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2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Give me a root canal instead Mar 09, 2008
I'm a young person trying to like novels written for "us." I hated this one. I thought I liked the first page, but then I just felt patronized. Somehow I made myself read the entire thing. Those are hours of my life I will never get back. The messenger hawk?? Seriously?!??! I could go on and on. Ugh. Someone give me a medal.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Definitely not a favorite Feb 07, 2008
I tried to like this book, I really did. I attempted to read it with the mind of a younger person, but that did not help. It read like one big, contrived cliché. I felt like the story was too simple and formulaic for high school students, but the flowery, dramatic language might make it unappealing to younger kids. I didn't feel at all as though my narrator was a seventeen-year-old boy. I know it's just my opinion, but I had a very hard time buying that a teenaged kid would ponder the grace with which a leaf meets its death. The tired old story of the good-looking kid realizing that he loves his ol' tomboy pal who has transformed herself (hello John Hughes 80s film), the "poor little me" angst of a privileged, white suburban kid...It just made the book almost painful to read. It seemed to be lacking..maybe an edge, or some intangible that I can't put my finger on which is present in most good young adult literature. As I read it I felt as though a romance and/or chick-lit novel was hiding behind the guise of a teen novel. And I have to say that I agree with another reviewer about the weird dream sequence.
0 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 A moving work that promotes personal and social change.. Jul 18, 2007
Song of the Messenger is a profoundly moving story about a young mans journey of self discovery. This is an extremely human story that I believe has the power to transform ones thinking in reference to prejudice, stereotyping and the impact of a person's personal history on their life. This book communicates deep and challenging ideas to a wide audience and has personally affected me greatly. Song of the Messenger and Courtwright's accompanying Project Messenger give me hope that there is a way to talk with our children, and employ techniques at home and within the schools about the power of compassion and empathy.
The book addresses how a person's personal history and diving into one's own story can provide a context for living that we might not otherwise have. I have seen this occur in my own life after myself and family members read the book. This story opened up a dialogue between us that allowed for healing, understanding and reverence for each others stories. I am encouraged that such a powerful connection with young people could be engendered by this book. It addresses a time in our children's development when they can feel so profoundly isolated and disconnected and I believe the methods Courtwright suggests could help young people learn lifelong skills that help them with these issues. The book and project teach ways in which to be positive, creative and tolerant human beings. The impact of this kind of teaching in our schools, in light of the recent surges in school violence, could be revolutionary.
As a parent and an individual I think this book is a courageous statement about the strength and character of our youth. Courtwright's skillful writing and storytelling draws you in, young or old, into a world we can all relate to. It is a celebration of spirit and human tolerance and could go a long way toward teaching ourselves and our kids to see the world and the people around us in an entirely different way. We can learn to see through the eyes of the hawk, gaining a perspective and compassion for our part in the larger tapestry of the world around us.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A very good message, but predictable and unoriginal Jul 12, 2007
This book was recommended to me as a good novel for young adults, and as the basis for a study program for middle school aged children. The story - apparently part fiction and part biography/autobiography - is told from the point of view of a 17-year-old high school kid named Phil in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. (It sort of reads as a promotional travel guide for the city. Their Chamber of Commerce would be proud.) He is conflicted throughout by the ongoing battle between his sensitive side and the part of him that he shows to the outside world. He has basically become what society wants him to be, but yearns to let his "true self," shine through - the kid who plays and writes music, thinks about more than girls and cars, and questions the world he sees before him. Ultimately, the death of a grandfather he barely knew and the mentorship of an English teacher lead to a sort of epiphany for him. The teacher starts a project for his class in which the students are to interview someone from a different generation, and report back to the class what they learned. Phil interviews his living grandfather, as a way of making up for not getting to know the one who passed. (He learned many things about the deceased grandfather that he never knew when he was alive.) Soon, students who are not even in the teacher's class ask to become a part of the interviews. The result is a sea change and a new awareness in Phil, as well as throughout the high school.
Phil is a likable character who makes you want to root for him. He would be easy for young people to relate to, probably girls more so than boys. That being said, I think a character that is sensitive, artistic and contemplative, yet still very much a guy, would be a good "role model," so to speak, for young men. It's sometimes difficult in our society for a male to show his softer side.
The themes and issues addressed in the book - diversity, acceptance, intolerance, conformity, family, prejudice, history, friendship, etc. - are all very important topics that need to be discussed and explored. It is quite predictable and cliché-filled to adult eyes and ears, but this is a book for young people. The writing, for the most part, is solid. I would recommend the book as wholesome, sometimes thought-provoking, entertainment for middle school to early high school-aged kids.
That being said, Phil's dream at the end of the book - which is even its own chapter - was too long, not commensurate with the length of the book, and a bit overdone and unbelievable. It seemed like nothing more than an excuse to write about the time period in which it took place. Its supposed significance was overstated.
There is a little romance in the novel, but what happens is utterly predictable from almost the very first page of the book. It also perpetuates the belief that men and women (boys and girls) can't be just friends.
This self-published book was apparently not professionally edited. Mistakes such as the island of Guadalcanal misspelled as two words, deja-vu misspelled as "deja-vous," "who's" when "whose" should have been used, "mock-20" instead of Mach-20 would be of concern if the book were to be used as a teaching tool.
The author has started a project/initiative, the foundation of which is buying her book and also accompanying merchandise. She even outlines curriculum ideas for a semester of study using the book as its basis. While I would not hesitate to bring such discussion into the classroom given its positive message, it is very closely modeled after Erin Gruwell's Freedom Writers Foundation. (As certain aspects of the book appear to be.) One might be better served just sticking with the original.
0 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Conscious Living Jun 07, 2007
I thought this book was excellent. The book addressed issues which I think are very important at this time, and at all times. Respect and communication are keys which help all. It revealed things in my life and my relationships that I hadn't quite figured out. I was also very impressed with the depth of thought within teens' minds. It validated many insights I have had of my own. This book would be valuable to all who read it.
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