Review: Great YA Book--for All ages
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 19, 2013
I received this book free from Library Thing to read and review. This book is about a young girl, Rebecca, who has been bullied at school for several years.  After an unsuccessful attempt at suicide, she goes to a boarding school in Israel.  There, Rebecca re-invents herself into someone who fits in better and has a few friends. However, even there, some of her friends show her that all friendships are not wonderful and totally fulfilling. The characters in this book are very realistic.  Having Rebecca attend school in Israel provides one way for the author to show how someone, terribly unhappy in one local, can become happier and more satisfied in another, yet still remain basically the same person. It is interesting that the external influences, persons, places and situations are what make the difference in her life. Throughout the book, the reader feels the various emotions that Rebecca feels as she works to become more accepted by her peers and to fit into the situation. This whole storyline shows us that we can become someone else, though situations and people with whom we interact can be very important to how we are perceived. There is a good overview of student life in Israel (vastly different from here in the USA) as well as some good insights into the Israeli military and the essence of being Jewish in Israel. Though way beyond the teen age group who are the intended audience of this book, I still found it easy to relate to the people, places and situations. I enjoyed reading the book and look forward to reading more by the same author.