New Voices 2016: Mormon literature students review novels

For the second year in a row, we present “New Voices”—book reviews from students in Shelah Miner’s Mormon Literature course at BYU-Salt Lake. Shelah explains the assignments:

“We opened the semester by talking about the now-infamous NYT article about why Mormons are good at genre fiction and bad at literary fiction, along with about five responses/rebuttals from Mormon authors ranging from George Handley to Larry Correia. We also talked about how the boundaries between literary and genre fiction can be permeable and the distinctions are somewhat artificial. Then, recognizing but ignoring those boundaries (LOL), I gave them an assignment to choose two books, one from one of the popular genres (mystery/thriller, sci fi/speculative/fantasy, romance, young adult, inspirational, historical fiction), and one work of literary fiction or creative nonfiction. They were asked to present the books to the class and also to write a review their books– about 1000-1500 words that included a summary, a conversation about what they liked and didn’t like about the novel, and a (very brief) analysis of an element or two from the text.”

This first set of book reviews are a mixture of genre and literary novels. The reviewers are Aubrey Hansen (Mile 21, by Sarah Dunster), Nathan Sheffield (The Secret Journal of Brett Colton, by Kay Lynn Mangum), and Kevin Streadbeck (Bound on Earth by Angela Hallstorm). Please be encouraging towards these students, most of whom are new to college-level writing assignments.

Mile 21 by Sarah Dunster

Reviewed by Aubrey Hansen

This is the story of a young women named Abish, who is coping with the loss of her husband at a young age. She hates her boss, is scarcely enrolled in BYU Idaho, has a strained relationship with her parents and has even been kicked out of her apartment. Her only escape playing Halo with her not-so-wholesome buddy Penn. As her life is unraveling, the last place she wants to be is back in a singles ward with stereotypical Molly Mormons. As the novel continues she finds a more positive escape and becomes heavily involved in running, and an attempt at winning the heart of a handsome executive secretary in her ward. It does not come easy, as she is continually failing to keep commitments, picking fights wherever she goes and eventually ending up in jail on trespassing charges. The story does however, have a happy ending; she ends up marrying the handsome secretary and becomes the earthly mother she always wanted to be.

When I first saw the cover of this book I figured it would be a romantic love story of a women who enjoys running. This novel is so much more than that. It is so complex and quite the opposite of what I had in mind. Abish Cavendish has gone through more hardships than most people will endure in a lifetime. She becomes a widow at the age of 21, and has lost her eternal companion for the remainder of this lifetime. Although this is a novel, I found myself enthralled with the drama which never seem to let up.

Abish Cavendish narrates this novel and is especially descriptive about her BYU-Idaho surrounding and I often found myself imagining I was actually there. For example, when she ran though the campus, she named off restaurants and class buildings she attends, as well as her experiences at the cemetery where her husband was laid to rest. As a runner myself, Duster did an excellent job of capturing the feelings and emotions that training for a marathon brings. For example, the tight quads and feeling like you can not take one more step, as well as the emotional relief.

Dunster made this novel in a way that you could imagine yourself in her shoes. Throughout the novel, you could see her thinking process as told through her inner conscience. It made a compelling case for why she did the things she did. Although I have not lost a spouse, I can completely identify with her struggle. There’s a point when her parents became so fed up with her lack of responsibility that they kicked her out of the apartment complex in which they own. She is forced to move into an apartment with five other girls. She refers to her new apartment as a “freshman factory.” I can relate to her uncomfortable feelings of college roommate living. It is never easy sharing an apartment with roommates, especially when their lives seem to be in perfect order.

Even when her decisions were far from ideal, I found myself continually rooting for her success. She often fought with her co-worker, her boss, roommates, parents—in fact with nearly everyone she came in contact. Her emotional instability made sense to me, since she was grieving over the loss her husband.

Abish’s character development is an essential part of this novel. She rarely makes goods decisions at the beginning, but through reliance on her Savior and accepting help offered but others, she grows and begins to appreciate love and life again. She began her journey with no desire to date after her husband’s death. She thought she would be cheating her new husband out of the eternal bond of marriage and did not want to screw up their eternal wellbeing. She unwillingly works with her Bishop, who also happened to be her boss, and grows through his inspired counsel, to put her faith in God, as he says “we do not know everything in this lifetime.”

Not only does Abish grow, but so do all of the other characters. As the story unfolds you realize their lives are for from perfect, and you grow compassion for each of their hardships. For example, her overly-friendly roommate Shelly, who seems to be the quintessential “Molly Mormon,” reveals to her that she has struggles with cutting her forearms to escape the emotional pain that she feels. Furthermore, Robert, the ward secretary, went from being an annoyance to Abish, to a strong reliable man she wanted to be with. The author did a great job of creating a scene love and compassion for each character. While on the other hand, her video game buddy seemed to be a rock in her life, but as the novel develops you find him to be a womanizer not worth her affection. All the characters were very strong, and besides Abish, they all played important roles.

Mile 21 is definitely intended for a LDS audience. Not only does she talk about her bishop, the relief society president, and her ward, but she is also very descriptive about the honor code and BYU curfew. For example, when she got her first ticket for trespassing, she new that she would have to go before the honor office and explain what happened. Her humor in the matter was very appealing. She referred to herself as exempt from curfew rules since she was technically married. I enjoyed this because as she was describing the rules in a very comical way, and I knew exactly the stereotypes she was referring to.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who wants a book that is hard to put down. I believe Dunster’s target audience is BYU students looking for a good laugh and cry at the same time. As for criticism, if the story was told through someone else’s eyes it may have brought more depth, but overall I enjoyed her thought process. Also, the names where also a little hard to get past. Abish, and her future husband Bob and her BYU roommate Steve? I think Dunster could have been more creative in picking names. But since those are my only criticisms, it speaks volumes about what I thought about this novel.

The Secret Journal of Brett Colton, by Kay Lynn Mangum

Review by Nathan Sheffield

As I began to read this book I wanted to really dissect it and review it in a scholarly way. Being a male I had preconceived notions about this book and its already feeling-packed title “The Secret Journal of Brett Colton”. But I soon found myself wrapped up in the world of high school romances paired with real-world tragedy and pain. The author, Kay Lynn Mangum, did a fantastic job of making ordinary lives with extraordinary events seem relatable and realistic, by creating characters who react in a very believable ways, much like your little sister would. Ultimately, the book ends like you would want it to, and yet Mangum is able to make her characters versatile and interesting enough to the extent you want to find out how they end up together, happily ever after!

Kathy Colton grows up in the shadow of her brother Brett, who was a huge football star. She is annoyed by the constant shared memories of him, though he died about 14 years previous. She begins high school in that sort of teenage angst, until her favorite English class is ruined by a “jock” named Jason West. Jason is a star football player, and is similar to Brett in every way. He signs up to be paired with Kathy for tutoring and thus begins their relationship. In a classic, “jock guy meets nerd girl” scenario, Jason asks Kathy to the homecoming dance but his status as starting quarterback prevents him from going with her. He breaks her heart as he tells her he was joking and asked another girl out. Kathy is furious but later dances with Jason at the dance.

For her sixteenth birthday she receives a journal her brother Brett wrote specifically for her during his battle with leukemia. While reading it, she unexpectedly is given the staring role in her drama classes’ Shakespeare festival. She begins to win over Jason with her performance as well as their continued tutoring experience. He asks her to the Christmas dance which she attends. Meanwhile her parents grudgingly give permission as their suspicions rise toward the intention of Jason’s attraction to their daughter. Does he really like her or does he just want to convert her to his “crazy Mormon religion”? Meanwhile Kathy reads of her deceased brother and his own experience being converted to Mormonism. Soon after, Jason’s little sister, who has befriended Kathy, is severely injured and comatose. Suddenly it’s Kathy’s newfound faith that supports the wilting faith of Jason. Eventually Kathy realizes her brother Brett wanted her to know the truth he knew about the Book of Mormon and she is able to meet with the missionaries as she shares Brett’s own testimony with her family.

In short, if you had a Mormon blender that dispensed non-alcoholic beverages specifically for Mormons and threw in the movies, “A Walk to Remember”, “Charly”, and “Remember the Titans”, you would have “The Secret Journal of Brett Colton”. If you like any two of those movies you would enjoy this book! Many elements of each of these popular stories are utilized to predictable perfection in Mangum’s novel, written for a home audience of her Mormon peers. At times the roots of the story, a high school short story writing contest, are made bare as the starting quarterback falls for the beautiful-when-she-takes-off-her-glasses English geek. Yet the sad tragedy in these other stories runs deep and vertebrates throughout the piece as the Colton family continues to deal with their loss, and the reader relives Brett’s death through his journal of flashback narrative. Finally, the undercurrent of football as a life teacher of hard-knocks and try-agains continues throughout this novel as any significant male character in this novel has a passion for the pigskin.

Despite all these ideas and themes, the plot seems to take each one a step at a time. When Kathy discovers her acting talent she becomes the star of the show and when that is over it is time for Jason and she to fall in love. As Brett’s story is told, when he is sick, he is only sick, and yet once he is healthy he wins the championship. The general lack of reality for these characters makes their lives one dimensional. When it is time for Kathy to have a testimony, she reads the whole Book of Mormon in a weekend, and wants to get baptized immediately! For characters who live such average lives, they sure are choppy. Events pile up without a definitive climax. The varying points of falling action and exciting events that might be avoided if the varying plot ideas were better woven into a complete whole.

The best part of Mangum’s story-telling is Kathy’s spiritual development Kathy. In small samplings that might be missed by the author’s teenage target audience, the protagonist is slowly changed by the spirit that enters into her life as she learns of Book of Mormon stories from Jason and his family, as well as the love that emanates from her brother’s journal. She is kinder to her family members and even toward the end serves others in miraculous ways not common to a teenager. Of course her eventual conversion is assumed, predictable, and picture perfect. She wants to do it for herself, and reads the Book of Mormon in a matter of days. Hers is the kind you hear over the pulpit in your average LDS Missionary Homecoming.

In a strange way, Kathy is quite a flat character. When you consider her background, her age, and each stressful situation in which she is placed, her emotional outbursts become quite predictable. For those who are familiar with adolescent teens, while her reactions are erratic and absurd they are quite typical for the demographic. Situations may be placed in her path but even as the book progresses you begin to guess which weapon in her quiver of verbal assaults she might use next. Her feelings are typical to those of her age which may bring frustration to some already living with individuals of a similar persuasion.

Finally, the many different relationships between characters in the book all pointed toward one end; Kathy’s understanding of her brother and family’s love for her. Kathy learns more about Brett as a person as she tutors Jason and sees a parallel between Jason and his little sister Emily and her own relationship with Brett. As she grows she learns what Brett really wanted for her, and that was to feel love from him, her family, and God. Fortunately, for an ordinary girl, she is surrounded by extraordinary examples of people who endure hardship and overcome trials and support her along the way as she becomes the same. While this book may not be ideal for all demographics, there is a lesson taught that all can apply. We should let others feel our love regardless of the time we have left to do so.

Bound on Earth, by Angela Hallstorm

Reviewed by Kevin Streadbeck

Angela Hallstorm’s novel Bound on Earth is a take on marriage and the experiences that families share together. The book is written through a series of vignettes from the viewpoints of different members of the Palmer families. The book takes you on a rollercoaster journey of emotions, seen through the perspective of several different family members. The common theme is being “bound” to each other. It describes what can happen in a marriage and the amazing gift of raising children and the hurt that comes from losing them. Marriage can be very tough but when you add mental illness into the equation things can get even more troublesome. Reading this novel was very hard at times because of the many situations this family was put in. I learned a lot about myself and what I need to do to show more respect for the ones I love most.

Deciding on what book to do my report on was like throwing a dart at a dart board while being blindfolded. Fortunately for me I lucked out on picking such a great book. I never have been a big reader but this book was written very well. My idea of LDS literature was not very positive. Most LDS movies and short stories I have read were not very impressive. They all had a happy ending and they weren’t believable. This book, however, left me thinking and wanting to revaluate my life. This was my first experience with a full Mormon novel. I think this was a great introduction for me to Mormon Literature. This book is a great reminder for those who are fortunate enough to not pass through sad experiences like what happened in the book.

The strongest message in the book is about being bound to our loved ones. The situations that the family members were put in made me very uncomfortable because if it were me I would not want to stay around. It would be much easier to just run away and avoid the situation. I was soon taught that it was not the answer to run but to work through our problems. The bonds that we share as a family will last forever. It was a great opportunity for me to reflect on the bonds that I share with my family. The bonds we share can give us a good idea of where we can end up and how we can grow together.

The word choice Angela Hallstorm uses is one of the best parts of the book. It gave the book much deeper meaning. For example, on page 187, “They are curled towards each other, sleeping, their heads almost touching and Beth’s arm slung loosely across Kyle’s side. Seeing them reminds me how difficult it is for two bodies, even sleeping, to face each other and not turn away.” This is a great encapsulation of the book.

It seems like the author Angela Hallstorm used personal experiences to help make this book so believable. That is what sets this book apart form others. It takes great strength to write about hard personal things. She may not have gone through these hard things but she may have known someone that did. By sharing these experiences, it helps others who are nervous to talk about experiences similar to those in the book. I am sure this book Bound on earth has helped many be honest with their family members and loved ones. It is not easy for families to get along all the time. Even when you are put in stressful situations such as death and mental illness. Life is beautiful and the bonds we share with our families will last forever. Every family dynamic is different and it is important to have respect for every family and the way they handle situations. I believe that the Palmers did the best they could to get along well with each other. These characters were real to me and it helped me value the family that I have.

I would defiantly recommend this book to anyone. Especially those who are struggling with the relationships they share with their family. This book can help remind you the importance of sharing a healthy relationship with the ones you love because you never know what might happen. Before this book LDS literature kind of scared me because I thought it was going to be a happily ever after. This story really had its ups and downs and it made it a lot more believable. Do trials make us stronger? Hallstorm does not cut any corners this book is very sad at times but it gives you the reality of what its like to try and have good family relationships.