Monday, December 29, 2014

Around The World ARC Tours Presents When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez



About The Book:

13 Reasons Why meets the poetry of Emily Dickinson in this gripping debut novel perfect for fans of Sara Zarr or Jennifer Brown.

A Goth girl with an attitude problem, Elizabeth Davis must learn to control her anger before it destroys her. Emily Delgado appears to be a smart, sweet girl, with a normal life, but as depression clutches at her, she struggles to feel normal. Both girls are in Ms. Diaz’s English class, where they connect to the words of Emily Dickinson. Both are hovering on the edge of an emotional precipice. One of them will attempt suicide. And with Dickinson’s poetry as their guide, both girls must conquer their personal demons to ever be happy.

In an emotionally taut novel with a richly diverse cast of characters, readers will relish in the poetry of Emily Dickinson and be completely swept up in the turmoil of two girls grappling with demons beyond their control.

"When Reason Breaks is infused with a rare blend of suspense and sensitivity, despair and hope. The poetic spirit of Emily Dickinson shines through the gloom of daily struggles faced by modern teens, as they discover the possibilities where they dwell."

--Margarita Engle
Newbery Honor-winning author of The Surrender Tree

Goodreads:


My Review:


When Reason Breaks is an amazing story. While I was reading I had this picture in my head of a goth girl wearing all black and being all moody sitting in an English class. I kept laughing to myself and thinking back to my English classes and the people that were in them and I remember this one girl she was a mix of goth and the clown posse and lord everyday she would come in so depressed and sad that I would wonder what was wrong with her. She brought the mood down in the class.

I also love poetry and Emily Dickinson's writing. Cindy put together a great story and made me love poetry even more. The story flowed smoothly and I loved both main characters Elizabeth and Emily. Emily was the normal girl who was depressed and no one knew she was depressed because she hid it well. She went to school and did everything she was supposed to and went home and was the perfect daughter. Then you have Elizabeth, she is angry and can't control it. She wears black all the time and she stays with an angry look so people will leave her alone.

Then something happens in Ms Diaz English class that has both girls taking a serious look at their lives and the people in it. What happens when angry meets depressed meets the uplifting Dickinson? This is a must read story for all poetry lovers as well as all readers who love a good story about two girls just trying to make it instead of breaking it. What will happen to them? Will they live or will they die?


About The Author:

THE BASICS:

Hi! I’m Cindy L. Rodriguez, the author of When Reason Breaks, a young adult novel that will be published byBloomsbury Children’s Books USA (2/10/2015). I am represented by Laura Langlie. I teach middle school reading and college-level composition. Before becoming a teacher, I worked as a reporter for The Hartford Courant and as a researcher for The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team, an investigative group. I have a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut, a master’s degree from Central Connecticut State University, and two teaching certifications. I live in Connecticut with my daughter and rescue mutt.

THE DETAILS:


I was born in Chicago and lived there for the first 12 years of my life. My family then moved to Connecticut, where I attended Bethel High School and graduated fromCrosby High School in Waterbury. In 1993, I graduated from UConn with a degree in journalism and English. In 2007, I completed my master’s degree in English at CCSU.

While at UConn, I worked long days at The Daily Campus, the student-run newspaper. There, I met some of my best friends and fell in love with journalism. After graduating from UConn, I worked as a reporter at The Hartford Courant for a total of five years and as a researcher for The Boston Globe for two years.

In 2000, I took a leap of faith and left journalism to become a teacher. After completing the state’s Alternate Route to Certification, I was hired to teach 8th grade language arts at Portland (CT) Middle School. After three years, I left Portland and took a one-year leave from teaching to work on my master’s degree full-time.


After my year of graduate work, I returned to teaching. I was hired by the West Hartford school district to teach 7th grade language arts at King Philip Middle School.

Six years later, and after earning a second certification through another alternate route program run by Albertus Magnus College, I moved to Hall High School to be the reading teacher/specialist. I have since moved back to King Philip as a 6th and 7th grade reading teacher/specialist and started as an adjunct professor at Tunxis Community College.

When Reason Breaks is my first novel.

No comments: