Official Review: For All the Carols Out There

[kimmyschemy06]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "For All the Carols Out There" by Karyl Maier.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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For All The Carols Out There is a poignant and memorable book about a girl named Carol written by Karyl Maier, M. Ed..

With a foreword by Cindy Locher, BCH, the book begins with the birth of Carol, an event not viewed enthusiastically by Carol’s father, Golden Boy, who is expecting a son to inherit the family business. Consequently, Carol suffers prejudice simply for being a girl in addition to neglect by her parents who are both busy making money.

Due to the physical, emotional and psychological abuse Carol has to endure especially from her father, she develops stuttering which makes her a target for bullies. She also develops very low self-esteem and finds it difficult to understand the lessons in school. Luckily for Carol, there are few people who believe in her and in what she can do. These few people, her twelve year old baby sitter, the wealthy woman who lived in a hotel and her sixth grade teacher, are enough to encourage Carol and make her believe she can be what she wants to be if she works hard enough.

Told in the third person perspective and in chronological order, except for back stories of characters in Carol’s life, the book is a touching tale of a woman who desperately wants to belong and to be loved. It depicts the painful truth about discrimination between male and female offspring and the unfair treatment of individuals who are viewed as different like left-handed people and people who stutter. Moreover, the book shows how the kindness and affection of a few people, relatives or not, can make a difference to a young person’s life. Finally, the story gives emphasis on determination as a key in achieving anything a person aspires for.

This is basically a memorable and touching book. The depiction of neglect, discrimination and prejudice suffered by Carol stirs the emotion and invokes the ire of readers toward neglectful and biased parents. The story is well written as it vividly describes not only the settings but also the emotions of characters. The author successfully creates admirable character in Carol, the brave protagonist who refuses to be discouraged but instead proves other people wrong including her father, the high school counselor and the president of the state college.

However, though I found Carol to be courageous and tough, I also found her too naïve. She was too trusting for my taste, which probably made her human and relatable to other readers. Moreover, I found the ending a little abrupt. Though the ending was somehow predictable, the manner of how the book ended was short and unelaborate, thus anticlimactic.

I, therefore, rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is touching, inspiring and encouraging. It is well written as well as well-referenced as the author inserted the hyperlinks of articles she included in the book. I recommend it, especially, to parents and teachers and everyone who works with children, and to readers who enjoy stories about life, trials and adversity.

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For All the Carols Out There
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Like kimmyschemy06's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kandscreeley]

Sounds pretty interesting. I'm wondering if the author based this on someone he knew? Just musing aloud. Even with the abrupt ending, it sounds like you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review.

[MarisaRose]

I was thinking the same thing... I wonder if this is based on true events? It's too bad the ending was unsatisfying; it sounds like an emotional read otherwise.

[kimmyschemy06]

Sounds pretty interesting. I'm wondering if the author based this on someone he knew? Just musing aloud. Even with the abrupt ending, it sounds like you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review.

Yes, I enjoyed it a lot. Carol is such an inspiring character. Just like you, I also wonder whether this book is based on someone the author personally knew. It probably is

[Rosemary Okoko]

I have not read this book but from the review, i will definitely read it.

[kimmyschemy06]

I have not read this book but from the review, i will definitely read it.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

[Atza1447]

It sounds interesting, not my normal pick for books but it caught my interest. Looking forward to reading it.

[Elaine5]

Sounds like my kind of book! Thanks for your thorough review.

[nareadyns]

Great review!

It's really sounds like a true story.......and for many girls or women it pretty hard not to relate to Carol on even one aspect of her life.

I will get the book to learn more on the story. I also wanna find out how Carol survived all these adversities. It always a plus to learn new ways of facing difficulties especially for girls/ women.

Thanks

[Kourtney Bradley]

I'm looking forward to reading this one for myself! Thank you for sharing your review!

[kimmyschemy06]

It sounds interesting, not my normal pick for books but it caught my interest. Looking forward to reading it.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

-- 20 Jun 2017, 00:16 --

Sounds like my kind of book! Thanks for your thorough review.

Thank you very much. It is a very enjoyable read

-- 20 Jun 2017, 00:19 --

Great review!

It's really sounds like a true story.......and for many girls or women it pretty hard not to relate to Carol on even one aspect of her life.

I will get the book to learn more on the story. I also wanna find out how Carol survived all these adversities. It always a plus to learn new ways of facing difficulties especially for girls/ women.

Thanks

Thank you very much. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

-- 20 Jun 2017, 00:57 --

I'm looking forward to reading this one for myself! Thank you for sharing your review!

Thank you. It's an interesting and enjoyable book.

[Kelebogile Mbangi]

I really love the title, "For All the Carols out there". Sounds like a touching story that people who have faced bullying and abuse can relate to. Thank you for this review.

[bookiegalke]

The storyline sounds interesting to me particularly because at at first glance I perceived the book would be a collection of love poems to women who go by the name of carol.

-- 26 Jul 2017, 06:08 --

The storyline sounds interesting to me particularly because at at first glance I perceived the book would be a collection of love poems to women who go by the name of carol.

-- 26 Jul 2017, 06:09 --

The storyline sounds interesting to me particularly because at at first glance I perceived the book would be a collection of love poems to women who go by the name of carol.

-- 26 Jul 2017, 06:10 --

The storyline sounds interesting to me particularly because at at first glance I perceived the book would be a collection of love poems to women who go by the name of carol.

-- 26 Jul 2017, 06:10 --

The storyline sounds interesting to me particularly because at at first glance I perceived the book would be a collection of love poems to women who go by the name of carol.

-- 26 Jul 2017, 06:11 --

The storyline sounds interesting to me particularly because at at first glance I perceived the book would be a collection of love poems to women who go by the name of carol.

-- 26 Jul 2017, 06:12 --

The storyline sounds interesting to me particularly because at at first glance I perceived the book would be a collection of love poems to women who go by the name of carol.