FEATURE BOOK OF THE WEEK
TORN AWAY
by
Jennifer Brown
Jersey Cameron has always loved a good storm. Watching the clouds roll
in and the wind pick up. Smelling the electricity in the air. Dancing
barefoot in the rain. She lives in the Midwest, after all, where the
weather is sure to keep you guessing. Jersey knows what to do when the
tornado sirens sound. But she never could have prepared for this.
When
her town is devastated by a tornado, Jersey loses everything. As she
struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with relatives she
hardly knows -- family who might as well be strangers. In an unfamiliar
place, can Jersey discover that even on the darkest of days, there are
some things no tornado can destroy?
In this powerful and poignant novel, acclaimed author Jennifer Brown delivers a story of love, loss, hope, and survival.
Author Post
Sometimes I like to say that being a writer isn’t about
“coming up with story ideas” as much as it is paying attention to the ideas
that are already all around you. Story ideas are in the news, they’re hidden in
a Facebook post or frozen inside an Instagram photo. They’re in overheard
conversations. They’re in weird and unpredictable situations. They’re in epic
fails and epic triumphs. They’re in your history. Sometimes they’re just in
your heart.
Torn Away was one of those in-my-heart stories.
Some books do take a little bit of coaxing to come out,
blinking and timid, into the real world. You might find yourself trying to
write to an expectation, or to an obligation, or to a proposal that felt a lot more
seamless in synopsis than in actual book. In those cases, it really can feel
like you’re “coming up with ideas.”
But other books just seem to be there, waiting at the tips
of your fingers, pushing and nudging to be let out. They’re filled with
characters who talk to you in your quiet moments. They’re the ones that seem to
magically come together. They’re the ones whose characters seem to have the
perfect voices for what you have to say.
Torn Away wasn’t just a tornado book for me. I mean, it was,
and the tornado was a huge part of what happened to Jersey. Tornadoes are scary
and existent in our area, and I chose a tornado because the “what if” of their
devastation is a real and present worry in our lives. But the story could have
as easily been about an earthquake or a car accident or a building collapse or
a cancer or…any sort of tragedy, large or small. It was Jersey that was
important to me.
Jersey was stripped of everything she loved, everything central
to her, everything that made her feel safe and secure. She was forced to face a
new life, alone, and tap into reserves of strength she didn’t even know she
had. She had to be not just resilient, but capital-R Resilient. Actually, all
caps RESILIENT.
Sometimes, and at any time, we can all find ourselves
tapping into that all caps RESILIENCE inside of us. We don’t need to experience
loss at the same level that Jersey did to lose everything—or even just what
feels like everything—important, loved, and safe in our lives. Jersey might
look at our problems and think, Is that
it? But more likely, she would put her hand on our backs and say, You’ve got this.
Because you do, and if there was one thing I wanted Jersey’s
story to say to you, it’s just that. Regardless of what your tornado looks
like, you’ve all caps GOT THIS. I know this, because the story was in my heart
from the very beginning.
About the Author
Jennifer's debut middle grade novel, Life on Mars, was released in 2014, and her second middle grade novel, How Lunchbox Jones Saved Me from Robots, Traitors, and Missy the Cruel will be released in summer 2015.
Jennifer writes and lives in the Kansas City, Missouri area, with her husband and three children.
12 Delicious Comments:
I can't wait to read this book, because it sounds very interesting with the situation that Jersey has to face.-St. Gabriel the Archangel
this book sounds very interesting when Jersey finds herself in a difficult situation because of a tornado.-St. Gabriel the Archangel
Torn Away by Jennifer Brown was by far my favorite book battle book I've read so far my favorite part is when Jersey's Aunt takes her to get their hair done and when Jersey gets Marin's dream cat and names it E.C. Swing after the dance Marin wanted Jersey to learn.
Hazelwood Central Book Battle Club
We are excited to read this book. Living in an area that has a lot of tornadoes we think we are going to be able to make a lot of personal connections.
-Hazelwood Central Book Battle Club
I would read this book because it sounds like a thriller with excitement and suspense. It sounds like the book I am reading, The Lovely Bones, because the character in that story has to be strong watching her parents cry and get upset while she is in heaven, just like Jersey has to be strong. ~Quentin, Lift for Life Academy
Normally, I do not like to read this genre. I like that Jersey is resilient, so I could probably read this book. The book description makes me think of a movie with Samuel Jackson where he had to be resilient. ~Amarion. Lift for Life Academy
I think this book sounds very interesting because of its plot of a girl having to go live with relatives she didn't know, who she thinks of as strangers because of the tornado. ~Kameron, Lift for Life Academy
I think this book will be a tragic, yet awesome page turner. I haven't read a single page yet, but from prior knowledge, I know it will have a lot of drama. I wonder what type of family she will live with. ~Shamia, Lift for Life Academy
I think this book will be very popular with our students. A lot of our students love Hate List, so I think they will be excited to read another great book from Jennifer Brown. Realistic fiction is one of the most popular genres at our school. ~ Mrs. Shannon Steimel, Librarian, Lift for Life Academy
I thought that Torn Away was pretty good. It was predictable that Marin and Jersey's mother were going to die, but after that I thought that the story line was very unique. Jersey's character was very realistic. She had so many emotions throughout the book and the way it was written made me feel those emotions as well.
From Cross Keys Middle School Says,
Torn Away by Jennifer Brown is an amazing realistic fiction that brings out the possibility of tragedy. She not only shows how hard it is to cope with a tragedy, but also how hard it is to keep up hope and faith for good after a tragedy. This book will make you laugh , smile , cry , and cheer on the characters while they go through a very testing and tough time.
Cross Keys Middle School,
Jennifer Brown is one of my favorite authors. Her stories are so realistic and emotional! I've read Hate List, Perfect Escape, and other books by her, but Torn Away is one of my absolute favorites!
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