Book Reviews and More: 6 Dates to Disaster - Cynthia T. Toney

Tuesday 30 January 2018

6 Dates to Disaster - Cynthia T. Toney - Bird Face Book 3

6 Dates to Disaster
Bird Face Book 3
Cynthia T. Toney
Write Integrity Press
ISBN 9781944120245
ASIN B01MXUMV8K

The title of the first book in this series, 8 Notes to a Nobody, really grabbed my attention. And to be honest I had bought books 2 and 3 before even finishing book 1. So this book is my third by Cynthia T. Toney, that I have read, but it will not be my last. I know that as a middle aged man I am not the default audience for these books. But as a father of a son, and of daughters this is the type of book I need to read, and reread with them. There are great lessons in these books, and the characters struggles with their faith and life can serve as example and motivation for readers of any age.

What I love most about the books by Cynthia T. Tooney is that they are good clean reads. They do not preach, but they do teach a lesson, they show honest struggles. The characters do have struggles and they often make mistakes, and sometimes big mistakes. And those mistakes have consequences. However there reads are not smutty, they do not portray alternative lifestyles just for the sake of having it in the book, or being politically correct. I classify these books as realistic fiction much along the lines of Madeleine L'Engle's Chronos books. Now in this book we do have a blended family, but one that was approved by the Church. We also have a family facing hard times. The father has been laid off from work. Both the father and mother are looking for jobs now. And the older kids need to help more around the house especially with their younger brother that has extra needs.

Wendy Robichaud's life that came together in a way that it has never been, is now falling apart in an entirely different way. Her step father has lost his job. And the family needs to make some tough decisions. They are all going to need to cut back, and the plans for the summer now seem completely out of reach. So when Wendy is approached to tutor a popular girl but keep it secret it seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. She can make the money she needs for the trip to Alaska. Soon however she has a whole slew of girls she is helping with their papers. And when things come to the light, Wendy is thrown to the wolves by the popular girls.

Wendy was just a girl with a dream trying to work hard and make it happen. But will she be able to prove that her help was just that, help and not work for pay. Will she be able to save face? Will she make it to Alaska? Read to find out!

This book was a great read. It did an excellent job of capturing High School life. And also family life when facing financial hardships. It has some twists that will catch most readers by surprise.

I have a few criteria for how I judge books. The first is could I see myself rereading it. Second can I think of people I would recommend it to right away. And finally would I want to see my children read it when it is age appropriate. This book scores very well in all three categories. It is a great read. And I hope we see more books in this series!
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Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!