A Glimpse of Starlight

Happy Saturday, everyone! Today’s post is a special one, so stick around! I am super excited to be participating in the Paralyzed Dreams blog tour over at The World of the Writer. C. B. Cook (more commonly known as Proverbs31Teen here in the blogosphere) has just self-published her first book, Paralyzed Dreams. Without further ado, let me tell you about it!

Walt Disney said, “All dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”. But … what if that isn’t true? What if you can’t pursue your dream, the thing you lived for? Paralyzed Dreams explores this tough situation through the story of Pam Wilson, an athletic teen whose dream of playing volleyball at the Olympics is closer to coming true each day.

Until the car crash, that is.

What struck me from the beginning was how realistic this book is, especially in terms of the dialogue and the ways Pam interacted with various people before and after the accident. Trauma definitely changes a person, and Paralyzed Dreams portrays this well through the different people Pam came into contact with, whether it was her best friend, Lauren, her youth pastor, Jeremy, or her parents. Pam feels like someone I’d meet in the mall or at youth group, which drew me into the story even more. The emotions were realistic, too, from the joy of seeing a dream come true to the agony of helplessly watching it crumble.

Another highlight is the topics Paralyzed Dreams explored. I’ve always loved a story that deals with what you do when your world shatters, and this book did not disappoint. And while I’m a huge fantasy person, having this story set in our modern, familiar world brought this theme closer to home. Forgiveness, trust, friendship—there are so many beautiful messages woven throughout this short but powerful story.

And let me just mention briefly I really loved the characters. Like I said above, they were realistic, and I loved seeing how they handle’s Pam’s accident differently. Each person ministered to her, challenged her, and taught her something in a different way.

I think my favorite part of the book, though, was the ending. I can’t really elaborate here, for fear of spoilers, but it did not disappoint. I loved how it combined the reality of life—that life is hard and painful and disappointing—with the hope that Christ offers and the truth that there is always beauty in brokenness. And the epilogue … that was great. As for why I think that, well, you’ll have to read it to find out for yourself.

If you are looking for a good read that tackles tough issues in a realistic yet godly way, this is the book for you. If you want to know how to keep living when you dreams are paralyzed, read this book!

Oh, and some goodies 😉 :

The Cover:

The Blurb:

Fourteen-year-old Pam Wilson’s life is going perfectly. She and her best friend, Lauren, are becoming an amazing volleyball duo, and her dreams of playing in the Olympics are coming along wonderfully.

Then a car accident paralyzes Pam from the waist down, and her dreams for her life are shattered. No more volleyball, no more walking, no more future.

The Author:

C.B. Cook is a teen author with many short stories under her belt, and now a published novella, Paralyzed Dreams. She has been blogging for over a year and is working on writing a middle grade fantasy series. When she’s not balancing homework or writing, she can often be found messing around in Photoshop or talking to her dog. You can visit her at www.theworldofthewriter.wordpress.com.

Enjoy your Saturday, and make sure to check out the other posts of the tour (found at the link in the first paragraph) and the book itself (found at the link in the author blurb).