[ULR]≫ Descargar Free Before My Eyes Caroline Bock Books

Before My Eyes Caroline Bock Books

Download As PDF : Before My Eyes Caroline Bock Books

Before My Eyes Caroline Bock Books

Wow. Certainly NOT your typical YA story on coming of age. The author Caroline Bock doesn't pull any punches in this story, and though the main characters are teens, parents might want to read this one first to be able to discuss the story when their child(ren) are finished with the book.

Claire is 17 and is in charge of her little sister since her mom had a stroke and her father basically lives at the hospital. Max, also 17, is the son of a senator. Barkley is a bit of a loner who's only real relationships are the ones with the voices in his head. They all work together at a place called the Snack Shack during the summer, but not much happens between them until a political rally on Labor Day brings things to a shocking standstill.

The story tells us how each of these three people deal with their own emotional and mental burdens. Clair is depressed and overwhelmed being left in charge of the house and her six year old sister while her father is at the hospital every possible moment. Max feels bullied and used by his father whom he feels is using him just to further his political ambitions. Barkley struggles with schizophrenia and the voices in his head. Should he do what he knows is right, or give in and stop fighting the what the voices are telling him to do? While reading, my mind kept questioning what was going on in the story. Why didn't Claire's dad realize he needed to fight for his daughters as much as he was fighting for his wife? Why didn't Max understand that having a parent in politics meant being a puppet for the public? Didn't his father care enough to keep his son out of the press spotlight until he was mature enough to deal with it? How could Barkley's parents not do more for him? Didn't anyone else have concerns about Barkley and his increasing withdrawal from everyone? I appreciate that Ms. Bock doesn't give easy, simplistic answers and presents people in a realistic way. Claire's dad likely would be so consumed with fear and grief that he thought of little else but his wife. Max's father may have assumed Max was used to the public eye and on board with doing what he could to help his father's political career, especially if Max never spoke up. And when it comes to tragic events, hindsight is always 20/20. People then see how things could have been done differently, what choices could have been made to avoid the event. Ms. Bock has given readers a fictitious but quite realistic story that will stay with you.

I do wish Ms. Bock had given us more of Barkley's story, or at least the same share given to Claire and Max. The personal stories of each character are reflective of what many readers have experienced in their own lives. An absent parent (or parents), a sick relative, pressure to do things they don't want to do, massive amounts of stress, coping with mental illness that is either their own or of someone they love. Though the subject matter is serious and rather mature, this is a good book for older teens (14-15+) to read and discuss with their parents. No one truly knows what they would do when placed in a certain situation, but talking about and knowing options ahead of time could make a big difference.


Tags : Amazon.com: Before My Eyes (0884548700802): Caroline Bock: Books,Caroline Bock,Before My Eyes,St. Martin's Griffin,1250045584,Social Themes - Bullying,Social Themes - General,Social Themes - Violence,Dysfunctional families,Family problems,Family problems;Fiction.,JUVENILE FICTION Social Issues Adolescence,JUVENILE FICTION Social Issues Violence,Long Island (N.Y.),Mental illness,Mental illness;Fiction.,Politics, Practical,Schizophrenia,Schizophrenia;Fiction.,060601 SMP Trade Juvenile,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12),Fiction,Fiction-General,JUVENILE,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Fiction Social Themes Violence,Juvenile FictionFamily - General,Juvenile FictionPolitics & Government,Juvenile FictionSocial Themes - Adolescence,Juvenile FictionSocial Themes - Depression & Mental Illness,Juvenile Grades 10-12 Ages 15+,Personal & social issues: bullying, violence & abuse (Children's Teenage),Social Themes - Adolescence,Social Themes - Depression & Mental Illness,Social Themes General (see also headings under Family),TEEN'S FICTION - GENERAL,United States,Violence; violent; violent behavior; books about violence; human violence; youth violence; violence book; ya books; ya novels; ya fiction; teen books; books for teens; teen fiction; young adult books; young adult fiction; young adult; ya; teen; teens,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Bullying,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes General (see also headings under Family),YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Violence,Juvenile Fiction Social Themes Violence,Juvenile FictionFamily - General,Juvenile FictionPolitics & Government,Juvenile FictionSocial Themes - Adolescence,Juvenile FictionSocial Themes - Depression & Mental Illness,Social Themes - Adolescence,Social Themes - Depression & Mental Illness,Social Themes General (see also headings under Family),YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Bullying,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes General (see also headings under Family),YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Violence,Fiction,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12),Personal & social issues: bullying, violence & abuse (Children's Teenage)

Before My Eyes Caroline Bock Books Reviews

Before My Eyes takes a story that is literally ripped from the headlines and uses it to address issues surrounding mental illness, mass shootings, and gun violence. Unfortunately, I didn't feel that this novel offered up much of anything that was insightful, illuminating, or authentic in its efforts to portray one young man's descent into the grips of schizophrenia and the violent tragedy that results.

This novel begins with a mass shooting that takes place at a political rally. The author then takes us back in time to visit three main characters in the days leading up to the shooting. We meet Claire, a young teen struggling to keep her family together after her mother has a stroke. Max is the son of a state senator whose parents are busily campaigning for re-election. Barkley is an employee of the beach snack bar, 21 years old, and at loose ends after having been expelled from the local community college. The lives of these three characters intersect in unexpected ways in the days leading up to the tragedy that ends up impacting all their lives.

The author's method of introducing her story with the "main event" did little to add any sort of suspense to this novel. It became a slow, painful slog through a lot of teen angst before we came once again to the crux of the matter, namely what made this young person pick up a gun. Curiously, this book spends very little time on this question. We spend much more time with Max and Claire, both characters who were portrayed as incredibly self-absorbed and surprisingly unlikeable. The author does everything she can to throw as many clichéd teen problems at these two as she can fit in these pages, and what she can't afflict these guys with, she gives to a couple of the secondary characters. If you are having trouble finding something to relate to, just wait, it will turn up in a minute. Despite these heroic efforts, these characters never rise beyond two dimensions.

I will state that I am not part of this book's target audience. Young readers will no doubt have a much different reaction to this story, however I will caution that anyone looking for a story with emotional depth and any sort of significant cultural examination of tough issues facing our country best look elsewhere. This is a grim, angst ridden tale that fails to do more than scratch the surface of the issues it tries to tackle. The story structure leads to a narrative that is less than compelling, and the characters never seemed like real teens. Parents in this book are portrayed as totally ineffectual, unaware, and useless. The author offers up some valuable information concerning schizophrenia, but does it in a way that felt more "after school special" than good story telling.

Before My Eyes is a largely ineffectual look at violence, mental illness, and assorted other teen issues. It failed to compel, entertain, or educate and is not a recommend for young adult or adult readers.
Wow. Certainly NOT your typical YA story on coming of age. The author Caroline Bock doesn't pull any punches in this story, and though the main characters are teens, parents might want to read this one first to be able to discuss the story when their child(ren) are finished with the book.

Claire is 17 and is in charge of her little sister since her mom had a stroke and her father basically lives at the hospital. Max, also 17, is the son of a senator. Barkley is a bit of a loner who's only real relationships are the ones with the voices in his head. They all work together at a place called the Snack Shack during the summer, but not much happens between them until a political rally on Labor Day brings things to a shocking standstill.

The story tells us how each of these three people deal with their own emotional and mental burdens. Clair is depressed and overwhelmed being left in charge of the house and her six year old sister while her father is at the hospital every possible moment. Max feels bullied and used by his father whom he feels is using him just to further his political ambitions. Barkley struggles with schizophrenia and the voices in his head. Should he do what he knows is right, or give in and stop fighting the what the voices are telling him to do? While reading, my mind kept questioning what was going on in the story. Why didn't Claire's dad realize he needed to fight for his daughters as much as he was fighting for his wife? Why didn't Max understand that having a parent in politics meant being a puppet for the public? Didn't his father care enough to keep his son out of the press spotlight until he was mature enough to deal with it? How could Barkley's parents not do more for him? Didn't anyone else have concerns about Barkley and his increasing withdrawal from everyone? I appreciate that Ms. Bock doesn't give easy, simplistic answers and presents people in a realistic way. Claire's dad likely would be so consumed with fear and grief that he thought of little else but his wife. Max's father may have assumed Max was used to the public eye and on board with doing what he could to help his father's political career, especially if Max never spoke up. And when it comes to tragic events, hindsight is always 20/20. People then see how things could have been done differently, what choices could have been made to avoid the event. Ms. Bock has given readers a fictitious but quite realistic story that will stay with you.

I do wish Ms. Bock had given us more of Barkley's story, or at least the same share given to Claire and Max. The personal stories of each character are reflective of what many readers have experienced in their own lives. An absent parent (or parents), a sick relative, pressure to do things they don't want to do, massive amounts of stress, coping with mental illness that is either their own or of someone they love. Though the subject matter is serious and rather mature, this is a good book for older teens (14-15+) to read and discuss with their parents. No one truly knows what they would do when placed in a certain situation, but talking about and knowing options ahead of time could make a big difference.