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Winner of Readers’ Favorite International Book Award, Young Adult-Social Issues.
“While a story of self-discovery, Spoken lends itself to a different curricular option for teachers, a world of possibilities to young readers, and a special inspiration to biological parents. I really enjoyed Spoken.”— Readers’ Favorite Review
High school freshman Roman Santi has everything — good looks, great friends, a mansion with an infinity swimming pool — except the one thing he really wants. A relationship with his father.
When Roman’s life gets turned upside down, (thanks, Mom!?), he is forced to leave his pampered Hollywood lifestyle and move into his grandparents’ Midwestern home. Sleeping on a lumpy pullout sofa and starting at a new high school is the worst, but Roman’s life starts to look up when his pink-haired friend, Zuzu, and his crush, a classmate named Claire, introduce him to performance poetry through the high school’s Spoken Word Club. While his mom is flying back and forth to L.A., trying to return them to the life they had, Roman becomes part of a diverse group of characters who challenge his rather privileged view of the world. Through Spoken Word, Roman recognizes the hole in his own life he needs to fill and discovers his voice. Spoken Word leads Roman on a journey of new friendships, first love, and finding the dad he never knew.
“Spoken” is an uplifting, funny, and heartfelt coming-of-age story that captures how the honesty of performance poetry binds together students from all different walks of life and forever changes Roman’s life.
Spoken is a best seller in the Young Adult books category. An important young adult story about first love, finding yourself in high school, parents and teens and finding your voice in spoken word club and through slam poetry.
Reviewed by Senior Reviewer Diane Donovan at Midwest Book ReviewsSpoken is not just another coming-of-age tale. It’s about the power and potential of a young man who receives mentoring from adults and peers, and who finds support and purpose in a revised life.Readers will follow his blossoming maturity easily, receiving a solid hand on the joystick of experience as Roman evolves in his own personal growth and relationships with others. Young adult readers of coming-of-age, rags-to-riches stories will find Spoken: A Novel holds more growth focus and insights on changing relationships than most. It’s written with a compelling vision that has its finger on the pulse of teen concerns and family interactions.Reviewed by Lisa Lickel for Windy City ReviewThe novel is a lovely, refreshingly sweet and poignant story about a kid not warped by a society and whose goal is to live happily ever after, be a friend, find friends, and find the father he’s never known. One of my favorite lines is from Roman’s first day at his new school, when he’s challenged by his mother’s over-the-top appearance as a minor movie star in exile: “Welcome to my world, where I’m happy my hippie grandma is the one taking me to school today.” Everybody knows about being fifteen. Teens suffer amid the transcending moments. Roman finds his transcending moment when a poem and a girl spark his interest and he joins an after-school poetry club. Weiss, a trained journalist, writes what she knows about Midwestern living and the experiences of the Spoken Word movement in high school and shares her inspiration for the novel. Roman shares his story through first-person present tense narrative, an effective method of bonding the reader to him. Spoken is not one of those in-your-face epic hero journeys. It’s a rare peek into a contemporary high school freshman year, where the onus to grab life and make meaningful memories is a primary objective.Find Melanie’s new book, “Crossing Lines,” on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com//dp/B08DM9N8M8/
Melanie Weiss lives and works in Oak Park, Illinois.
www.melanie-weiss.com
Publisher : Rosehip Publishing (March 13, 2019)
Language : English
Paperback : 200 pages
ISBN-10 : 0988609835
ISBN-13 : 978-0988609839
Reading age : 13 – 18 years
Item Weight : 9.6 ounces
Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book enjoyable and engaging for young adults and older readers alike. They appreciate the beautiful poetic language and witty tone. The story has a strong message about coming of age and working through issues. Readers praise the well-developed story and relatable characters. They find the sentimentality poignant and interesting, with a satisfying resolution.
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