Book Review // Shades of Gray

Book Review // Shades of Gray

"He'd be courteous, and he'd help out all he could to make up for being an extra mouth to feed. But he'd never call him Uncle Jed. Never!" from Shades of Gray

I'm going to start doing book reviews ever so often. Today I just went to our bookshelves and grabbed a good book to review. It would take a looooong time if I tried to do a review on every book we own so I wont try! I hope to do these quiet a bit though if I can. Would you enjoy that? Wait. Don't tell me until you read my review.

First, here's how my rating works:

• One star- Don't read it. 
• two star- A possible one time read.
• three- It's a pretty good book.
• four star- A recommended read!
• Five star- The best of the best!

Most of the books I'll share will probably be four star, because I save five star for the absolute best, the books I read over and over and over, with good morals and and all that. Sound good to you?

 Today I picked Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reeder.

I give this book four stars. 

Plot: "The civil War was over, but it had taken a terrible toll on twelve-year-old Will Page. His father and Brother had been killed by the Yankees; his sisters died of typhoid, and his mother of grief. An orphan, Will was forced to live with his Uncle Jed, a traitor to the Confederacy!" I took this of the back of the book.
  This book got me from the first page, I first read it a few years ago. My brother highly recommended it to me so I read it! I loved it. It is written simply and is easy to follow. But it does make you feel everything right along with Will. You feel his anger, his fear, his hurt, and his struggles right with him. It was intended for younger readers but I think anyone could enjoy it. It's not often you find a book about kids after the Civil War.
 What I like in the book:  Shades of Gray is about forgiveness, and healing. I like how many aspects there are to the story that seem to all connect. All though Will is on the Confederate side you get a glimpse of the good and bad on both side during the war. I feel as though it helped me get grips that it doesn't really matter what side you think is right or wrong anymore. The battles themselves are over but there is still a "war" going on. People go around and around about which side was right during the war. But it was in God's hands like everything is still to this day, and What happened is what was supposed to happen. I love each person in the story, because you get to see just enough of their character at the right time in the story.
 How it could be better: There's not much I can say about this except I wish they spoke about Jesus in the story. There may have been a few references to the Bible but I don't remember. There's a time they take God's name vain, when one of the boy's is telling a story about the war. But there's nothing else that I can remember.
 A few quotes:
-Will stepped forward. "Leave her alone, Hank."
"You gonna make me?"
For once, Will didn't know what to say. He had to look out for Meg, but- His heart seemed to skip a beat when Hank stooped over pick up a piece of bark, placed it on his shoilder, and stared at him defiantly.

- "Don't worry, Will. I know you didn't mean to sound selfish. I know you'd gladly go hungry for a week if Jim had fought for the South and that it's having a Yankee under the same roof that's upset you."
 Under the same roof! "Where- Where's this 'Jim' going to sleep?" he whispered.
"He said he'd sleep in the barn. He understands how you feel."

   So... there's my review. Was it interesting? Where else do you think I should touch on in my Reviews?
~ Kylie Nancy