Swollen

by Melissa Lion

Book Overview

Samantha only wants to be loved. By her father, by her best friend, and now by the new boy at school, Farouk. The more time Sam spends with him, the more she can't stop thinking about him. To escape, Sam runs track at school, finishing every race, but never pushing herself to the limit. Sam and Farouk spend afternoons at the beach where divers risk their lives to jump off high cliffs into the churning water below. Like the divers, Sam risks herself...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553494082
• ISBN13: 9780553494082
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf Library
• Length: 183 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.2" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Sharp Truth and Emotion

I loved her writing style: it was concise but eloquent. Unlike most fiction, I felt like every sentence had been perfectly equated, each word chosen with great thought. It was so truthful, and like other readers I felt like it was a snippet of my life (not exactly of course, but the thought process). Sam was so powerless in a grand scheme, but held her own like an adult. Her personality shows the strength of a great role model, even if her actions don't fall into the stereotype of a role model. She was a strong character living in poor circumstances, as most teenagers can find themselves in at some point of their life.

:tears:

To me what make a great book is how its written. it doesnt matter if the plot sucks or if you hate the charaters. if the words just flow, its amazing. and melissa lion is amazing. i loved how samantha would single out the shy boys to bring back to the beach, and i loved how she knew when she met him that Fasdkjadsbhh (god i cant say let alone type his damn name!! ><) was dangerous enough to make her fall in love, and i hated with a passion her father and how everyone loved owen but sam knew about the real him, the one who wrote on the bridge. <br /> <br />i love, and always will love, and will pass down my family tree until its rotten and thrown away, this book. <br /> <br />melissa lion please write more books. haha. peace

A great new author...

Swollen is a story about first love: how it happens, what it feels like, and what it does to you. Sam is a great character; she's not the perfect daughter or student and she knows it, but she's strong and focused and never complains. Her home life isn't perfect either but she accepts it for what it is. Farouk and Sam's relationship is SO well documented, as Melissa Lion really focuses on Sam's feelings and thoughts. Reading this book was very nostalgic for me, because the characters were so real and their relationships reminded me of my own time in high school. I'm looking forward to reading Melissa Lion's next book when it comes out. Her style is very comfortable, and her observations are sharp and truthful. I felt like she was writing just for me. I devoured this book.

Absolutely Brilliant

Loved it!! Haunting, poetic, & incredibly honest. Death, running, & the complexities of human relationships. Who could ask for more?