Book Review: The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker

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The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker  was published on March 17, 2025. It opens with Detective Declan Shaw at a closed subway station trying to work up the nerve to commit suicide when he receives a call from his partner about a break in and homicide at the home of a true crime author. Shaw makes his way to the crime scene to work the case, and in a turn of events, Declan comes under scrutiny in another case loosely connected to this new case. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Writer  from NetGalley and Little , Brown, and Company for free in exchange for my honest review. I'm appreciative that my request for this book was approved. With this story opening with the main character trying to commit suicide, I almost didn't go any further with the book. However, I am glad I stuck with it as it took me on a fantastic ride and had my emotions all over the place. There were so many twists and turns that just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was ...
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Book Review: Are You There God? It's me, Margaret by Judy Blume

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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume is told from the perspective of Margaret, who has recently moved to New Jersey and is dealing with a lot of things a girl at this age typically deals with. Margaret has to deal with making new friends and is questioning religion. Additionally, she and her new friends are entering the sixth grade and are juggling the trials and tribulations of being a tween and going through puberty, including school dances, boy/girl parties, getting their first bra, etc.

Judy Blume does a great job of what a child might experience in these situations and additionally does a great job dealing with how a child might question religion. I thought the story was well written and was handled delicately. I do suggest that parents have a conversation with their child after they read the book to answer any questions they may have.

There were some situations that I could relate to, but there were others that I didn't relate to at all. I remember bras and such being a topic of discussion in the girls locker room, but none of my friends and I had a competition about getting our periods. I was a little dumfounded that the boys didn't have a sex education class like the girls did. At my school, students were split up, with boys in one or two classes and girls in separate classes to discuss the sensitive issues of puberty. Of course, parents could opt their child out of the class.

As a kid, I never really questioned different religions. I think that was largely because my dad would ask me what I learned at church, and my parents and I would have a discussion about it as a family. Additionally, I learned a bit about different religions in school as well. Between these two things, I guess I never really felt the need to question any type of religion.

This was my first time reading this book, and it's my understanding that parts of the book have been updated to align with modern times. I wish I had access to the original story so I could compare the two. 

All in all, I enjoyed reading Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. I gave it four out of five stars.

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