Review of Life Shattered

[Chi Chiu Michael Mak]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Life Shattered" by Sandy Graham.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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How do children manage to survive bullying in high school? What should be done to help gifted children avoid boredom and underachievement in high school? How does a person's mindset contribute to their likelihood of pursuing a career in engineering? Can high-school sweethearts dedicate their lives to each other and still have a full life? What are the requirements to become a test pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force? How can a university student participate in research projects? If you would like to learn the answers to these questions, you should read the book entitled Life Shattered by Sandy Graham.

Delbert Pillage had a miserable life in high school. His peers constantly teased him about his large and uneven ears, raggedy clothes, and frail body. The school bullies roughed him up, embarrassed him, and stole his lunches. Delbert’s family was living near the poverty line. Despite his miserable existence, Delbert had a few things going for him. He possessed a gifted brain and a unique way of thinking. A shy and lovely girl named Sylvia formed a friendship with him. And, he had a math teacher who recognized his abilities. This heartwarming story illustrates how Delbert overcame adversity and soared to new heights.

While reading this book, I learned about the University of British Columbia, scientific research projects, how a university can assist gifted students, how one can become a test pilot for the RCAF, and how love can conquer all obstacles. Sandy Graham created realistic characters that the reader could believe in. As I read, I felt like a part of the supportive community that was helping Delbert to excel. I was cheering for him. The technical information used to describe Delbert’s scientific research and his flying of jets lent authenticity to the story and illustrated the workings of Delbert’s gifted mind.

I enjoyed reading this positive story. Delbert took stock of his opportunities and expressed gratitude for the support he received. Graham created strong characters who were outliers. Each of them captivated my interest. The story emphasized the values of perseverance, doing one’s best, humbleness, appreciation, loyalty, and kindness. I enjoyed how the author provided insight into the main characters' thoughts, sharing their hopes, doubts, and opinions. I recommend this novel for readers 16+ who love historical fiction, science, technology, and romance. I couldn't find any aspects to dislike about this book. Therefore, I gave it a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

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Life Shattered
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

From the review, it looks like Delbert's life has its ups and downs. A story with strong characters is always appreciated. I cannot wait to give the book a read and see what happens to Delbert and the people who stood by him in the end. Congratulations on winning Book of the Day!

[Eucharia Mbamalu]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Life Shattered" by Sandy Graham.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Share This Review

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How do children manage to survive bullying in high school? What should be done to help gifted children avoid boredom and underachievement in high school? How does a person's mindset contribute to their likelihood of pursuing a career in engineering? Can high-school sweethearts dedicate their lives to each other and still have a full life? What are the requirements to become a test pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force? How can a university student participate in research projects? If you would like to learn the answers to these questions, you should read the book entitled Life Shattered by Sandy Graham.

Delbert Pillage had a miserable life in high school. His peers constantly teased him about his large and uneven ears, raggedy clothes, and frail body. The school bullies roughed him up, embarrassed him, and stole his lunches. Delbert’s family was living near the poverty line. Despite his miserable existence, Delbert had a few things going for him. He possessed a gifted brain and a unique way of thinking. A shy and lovely girl named Sylvia formed a friendship with him. And, he had a math teacher who recognized his abilities. This heartwarming story illustrates how Delbert overcame adversity and soared to new heights.

While reading this book, I learned about the University of British Columbia, scientific research projects, how a university can assist gifted students, how one can become a test pilot for the RCAF, and how love can conquer all obstacles. Sandy Graham created realistic characters that the reader could believe in. As I read, I felt like a part of the supportive community that was helping Delbert to excel. I was cheering for him. The technical information used to describe Delbert’s scientific research and his flying of jets lent authenticity to the story and illustrated the workings of Delbert’s gifted mind.

I enjoyed reading this positive story. Delbert took stock of his opportunities and expressed gratitude for the support he received. Graham created strong characters who were outliers. Each of them captivated my interest. The story emphasized the values of perseverance, doing one’s best, humbleness, appreciation, loyalty, and kindness. I enjoyed how the author provided insight into the main characters' thoughts, sharing their hopes, doubts, and opinions. I recommend this novel for readers 16+ who love historical fiction, science, technology, and romance. I couldn't find any aspects to dislike about this book. Therefore, I gave it a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

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Life Shattered
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Jorge Leon Salazar]

This novel includes historical fiction, science, technology, and romance. The character of Delbert is very appealing since readers sympathize with him. Also, the story addresses thought-provoking topics such as bullying, gifted children, school boredom and poor performance at school. Sounds intriguing!

[Annabell Samuel]

Delbert Pillage seem to have big dreams. However, he needs to navigate the challenges he is having in high school. His character speaks about many high school students with myriads of challenges.

[Brienna Cooper]

Great review!

How do children manage to survive bullying in high school? What should be done to help gifted children avoid boredom and underachievement in high school? How does a person's mindset contribute to their likelihood of pursuing a career in engineering? Can high-school sweethearts dedicate their lives to each other and still have a full life? What are the requirements to become a test pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force? How can a university student participate in research projects? If you would like to learn the answers to these questions, you should read the book entitled Life Shattered by Sandy Graham.

It’s pretty easy to see those first few questions connect, but you start getting thrown for a loop looking at the rest. That’s a clever way to create interest in the book and it definitely pulled me in. Not to mention, who doesn’t love a good underdog story?

[Rose Nafula Oketch]

Bullying someone because of their miserable life is not a good thing at all. Delbert possessed a gifted brain and a unique way of thinking, but his miserable life subjected him to bullying. I'm glad a few people noticed his abilities and supported him. Bullying in high school is still a serious thing that needs to be addressed. I would love to read this novel with the heartwarming story of Delbert overcoming adversity and soaring to new heights. Nice review.

[Timothy Rucinski]

This is a very nice review. Enough information about the story was provided without giving away the store, as in many reviews. I enjoy books about outliers, and it seems this just might be one of them. Congrats to the author on BOTD.

[Isaac Ozo-okafor]

This storyline resonates with survival, survival from the ashes of the past, the memories of being a victim of a bully are usually not something to let go of quite easily.

[Hugo Vee]

Thank you for the review. Always spot-on! The novel is truly about the Pillage family; who, though they are poor, work very hard to get by, mainly through farming. The Pillages older son, Delbert is the butt of his classmates’ jokes because of his physical looks and unfashionable clothing. Unbeknownst to many, Delbert is gifted and only puts in modest effort academically to- avoid attention in school and possible retribution - in the form of more bullying from his detractors.

[Hazel Arnaiz]

The complexity of growing up as a brilliant child in the 1950s seems to be explored in this coming-of-age tale. Despite being set in the past, themes like school life, bullying, and teenage romance appear to still be relevant today.

[Harty Muli]

I like the relevance of the topics covered in this book in the current age. It's more like a reference book on relationships and what to expect in the workplace. Thanks for the review.

[Ukaegbu Confidence]

Life Shattered by Sandy Graham promises to answer most of my questions for a long time. The effect of one's childhood influencing their career path is something I always think about. Congratulations on BOTD.

[Pablo Josue Mendia]

Thank you for your informative review!

“Life Shattered” by Sandy Graham seems like a book that tackles very important questions, from surviving bullying to pursuing a career to managing a distanced relationship. The book follows Debert, a lower socioeconomic youth with a gifted brain who was ridiculed for his looks. The book’s scientific aspect seems to make it very realistic. I will add this to my future read list.

Congrats #BOTD

[Bertha Jackson]

Reading about a character who overcomes bullying and becomes successful is always refreshing. Thank you for your informative review.

[rusyalana]

The book sounds interesting and the story itself is pretty emotional. The person should have a strong will not be unfluenced by those who bully him. And it is good that he had such a great support in his friend and a teacher. Congratulations on becoming BOTD!