Anne Tibbets

Let me tell you, going in to Shut Up I knew I was in for a pretty realistic read. What I didn't realize, was how vividly Anne Tibbets was going to share Mary's story. This is one of those books that is so raw, so real, that it hurts to read. However no matter how hard you try you just can't stop. Maybe it's morbid fascination, maybe it's concern for Mary, but either way you'll want to know how everything ends.

For Mary, life is about living in her sister's shadow. Still that isn't as easy as it sounds. For most adolescents, living in the shadow means being ignored. For Mary, it means being blamed for the sins of her older sister. Gwen is the type of character that makes you want to kick her. HARD. She is rude, selfish, and downright cruel to her younger sister. What broke my heart more than anything though was the way that the rest of Mary's family dealt with the stress. Here is a girl who is trying her best to just get by, but how can you stay positive when everything you say and do is always wrong?

What's most interesting about Mary's story is that her problems don't just stem from one location. There is nothing wrong with Mary. Sure, she might be a little bit lazy at times, or talk back, but what young person doesn't act like that at some point? Mary's problems come from outside sources. From the way her mother was raised, and now deals with stress. From the outside adults she tries to speak to that just don't comprehend what she is going through. Even from the possibility that she might somehow end up like her older sister. It isn't Mary who is the problem, but she is definitely the one who bears the brunt of it.

As an older reader, and one who has worked with kids for many years, I saw where Anne Tibbets was going with this story. She openly bears her soul through the use of Mary, and shows that being an adolescent can be a lot tougher than just wondering who will ask you to prom. This story is real. It's harsh. It's truth even within the fiction. There are kids out there who just need that one person who can read between the lines and see what they aren't saying out loud. Kids who are lost even when they look perfectly normal. Shut Up deals with child abuse, but it does it in a way that is a little more palatable than most. That's not to say that this is an easy read. Not by a long shot.

It did take me a little time to get through Shut Up, mostly because I was really hurting for poor Mary. However at the end of the day I feel better for having read it. Above all else, this story shows the power of the human spirit and the fact that sometimes, with the right help, things do get better. Despite a few minor issues, I really enjoyed this story. Readers who like a good contemporary, and are okay dealing with some of the more tough issues, should give this a shot.… (más)

Yes! I needed this so much after a couple of disappointing reads. Walled by Anne Tibbets is the second and final book in The Line Duology. I read the first book, Carrier, which was great, but it's like every last bug was worked out in Walled.

The Setting: in the future, but there is so much oppression that the society is not very advanced. The citizens are not free, they are hungry, there is a lack of sanitation, slavery is legal, and marshal law is in effect.

The Leads and How I Loved Them
Naya: has a passion for justice and is crazy fearless when it comes to doing the most extreme things like saving her community. Unfortunately, Naya has suffered some real trauma as a sex slave as explained in book one, and what she fears most are the things that most of us cherish. I love Naya and appreciate her heart. Although most of us can't relate to anything that Naya has gone through, but Anne Tibbets creates a builds into Naya something that feels so real that I felt a connection to her.

Ric: is not as selfless when it comes to 'saving the world', but he will do anything for Naya, so he is in all the same line of fire, but for different reasons. Ric loves Naya with a selfless love that is filled with patience and understanding. It isn't always easy loving a girl who has been through the things that Naya has.

What I Felt After Closing the Book
I was in awe at the girl who spent years as a sex slave, abused in every way possible, and then later led the way in changing things for millions of people for generations to come.

This book was so great that I didn't want it to end, but at the same time, it is brilliant that it did. Sometimes an author strings out a story until it becomes a disappointment, and Anne Tibbets delivered a great ending and closed the curtain with me yelling 'encore'. Well done.… (más)