental asylum and Sarah has only seen her twice. Sarah's father also went to trial regarding the incident but was acquitted. Whenever reporters find and harass them, they move on.Sarah spends the summer taking care of Plant and writing letters to Atticus Finch in her journal. Her favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird and she has adopted Atticus as the mentor and father she wishes she had. Her own father is an alcoholic and Sarah spends a lot of time in the role of caregiver.Sarah has an articulate voice and a fascination with words while still have the world view of a twelve-year-old. She is a faithful observer of those around her but her observations are colored by lack of context because of her lack of maturity. She grows up a lot this summer. She has her first crush (on a very nice young man), confronts her father, and helps an elderly neighbor deal with the loss of her husband.Pair this one with To Kill a Mockingbird. It would also be a great book to use for a classroom literature study.
