Reviews for Tomorrow River

The average rating for Tomorrow River based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-08-02 00:00:00 Daniel Karst I finished reading this like five hours ago, and I'm still having trouble figuring out how to put into words how much I loved this book. Admittedly, I wasn't too sure about this at first, but I think that's only because it takes a little bit to get used to having a 12-year-old as the narrator to a story--especially one as fiesty as Shenny! This book was beautiful. End of story. I cannot believe that Lesley Kagen is not more well-known. With Shenny telling the story, it is at times quite comical and at other times quite heartwrenching. She sees things in a way that most adults don't, and yet she also misses things and can be naive about things that would be obvious to an adult. It's not in an annoying way, but moreso a way that makes you just want to reach out and hug her and protect her from everything bad in the world. But like I said earlier, she is definitely feisty. She is constantly throwing little southern sayings into her story, and sometimes they can be downright hilarious. Like upon describing some boy who she finds incredibly stupid, she says: "The kid could throw himself on the ground and miss." However, not all is fun and games. This was a surprisingly dark and heartwrenching book to read that tackles a lot of issues, like racism, sexism, chauvinism, and domestic abuse. And as I've said, this is all viewed through the eyes of a young girl. Kagen does not hesitate to approach these issues, though, which makes for a story that feels very real and makes it easy to imagine that you are in the South of the 1960s. The characters were all done well, too. Shenny has been my favorite narrator in a long time. Not to mention, each character has a distinct voice, even Woody who doesn't speak. This is one of those reads that keeps you on your toes. Every time I thought I had figured out what had happened to Mama, something else would throw me for a loop. Through much of the book, there is a pervading bad feeling. I was really anxious reading this, and even though that's not really an emotion I relish, I love when a book can leave me feeling so much. After having finished this book, Lesley Kagen has been added to my list of favorite authors, and I know I'm going to have to go out and read everything else she's written!

Review # 2 was written on 2010-07-24 00:00:00 Michael Elliott I have to say, I wasn't expecting to actually read the whole book. In order to get ready for author, Leslie Kagen, to make an appearance, time had slipped away and I had one day to read this novel. I was told to read the last few chapters. I have a hard time reading the ending of books, unless they are real stinkers and I am about to give up on them. So, I read the first few chapters. This book was amazing! I was up all night finishing it and I am ready to read it again. It is reminisent of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird in evoking the same type of Southern feeling and style. Deep South, deep traditions and characters who aren't really what they seem. Highly entertaining, heart breaking, yet, amazingly touching at the same time. I loved it!