Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
A day at the beach is supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to include sunning yourself on the beach, digging in the sand, scoping out the guys (or girls, as the case may be). It’s supposed to include running into the surf, diving over and through the waves, splashing and swimming with your family and friends. When you leave, you’re supposed to leave with a smile on your face, a good tan, and all your body parts intact. A day at the beach is not supposed to include a shark attack. It’s not supposed to leave you in a coma, with an arm so badly mutilated that it has to be amputated. It’s not supposed to get you on the national news, complete with video documenting the attack, the blood in the water, and the panicked screams of the other beach goers. A day at the beach is not supposed to leave you bitter, angry, and wondering whether your life will ever be worth living again. But that’s where Jane’s visit to the beach leaves her.
Read Forever* and/or Ghost*.
*Note: Because I quoted several of her poems in my original post on this book, I am not including the text of the above poems here. I suspect that the booktalk would work without including the poems. However, since some readers are initially reluctant to try a book in verse, I like to give listeners a taste of the text to show them that it's more accessible than they might think.
A day at the beach is supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to include sunning yourself on the beach, digging in the sand, scoping out the guys (or girls, as the case may be). It’s supposed to include running into the surf, diving over and through the waves, splashing and swimming with your family and friends. When you leave, you’re supposed to leave with a smile on your face, a good tan, and all your body parts intact. A day at the beach is not supposed to include a shark attack. It’s not supposed to leave you in a coma, with an arm so badly mutilated that it has to be amputated. It’s not supposed to get you on the national news, complete with video documenting the attack, the blood in the water, and the panicked screams of the other beach goers. A day at the beach is not supposed to leave you bitter, angry, and wondering whether your life will ever be worth living again. But that’s where Jane’s visit to the beach leaves her.
Read Forever* and/or Ghost*.
*Note: Because I quoted several of her poems in my original post on this book, I am not including the text of the above poems here. I suspect that the booktalk would work without including the poems. However, since some readers are initially reluctant to try a book in verse, I like to give listeners a taste of the text to show them that it's more accessible than they might think.
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