Starlight Saturday

Weekly Book Review

If this book sounds familiar, it should as it's author, Jessie Colter, is featured in the YA Room this week. Haven't seen her feature yet? Click here.

As you may have learned in her feature spot or from her webpage, she's not new to the writing scene, just to the YA world. She has written a few very steamy books. One of them, A Slave to Her Passions, was reviewed a couple of weeks ago. Missed it? Want to check it out? Click here if 18 and over.

From the get go, the Colter's ability to write a blazing, sexy scene and create sexual tension catches you and keeps you flipping the pages. While the couple have some decent make-out sessions, fate seems to intervene to keep it from becoming more than that. Not bad, just frustrating from the standpoint of an adult reader - but a great example of how a teenage boy should respect a teenage girl. Because of the fact that this book does show some restraint and encourages teens to wait until they are adults, I have to say this is okay for younger readers.

Now, I will warn you that there are some party scenes in here and some not-so-good situations that I think are also appropriate for some of the younger teens to read so they can get an idea of the kinds of things that can happen to them should they trust the wrong people. Sometimes, those we feel we can trust turn out to be the ones we should run away from. It's confusing and not always easy for teens to figure out, especially in our Internet-heavy society where deception and evasion run rampant.

These points can also be used for an ice-breaker in conversations about drugs and drinking and the types of problems teens can find themselves in. You can use this time to make sure your teen knows that you are there for them, no matter what happens. As much as you may not condone drinking, drugs or sex, your kids may try them either because of curiosity, peer pressure, or no choice of their own. Please, please, please let them know that you'll always get them or be there for them if something happens - no questions asked!

Why do I encourage this? Because a teen who feels safe in the knowledge that you will always be there should they make a bad decision and don't know how to get out of it, will be more apt to discuss those things with you first. Plus, they sometimes make bad decisions and if they're calling you for help, it means they're scared and may have learned a valuable lesson. If they feel they're only going to get yelled at because they did something wrong, they'll be less likely to come to you for advice on anything. Remember, it's hard for them to come to you with teen issues because, in their eyes, you always see them as a child. They need to know you realize that they're growing up. Even if you both stumble through the discussion awkwardly, if you make a point to make your child feel cared for, respected and loved, that may be enough for them to make the right decision in the first place or come to you when in trouble.

Okay, off my soapbox now. It just seemed an appropriate time to discuss this point....

I do have more to say about this book, only I haven't been feeling too well today, so I will have to come back to it tomorrow!