Marjorie Jackson

Pull out the tissue box because these pages go to the heart and demonstrate the beauty of friendship, especially in the more difficult moments of life.

Two girls, Amber and Missy, are heading into the last year of middle school. Both have problems they're doing their best to deal with. Both are very lonely. Finding a friend isn't something either has really considered, nor have they really tried. But sometimes, life finds a way to pull two together in the most unexpected way.

The story is told show more from two points of view: Amber's and Missy's. To keep things simple, the girl's name is printed large and bold whenever the switch occurs or a new chapter begins. But these two have such different personalities and situations that it's not hard to figure out, who is who. While Amber is more laid back and has, in many respects, a more serious issue thanks to her difficult form of epilepsy, Missy is more fire than ice a she tries her best to fit in with expectations she can't really meet just to get some peace from her family. The two are both easy to sympathize with, very different, and, yet, similar. Each is trying to do the best they can. Neither wants to hurt or disappoint anyone.

Both girls come across extremely natural, making each one easy to connect with and know. The author spends about half the book with the girls not aware of the others' existence and dwells on their individual problems and lives. This gave both tons of depth and let the reader know them inside and out. It did slow things down quite a bit, though, too. I found myself skipping over paragraphs, wondering when the two would finally meet. But the pacing also allowed Amber and her condition, to come across extremely well and be handled with the necessary care. That was very well done.

The value of friendship is a strong message in these pages, but it's not the only one. Amber's determination and positive attitude are inspiring. Missy deals with tough family themes such as the loss of a sibling, parents' divorce, and watching a parent go through deep depression. While she struggled , there were many inspiring moments from her side, too, and lessons for life.

The girls spend a lot of time interacting with their families, which was nice to see. They also spend quite a bit of time during the first chapters interacting with their doctors. Little time was spent with anything else, and I did wonder how their lives outside of these two areas were, especially since both were attending school and other activities...none of which were shown. A large span of time passes in these chapters, and although each of the girls main activities over the summer was hit upon, I missed getting to know more about what each did. For example, Amber volunteers to help with dogs, but only talks excitedly about it. The reader doesn't really get to experience it with her.

All in all, this is a potent book with more than a few touching moments. Amber and Missy are girls to root for and cheer on as they each inspire in their own way. And neither is easy to forget even after the last page has been read. I received a complimentary copy and found the author's handling of the characters and themes very well done. show less

Amber and Missy are both 14 year old girls facing a unique set of challenges as they enter their last year of middle school. Amber has epilepsy, an invisible medical condition that mostly makes her blank out, be tired all the time and have memory issues. Lately, however, her seizures have been getting worse, some leading to injury and causing her to miss even more school. Missy's family moved to town after her brother died fighting in Afghanistan. The death proved too much for Missy's mother show more though, and she retreated into her grief while Missy's father moved on and moved away. Amber and Missy suffer in their loneliness, but soon realize that a true friend may be what they need to help them through this time.

Being is Better is a heartfelt middle grade novel about the hardships of this difficult part of life and the power of friendship. Told in alternating points of view between Amber and Missy, the story goes deep into their lives to gain understanding and connection to each of the girls. Amber's struggles with epilepsy are well written, showing the physical, mental and social tolls of the invisible medical condition. Missy's family situation is another hidden difficulty that many families silently go through. Missy's mother's depression was written in a way that didn't put the blame on anyone and showed the gravity of the situation. While the girl's individual stories are compelling, I was waiting for a while for something exciting to happen. The girls don't even meet until about 70% of the way through the story and finally some magic happens. It was amazing to see what happened when Missy and Amber began to believe and trust in themselves. With a major breakthrough near the end of the story, I know there is more to Amber and Missy's journey to come.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less

With as much care and warmth as found in the first novel, this book continues the struggles of the two new friends in a way, which digs even deeper than before.

Now, in high school, the two girls continue to build their friendship and deal with the various issues still left off in book one. Especially Missy finds herself in new territory as she tries to accept her father's new girlfriend and continues to search for information surrounding her older brothers' death. Amber tries her best to show more mediate between Missy and her father but also finds herself in a new situation as she meets the guy of her dreams.

This is the 2nd book in the series and should be read as such, since it builds from where the first novel let off. There's a bit of an age shift as we leave middle school and enter the world of high school, but it's the life problems, which this book swirls around, anyway. Missy gets more of the plot in this one as she is forced to deal with the situation of her father finding a new girlfriend and also continues her research into the death of her older brother. Amber receives the role of helping her cope with everything. Of course, Amber doesn't fall by the wayside as she's still dealing with her own health issues (however, this didn't come into play nearly as much as before) and hits romance themes as well. While I was wondering about this second path, especially considering the stronger issues Amber still needs to handle, it did add a lovely balance to the tale and needed development to her personality.

I'm not a huge fan of slow passages, and this book begins even slower than the first. It does keep interesting tidbits dribbling in, though, which did keep it from growing boring. Still, I prefer a bit quicker pacing. For those who love character depth, this works very well, though, and does draw in.

The girls' decisions and actions are very understandable, and actually quite mature, which I do appreciate, since many YA novels miss this beat. The relationships come across realistically and both characters handle everything as best they can. The friendship remains key, and the added dash of mystery surrounding Missy's brother's death adds a lovely spark, which promises all sorts of possibilities. I was a bit disappointed that Amber's problems didn't hit a little more, but it doesn't really cause issues for the tale, either. This is a solid book to follow the first and just as interesting. I received a complimentary copy and found the characters very well done show less

Every now and then a book comes along at the perfect time. This is the sequel to the book "Being is Better". In the second book Missy is still trying to help her mother put her life back together. She is also crushing on her best friend's brother. Her best friend Amber is still fighting to get her seizures under control. Both of them have entered high school. Missy is once again "strongly encouraged" to visit her father. She agrees to do this only if her best friend Amber can come with her. show more Her father agrees. Things are very tense between Missy and her father. Amber is there to help Missy keep her cool. This is especially important when they meet someone very important to her father; his girl friend. While visiting her father they walk around town and stop into a yogurt shop. It is here that Amber meets the boy of her dreams, "Dev".

From this point forward you know as you read that things aren't quite what they seem. Missy is still trying to find out what argument her brother Frankie had with her dad. This is the argument that sent her brother off into the military where he was killed. Maybe with Amber, and her brother Mase's help they can solve this puzzle and figure where all of the other characters fit in.

This is a book of hope. We get a look at Missy's father and what a first class jerk he is. For kids who have gone through a family divorce and their life has been turned upside down, it shows them there can be a silver lining for them. I am thrilled to put these two books on my shelves. May it reach out and touch so many lives. show less