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This Is What I Want to Tell You Heather Duffy Stone Books

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This Is What I Want to Tell You Heather Duffy Stone Books

Navigating precarious relationships is the name of this book's game. Family, friends and romantic interactions are all showcased with a dynamic realism. The most forceful portrayal being Noelle's relationships with everyone she encounters. At the tender age of sixteen she runs the gambit of emotions from blind euphoria to obsession, rage, betrayal and depression -- ultimately culminating in an act of self-realization that will shock and sadden the reader.

On the other hand there is the more muted tone of her brother Nadio and best friend Keeley. The two and their love story play and underlying roll in the story but one that ultimately spurns the culmination of events in Noelle's life. So for that one moment they too become as dynamic as she.

I found myself wishing that more of the twin dynamic was explored and that we got to see the inner workings of Noelle's relationship with Nadio. Seeing how that played into Noelle's decision making process (or didn't as it were) as she navigated her relationships may have added more emotion to Nadio's story. It certainly would have lent more power to her discovery of the blooming romance between he and her best friend. It would have made that betrayal more tragic in the readers eyes.

As is the case with much young adult fiction the parent as friend factor played into the story here. While in many cases this element of a story doesn't quite jibe it really worked well here. A father that had abandoned his family and a mother who compensated for that by being "cool, hip and understanding" and allowing the teens more freedom went a long way in facilitating Noelle's ultimate decent.

The events leading to Keeley's personality shift during her time in Oxford seemed to hang out there in nowhere. They neither drove the overall story nor had great influence on anything but the small underlying story of she and Nadio. While it did effect her growing relationship with him, the fact that this novel appeared to be more of a story about Noelle made the admission and recognition of what transpired seem slightly out of place.

Having said that, the recognition of those events was handled tenderly and with great respect and dignity. Exactly as one would expect a conversation of this nature between two young adults to go. Given this fact it is important to point out that this was an exceptionally well written story. It was not difficult for the reader to visualize characters, locations and events in any way. At times a reader may even find themselves feeling and living certain parts through the eyes of the character they most relate to.

In the end, this was not a light and fluffy read nor is it intensely dark and brooding. It had a great deal of angst and certainly its share of emotional upheaval but all was befitting a struggling teen. I would encourage adults and youngsters both to read This is What I Want To Tell You.


Tags : Amazon.com: This Is What I Want to Tell You (9780738714509): Heather Duffy Stone: Books,Heather Duffy Stone,This Is What I Want to Tell You,Flux,073871450X,9780738714509,JUV039060,Social Themes - Friendship,Best friends,Best friends;Fiction.,Brothers and sisters,Friendship,Friendship;Fiction.,Interpersonal relations,Interpersonal relations;Fiction.,Twins,Literature & Fiction,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12),Children's Teenage fiction: General fiction,Fiction,General,General fiction (Children's Teenage),JUVENILE,JUVENILE FICTION General,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Grades 10-12 Ages 15+,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Family Siblings,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Friendship,Young Adult FictionSocial Themes - Friendship,intense; lyrical; heather duffy stone

This Is What I Want to Tell You Heather Duffy Stone Books Reviews

Twins Nadio & Noelle has lived in the gatehouse on the professor's property all their lives. As children, they befriended Keeley, the daughter of the professor, and have been inseparable ever since. Keeley and Noelle have always been like two halves of the same person with matching mannerisms and behavior. Nadio was always along for the ride, but never up front and center stage.

After spending a summer all separated, the trio come back together to find that nothing is as is was when they left. Nadio spent his summer running alone and writing imaginary letters to his absentee father. Noelle found a new friend into new things and managed to fall hard for tattoo-covered fry cook Parker. Keeley is still reeling from her summer at Oxford and has an awful burden from that experience.

Each of these three are hiding the truth from one of the others and everything culminates when Nadio and Keeley admit that their feelings for one another are no longer strictly platonic. What will they do to persevere, what will they have to sacrifice to be happy, and can they all be happy together?

Heather Duffy-Stone has done an incredible job with this novel. Told in the alternating view points of the twins, This is What I Want to Tell You is unparalleled. I can't think of another book that handles this common and yet complex a situation. There are at least three different stories told in the narrative, but if you include the smaller characters, there are a few more. Each story has its own attributes and complexities and at the same time they're all standard issues that teens face every day. There's drugs, issues at school, peer pressure, sex, and heart ache at every corner.

I really felt as though I related to each of the characters on some level and that they were all meant to be recognizable. I'm sure you could place someone from your high school in each of these roles and better understand their situation. The writing style really lent itself to an omnipotent presence because when one chapter left off, the next picked up from a different point of view. I know that many books can accomplish this, but (for lack of a better explanation) this was just different.

The situations were believable, the characters superb, & the writing was, in a work, magical. I truly hope to see more from this writer. She knows her stuff well and if she can pull it off again, I'd place her in the same AMAZING category as Simone Elkeles & Jennifer Echols. While my library didn't own this one, I was able to InterLibrary Loan it from another institution. Let me reiterate, it was well worth it. Find out if your local library can do the same for you!

I leave you with a fabulous teaser quote from the book

Why don't people ever see the way other kinds of love can wreck you? What about the way being left out of love can wreck you? p.148
A beautifully written novel. Characters who are real and identifiable with vivid and realistic voices. I highly recommend this book!
I couldn't put it down!!! So well written, insightful and thoughtful.
Navigating precarious relationships is the name of this book's game. Family, friends and romantic interactions are all showcased with a dynamic realism. The most forceful portrayal being Noelle's relationships with everyone she encounters. At the tender age of sixteen she runs the gambit of emotions from blind euphoria to obsession, rage, betrayal and depression -- ultimately culminating in an act of self-realization that will shock and sadden the reader.

On the other hand there is the more muted tone of her brother Nadio and best friend Keeley. The two and their love story play and underlying roll in the story but one that ultimately spurns the culmination of events in Noelle's life. So for that one moment they too become as dynamic as she.

I found myself wishing that more of the twin dynamic was explored and that we got to see the inner workings of Noelle's relationship with Nadio. Seeing how that played into Noelle's decision making process (or didn't as it were) as she navigated her relationships may have added more emotion to Nadio's story. It certainly would have lent more power to her discovery of the blooming romance between he and her best friend. It would have made that betrayal more tragic in the readers eyes.

As is the case with much young adult fiction the parent as friend factor played into the story here. While in many cases this element of a story doesn't quite jibe it really worked well here. A father that had abandoned his family and a mother who compensated for that by being "cool, hip and understanding" and allowing the teens more freedom went a long way in facilitating Noelle's ultimate decent.

The events leading to Keeley's personality shift during her time in Oxford seemed to hang out there in nowhere. They neither drove the overall story nor had great influence on anything but the small underlying story of she and Nadio. While it did effect her growing relationship with him, the fact that this novel appeared to be more of a story about Noelle made the admission and recognition of what transpired seem slightly out of place.

Having said that, the recognition of those events was handled tenderly and with great respect and dignity. Exactly as one would expect a conversation of this nature between two young adults to go. Given this fact it is important to point out that this was an exceptionally well written story. It was not difficult for the reader to visualize characters, locations and events in any way. At times a reader may even find themselves feeling and living certain parts through the eyes of the character they most relate to.

In the end, this was not a light and fluffy read nor is it intensely dark and brooding. It had a great deal of angst and certainly its share of emotional upheaval but all was befitting a struggling teen. I would encourage adults and youngsters both to read This is What I Want To Tell You.