I Am Not Esther

by Fleur Beale

Book Overview

Imagine that your mother tells you she's going away. She is going to leave you with relatives you've never heard of - and they are members of a strict religious cult. Your name is changed, and you are... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786816732
• ISBN13: 9780786816736
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 2 to 5 years

Customer Reviews

i am esther rocks!!!!!!

i got to read this amazing book when i was doing my reading log for my english assignment. I read this book once before i was given the assingment. I like it personally because if the persistent character of kirby. She is strong and even in the hard times she know what she is heading to and need to get to. She keeps her goal throughout the book. It is amazing really!! i recommend this book to anybody trying to decide on the book! dnt hesistate to get it!!!!!!! P.S I READ IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER...IT DOESNT GET BORING!!!!

I meant to give 4 1/2 stars

I am not Esther are so many things I cannot describe, but I do not know for sure boring is not one of them. Though I didn't feel any real suspense troughout the whole book, I sure was curious to keep on reading, about such a fantical family and community. I thought Kirby's sarcastic remarks about using God's name in vain were amusing, and her close relationship with Maggie was something that I was absolutely loved and one of the reasons Kirby didn't lose her audacious personality. Kirby's relationship with Daniel was well played with a nice strong bond as well as with the other siblings. Fleur did a wonderful job and I would love to read more of her work. Aurevoir, Amicia

frustrating, yet addicting

i started to read this book because a friend of mine had told me about it. i partially read it because my name is esther, and i am part of a pretty strict religion. I Am Not Esther had so many twists in it that i never would have expected. i loved that Fleur Beale kept Kirby's character strong to the very end. i was amazed to see what kind of a cult she was thrown into. just the thought of it makes me shudder. it was amazing to me that Kirby could stand up to a whole cult for such a long time, with pretty much no one to back her up. i thought this book was great, and i think everyone should give it a chance.

"I Am Not Esther" - my review

I started reading this book out of a sort of curiosity. I'm very interested in different religions, how they work, and where they started, and I also love dramatic mysteries about teenage girls. With the whole religious cult thing and confused girl, I knew it would keep me going. It has done so much more than that. Once I started reading this book, I became hooked. This young girl had been torn away from her mother and shoved into this up-tight family who belonged to this unheard of religion called the Fellowship of the Children of the Faith. I couldn't believe it when it talked about all of the rules this religion went by. To me, it was almost unfathomable. Once I had finished reading the book, I was talking to a friend who told me about a religion her mother had been involved with, and quite upsettingly to me, a lot of what they did was what happened in the book. It was so hard to believe that people would actually do these kinds of things, and believe all of it too. Ultimately, I definitely enjoyed this book. It was interesting, filled with drama, love, and hardships, and it will certainly keep you entertained to the very end. I honestly don't think there was a single dry spot. Besides from being interesting, this book certainly opened my eyes to what really happens, and that sometimes people take religion to an uncanny level, a level where it can get dangerous.

Will keep readers guessing until the end

One of the most moving, strikingly original teen novels to come our way in a long time is this candid story of a young girl's sudden introduction to a religious cult. When her flighty mother brings Kirby to live with her aunt and uncle, it's to a strict religious world where little is allowed and much regulated. Kirby's spunky spirit fights back at first; but she must learn to live within the family's rigid boundaries if she's to escape and find her mother. Eye-opening and vivid, this will keep readers guessing until the end, and provides a sharply poignant picture of brainwashing and cult control as experienced by a teen. Very highly recommended.