Review: An excellent example of literary collaboration
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 2, 2013
Derrick, a seventeen year old, and his fifteen year old sister Arriane lose their parents in a tragic accident. Their aunt decides to move them together with their older brother Lucas; Lucas has a drug problem. The story starts on the day Derrick and Arriane enroll in a new high school, where both of them meet Skylar, the captain of the school's cheerleading squad.The family situation Derrick and Arriane find themselves in is problematic, to say the least. I would avoid calling the family "dysfunctional," for it's a rather broad term that does not describe the happenings exactly, as you'll find out while reading.The book is written in a first-person, however, from multiple points of view. Seeing the happenings as being perceived by multiple characters adds to the understanding of the story. One thing to note, is that this book is a collaboration work of multiple authors, yet all the pieces are so masterfully integrated, that the style is almost continuously uniform. The editors did a great job putting the story together.The book deals primarily with teenagers, so a fair share of teenage angst is present here. However, the message of the story--hope--comes through strongly. Considering that "The Struggle of Me" is a book of a charitable "Write to Read Project," an organization to improve literacy in British Columbia, this is a perfect book and a perfect message for such a cause. Recommended.