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GoodReads Rating:
4.34 |
CeeGee’s Gift by Joy H. Selak is an intergenerational novel that involves the reader, regardless of age, in the mysterious life of a 12 year old girl. Celia Gene, called CeeGee, is an introspective, shy young girl who struggles with an unexplained ability to know the future. CeeGee describes herself as being critical and stubborn. A tall skinny bookworm that feels like a freak, she became a loner. “Instead of learning how to make friends, I acted like I didn’t want any.” With a flash of light and a buzzing in her head she gets strange feelings or premonitions about a person’s future. She foresees elderly Mr. Tindale impending death, and reluctantly tells him. He recognizes the inevitable and helps her understand her “Knowings” as a gift. He encourages her to share her insight from her heart as a gift to help people change the direction of their lives. CeeGee’s Gift is a contemporary novel set on a small island along the Texas Gulf Coast. The author uses the atmosphere of the small town community and its inhabitants as a medium for CeeGee to explore and share her gift. The novel’s plot revolves around CeeGee’s and Mr. Tindale’s interaction with a disabled youth, a grouchy librarian, an out-of-work widower, and star-crossed teen lovers as well as the death of others. Family dynamics and sibling relationships, and poor decision making are contrasted with a mentor and a genius new friend. With the many social issues presented to CeeGee and Mr. Tindale and resolved in positive ways, this novel is meant to be read and shared by pre-teens and caring adults. Readers of all ages will relate to the theme as Mr. Tindale says, “if people could see where they were headed, maybe they would decide to change direction and change their entire future”. CeeGee stated that she learned that if she wanted to feel better on the inside she needed to get outside of herself and do something nice for people. The reader will also be encouraged to explore his own gifts and to seek out ways to use those gifts to benefit others. The novel reminded me of the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”. Readers of all ages will be challenged and inspired by this amazing novel Reviewed by: Carol |
Joy Selak is an author and philanthropic advisor in Austin TX. CeeGee's Gift is her second book and the MS won the award for Best Young Adult Fiction from the Writer's League of Texas in 2010. Written first as a one act play, CeeGee's Gift also won the San Juan Islands Playwrights Festival, and the Audience Choice Award, in 1994. Joy's first book, non-fiction, was You Don't LOOK Sick! Living Well with Invisible Chronic Illness, was co-authored with her physician. Earlier career accomplishments include 14 years as a finanial advisor and 5 years teaching Composition at Arizona State University, where Joy earned 4 degrees, including her PhD in Language Arts Curriculum and Instruction.
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