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Mendel
Imagine the mid 1980's, last day of school, summer break. A teen rushes to meet his mother, who is being released from the hospital after cancer surgery. When the teen arrives, he finds out his mother is dead, but his ex-gangbanging dad, who's been in jail the last eight years is at the hospital ready to take the teen home.
Mendel is a coming-of-age story about a high school senior who must learn how to forgive as he navigates life without his mother. Things come to a head when the teen accidentally finds his mom's diary. In the journal, he discovers his mother's dreams of becoming a collegiate track star were derailed due to getting pregnant with him. To honor his mother, he joins Mendel's track team, but before he could cash in on any scholarship offers, his father's thuggish past catches up with them when a gun-toting nemesis comes seeking revenge. The teen must decide between saving his own life or sacrificing it all to save his estranged father.
Mendel is a coming-of-age story about a high school senior who must learn how to forgive as he navigates life without his mother. Things come to a head when the teen accidentally finds his mom's diary. In the journal, he discovers his mother's dreams of becoming a collegiate track star were derailed due to getting pregnant with him. To honor his mother, he joins Mendel's track team, but before he could cash in on any scholarship offers, his father's thuggish past catches up with them when a gun-toting nemesis comes seeking revenge. The teen must decide between saving his own life or sacrificing it all to save his estranged father.
279 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 26, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 18, 2022
A young man finds purpose and identity by joining the track team, but will he lose it all to save his father’s life? Our hero is a senior in high school but after losing his mother to cancer and being forced to live with his estranged father, he feels lost and alone. He discovers his late mother’s diary and reads about her dreams of being a college track star. He decides to honor his mother and become a track star himself. It’s his way to being close to her. He struggles with relating to his father, though. His father has a troubled past and has served time. As he excels in track and gets scholarship offers, his father gets a visit from an enemy who wants revenge. Will he forgive his father and risk losing his life or will he walk away?
Mendel is a riveting coming of age novel dealing with some serious issues like cancer, death, forgiveness, and family. I connected with the characters and my heart went out to the hero. He’s been through so much pain; he deserves good things to happen to him. I liked his relationship with his sister. There’s a tenderness there which caught me by surprise. The plot moved at a good pace with plenty of emotion and drama to keep me invested. The descriptive narration carried the story from start to finish. This book will have an impact on any reader and it is one I highly recommend, especially if you enjoy dramatic coming of age stories.
Disclaimer: I bought a copy. My thoughts are all my own.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
Mendel is a riveting coming of age novel dealing with some serious issues like cancer, death, forgiveness, and family. I connected with the characters and my heart went out to the hero. He’s been through so much pain; he deserves good things to happen to him. I liked his relationship with his sister. There’s a tenderness there which caught me by surprise. The plot moved at a good pace with plenty of emotion and drama to keep me invested. The descriptive narration carried the story from start to finish. This book will have an impact on any reader and it is one I highly recommend, especially if you enjoy dramatic coming of age stories.
Disclaimer: I bought a copy. My thoughts are all my own.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
April 21, 2022
I was given the privilege to review this ARC and wanted to share a few thoughts.
BJ is a high school student in the 1980s when his world is turned upside down. On the same day that his mother dies of cancer, his father is released from prison and arrives at the hospital to take BJ home. The rest of the school year focuses on BJ grieving his mother’s death while getting to know the parent he hasn’t seen in over seven years.
I would have liked the first half when I was in high school. BJ has a strong voice and is a very likeable main character. The tone changed drastically in the second half, which was a shock. I think Bester was trying to cover a multitude of topics: the death of a parent and gang violence being most prominent. I liked seeing BJ’s relationship with his little sister. Some parts got surprising religious which was very unexpected. I have to take off some points for toxic masculinity.
TW: SA
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
BJ is a high school student in the 1980s when his world is turned upside down. On the same day that his mother dies of cancer, his father is released from prison and arrives at the hospital to take BJ home. The rest of the school year focuses on BJ grieving his mother’s death while getting to know the parent he hasn’t seen in over seven years.
I would have liked the first half when I was in high school. BJ has a strong voice and is a very likeable main character. The tone changed drastically in the second half, which was a shock. I think Bester was trying to cover a multitude of topics: the death of a parent and gang violence being most prominent. I liked seeing BJ’s relationship with his little sister. Some parts got surprising religious which was very unexpected. I have to take off some points for toxic masculinity.
TW: SA
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 10, 2022
Gripping, relateable, tale of discovery
This book hooks the reader from the opening line. The characters are compelling and the layers of discovery are masterfully told. Timely book. Ready for the next installment!
This book hooks the reader from the opening line. The characters are compelling and the layers of discovery are masterfully told. Timely book. Ready for the next installment!
January 16, 2023
This book is so relatable: the characters, the music references, the family drama and the friends. The rise and fall is riveting. Nail biters, tear jerkers. I found myself rooting for the underdog. Renewed my hope in second chances and deepened my faith!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews