Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781938092480 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Write Integrity Press |
| Publication date: | 09/01/2015 |
| Pages: | 204 |
| Sales rank: | 318,761 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.43(d) |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 Notes to a Nobody
4.9 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
9 reviews.
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8 Notes to a Nobody manages to tackle the tough issues facing young teens without veering into melodrama or maudlin sentimentality. Instead, Cynthia Toney delivers a well-written, affirming story of self-discovery and maturation.
Both baffled and encouraged by a series of anonymous sticky notes, fourteen-year-old Wendy Robichaud navigates changing friendships, social cliques, her broken family, and bullies. Add in a budding romance, a surrogate grandmother, and some cuddly puppies, and you’ve got a novel that not only entertains but includes a roadmap for girls (and boys) struggling with challenges similar to Wendy’s.
There’s plenty of wisdom and practical advice deftly woven into the narrative, all of which reinforce the message that on the inside, we’re all remarkably similar - seeking acceptance and love.
I’ll be happy to share this with my daughters when they reach the middle-school years. It’s also worth noting that the text is impeccable, free of typos and grammatical errors.
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This novel is about the difficulties of the middle school years. It’s a beautiful story that deals honestly with many difficult subjects such a low self-esteem, depression and other serious issues. Toney does an incredible job of tackling these hard topics in a hopeful and empowering way. I love how the main character finds the strength to take charge and change things for herself by following her 5 step plan to making friends. This is such a great proactive idea that all teens could try. My favorite part of the story was seeing how things changed for the main character over the summer as she prepared for high school. It was so wonderful to see that even though heartache and tragedies occurred things could change and get better, leaving this deep book ending on a wonderfully positive note. This is a great book for any middle school student. And you’ll be thrilled to know there is a sequel!
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This is a well-written story with realistic characters and situations. The subject matter is relevant to the struggles teens face today. I was drawn in by the voice of the main character and the humor—I even laughed out loud. But the story also pulled at my heartstrings, and many moments rang so true they brought me back to my teenage years.
The main character, almost fourteen-year-old Wendy Robichaud, has so much to offer but she just can’t see it. She sees others as having what she lacks and has to remind herself, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s life!” As the story unfolds, with the help of notes from an anonymous friend, she begins to realize the truth. And the truth can be hard at times. She hadn’t known the struggles other kids in school faced.
I wish I’d read this book as a teen or pre-teen. If offers perspective and solutions for the struggles teens face. It’s natural to be introspective in the pre-teen and teenage years, but the more we can look outside and really see others, the more we can realize we’re all in this world together. And everyone is carrying their own cross. Perhaps with that frame of mind, young people can see themselves and others in a new a light.
I am happy to have received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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8 Notes to a Nobody is a powerful, honest, and refreshingly clean story about what teens struggle with today. Ms. Toney is an excellent writer, she does not intrude within the writing. It's Wendy's voice all the way. Wendy is so real, I felt each emotion she experienced: sorrow, jealousy, shame, self-doubt, worthless feelings, and anger. Ms. Toney had me laughing, sad, and teary-eyed throughout the story. Great job, Cynthia Toney. I'm reading the next book in The Bird Face series book 2, 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status.
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Cynthia Toney's debut novel Bird Face addresses tough topics such as divorce, alcoholism, eating disorders, bullying, and teen suicide. Yet the book is so full of hope it never comes across as depressing. Between Wendy's witty observations, the quirky characters, and crazy situations that can only happen to junior high kids, the book is quite humorous. With me, character is king. Often junior high stories feature secondary characters that are 1-dimensional. That's not the case with Bird Face. Cynthia has crafted each character to be unique. While you couldn't pay me to relive those days, I loved journeying through Wendy's experience and remembering all of those awkward moments that can only happen in junior high.
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Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite
Cynthia T. Toney's 8 Notes to a Nobody (The Bird Face Series) tells the story of Wendy, one of the many teenagers in the world who gets bullied for one or the other reason. In her case, the reason is a bigger than average nose and a face that is not quite as pretty as that of the "in"-girls and her best friend Jennifer. Every now and then, Wendy finds a sticky note with a message to her from a "friend". Life keeps her so busy that she can't really put much effort into finding out who the secret friend is. She has a big art project, and the people around her seem to have more to them than Wendy initially thought.
Many people, no matter what their age, will be able to relate to the characters in 8 Notes to a Nobody by Cynthia T. Toney. Will you recognize yourself as the bullied girl, the girl's best friend, the secret friend, the potential boyfriend, the anorexic girl, or as one of the bullies? I enjoyed reading this story because it shows that there is usually more to a person's behaviour than initially meets the eye. Why is a bully a bully? And why do some people need to be as perfect as possible? This book asks many questions and will make the reader think about bullying, body problems, how important looks really are, and that you should not be too quick to judge people simply by what they say to you. Apart from the plot and the messages within it, I also enjoyed the writing style - everything flowed well and I finished the book in two sittings!
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The angst of junior high school! Cynthia Toney creates characters that remind me of the kids that I grew up with in my school. Without falling into the pit of stereotypes, every personality comes across as imperfect yet with something to love about them. Anyone aged ten and above can relate. Definitely worth the read.
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Cynthia Toney’s “8 Notes to a Nobody" captures all the angst of junior high in this real-world tale of almost fourteen-year-old Wendy Robichaud whose life is anything but carefree, perfect or easy. She struggles with self-image, friendships, family issues, dashed dreams—the stuff real-life junior highers deal with on a daily basis–as well as tougher issues like eating disorders and suicide. And when Wendy discovers that hers is not the only less than perfect life, readers are reminded that even those who appear to have everything going for them usually don’t. Honest, realistic, with glimpses of humor and more importantly, rays of hope. Tweens and young teens will see themselves and their friends in the cast of characters surrounding Wendy. Also a great refresher for parents whose junior high years are long buried.
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Wendy Robichaud is sweating eighth grade at Bellingrath Junior High. Bullies mock her looks, the cool kids ignore her, and her only friend is blooming like a flower—maybe growing away. Things are tough at home too; after divorcing mom, dad remains distant, and the gloomy little house feels like a cage. Someone starts passing her mysterious post-it notes at school, but is it a friend or another mocker? When the masks start slipping on the other kids, Wendy realizes she’s not the only one desperately seeking acceptance and in the process, she discovers secrets about friendship and self respect.
With sharp wit and a message of hope, Eight Notes to a Nobody gets real, focusing on middle school friendships and acceptance from a subtly Christian worldview. The author, Cynthia Toney, also touches upon the tough issues of bullying, divorce, eating disorders, first crushes, suicide and doing the right thing. With humor offering hope, for ages 10-14, Bird Face was an entertaining and encouraging read.
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