religions

No one is a faster detector of false prose than a young person, and no one less patient with anything that doesn't strike him or her as true. Young adult and children's literature has always had to be written with an ear for language. But actually writing books in free verse? Writing entire novels as extended narrative poetry? Well, yes. Virginia Euwer Wolff does just that in True Believer, which won the 2001 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.

The sequel to Make Lemonade, True Believer is strong enough to stand alone. It is the story of LaVaughn's 15th year, her struggle to stay focused on getting to college despite the heartbreak she sees around her and the distraction of her own shifting relationships. Her mother has taken on more responsibilities at work; her two best friends have joined "Cross Your Legs for Jesus," and not even having seen the devastation that an unplanned pregnancy can wreak on a teen's life can stop her from thinking about one special young man.

The verse works better as a narrative device than as poetry. (A random example: "Their adults congratulated them/and put out a sign-up clipboard for joining/but I didn't write my name." p. 132) But LaVaughn has such integrity and the odds are so stacked against her that within the first 30 pages I forgot about the unusual format. Whether the verse works well as poetry or not becomes a moot point as LaVaughn's thoughts form an authentic and unforgettable story.

Not only by seeing that this book won the 2001 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, it also looks and is a favorite to me. I haven't read any book like this ever before. It was amazing and most interesting book before. True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff just blew my heart away! Wolff has such vivid thoughts and such a writing ability to tell everyone how it really is to be a teenager. This book would be recommended to the ages of 13 and to adult; however some people might think that this is unnecessary because they talk about some futures about kid's personalities, such as the group called, "Cross Your Legs for Jesus." The young girl who is put through boys, school and just plain life is named Verna LaVaughn. Some of her friends joined an organization that is met together a lot and can hardly hang out with people of their own religion. Which is very disturbing but it shows how this stereotype can cause such a disturbance in a relationship with friends and even family.
Throughout this book LaVaughn has to deal with conflicts such as moving, love, and school. LaVaughn and her mother are moving because her mother fell in love, or should I say hatred. When her mother found out about what this man was doing to her she felt uncomfortable and she thought that he was irresponsible and just plain wrong. The most important detail is love. LaVaughn falls in love with a young gentleman she knew since she was a little girl and she also has a boy that falls in love with her. Jody on the other hand my be cute and smell like chlorine (he's a swimmer) but he may no be the right kind of guy for LaVaughn.Why is that? Well one day Jody was at the house, "sick", and LaVaughn wanted to bake some cookies and bring them over to make him feel better. Well as soon as she got in there she saw someone kissing him! Was it a guy or was it a girl? This book helps teenagers and even adults/parents realize how life may be in a different world or way. True Believer also shows school. A child's necessity to live and to grow up with is knowledge. LaVaughn goes to a school where you can get the knowledge by going to the Grammar build up you might have missed in 6th, 7th or 8th grade. This you will definitely need for college/ school. There is even a science class that is higher then normal level (these days called AP classes).
The cover of the book looked strange to me before I read it because it had a fish and two people looking as if they were getting ready to kiss, but now that I read it shows what she experienced from her life. By reading this book is shows me how lucky I am to have all the family, friends, teachers and other grown men and women I have around me. Thinking of the title True Believer, Virginia Euwer Wolff makes such excellent point of views and has great "imagination" as if she was the one girl who got all of this treatment and experienced of the exciting things that might happen in our life. LaVaughn feels as if she was real and she was one of my friends who needed help in her life. I will always be there for my friends and family by reading what happened to people in this amazing five star book!

"This is the way it has turned out.
I feast my eyes on this amazing birthday
and I think I can live with the way life is.
I say in my heart,
Guy, your daughter is sixteen.
How do you feel about that."-Virginia Euwer Wolff, True Believer, pg.264

Verna LaVaughn(goes by LaVaughn) starts another year of high school. Her old neighbor moves back to her apartment, the last time they saw each other was in 4th grade and now he's totally gorgeous. She is moved up to an advanced biology, with a partner who is a really good friend but he is definitely not the boyfriend type. What will LaVaugn do when she sees her neighbor doing something shocking and her lab partner tells her something she would never dream of hearing?

I would give this novel by Virginia Euwer Wolff five stars because it is a wonderful novel. It is written in an unique format so it seems very different and interesting. The format is poetry. The whole novel is written in poems by LaVaughn. It's really cool. It's also a real page turner. I read this book ever chance I got, I never wanted to put it down. This is a great book to read when you want to sit down and relax. It has such great, warm characters. I felt like I actually knew LaVaughn. I really liked the par when she was fantasizing about the dance. It seemed very real.

Verna LaVaughn is a very realistic teenage high school student that goes through many normal problems and events throughout her school year. Sometimes she can be a little too full of herself. She sometimes thinks she knows everything, which can and does cause problems with her friends and mother. LaVaughn and her mother really want her to go to college. It is pretty rare for people from her dangerous town to go to college. LaVaughn and her two best friends don't agree about their beliefs and it causes LaVaughn to question her personality quite a bit. Throughout the novel you see signs of LaVaughn's insecurity.

An important scene in True Believer is when LaVaughn gets moved to an advanced biology class and has a new lab partner. Being in the advanced Biology class helps LaVaughn decide her career path. This class also causes some problems in her life. Like when someone declares their love for her and when she might flunk out of it. Without this advanced class the story would not have developed. Another key scene in the novel is when LaVaughn and Jody go to the dance together it causes LaVaughn to change her feelings about him and it also causes a little heartbreak. The dance is LaVaughn and Jody's first date, it is very important to the novel.

I loved True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff. She did an awesome job developing characters and conflicts. Anyone who likes books written in a unique format would love this book. It is also great for people who like their books with a hint of romance and suspense. It is a wonderfully written young adult novel.