Sticks and Stones | Review, Giveaway, & More~

Sticks & Stones by Dianne Beck
 
Published by: Acorn Publishing
 
Publication date: March 18th 2020
 
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult, Christian



    Synopsis: When fifteen-year-old Emily Greene wakes up to police banging on her door, she is shocked to see her mother arrested on drug charges.

Uprooted and in disbelief, Emily moves to a new town to stay with her grandmother, known as Crazy Carol for her outspoken faith and quirky behaviors. As if the arrest isn’t enough, kids at her new school immediately begin to stereotype and judge her based on the news they’ve heard about her mom.

Emily is sure her mother’s fiancé is to blame for the crime. He has conveniently disappeared since the day of the arrest. She’s determined to find him, and prove he’s at fault. But something awful happens, shaking her world yet again.

After this string of tragedies, Emily starts to question God, but is gently and consistently reminded by her grandmother, through stories she tells of all the sticks, leaves, and stones she collects, that God is her good and faithful parent.

Emily must learn that the words others say about her don’t matter, that her mom’s mistakes don’t define her, and she is always deeply loved by her heavenly father. If only she can learn to forgive herself.
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   Sticks and Stones was like a perfect combination and I was very surprised when I guessed wrong about what would happen. It was honestly quite a refreshing read.

 
  It starts off with our main character waking up to her mother's arrest, and her best friend/ long-time-crush gets sent with her to live with her grandmother that she hasn't seen or spoken to in a while. Our
 
 Emily and Jared have to start over in a new town, deal with her crazy grandmother (who really just loves God and thanks Him for every day he gives her), and figure out how to process Emily's mother and best friend her entire life being accused of things that Emily knows she couldn't have possibly done.


Such a beautiful book, the plot flew together and I had no way to guess what would happen next!

The romance was there, like a side dish prepared to strengthen characters and have you rooting for them again. It was not instant love, and I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect!


  As for the mystery part with Emily's mother and her arrest, I had a hard time with Emily's mom in the last half of the book. Mostly because the author did so well at making Emily's memories of her mom so awesome that you loved her too. I felt so disappointed right along with our protagonist for their little family.


I loved the side characters, the grandmother was so sweet and makes me miss my own grandmother very dearly.
 Seeing Emily grow and pursue to be happy and not just say ''I'm fine'', was so encouraging and heartwarming to read about and definitely what I needed right now.

 Maybe not a forever favorite read, but definitely a re-read in the future!

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About the Author: Dianne Beck

Dianne Beck has spent the majority of her career teaching students ranging from Kindergarten through adult. No matter what age, her biggest goal is to encourage her students to be their own unique selves, to have confidence in who they are, and to follow their passions.

Dianne’s debut young adult novel, Sticks and Stones, was inspired by her years of teaching, where she saw so many students struggle with varying issues, and also experienced how an understanding ear and relevant literature could make a significant impact on their lives. She hopes young people as well as adults can find faith and strength, like her main character Emily does, even when things seem to be falling apart.

Dianne is motivated daily by her faith in God, her husband, and her four adult children. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading, sipping coffee, browsing a bookstore, or pursuing a part-time faith and fitness ministry at www.ofcommonground.com.

Author links:
https://www.diannebeck.com/





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~Books with Noel