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Slipping Reality
In a time of hardship and heartbreak, sometimes, reality just isn't enough. Slipping Reality is the story of fourteen-year-old Katelyn Emerson, who, when faced with the glaring reality of her brother's illness, rebels against the truth by slipping away into the depths of her own imagination. There, she finds the kind of support and comfort she feels she deserves. There, she does not have to feel so alone. And yet, as Katelyn's grasp on reality begins to unravel, so too does the story of a girl who grew up too fast and fell apart too soon. Emily Beaver's debut novel is a coming of age story that deals with the trials of young grief, insight, and growth where it's least expected.
- GenresYoung Adult
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2011
209 people want to read
About the author
Emily Beaver
2 books9 followersEmily Beaver first wrote the title "Slipping Reality" at fourteen years old. A dedicated writer since the age of eight, she had always dreamt of publishing a novel in her teenage years, and it was the death of her brother Matthew that gave her the courage. Emily is currently a senior in high school, and her work can be seen in "Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cancer Book" various magazines, and thisibelieve.org. She is also a regular contributor on SparkNotes.com. In addition to writing, Emily loves acting, singing, and knowing Disneyland better than her own school campus. She lives in San Diego, California with her parents Ellisa and Steven, and their two German Shepherds, Rocket and Nala. You can follow her on her website at www.emilysreality.com.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 21, 2012
It would be a lie to say that there aren’t many books that leave me crying my eyes out, but there certainly hasn’t been any recently. This changed when I reached the end of Slipping Reality. I was so affected by this book and I simply loved how rich and raw it left me. I knew the ending, I knew what was coming and yet, at the same time, I did not expect it to affect me quite so much. It is, just as Katelyn herself comments, that even when watching your favourite movies and you know what is going to happen, that doesn’t stop the tears from flowing. This book moved me in ways I didn’t really think were possible.
Going into this book, I knew that it was going to be a sad tale but never did I expect it to talk to me quite so much. As Katelyn goes on her journey, I found myself relation to her and her character and how it was with my Grandad. I recognised the fear that she felt and I just wanted to reach through the pages and comfort her. This was such a well-written story that I’m worried this review won’t reflect just how brilliant the book actually was but I’m really going to try my hardest and just hope that it comes out right.
This story is full of imagination and creativity, it is creativeness that sparks from the author, Emily but is shown through the character of Katelyn and the “alternate” reality that she has slipped into. All Katelyn wants and needs is someone to comfort her, someone to be there for her in a way that she can’t be there for her brother, Matthew. In step her “imaginative friends”, Tristan and Cedric. They are there for her in every way she needs but she can’t quite explain what happens when they’re around. Are they real? Is she dreaming? Does she go to another reality? I loved the concept of this and completely understood it. Sometimes, all we want is an escape, all we want to do is run but we have to be strong and face the things around us or we may end up to regret it.
I loved the characters in this story. I loved how realistic they all were. Her best friend Lauren and how she would steer the conversation in whichever way she felt Katelyn needed it but also felt left behind when Katelyn went off into her “fantasies”. I adored Matthew and how he acted around his sister, in spite of everything, and I loved how strong he was when he really didn’t have to be. He showed that Cancer doesn’t have to beat you if you don’t let it. But really, I absolutely adored Katelyn. I related to her so much and I loved that she just tried to get on with her life, she pushed everything aside and just got on with her daily life because she had to. So when an escape was given to her, instead of questioning it too much, she just let it happen because she needed it. All of the characters were really well-written and helped to make the story that much better.
The writing in this book was really good. It faltered here and there and became a bit choppy in places but this certainly didn’t deter from the overall feel of the book. What’s more, this was written when Emily Beaver was only fourteen years old and while that shouldn’t mean I should cut her some slack, I will, because the rest of the book was just so incredible that the few problems here and there is stunning as some authors could never write a book so beautiful and rich. I adored the over-all running theme throughout the book and the way that Katelyn dealt with it all.
There was some beautiful imagery within this novel that I truly admired, and it was full of imagination and spark and is a book that I would whole-heartedly recommend to others. If you’ve ever been through loss, or are going through loss, I feel that this book would help you to get through it, to understand that you’re not alone in this world, that you’re never alone. It might also help you to feel stronger, to not make mistakes and it might make you realise how strong your actions can be and how, even though escaping may feel brilliant, it won’t always be that way. I have to admit that while I was reading I kept thinking that Tristan and Cedric were a sign that Katelyn herself had cancer, but this would just be me and my lack of imagination but once I got passed that thought, I truly saw this story for what it wanted to be; a marvellous read full of imagination and escape.
I received this title from netgalley and am posting my review as part of the Slipping Reality blog tour! Please pop over and visit all of the different hops on this tour! (Click the image at the top for them all) This book deserves it. There is only two days left but that doesn’t mean you can’t go and visit the stops that have already happened! Oh, and when you get a chance, make sure you purchase this book, I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.
Going into this book, I knew that it was going to be a sad tale but never did I expect it to talk to me quite so much. As Katelyn goes on her journey, I found myself relation to her and her character and how it was with my Grandad. I recognised the fear that she felt and I just wanted to reach through the pages and comfort her. This was such a well-written story that I’m worried this review won’t reflect just how brilliant the book actually was but I’m really going to try my hardest and just hope that it comes out right.
This story is full of imagination and creativity, it is creativeness that sparks from the author, Emily but is shown through the character of Katelyn and the “alternate” reality that she has slipped into. All Katelyn wants and needs is someone to comfort her, someone to be there for her in a way that she can’t be there for her brother, Matthew. In step her “imaginative friends”, Tristan and Cedric. They are there for her in every way she needs but she can’t quite explain what happens when they’re around. Are they real? Is she dreaming? Does she go to another reality? I loved the concept of this and completely understood it. Sometimes, all we want is an escape, all we want to do is run but we have to be strong and face the things around us or we may end up to regret it.
“If you don’t face tomorrow, Katelyn, who will?”
I loved the characters in this story. I loved how realistic they all were. Her best friend Lauren and how she would steer the conversation in whichever way she felt Katelyn needed it but also felt left behind when Katelyn went off into her “fantasies”. I adored Matthew and how he acted around his sister, in spite of everything, and I loved how strong he was when he really didn’t have to be. He showed that Cancer doesn’t have to beat you if you don’t let it. But really, I absolutely adored Katelyn. I related to her so much and I loved that she just tried to get on with her life, she pushed everything aside and just got on with her daily life because she had to. So when an escape was given to her, instead of questioning it too much, she just let it happen because she needed it. All of the characters were really well-written and helped to make the story that much better.
The writing in this book was really good. It faltered here and there and became a bit choppy in places but this certainly didn’t deter from the overall feel of the book. What’s more, this was written when Emily Beaver was only fourteen years old and while that shouldn’t mean I should cut her some slack, I will, because the rest of the book was just so incredible that the few problems here and there is stunning as some authors could never write a book so beautiful and rich. I adored the over-all running theme throughout the book and the way that Katelyn dealt with it all.
“I don’t really believe there’s anything that hasn’t been said about the beauty of the ocean. But think how its benefit, how it guides us. We crash and burn, we pull in and out, and we are never fully aware of how powerful we truly are as a unit. The water knows no limits, because when you slice through it ...” Tristan made a slash in the water with his free hand, “it just forms itself back together again.”
There was some beautiful imagery within this novel that I truly admired, and it was full of imagination and spark and is a book that I would whole-heartedly recommend to others. If you’ve ever been through loss, or are going through loss, I feel that this book would help you to get through it, to understand that you’re not alone in this world, that you’re never alone. It might also help you to feel stronger, to not make mistakes and it might make you realise how strong your actions can be and how, even though escaping may feel brilliant, it won’t always be that way. I have to admit that while I was reading I kept thinking that Tristan and Cedric were a sign that Katelyn herself had cancer, but this would just be me and my lack of imagination but once I got passed that thought, I truly saw this story for what it wanted to be; a marvellous read full of imagination and escape.
I received this title from netgalley and am posting my review as part of the Slipping Reality blog tour! Please pop over and visit all of the different hops on this tour! (Click the image at the top for them all) This book deserves it. There is only two days left but that doesn’t mean you can’t go and visit the stops that have already happened! Oh, and when you get a chance, make sure you purchase this book, I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.
March 29, 2012
My review copy of Slipping Reality was generously provided by the good folks at JKS Communications on behalf of the author, Emily Beaver.
Slipping Reality. The title literally says it all. Katelyn Emerson's life kind of sucks. Seriously. Her brother - her best friend and confidant - is dying of cancer before her very eyes. She is stuck in an otherwise boring and average teenage world in which she is always and forever known as the-girl-with-the-sick-brother. So what does she do to deal? She develops her own reality. Literally. Complete with a boyfriend and a mentor who appear exactly when she needs them, to provide exactly what she needs - be it a vacation getaway, hugs and kisses, or someone to share their own encounter with death.
These are more than imaginary friends though. Katelyn's versions have weight and substance. She physically interacts with them - or at least seems to. And yet, as the story develops, it becomes apparent that only she can see them. And one of them repeatedly tells her, straight out, that he isn't real.
Wild stuff.
There is a very intriguing premise here and a very clever construct. The concept of mental retreat to deal with trauma isn't new ground psychologically speaking, but the deft handling of it here, in a YA context, is - at least to me. I must confess that I felt that the story could have benefited from some additional editing (things jumped around a bit more than I like on a few occasions, and while sometimes this was okay because it seemed indicative of the scattered state of Katelyn's mind, most of the time it was just confusing) and felt that the ending tied things up altogether too neatly. At least, I felt that way until I read the biographical notes at the end of the book and learned that Emily Beaver wrote the story when she was fourteen in response to her own brother's illness and subsequent death. Wow.
I still think that a little more editing would have helped strengthen what was otherwise a strong concept. But now I'm glad to see a neat, tidy ending - because I hope it means that things came together for Emily in as neat and tidy a way as possible. Katelyn's/Emily's journey is a moving one. The shifts between realities are trippy and confusing at first - in the best possible way. For a while, I honestly did not know that Katelyn's new friends weren't "real" in the everyone-can-see-them sense. I entered into Katelyn's reality for a little while, and while I may not have stayed right there throughout the course of the whole book (there were a few meandering plot points and a few spots where things got a little predictable for me), the time I spent there was unusual and surprising and sometimes altogether odd (in a good way). On behalf of your readers, thank you Emily, for your efforts to share your experiences with us.
Slipping Reality. The title literally says it all. Katelyn Emerson's life kind of sucks. Seriously. Her brother - her best friend and confidant - is dying of cancer before her very eyes. She is stuck in an otherwise boring and average teenage world in which she is always and forever known as the-girl-with-the-sick-brother. So what does she do to deal? She develops her own reality. Literally. Complete with a boyfriend and a mentor who appear exactly when she needs them, to provide exactly what she needs - be it a vacation getaway, hugs and kisses, or someone to share their own encounter with death.
These are more than imaginary friends though. Katelyn's versions have weight and substance. She physically interacts with them - or at least seems to. And yet, as the story develops, it becomes apparent that only she can see them. And one of them repeatedly tells her, straight out, that he isn't real.
Wild stuff.
There is a very intriguing premise here and a very clever construct. The concept of mental retreat to deal with trauma isn't new ground psychologically speaking, but the deft handling of it here, in a YA context, is - at least to me. I must confess that I felt that the story could have benefited from some additional editing (things jumped around a bit more than I like on a few occasions, and while sometimes this was okay because it seemed indicative of the scattered state of Katelyn's mind, most of the time it was just confusing) and felt that the ending tied things up altogether too neatly. At least, I felt that way until I read the biographical notes at the end of the book and learned that Emily Beaver wrote the story when she was fourteen in response to her own brother's illness and subsequent death. Wow.
I still think that a little more editing would have helped strengthen what was otherwise a strong concept. But now I'm glad to see a neat, tidy ending - because I hope it means that things came together for Emily in as neat and tidy a way as possible. Katelyn's/Emily's journey is a moving one. The shifts between realities are trippy and confusing at first - in the best possible way. For a while, I honestly did not know that Katelyn's new friends weren't "real" in the everyone-can-see-them sense. I entered into Katelyn's reality for a little while, and while I may not have stayed right there throughout the course of the whole book (there were a few meandering plot points and a few spots where things got a little predictable for me), the time I spent there was unusual and surprising and sometimes altogether odd (in a good way). On behalf of your readers, thank you Emily, for your efforts to share your experiences with us.
March 28, 2012
From Goodreads:
In a time of hardship and heartbreak, sometimes, reality just isn’t enough. Slipping Reality is the story of fourteen-year-old Katelyn Emerson, who, when faced with the glaring reality of her brother’s illness, rebels against the truth by slipping away into the depths of her own imagination. There, she finds the kind of support and comfort she feels she deserves. There, she does not have to feel so alone. And yet, as Katelyn’s grasp on reality begins to unravel, so too does the story of a girl who grew up too fast and fell apart too soon. Emily Beaver’s debut novel is a coming of age story that deals with the trials of young grief, insight, and growth where it’s least expected.
Everyone has a time in their life when they need to escape. Whether it be from a relationship, work, health, family, death, it’s something we all go through and for most people we need to go through it more than once. In this book, Katelyn takes to her imagination as an escape. For her, the only way to get out of reality and the only way to find someone who will understand is to go somewhere else. I take to the road when I need to escape. A good drive always does it for me. When my uncle died recently, he lived 2.5 hours away, so I had 10 hours on the road the week he died travelling back and forth to be with family. Others take to writing, crying, eating…. you do what you need to do to cope.
The thing that I loved about this book most, before I even read it, was the heart behind this story. Emily Beaver wrote this book when she was 14 and in Katelyn’s shoes. Emily’s brother was dying of cancer, just like Katelyn’s. This is one of those books that is filled with so much feeling that you can’t help but feel attached to it if you have gone through similar or even know a family who has felt this pain. There are some books that you read and wonder “Well how would they know how that feels?” Knowing that Emily went through this, I feel that her heart and feelings are bound in this book and I could feel them from the start to the end.
I also loved the lesson I learned from this book and it’s one that anyone can make room to learn. What was originally just a small escape for Katelyn took over her life more than she ever imagined it. After one trip to her fantasy land, she couldn’t get enough and wanted to be there more than reality. It kind of became an addiction for her. In the end of the book, Katelyn ends up escaping so much that she misses out on something she can never get back. It’s definitely something to think about. You can’t, at any point in life, let an escape take over. And these escapes aren’t always going to be something that’s hazardous to your health or harmful to your family, but it’s a lesson that you have to be cognizant of what is going on around you. It may be hard and you may not want to deal with it, but this fictional book is very on point about enjoying what you’ve got while you’ve got it because at any second, it could be gone. And for a 14-year-old to be able to encompass that in a novel? Wow!
If I was a teenager reading this, I probably wouldn’t have had the same reading experience. If I was 14 and reading this, I honestly doubt it would have sunk in the way it did at 25. I think that is definitely something that Katelyn fought through this entire book. Deep down she knew her brother was going to die, but she just didn’t believe it would really happen. We’ve all been there, no matter what age. Believing it won’t happen to us. Bad things don’t happen to us right? But I found myself getting very, very frustrated with Katelyn for not spending what precious time she had with her brother. But I felt like Katelyn was wise beyond her years in many aspects and living with her brother for three years as he battled cancer, it was something I just hoped she would be mature enough to realize what inevitable. I know she is a fictional character, but I can’t imagine what she, and anyone else who has been in her situation went through after they weren’t there when it was most important.
I got this book for review and it came along with a Q&A with Emily who said she wasn’t sure if writing is something she’ll pursue in the future. This book just came to her and felt right for her and it was great. I hope that Emily gets the inspiration because I would love to read more of her work. I will also soon be posting my own Q&A with Emily so stop back by to see what her advice is to aspiring authors and of course who she would have play the roles in this book if it would ever be picked up for a movie!
I give Slipping Reality 4 bookmarks.
In a time of hardship and heartbreak, sometimes, reality just isn’t enough. Slipping Reality is the story of fourteen-year-old Katelyn Emerson, who, when faced with the glaring reality of her brother’s illness, rebels against the truth by slipping away into the depths of her own imagination. There, she finds the kind of support and comfort she feels she deserves. There, she does not have to feel so alone. And yet, as Katelyn’s grasp on reality begins to unravel, so too does the story of a girl who grew up too fast and fell apart too soon. Emily Beaver’s debut novel is a coming of age story that deals with the trials of young grief, insight, and growth where it’s least expected.
Everyone has a time in their life when they need to escape. Whether it be from a relationship, work, health, family, death, it’s something we all go through and for most people we need to go through it more than once. In this book, Katelyn takes to her imagination as an escape. For her, the only way to get out of reality and the only way to find someone who will understand is to go somewhere else. I take to the road when I need to escape. A good drive always does it for me. When my uncle died recently, he lived 2.5 hours away, so I had 10 hours on the road the week he died travelling back and forth to be with family. Others take to writing, crying, eating…. you do what you need to do to cope.
The thing that I loved about this book most, before I even read it, was the heart behind this story. Emily Beaver wrote this book when she was 14 and in Katelyn’s shoes. Emily’s brother was dying of cancer, just like Katelyn’s. This is one of those books that is filled with so much feeling that you can’t help but feel attached to it if you have gone through similar or even know a family who has felt this pain. There are some books that you read and wonder “Well how would they know how that feels?” Knowing that Emily went through this, I feel that her heart and feelings are bound in this book and I could feel them from the start to the end.
I also loved the lesson I learned from this book and it’s one that anyone can make room to learn. What was originally just a small escape for Katelyn took over her life more than she ever imagined it. After one trip to her fantasy land, she couldn’t get enough and wanted to be there more than reality. It kind of became an addiction for her. In the end of the book, Katelyn ends up escaping so much that she misses out on something she can never get back. It’s definitely something to think about. You can’t, at any point in life, let an escape take over. And these escapes aren’t always going to be something that’s hazardous to your health or harmful to your family, but it’s a lesson that you have to be cognizant of what is going on around you. It may be hard and you may not want to deal with it, but this fictional book is very on point about enjoying what you’ve got while you’ve got it because at any second, it could be gone. And for a 14-year-old to be able to encompass that in a novel? Wow!
If I was a teenager reading this, I probably wouldn’t have had the same reading experience. If I was 14 and reading this, I honestly doubt it would have sunk in the way it did at 25. I think that is definitely something that Katelyn fought through this entire book. Deep down she knew her brother was going to die, but she just didn’t believe it would really happen. We’ve all been there, no matter what age. Believing it won’t happen to us. Bad things don’t happen to us right? But I found myself getting very, very frustrated with Katelyn for not spending what precious time she had with her brother. But I felt like Katelyn was wise beyond her years in many aspects and living with her brother for three years as he battled cancer, it was something I just hoped she would be mature enough to realize what inevitable. I know she is a fictional character, but I can’t imagine what she, and anyone else who has been in her situation went through after they weren’t there when it was most important.
I got this book for review and it came along with a Q&A with Emily who said she wasn’t sure if writing is something she’ll pursue in the future. This book just came to her and felt right for her and it was great. I hope that Emily gets the inspiration because I would love to read more of her work. I will also soon be posting my own Q&A with Emily so stop back by to see what her advice is to aspiring authors and of course who she would have play the roles in this book if it would ever be picked up for a movie!
I give Slipping Reality 4 bookmarks.
April 17, 2012
There are probably many things I could say about "Slipping Reality" - I have to commend Emily Beaver for writing a story like this at fourteen years old and then daring to put it to publication, but to be honest, the writing leaves so much more to be desired, even with its tough subject matter. I'll be honest in that I'm probably spoiled from reading quite many books that center around characters with cancer that have far more lyrical, emotional, and imaginative depth than this one - the latest one I've read being "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness. But it doesn't seem fair to juxtapose that novel, among others, and this one in terms of experiences in writing, I realize.
This story revolves around Katelyn's coping with her brother having cancer, and facing a blended reality which she escapes to in the mix of her grief. She meets two boys and delves into the fantastical dream like world that blends the world that she knows with the stories she reads. The concept in itself seems fascinating and likely to draw readers to it, but the execution of the actual novel leaves much to be desired, as it's difficult to really get into the cusp of what Katie's feeling and experiencing. The whole time I read the novel, I felt like I was at arms length with Katie's emotions and experiences. Much of this was due to the fact that Beaver does a lot of telling and not enough showing - the latter of which would allow the reader to be more engrossed in the mixing of the realities as well as the grief that Katie's character feels. There's also a lot of focus on mundane details that probably could've been easily extracted from the novel. Whenever a character says that a detail is "boring" - it usually comes across as that for the reader's experience. The prose goes on and on, and by the time we get to the marks of the novel where Katie's experiences are really hitting home, it's well over 70% of the novel gone by.
I wish this could've been a better read for me. I wish it could've been the kind of powerful experience that others have had when reading the novel, but as an avid reader and writer, I do feel like I have to be honest in my feedback. My honest opinion is that "Slipping Reality" could've been a much better novel if it were shaped and rounded out better. The sentimentality and the idea behind it is worth merit, but I think if the author had chosen to reshape it with a little more experience behind her belt, this would've been a much better work.
Overall score: 2/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher AuthorHouse.
This story revolves around Katelyn's coping with her brother having cancer, and facing a blended reality which she escapes to in the mix of her grief. She meets two boys and delves into the fantastical dream like world that blends the world that she knows with the stories she reads. The concept in itself seems fascinating and likely to draw readers to it, but the execution of the actual novel leaves much to be desired, as it's difficult to really get into the cusp of what Katie's feeling and experiencing. The whole time I read the novel, I felt like I was at arms length with Katie's emotions and experiences. Much of this was due to the fact that Beaver does a lot of telling and not enough showing - the latter of which would allow the reader to be more engrossed in the mixing of the realities as well as the grief that Katie's character feels. There's also a lot of focus on mundane details that probably could've been easily extracted from the novel. Whenever a character says that a detail is "boring" - it usually comes across as that for the reader's experience. The prose goes on and on, and by the time we get to the marks of the novel where Katie's experiences are really hitting home, it's well over 70% of the novel gone by.
I wish this could've been a better read for me. I wish it could've been the kind of powerful experience that others have had when reading the novel, but as an avid reader and writer, I do feel like I have to be honest in my feedback. My honest opinion is that "Slipping Reality" could've been a much better novel if it were shaped and rounded out better. The sentimentality and the idea behind it is worth merit, but I think if the author had chosen to reshape it with a little more experience behind her belt, this would've been a much better work.
Overall score: 2/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher AuthorHouse.
February 17, 2012
It took me longer than planned to read this book, but sometimes life gets in the way. For Emily Beaver, and her character, Katelyn, life got in the way of her normal life as well. The story is told from a young girl's perspective as she deals with the finality of her brother's battle with cancer. She finds escape in her imagination, although at times, her fiction is so believable, you begin to wonder what's real and what's not. Beaver's writing is amazing, but you don't discover that until you are well into the book. The beginning of the book goes back and forth between reality and imagination so much that it's hard to keep track of where you are and what's happening. I think with a little editing this could have been fixed up. Once the baseline of the story is set though, you are drawn into a world that allows Katelyn to deal with the anxiety and issues she has related to her brother and best friend dying.
There are a lot of raw emotions in this book, and it's hard not to feel for both the character and the author. At the end of the book, there is a note from the author detailing how she came to write this story about her struggles with her brother's death at a young age from cancer. The beginning of the book is clearly written by a 14 year-old, but you can see her writing blossom as she develops the story. I am excited to see what comes from her in the future.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has lost a loved one, or is dealing with the loss of a loved one to cancer. I would also recommend this to teens who are dealing with a loss of any kind. I know reading similarly themed stories as a young adult helped me through some hard times and I know I would have read this had it been released all those years ago.
There are a lot of raw emotions in this book, and it's hard not to feel for both the character and the author. At the end of the book, there is a note from the author detailing how she came to write this story about her struggles with her brother's death at a young age from cancer. The beginning of the book is clearly written by a 14 year-old, but you can see her writing blossom as she develops the story. I am excited to see what comes from her in the future.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has lost a loved one, or is dealing with the loss of a loved one to cancer. I would also recommend this to teens who are dealing with a loss of any kind. I know reading similarly themed stories as a young adult helped me through some hard times and I know I would have read this had it been released all those years ago.
June 15, 2012
Having experienced a grief so overwhelming I wondered whether I'd ever glue the broken pieces of myself back together, I felt the concept behind Emily's book was a beautiful, haunting one and particularly meaningful to me. How tempting, Katelyn's escape from the grim reality of life, comforted by your imagination, escape from pain in a fantasy of your own creation.
14 year old Katelyn's imaginative world with Tristan & Cedric fast became her reality, robbing her of precious time she could have spent with her dying brother Matthew. When Matthew dies, sadly the clock can't be turned back and choices made can't be undone.
I wish I didn't have anything critical to say about Slipping Reality, Emily Beaver has put so much of herself into her work, but the writing was inconsistent; moments of poignancy mixed with stilted, disjointed phrasing. This heartfelt little book could have been so much more with the benefit of further editing and polishing.
“Tristan was so open to me that his reserved character was all but abandoned, as he put effort into being more open towards me.” ... (oh dear)
Emily wrote Slipping Reality at 14 (an amazing accomplishment) as her own brother Matthew was dying from cancer; indulging in the what-ifs from the safety of the pages of her book, what if I hadn't been as strong? what if I'd taken that break from reality? I understand why Emily wrote Katelyn's journey as she did and my heart broke for this young girl; grieving is difficult enough without adding regret and guilt to the mix.
It's obvious Emily writes from the heart, I look forward to more from this up and coming young author.
14 year old Katelyn's imaginative world with Tristan & Cedric fast became her reality, robbing her of precious time she could have spent with her dying brother Matthew. When Matthew dies, sadly the clock can't be turned back and choices made can't be undone.
I wish I didn't have anything critical to say about Slipping Reality, Emily Beaver has put so much of herself into her work, but the writing was inconsistent; moments of poignancy mixed with stilted, disjointed phrasing. This heartfelt little book could have been so much more with the benefit of further editing and polishing.
“Tristan was so open to me that his reserved character was all but abandoned, as he put effort into being more open towards me.” ... (oh dear)
Emily wrote Slipping Reality at 14 (an amazing accomplishment) as her own brother Matthew was dying from cancer; indulging in the what-ifs from the safety of the pages of her book, what if I hadn't been as strong? what if I'd taken that break from reality? I understand why Emily wrote Katelyn's journey as she did and my heart broke for this young girl; grieving is difficult enough without adding regret and guilt to the mix.
It's obvious Emily writes from the heart, I look forward to more from this up and coming young author.
May 14, 2012
First I would like to thank JKS Communications and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. I had heard mixed reviews on this book and I decided I needed to read it for myself. This book deals with death and facing reality after the death.
For Katelyn her brother Matthew means the world to her. So when he is diagnosed with cancer she is devastated and retreats into herself creating an alternate world.In this world her brother is not sick and she meets two guys. They are there to guide her and help her get over what is really happening. As Matthew condition worsens she goes deeper into her world where the guys are there to help her. In the end she will have to face reality and learn to talk about what she and her family has gone through.
I cried my eyes out while reading this book. I lost a good friend to cancer. When a person is sick it is very hard to find a way to cope with it. Cancer can take a person slowly and that is what happened to Matthew. Katelyn had to watch him go through some tough things and keep a smile on her face so Matthew would not worry. She was so in denial and the family was so in denial that no one noticed Katelyn going down hill. This book is a GREAT read, although it is sad it is something that people deal with everyday.Emily did a great job putting this story together and allowing us to have a glimpse inside a tortured mind. Thank you Emily for sharing this story with us.
My Immortal by Evanescence http://youtu.be/5anLPw0Efmo was talked about in the book and I find it a fitting song. Here is the music video for My Immortal, enjoy it!
For Katelyn her brother Matthew means the world to her. So when he is diagnosed with cancer she is devastated and retreats into herself creating an alternate world.In this world her brother is not sick and she meets two guys. They are there to guide her and help her get over what is really happening. As Matthew condition worsens she goes deeper into her world where the guys are there to help her. In the end she will have to face reality and learn to talk about what she and her family has gone through.
I cried my eyes out while reading this book. I lost a good friend to cancer. When a person is sick it is very hard to find a way to cope with it. Cancer can take a person slowly and that is what happened to Matthew. Katelyn had to watch him go through some tough things and keep a smile on her face so Matthew would not worry. She was so in denial and the family was so in denial that no one noticed Katelyn going down hill. This book is a GREAT read, although it is sad it is something that people deal with everyday.Emily did a great job putting this story together and allowing us to have a glimpse inside a tortured mind. Thank you Emily for sharing this story with us.
My Immortal by Evanescence http://youtu.be/5anLPw0Efmo was talked about in the book and I find it a fitting song. Here is the music video for My Immortal, enjoy it!
April 15, 2012
I was discussing this book with some librarian friends and we were all trying to decide the best approach on how to review it. We were honestly surprised at the number of stars people were giving it and then clarity hit us: the author was only 14 at the time of writing this. No one wants to discourage a future writer and kindness tends to influence us reviewers no matter the situation. Since we had no idea of the author's age our discussion was much more brutal than will likely show through here. Maybe you think an author's age shouldn't influence a review but, frankly, I just can't not consider it. That said, I'm not going to give a dishonest review either.
This book suffers lots of problems. It doesn't flow well, it's missing some basic tenets of good writing like characterization and dialogue skills and needs to be cleaned up editorially for the ramblings and day to day monotony that will lose most readers. The author clearly has a story to tell but the method (something that can be learned) is flawed and makes reading difficult.
That said, this story holds promise. The storyline is a tragic one but approached in a creative way that has the potential to be appealing to a large audience. I think, with some cleaning up, this book could have been a good seller. Tragic realism appeals to teen audiences and the core of such a story exists here. However, I do think editorial guidance is necessary to make this a better, more readable novel, to the normal audience.
ARC Galley Proof
This book suffers lots of problems. It doesn't flow well, it's missing some basic tenets of good writing like characterization and dialogue skills and needs to be cleaned up editorially for the ramblings and day to day monotony that will lose most readers. The author clearly has a story to tell but the method (something that can be learned) is flawed and makes reading difficult.
That said, this story holds promise. The storyline is a tragic one but approached in a creative way that has the potential to be appealing to a large audience. I think, with some cleaning up, this book could have been a good seller. Tragic realism appeals to teen audiences and the core of such a story exists here. However, I do think editorial guidance is necessary to make this a better, more readable novel, to the normal audience.
ARC Galley Proof
March 28, 2012
Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archive... (3/29/12)
This book was a hard one for me to read. I have never experienced the loss of someone as close as a sibling; in fact, I’ve only lost one of my four grandparents. That’s the extent of my experience with death. Because of that, it’s hard for me to understand Katelyn. She spends the novel in denial about her brother’s disease. She ignores it – him – because it’s easier for her.
She retreats into a world her mind has created because it’s happier for her there.
And quite frankly, that makes me not like her.
She is weak. She is whiny. She is selfish.
I do have to give props to the author – she wrote this at fourteen. That’s incredible! To be able to evoke those kinds of emotions from me at fourteen is quite an accomplishment.
But I just can’t get past my dislike of Katelyn’s character. And that’s nothing negative against the author – though she wrote this as she was experiencing her own brother’s battle with cancer, she explains that she never did what Katelyn did. She couldn’t leave her brother behind like that. It makes me wonder why she chose to write Katelyn this way.
This book was a hard one for me to read. I have never experienced the loss of someone as close as a sibling; in fact, I’ve only lost one of my four grandparents. That’s the extent of my experience with death. Because of that, it’s hard for me to understand Katelyn. She spends the novel in denial about her brother’s disease. She ignores it – him – because it’s easier for her.
She retreats into a world her mind has created because it’s happier for her there.
And quite frankly, that makes me not like her.
She is weak. She is whiny. She is selfish.
I do have to give props to the author – she wrote this at fourteen. That’s incredible! To be able to evoke those kinds of emotions from me at fourteen is quite an accomplishment.
But I just can’t get past my dislike of Katelyn’s character. And that’s nothing negative against the author – though she wrote this as she was experiencing her own brother’s battle with cancer, she explains that she never did what Katelyn did. She couldn’t leave her brother behind like that. It makes me wonder why she chose to write Katelyn this way.
February 2, 2012
First Thoughts:
This was definitely a book filled with creativity and the stages of grief, at times it was realistic and others on the other end of the spectrum where I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. This is a book that will definitely question sanity and whether there really is a plane where reality and the imagination touch. This is one book I will always remember.
Plot:
The plot was abnormal, though this book held all of the elements of a normal plot it varied in ways that other books don’t. It was filled with many ups and downs and mild action. This books plot did leave the reader with some questions by the end and though that is normally a big No, No in the writing world in this case it was perfectly acceptable. The author is allowing us as the reader to decide whether or not some of the things that happened in this book were real (kind of reminded me of the ending to “Inception). There weren’t really many sub-plots, the author focused on the characters thoughts and mind, it really left little room for more stories.
Characters:
I felt that they were very much realistic (well as realistic as some of them could get). Each one had distinct qualities and flaws and though at times some of the characters felt disconnected it didn’t really draw the reader out of the story. The interaction between all the characters wasn’t awkward, I felt that they all in some way or another fit together, while some seemed a bit “weird” in the end they ended up being one of the better characters. I really enjoyed that the author created the main character to be more realistic; it really helped the reader better understand what was going on and make their own conclusion.
Transformation of the Character:
There wasn’t major transformations going on in this book but I do believe the main character did change some but nothing overly dramatic. I felt that some of the characters should have transformed, some needed just a little bit more pushing before they could go over the edge but it never happened to my disappointment. But though I felt the loss of transformation in this book I didn’t think that it ruined the book (By the end of the book you’ll understand what I mean).
Description:
The description was the perfect amount; the author did a great job on describing both worlds. There are some scenes she so vividly described that literally had me in that scene, like I was actually there. The description was both poetic and vivid at times, I absolutely just love one of the last scenes, it was described so perfectly; it felt so complete, it was definitely the major turning point for the main character.
Style:
The use of first person and transitions between worlds made this book even more enjoyable. The author was good at letting us the shift between mind and reality and that really made the understanding of the scenes that much better. This is a type of book that could have easily been ruined by transitions, no one wants to be lost while reading, it’s both a frustrating and annoying flaw but thankfully this author knew what she was doing.
Quote of the book:
“It was heaven ravaged by hell, good plagued by evil, life tormented by death. And as the most chaotic balance of my life continued, I found myself wearing thin.”
Goodreads Summary:
In a time of hardship and heartbreak, sometimes, reality just isn't enough. Slipping Reality is the story of fourteen-year-old Katelyn Emerson, who, when faced with the glaring reality of her brother's illness, rebels against the truth by slipping away into the depths of her own imagination. There, she finds the kind of support and comfort she feels she deserves. There, she does not have to feel so alone. And yet, as Katelyn's grasp on reality begins to unravel, so too does the story of a girl who grew up too fast and fell apart too soon. Emily Beaver's debut novel is a coming of age story that deals with the trials of young grief, insight, and growth where it's least expected.
Last Thoughts:
I would recommend this to any fans of psychological pressure; to anyone who loves a good mind slipping agent, this book will literally have you questioning what’s real and what isn’t. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who doesn’t enjoy books that deal with the mind. This book was a fun and fast read and was well written by a fourteen year old, which to me was a great surprise. And to learn that there were some events in this book that were real was even more surprising. The ending was definitely something I won’t forget and though there were some things I would have liked to see differently it wasn’t all wrong, it’s all up to the reader.
This was definitely a book filled with creativity and the stages of grief, at times it was realistic and others on the other end of the spectrum where I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. This is a book that will definitely question sanity and whether there really is a plane where reality and the imagination touch. This is one book I will always remember.
Plot:
The plot was abnormal, though this book held all of the elements of a normal plot it varied in ways that other books don’t. It was filled with many ups and downs and mild action. This books plot did leave the reader with some questions by the end and though that is normally a big No, No in the writing world in this case it was perfectly acceptable. The author is allowing us as the reader to decide whether or not some of the things that happened in this book were real (kind of reminded me of the ending to “Inception). There weren’t really many sub-plots, the author focused on the characters thoughts and mind, it really left little room for more stories.
Characters:
I felt that they were very much realistic (well as realistic as some of them could get). Each one had distinct qualities and flaws and though at times some of the characters felt disconnected it didn’t really draw the reader out of the story. The interaction between all the characters wasn’t awkward, I felt that they all in some way or another fit together, while some seemed a bit “weird” in the end they ended up being one of the better characters. I really enjoyed that the author created the main character to be more realistic; it really helped the reader better understand what was going on and make their own conclusion.
Transformation of the Character:
There wasn’t major transformations going on in this book but I do believe the main character did change some but nothing overly dramatic. I felt that some of the characters should have transformed, some needed just a little bit more pushing before they could go over the edge but it never happened to my disappointment. But though I felt the loss of transformation in this book I didn’t think that it ruined the book (By the end of the book you’ll understand what I mean).
Description:
The description was the perfect amount; the author did a great job on describing both worlds. There are some scenes she so vividly described that literally had me in that scene, like I was actually there. The description was both poetic and vivid at times, I absolutely just love one of the last scenes, it was described so perfectly; it felt so complete, it was definitely the major turning point for the main character.
Style:
The use of first person and transitions between worlds made this book even more enjoyable. The author was good at letting us the shift between mind and reality and that really made the understanding of the scenes that much better. This is a type of book that could have easily been ruined by transitions, no one wants to be lost while reading, it’s both a frustrating and annoying flaw but thankfully this author knew what she was doing.
Quote of the book:
“It was heaven ravaged by hell, good plagued by evil, life tormented by death. And as the most chaotic balance of my life continued, I found myself wearing thin.”
Goodreads Summary:
In a time of hardship and heartbreak, sometimes, reality just isn't enough. Slipping Reality is the story of fourteen-year-old Katelyn Emerson, who, when faced with the glaring reality of her brother's illness, rebels against the truth by slipping away into the depths of her own imagination. There, she finds the kind of support and comfort she feels she deserves. There, she does not have to feel so alone. And yet, as Katelyn's grasp on reality begins to unravel, so too does the story of a girl who grew up too fast and fell apart too soon. Emily Beaver's debut novel is a coming of age story that deals with the trials of young grief, insight, and growth where it's least expected.
Last Thoughts:
I would recommend this to any fans of psychological pressure; to anyone who loves a good mind slipping agent, this book will literally have you questioning what’s real and what isn’t. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who doesn’t enjoy books that deal with the mind. This book was a fun and fast read and was well written by a fourteen year old, which to me was a great surprise. And to learn that there were some events in this book that were real was even more surprising. The ending was definitely something I won’t forget and though there were some things I would have liked to see differently it wasn’t all wrong, it’s all up to the reader.
August 14, 2014
“I don’t believe there is ever a reason to love someone. The best kind of love is without a reason” Tristan looked far away.
“Slipping reality” l’ho richiesto convinta che sarebbe stato un libro speciale. E così è stato, il livello emozionale è altissimo e ho letto le ultime pagine con le lacrime agli occhi perché non si può restare indifferenti ad una storia simile, anche e soprattutto perché è tratta dalla vita vera.
Katelyn ha quattordici anni è una ragazzina come le altre se non per il fatto che suo fratello Matthew quattro anni più grande di lei, ha il cancro per la terza volta. La tragedia della sua famiglia è iniziata tre anni prima, quando Kattie aveva solo 11 anni e suo fratello è entrato e uscito da vari trattamenti per tutto il tempo. Gli hanno amputato una gamba e sono più le volte che è sotto medicine che combattono la pena e lo rendono incoerente che quelle in cui non lo è. Come fa Katelyn a vivere una vita normale? A parte la sua migliore amica Lauren, Ka si tiene lontana dai suoi coetanei e sembra trovare rifugio solo nei suoi disegni e nella fantasia che le crea due mitici personaggi Tristan e Cedric che cercheranno di farle affrontare il suo dolore. Ma questa è davvero la strada giusta?
In realtà mi trovo in difficoltà a recensire questa piccola meraviglia, perché è davvero un colpo al cuore, una di quelle storie che ti entrano dentro e a cui non puoi smettere di pensare, perché sono vere, la malattia e la morte sono ad un passo da noi quotidianamente e quando ci entrano in casa, nelle nostre famiglie ce ne stupiamo. Le tragedie ci sono e sono tangibili, ma celebrarle in una forma positiva e oserei dire quasi terapeutica può essere fondamentale.
Emily Beaver ha scritto questo libro a soli quattordici anni e solo per questo è speciale e meraviglioso. Aggiungendoci il fatto che Matthew è davvero suo fratello e le condizioni di salute sono reali e tangibili, così come pure la sua personalità il libro diventa un inno all’amore, di quelli che davvero superano lo spazio e il tempo. Ma Katelyn non è Emily. Possono provare le stesse emozioni ma reagiscono in modo differente.
Il libro è crudele, la Beaver non ci risparmia niente, neanche il più misero dettaglio ce lo prospetta in tutta la sua realtà senza nasconderci la fine, che non ci può essere negata. Il suo scopo è quello di combattere il dolore a modo suo senza sacrificarsi. In una casa in cui si sente aleggiare la malattia e la sconfitta ci deve essere un modo per sopravvivere e andare avanti e Emily lo ha trovato nella scrittura. Devo dire che la invidio, sicuramente non è stato facile scrivere della peggiore esperienza della sua vita, soprattutto quando ha perso non solo un fratello ma il centro della sua vita, il suo migliore amico. Ma non sono sicura che io avrei reagito così coraggiosamente. Sono persone come Emily Beaver che rendono il mondo un posto più facile da sopportare. Non ci possiamo lasciare scoraggiare e spezzare, bisogna andare avanti, anche per chi non c’è più.
Katelyn è fragile, si sente sola e le manca suo fratello ed è per questo che si rifugia nel suo mondo di fantasia, che diventa così reale da sovrapporsi alla sua reale esistenza. Tristan e Cedric assumono i connotati di sue persone reali e se da un lato la aiutano a sopportare un’esistenza che diventa sempre più difficile da tollerare perché si perde completamente il senso della realtà, dall’altro lato non c’è nulla di definitivo e Tristan e Cedric sono solo due proiezioni dei bisogni primari della ragazza: le serenate con la chitarra di Cedric e le discussioni filosofiche di Tristan sono due esempi di come Katelyn lotta la sua battaglia per la vita insieme ai suoi disegni meravigliosi, un po’ la invidio io che non so neanche tenere una matita in mano.
Il particolare da non dimenticare? Un mazzo di carte da tarocchi degli angeli.
Consiglio a tutti la lettura di questo libro straordinario che supera lo spazio e il tempo, per arrivare al cuore del lettore che non si può sottrarre ad una storia permeata di sofferenza e dolore, ma anche di speranza, di quella che non si perde mai ma che continua ad affiorare anche quando sembra impossibile. La purezza e la perfezione di questo racconto sta nella capacità di Emily di condensare le sue emozioni e regalarcele senza pretese se non quella di depositare nella nostra memoria e nel nostro cuore il ricordo di Matthew che credo davvero sia stato un fratello super speciale.
Leggete e amate “Slipping reality”.
Buona lettura guys!
Io intanto ringrazio Netgalley e AuthorHouse per avermi concesso la possibilità di leggere questo libro straordinario in cambio di una mia recensione. Thanks!
“Slipping reality” l’ho richiesto convinta che sarebbe stato un libro speciale. E così è stato, il livello emozionale è altissimo e ho letto le ultime pagine con le lacrime agli occhi perché non si può restare indifferenti ad una storia simile, anche e soprattutto perché è tratta dalla vita vera.
Katelyn ha quattordici anni è una ragazzina come le altre se non per il fatto che suo fratello Matthew quattro anni più grande di lei, ha il cancro per la terza volta. La tragedia della sua famiglia è iniziata tre anni prima, quando Kattie aveva solo 11 anni e suo fratello è entrato e uscito da vari trattamenti per tutto il tempo. Gli hanno amputato una gamba e sono più le volte che è sotto medicine che combattono la pena e lo rendono incoerente che quelle in cui non lo è. Come fa Katelyn a vivere una vita normale? A parte la sua migliore amica Lauren, Ka si tiene lontana dai suoi coetanei e sembra trovare rifugio solo nei suoi disegni e nella fantasia che le crea due mitici personaggi Tristan e Cedric che cercheranno di farle affrontare il suo dolore. Ma questa è davvero la strada giusta?
In realtà mi trovo in difficoltà a recensire questa piccola meraviglia, perché è davvero un colpo al cuore, una di quelle storie che ti entrano dentro e a cui non puoi smettere di pensare, perché sono vere, la malattia e la morte sono ad un passo da noi quotidianamente e quando ci entrano in casa, nelle nostre famiglie ce ne stupiamo. Le tragedie ci sono e sono tangibili, ma celebrarle in una forma positiva e oserei dire quasi terapeutica può essere fondamentale.
Emily Beaver ha scritto questo libro a soli quattordici anni e solo per questo è speciale e meraviglioso. Aggiungendoci il fatto che Matthew è davvero suo fratello e le condizioni di salute sono reali e tangibili, così come pure la sua personalità il libro diventa un inno all’amore, di quelli che davvero superano lo spazio e il tempo. Ma Katelyn non è Emily. Possono provare le stesse emozioni ma reagiscono in modo differente.
Il libro è crudele, la Beaver non ci risparmia niente, neanche il più misero dettaglio ce lo prospetta in tutta la sua realtà senza nasconderci la fine, che non ci può essere negata. Il suo scopo è quello di combattere il dolore a modo suo senza sacrificarsi. In una casa in cui si sente aleggiare la malattia e la sconfitta ci deve essere un modo per sopravvivere e andare avanti e Emily lo ha trovato nella scrittura. Devo dire che la invidio, sicuramente non è stato facile scrivere della peggiore esperienza della sua vita, soprattutto quando ha perso non solo un fratello ma il centro della sua vita, il suo migliore amico. Ma non sono sicura che io avrei reagito così coraggiosamente. Sono persone come Emily Beaver che rendono il mondo un posto più facile da sopportare. Non ci possiamo lasciare scoraggiare e spezzare, bisogna andare avanti, anche per chi non c’è più.
Katelyn è fragile, si sente sola e le manca suo fratello ed è per questo che si rifugia nel suo mondo di fantasia, che diventa così reale da sovrapporsi alla sua reale esistenza. Tristan e Cedric assumono i connotati di sue persone reali e se da un lato la aiutano a sopportare un’esistenza che diventa sempre più difficile da tollerare perché si perde completamente il senso della realtà, dall’altro lato non c’è nulla di definitivo e Tristan e Cedric sono solo due proiezioni dei bisogni primari della ragazza: le serenate con la chitarra di Cedric e le discussioni filosofiche di Tristan sono due esempi di come Katelyn lotta la sua battaglia per la vita insieme ai suoi disegni meravigliosi, un po’ la invidio io che non so neanche tenere una matita in mano.
Il particolare da non dimenticare? Un mazzo di carte da tarocchi degli angeli.
Consiglio a tutti la lettura di questo libro straordinario che supera lo spazio e il tempo, per arrivare al cuore del lettore che non si può sottrarre ad una storia permeata di sofferenza e dolore, ma anche di speranza, di quella che non si perde mai ma che continua ad affiorare anche quando sembra impossibile. La purezza e la perfezione di questo racconto sta nella capacità di Emily di condensare le sue emozioni e regalarcele senza pretese se non quella di depositare nella nostra memoria e nel nostro cuore il ricordo di Matthew che credo davvero sia stato un fratello super speciale.
Leggete e amate “Slipping reality”.
Buona lettura guys!
Io intanto ringrazio Netgalley e AuthorHouse per avermi concesso la possibilità di leggere questo libro straordinario in cambio di una mia recensione. Thanks!
February 18, 2012
I'm going to ramble a bit in this review, mainly because I'm so torn on how exactly to share with you my feelings about this book. Reading Slipping Reality really makes you think about how to fairly judge a book written by a young author. Should I take her 14 year old age at the time into account? Is that fair? So I'm going to try to be as succinct and fair as possible in explaining my rating for this book.
First off I have to say that I loved the concept of Slipping Reality. In it we meet Katelyn, whose brother is on his third round of battling cancer. Although she tells people that she's handling it, and looks on the outside like she is, inside her mind is a whirlwind of feelings. Katelyn is a character who is trying so hard to hold it all together that you don't notice the cracks in the exterior until much later. What finally happens is that her mind helps her deal by allowing her to escape inside her own head. Katelyn's "daydreams" become her reality.
What lost me a little bit was the writing style in this book. At first, diving into Katelyn's world was pretty easy. The beginning was really well written and introspective. However the further that I got into the book, the more I saw the teenage side of the writer. There are a lot of pop-culture references in here. There are also a lot of references to mundane day to day activities. I don't have a problem with a little bit of these two things. They actually make reading really fun. In this case though, it was bordered on distracting.
My other issue was that I never really connected with Katelyn on a deeper level. The love she has for her brother definitely comes through in the story. You can see how much she is hurting inside as she struggles to deal with his illness. However that's really all we get on the emotional level. I knew other more superficial things about Katelyn, like her love of reading and drawing. It was just that I never really felt attached to her character. Even when her daydreams started impeding her real life, I was just a spectator.
In a nutshell, Slipping Reality reeled me in with its original concept but lost me soon after. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book. I honestly did. It was just tough to get immersed in. For writing this at such a young age, and doing it so well, I applaud Emily Beaver. If this is just a glimpse at her talent then I'm keeping her on my radar! Who knows what is yet to come.
First off I have to say that I loved the concept of Slipping Reality. In it we meet Katelyn, whose brother is on his third round of battling cancer. Although she tells people that she's handling it, and looks on the outside like she is, inside her mind is a whirlwind of feelings. Katelyn is a character who is trying so hard to hold it all together that you don't notice the cracks in the exterior until much later. What finally happens is that her mind helps her deal by allowing her to escape inside her own head. Katelyn's "daydreams" become her reality.
What lost me a little bit was the writing style in this book. At first, diving into Katelyn's world was pretty easy. The beginning was really well written and introspective. However the further that I got into the book, the more I saw the teenage side of the writer. There are a lot of pop-culture references in here. There are also a lot of references to mundane day to day activities. I don't have a problem with a little bit of these two things. They actually make reading really fun. In this case though, it was bordered on distracting.
My other issue was that I never really connected with Katelyn on a deeper level. The love she has for her brother definitely comes through in the story. You can see how much she is hurting inside as she struggles to deal with his illness. However that's really all we get on the emotional level. I knew other more superficial things about Katelyn, like her love of reading and drawing. It was just that I never really felt attached to her character. Even when her daydreams started impeding her real life, I was just a spectator.
In a nutshell, Slipping Reality reeled me in with its original concept but lost me soon after. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book. I honestly did. It was just tough to get immersed in. For writing this at such a young age, and doing it so well, I applaud Emily Beaver. If this is just a glimpse at her talent then I'm keeping her on my radar! Who knows what is yet to come.
February 1, 2012
Alright. This review is going to be a bit difficult to write.
The emotion of this book is astounding and it was easy to connect to and feel. Beaver wrote honestly and didn't try to cover anything up. She laid it all bare and it was raw. The ending was tough to read, even though it was easy to see coming (and I mean that in a good way.)
I have a bit of a personal tie with this kind of story; however, my perspective is closer to that of Matthew's. It was enlightening to get a glimpse into what the minds of my family and friends might be feeling at times. But at the same time, I understood Beaver's desire (written mostly in the Author's Note) to have an escape from reality. I've often wondered what it would be like to just get away from the real world and have a place to go that's protected from the difficulty of everyday life.
There were a couple things that kept me from fully loving this book, though. As well-written as most of it was, there were times when I could tell a 14 year old wrote this. It was still done very well, but it just didn't seem up to par with the rest of the book. The constant naming of different TV shows and movies pulled me out a bit as well. I find it easier to go with the flow of a book if TV and movie are kept generic and non-specific. That might just be me, though. The last thing that pulled me out of the book was just one little fact that she had incorrectly stated. It probably wouldn't bother me as much had it been about any other part of the body, but because it was about the lungs, and I know lungs extremely well (better than I'd like to), it was a little distracting.
Overall, this was a good book. It's a good book for teens to read to read and it really gets the emotion of the death of a loved one across well. It's a tough topic to cover, and I really admire Beaver for handling it with such grace.
The emotion of this book is astounding and it was easy to connect to and feel. Beaver wrote honestly and didn't try to cover anything up. She laid it all bare and it was raw. The ending was tough to read, even though it was easy to see coming (and I mean that in a good way.)
I have a bit of a personal tie with this kind of story; however, my perspective is closer to that of Matthew's. It was enlightening to get a glimpse into what the minds of my family and friends might be feeling at times. But at the same time, I understood Beaver's desire (written mostly in the Author's Note) to have an escape from reality. I've often wondered what it would be like to just get away from the real world and have a place to go that's protected from the difficulty of everyday life.
There were a couple things that kept me from fully loving this book, though. As well-written as most of it was, there were times when I could tell a 14 year old wrote this. It was still done very well, but it just didn't seem up to par with the rest of the book. The constant naming of different TV shows and movies pulled me out a bit as well. I find it easier to go with the flow of a book if TV and movie are kept generic and non-specific. That might just be me, though. The last thing that pulled me out of the book was just one little fact that she had incorrectly stated. It probably wouldn't bother me as much had it been about any other part of the body, but because it was about the lungs, and I know lungs extremely well (better than I'd like to), it was a little distracting.
Overall, this was a good book. It's a good book for teens to read to read and it really gets the emotion of the death of a loved one across well. It's a tough topic to cover, and I really admire Beaver for handling it with such grace.
April 14, 2012
Slipping Reality
Reviewed by Lisa McCombs for Readers Favorite
Katie should be a typical teenage girl doing typical teenage girls things; and to her peers she is. She goes to school where she tolerates biology class, aces English class (she's already read all the assigned novels) and excels in art class. One would think that she and her best gal pal share an exciting high school social life, but at the end of the school day, Katie goes home to an atmosphere of sadness and anxiety. Katie's brother Matthew is suffering his third and most likely final round of cancer. While Katie's mother devotes her every waking moment researching possible life-saving medical procedures and Matthew approaches each day with a courageous smile, Katie finds herself drowning in an existence void of escape from sickness and false hopes. Just as her spirit is at its lowest point, two men enter her life to comfort and carry her away from the dark realities of her daily life. Who are they? WHAT are they? Guardian angels?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Slipping Reality. Although it is categorized as young adult I believe this is marketable in a wider reading audience. Often times focus is only targeted to the immediate victim of terminal illness and younger family members are secondary in the grieving process. In this fictional adaptation of living with terminal illness, Emily Beaver gives her first hand
impression of actually loosing an older brother to cancer. The author comments in her personal notes that she wishes she could have found the escape that her main character did during the "real time" events of her brother's last days. Wonderful read!
Reviewed by Lisa McCombs for Readers Favorite
Katie should be a typical teenage girl doing typical teenage girls things; and to her peers she is. She goes to school where she tolerates biology class, aces English class (she's already read all the assigned novels) and excels in art class. One would think that she and her best gal pal share an exciting high school social life, but at the end of the school day, Katie goes home to an atmosphere of sadness and anxiety. Katie's brother Matthew is suffering his third and most likely final round of cancer. While Katie's mother devotes her every waking moment researching possible life-saving medical procedures and Matthew approaches each day with a courageous smile, Katie finds herself drowning in an existence void of escape from sickness and false hopes. Just as her spirit is at its lowest point, two men enter her life to comfort and carry her away from the dark realities of her daily life. Who are they? WHAT are they? Guardian angels?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Slipping Reality. Although it is categorized as young adult I believe this is marketable in a wider reading audience. Often times focus is only targeted to the immediate victim of terminal illness and younger family members are secondary in the grieving process. In this fictional adaptation of living with terminal illness, Emily Beaver gives her first hand
impression of actually loosing an older brother to cancer. The author comments in her personal notes that she wishes she could have found the escape that her main character did during the "real time" events of her brother's last days. Wonderful read!
February 6, 2012
I guess I have no real right to reviee this book, as I gave up 20% of my way through, however I am still going to share my opinion.
The author was only 14 when she wrote this book, but despite an extraordinary talent for writing, at her reasonably young age, she should of waited til she was even more skilled before realising her debut into the world.
I believe that Emily Beaver is arguably a great writer, however she lacks consistency in the in the quality of writing.
The majority of the 20% I read, the writing was very professional and it was at these moments I felt connected to the book, however.this writing style quickly changed to being rather amateur, making me feel as though I was being told a story in its simplist form, which due to a clear talent in descriptive writing, was a large let down.
The main character, Kate, was the only character I felt like I knee well enough to comment about. I really disliked her, from the beginning of the book. She, in my opinion was unrelateable, however still possessed realistic characteristics.
I got an impression of Kate thinking she was better and far smarter than everyone else, and if I had to hear The Phantom Of The Opera one more time, I was going to scream.
Despite this negative review, I wish Emily all the best of luck in her future novels, I believe with a bit more practice they will become bestsellers for sure.
The author was only 14 when she wrote this book, but despite an extraordinary talent for writing, at her reasonably young age, she should of waited til she was even more skilled before realising her debut into the world.
I believe that Emily Beaver is arguably a great writer, however she lacks consistency in the in the quality of writing.
The majority of the 20% I read, the writing was very professional and it was at these moments I felt connected to the book, however.this writing style quickly changed to being rather amateur, making me feel as though I was being told a story in its simplist form, which due to a clear talent in descriptive writing, was a large let down.
The main character, Kate, was the only character I felt like I knee well enough to comment about. I really disliked her, from the beginning of the book. She, in my opinion was unrelateable, however still possessed realistic characteristics.
I got an impression of Kate thinking she was better and far smarter than everyone else, and if I had to hear The Phantom Of The Opera one more time, I was going to scream.
Despite this negative review, I wish Emily all the best of luck in her future novels, I believe with a bit more practice they will become bestsellers for sure.
March 5, 2012
This book was a little different than what I've read before, but it was still familiar. I liked how Beaver was able to entangle real life issues, and throw in a little more into it.
She really made me believe in the character's and got me into Katelyn's mind. And there was the brother as well, who despite being faced with a life-threatening illness, he has a little spark of life in him still. The character's come out and pull the reader's in through these difficult times when someone as young as Katelyn is faced with a difficult obstacle in her life.
This novel is honest and very heart-wrenching. Warning, tissues might be required to read this book.
It has been a long time since I read a book that really makes me question myself and everything around me, and those are the types of novels that really deserve to take notice. I'm not saying that books that don't make a reader question their own lives isn't bad, the books that do are the ones that, in my opinion, should be picked up and read.
And I just discovered that this book was written when the author was only 14 years old, which just makes it even more amazing.
It's haunting and hits close to the truth. Growing up can be difficult, especially at such a young age, and Beaver shows the reader this.
Whoever has not read this book yet needs to pick it up, because I'm sure it will leave a lasting impressions.
She really made me believe in the character's and got me into Katelyn's mind. And there was the brother as well, who despite being faced with a life-threatening illness, he has a little spark of life in him still. The character's come out and pull the reader's in through these difficult times when someone as young as Katelyn is faced with a difficult obstacle in her life.
This novel is honest and very heart-wrenching. Warning, tissues might be required to read this book.
It has been a long time since I read a book that really makes me question myself and everything around me, and those are the types of novels that really deserve to take notice. I'm not saying that books that don't make a reader question their own lives isn't bad, the books that do are the ones that, in my opinion, should be picked up and read.
And I just discovered that this book was written when the author was only 14 years old, which just makes it even more amazing.
It's haunting and hits close to the truth. Growing up can be difficult, especially at such a young age, and Beaver shows the reader this.
Whoever has not read this book yet needs to pick it up, because I'm sure it will leave a lasting impressions.
July 10, 2016
Having a loved one suffer from a terminal illness isn’t as dramatic as you would think, says 14-year-old Katelyn Emerson. At least, not on a day-to-day basis. Based on the author’s own heartbreaking story, Slipping Reality chronicles the struggles of Katelyn Emerson, a 14-year-old girl whose brother is dying from cancer. She sees her life as a “purgatory”. Nothing ever changes. For the last three years, her brother’s condition has been unpleasant but endurable, so she invents two imaginary friends to keep her company: Tristan, a sage father-figure, and Cedric, his adopted son who serves as her love interest. As the weeks pass, she shrinks away from her life and deeper into the shelter of her inner world. But when Matthew’s condition takes a sudden turn for the worse, she learns the consequences of living in denial. While many readers can relate to Katelyn’s frustrations about the “boredom” of suburban living, the subject is a bit sophomoric compared to terminal illness. Once we reach the half-way mark, however, our heroine is forced to realize the true horror of her situation, and that’s when the story gets really, really good. Recommended for Ages 13-15.
February 13, 2012
WOW, this was one interesting book. I have often found myself daydreaming about how things in my life might be different, relationships when I was younger. Marriage and parenthood when that time came etc. But I've never seen it quite like Emily Beaver describes it. The depth of characters in the book is so intriguing. I felt for Katelyn with the life at home concentrating on her brother and his illness. I understood the bond of friendship she shared with each of the friends she had in her life, Lauren, Tristan and Cedric. The description of the book mentions that the main character grew up to fast and fell apart too soon, I would agree on the growing up but having lived through some loss in my life I never felt like she fell apart, I just felt like she was living the best that she could!I was ultimately drawn to one side of the life of Katelyn more than the other. I don't want to give away too much but I will say this is a must read book!
March 3, 2012
Slipping Reality by Emily Beaver is a coming of age story about fourteen year old Katelyn, who goes through tremendous heartbreak over her brother's terminal illness.
Slipping Reality is an honest and a hauntingly beautiful look at the lives and mindset of a family going through such a painful hardship. A perfect novel to help anyone going through loss. Having lost my father from complications to Diabetes, I can completely relate to this story. The writing style was a bit difficult for me at times, however this was a debut novel written by Emily Beaver when she was 14 years old. Emily did experience the loss of her brother. Its unbelievable to think that a 14 year old girl wrote this and she did an amazing job.
Highly Recommend especially to younger readers.
Special Thanks to NetGalley, AuthorHouse, and JKSCommunications for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
Slipping Reality is an honest and a hauntingly beautiful look at the lives and mindset of a family going through such a painful hardship. A perfect novel to help anyone going through loss. Having lost my father from complications to Diabetes, I can completely relate to this story. The writing style was a bit difficult for me at times, however this was a debut novel written by Emily Beaver when she was 14 years old. Emily did experience the loss of her brother. Its unbelievable to think that a 14 year old girl wrote this and she did an amazing job.
Highly Recommend especially to younger readers.
Special Thanks to NetGalley, AuthorHouse, and JKSCommunications for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2012
This novel made me very emotional. In the face of a horrible reality, is it okay to slip away into your imagination?
Katelyn's brother Matthew has been dealing with terminal cancer for 3 years. Her way of coping is to escape into her imagination, where she has two friends, who support her.
As Matthew gets worse, she delves deeper into this fantasy world she has created, until she can no longer tell what is real and what is not.
I found it slightly strange that the love interest for this story was between Katelyn and her imaginary friend Cedric. This part I found was slightly weird, but it really did just add to the story.
This book is heart-warming and emotional - I definitely recommend reading it - especially to someone who isn't quite sure how to deal with serious things such as cancer and death.
Katelyn's brother Matthew has been dealing with terminal cancer for 3 years. Her way of coping is to escape into her imagination, where she has two friends, who support her.
As Matthew gets worse, she delves deeper into this fantasy world she has created, until she can no longer tell what is real and what is not.
I found it slightly strange that the love interest for this story was between Katelyn and her imaginary friend Cedric. This part I found was slightly weird, but it really did just add to the story.
This book is heart-warming and emotional - I definitely recommend reading it - especially to someone who isn't quite sure how to deal with serious things such as cancer and death.
January 3, 2012
This is one of the most amazing books I've read in a long time. A 14-year-old wrote it and penned it beautifully. This novel, about a girl losing her best friend and older brother, is very much inspired by Emily Beaver's own life. It's honest, it'll make you cry but it's ultimately uplifing. There are plenty of adults who write from a teen's perspective about death and loss, but Emily wrote it as a teen as she was going through it. I don't care how old you are or what genres you gravitate toward. Read this book! It will stay with you long after the last page is digested.
January 17, 2012
I still can't believe this author was only 14 when she wrote this! I mean, don't get me wrong - it's the perfect portrayal of a 14-year-old girl - but it's just written so well. Way to go Emily Beaver for showing adults that teens can write too! This is a fantastic book to help anyone going through grief or the family member of someone battling a life-threatening disease. The author lost her brother to cancer, and this book is a fictional story of a young girl going through the same - but this girl slips to her imagination so she doesn't have to deal with reality.
February 27, 2012
Slipping Reality is a great coming of age story that is sure to keep my students reading and wanting more. The cover is what fist grabbed my attention. Then after reading that the book dealt with a main character dealing with hardship and heartbreak I knew I had to read it to see if it was something that I could put into my library for my students. Novels with these topics tend to hook my readers in. The book is certainly a great read and worth having not only in my library but personal library as well.
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March 18, 2012The emotion was definitely there. It's raw and very easy to connect with. That being said, there were ups and downs to the writing. While the heart is there, there are technical things that could be brushed up. It would also help if there were less references to pop culture and less attention paid to mundane activities.
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