Thursday, July 28, 2011

Color Struck by Pamela Tuck

Color Struck is the story of Bell, a young African-American woman who runs off to marry Buck Steele in secret because their fathers do not get along. Due to lack of money, the young couple has to live with Silas and Emma Steele, Buck's parents, who are less than thrilled to have Bell in the family. Living with Silas and Emma is hard enough for Bell, but soon she realizes that something about her stirs up a Steele family secret. The book is narrated by Bell herself as she uses her past to teach her granddaughters the lessons she learned because "A deathbed shouldn't be the peacemaker in this family."

I loved "Color Struck." Bell and her granddaughters are lovable and believable, showing realistic emotion and making hard decisions. The other characters, including Buck, Silas, and Emma, were well thought out and described. While their actions were sometimes horrible, they always fit with their personalities perfectly. The storyline itself was almost addicting, and I couldn't wait to find out what horrible thing Emma would do to Bell next. The very best thing about "Color Struck" was the lesson of love and acceptance, a theme that came out in a wonderful resolution that tied up all of my questions and left me feeling full. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes family secrets, strong young women, and realistic fiction.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Harleysville, Pennsylvania USA