There are a lot of fiction books that when reading them, one can feel like they are actually in the story. It feels real. What if it was real?
Sharon M. Draper is an American fiction author whose books are based on true events. She comes up with fictional locations such as made up schools and restaurants and creates fictional characters, but the problems each character goes through are based off of one of her real life experiences.
Her book, “Blended,” is about a girl named Isabella. Isabella, also known as Izzy, goes through many problems including bullying at school, divorced parents and receiving glares out in public due to her race.
The book starts off with Izzy talking about the piano. She constantly describes the crisp, yet sweet sound of a piano’s keys to form beautiful melodies. She has been playing the piano for eight years through teaching herself how to read music and recognize tunes. A piano for Izzy gives her comfort when her life becomes too stressful and is a nice escape from reality.
However, it is not possible to take a piano everywhere, so it is hard for Izzy to often find comfort out in public. Izzy feels uncomfortable out in public depending on which parent she is with. When she is with her dad, she does not get a lot of stares because she and her dad look alike. It is the complete opposite for her mom. She does not look anything like her mom, so when Izzy is in public with her it can feel uncomfortable with all the judgemental glares.
To overcome all these nerves, she talks it out with her step-brother, Darren, about how hard it is to deal with constantly switching between their homes. She feels like a push-and-pull with her parents. Darren consoles her by sharing how he has similar feelings. Izzy then starts to gain trust in Darren knowing that now she is not alone in this change between her parents divorce. Darren often takes her for ice cream after school as a way of comforting her through her problems.
Children or teens that may be dealing with bullying at school or being involved in their parents divorce, might find Izzy a comforting character in the book they can relate to.
I think this novel is great for preteen and teenage girls. During these years, girls are struggling to figure out what kind of life they want to live and often to find their purpose in life. This book gives the perspective of a girl who has to deal with challenges that the world has given her and these challenges often come with a lot of different emotions.
As a teenager, I have faced many challenges including my insecurities about my outer appearance, just like Izzy was insecure about some of her outer appearance. These insecurities may be different, but it is still a soft reminder that I am not the only one thinking this way.