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review 2015-12-27 00:57

The Word Game

JDCMustReadBooks

By: Steena Holmes

ISBN: 9781503949430

Publisher: Lake Union

Publication Date: 11/3/2015

Format: Hardcover

My Rating: 3 Stars

A special thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Steena Holmes tackles a highly charged topic of sexual abuse with THE WORD GAME –as sisters must confront their painful past in order to help an innocent girl.

Alyson Ward is an overprotective mother of daughter Lyla. She allows a sleepover at her cousin’s house, knowing Tricia, her sister will keep her safe from harm’s way. Lyla returns home the next day with shocking news, which could tear the family apart. Alyson has things in her own past which urge her to keep a tight rein on her own daughter. However, the unspeakable happens. She believes her daughter.

From past family secrets and a past of sexual abuse. A mother who does not want to remember the past and a daughter who tries to be the strong. Drama filled and emotional, a novel of past secrets and lies. Hidden from sisters, which at the time seemed like a good idea; however, now not so much.

A thought-provoking exploration into relationships and family dynamics. Rape, sexual abuse, scars. Painful topics which need addressing. The admitting, coming forth about sexual abuse.

Many POVs--we hear from Alyson, Tricia, Myah, and the sister’s mother, Ida. Sexual abuse has been happening for years, and in times past, people kept it quiet, mothers in particular had little options. People are judgmental. When it comes to protecting your child, this is top priority.

A wake up call for parents of children, adolescents, and teens (boys and girls) . You cannot be too careful with brothers, step fathers, neighbors, boyfriends, and friends when your child is in another household visiting, even if it is for a few hours. Be aware. My son and his wife preach this constantly to my nine- year-old granddaughter. They are innocent and do not fully understand the evils of the world. Keep communication open. Secrets destroy.

Source: www.judithdcollinsconsulting.com/#!The-Word-Game/cmoa/5615d4db0cf27d786fdc49db

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review 2015-11-15 01:01

The Word Game

Celticlady's Reading Room

There is a fear involved. A fear that turns into a knot in the pit of your stomach. And in that knot, that tortured piece of your soul, there is a secret that will seep into your veins like a poison.

There is no easy way to tell a secret. It’s actually easier to deny it. It’s easier to just keep breathing, keep ignoring that knot, just put one foot in front of the other. Keep moving. Pretend that the innocence, the purity, was not torn away unjustly. Just keep it a secret.

It’s these secrets that Steena Holmes has turned into the reality of the Wilhem family in her latest novel, Word Games. This is a story we’ve all heard, and sadly – it’s a story far too many of us have lived. Word Games centers around Aly, an overprotective (helicopter, if you will) mother, and Keera, her niece. Aly allows her daughter to attend her very first sleepover with some friends, including Keera.

While the party was coed, it was also moderately supervised. Kids, however, will be kids. And that evening, there were whispered confessions and shared secrets that sparked a chain of events that changed the lives of many.

The topic of sexual abuse is sadly, still taboo, but Holmes tackled it with grace and sensitivity. In that sense, this novel definitely hit the mark. There are, unfortunately, too many places where this story falls short.

There are too many moments in this novel when the opportunity for emotion and detail is completely ignored. The writing is impeccable and very endearing, which is no surprise coming from Holmes. The story flows easily, though incredibly predictable. It almost flows too easily, too quickly, that it is difficult to really get to know the characters. It was difficult to really feel for the victim in the story, because the reader barely understands her, rarely hears her speak and never sees her thoughts.

It is a very commendable task that Holmes took on in this one, but she sadly falls short. Is it possible that we will get a part two like Holmes previously did with Emma? I sure hope so, and I hope she takes her time telling that story.

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text 2015-11-15 01:00

The Word Game

Celticlady's Reading Room

There is a fear involved. A fear that turns into a knot in the pit of your stomach. And in that knot, that tortured piece of your soul, there is a secret that will seep into your veins like a poison.

There is no easy way to tell a secret. It’s actually easier to deny it. It’s easier to just keep breathing, keep ignoring that knot, just put one foot in front of the other. Keep moving. Pretend that the innocence, the purity, was not torn away unjustly. Just keep it a secret.

It’s these secrets that Steena Holmes has turned into the reality of the Wilhem family in her latest novel, Word Games. This is a story we’ve all heard, and sadly – it’s a story far too many of us have lived. Word Games centers around Aly, an overprotective (helicopter, if you will) mother, and Keera, her niece. Aly allows her daughter to attend her very first sleepover with some friends, including Keera.

While the party was coed, it was also moderately supervised. Kids, however, will be kids. And that evening, there were whispered confessions and shared secrets that sparked a chain of events that changed the lives of many.

The topic of sexual abuse is sadly, still taboo, but Holmes tackled it with grace and sensitivity. In that sense, this novel definitely hit the mark. There are, unfortunately, too many places where this story falls short.

There are too many moments in this novel when the opportunity for emotion and detail is completely ignored. The writing is impeccable and very endearing, which is no surprise coming from Holmes. The story flows easily, though incredibly predictable. It almost flows too easily, too quickly, that it is difficult to really get to know the characters. It was difficult to really feel for the victim in the story, because the reader barely understands her, rarely hears her speak and never sees her thoughts.

It is a very commendable task that Holmes took on in this one, but she sadly falls short. Is it possible that we will get a part two like Holmes previously did with Emma? I sure hope so, and I hope she takes her time telling that story.

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review 2015-10-24 18:49

debbiekrenzer

5 Stars! #TheWordGame Lake Union Pub @steenaholmes

Wow, this is a very hard review to write. Nothing whatsoever against the author, just the subject matter that she chose to write about, plus how it affects me personally.

For me, this book was very well written. The subject matter was tastefully handled and I think that all teens and preteens should read this. There are a lot of little girls out there, even very smart little girls, who have this same thing happen. They can grow up for several years never thinking that there is nothing wrong with what is happening. It all depends on how the molester plays the game and Eddie was doing a mighty fine job. What a sleazeball.

Kudos to the author for a great book that, again, I think every teen should read. If not for themselves, there could be someone around them that is facing this very same problem. I love the conversation had by Keera and Lyla at the end. It was so innocent and yet, so grown up.

Thanks Lake Union and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. While the book was hard and personal for me to read, I found it to be very good and comforting.

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review 2013-08-22 00:00

Boy Meets Dog: A Word Game Adventure

Little Miss Bookmark

My goodness, the illustrations! The illustrations are amazing. So much fun! Here's the thing ... I'm a big fan of tricking your children into learning. That sounds horrible but kids are really hard these days. There are so many distractions around them and sometimes, it's hard to keep their attention on something that is learning related. They are like that dog in the movie, UP ... bird!

A child's attention span is about 5 seconds and that's if you're holding candy. If I can get something into our boys' hands that can teach them something useful AND they don't want to put it down, it's a home-run to me. This book has that.

My only issue with it is that it's a bit long. I know, at 32 pages, is that long?!? Well, it is to a kindergartener. Especially if they are the ones reading. But I found that if I only do a couple of pages with this book for our youngest, that he will stay engaged AND excited about it.

Cute book, awesome idea and amazing illustrations. I can't wait to see what else this author has up her sleeve because I'll definitely be interested.