Book Review: Blindsided

Fiction/Young Adult
Blindsided
E. Marie Sanders
2012
Generate Space
165 pages

Blindsided is the story of a young woman’s whirlwind relationship with a young man who appears best on the surface, but whose immaculate shell rapidly cracks and ultimately crumbles. E. Marie Sanders, author of To K(no)w Avail (2010), offers readers a meaningful appear into the rapid paced couplings of high school students and sheds light on the excitement and danger inherent in these relationships. When Marlena, a rising sophomore meets Jason, a rising freshman, the chemistry is immediate and intense. Marlena attempts to retain the moral and religious standards her parents have set for her as she tentatively opens herself up to the idea of Jason getting her first boyfriend. But like so numerous young girls, Marlena gets caught up in the thrill of becoming with Jason and misses the signs that could have saved her from heartache.

On a single of the final days of the Onward and Upward summer time program held at the University of Pittsburgh, Marlena’s buddy, Tamar, asks Marlena to find out if Jason likes her. When Marlena approaches Jason, he tells her she is the one particular he is interested in, not Tamar. They make a decision to get to know every other even although it harms Marlena’s relationship with Tamar. Telephone conversations turn into time spent together on the final trip of the plan. On the three-hour bus ride back to the campus, Marlena and Jason engage in a heavy make out session and afterwards declare themselves a couple.

When Marlena’s mother queries her about Jason right after seeing him at an event on campus, Marlena is sincere with her mother about being interested in Jason. The mother and daughter have a heart to heart talk about dating and why it is crucial that Marlena keep her virtue. Later, Marlena’s parents set ground guidelines for interacting with the opposite sex: She is not allowed to have a boyfriend or to date one particular-on-a single. Spending time with a young man in a group outing is all that Marlena is allowed to do. Her parent’s rules pose a challenge to Marlena’s relationship with Jason. Marlena decides that deceit is her only solution.

Sanders ratchets up the conflict by interjecting opposing gangs and intimate family difficulties into this story of young enjoy. Marlena is a intelligent girl with a strong foundation, but she loses herself so speedily in her feelings for Jason that she misses signs of his faults and finds herself in harm’s way on more than a single occasion.
The author’s portrayal of high school students is believable and actually brought up memories of my own teenage experiences at a summer time program related to the a single described in the book. Sander’s integrates spirituality into the story in a way that is not preachy or overbearing. She also does a great job of developing balance in her protagonist. Marlena is a good girl who is confident on a single hand, but also unsure about how to manage her conflicting desires to please both her parents and the boy she loves. This story allows the reader (particularly young readers, hopefully) to see in Jason what Marlena misses. It could serve as a tool for opening the eyes of young ladies and men who are moving also rapidly in a relationship that may possibly in fact be far more than they are ready to manage.

Blindsided is a terrific combination of romance, suspense, and inspiration. I extremely advise it.