Rae by Chelsea Swiggett - Review - Blog Tour

Rae
Chelsea Swiggett
HCI Books
156 pgs + Discussion Questions

Rae covers about 8 years in the life of Chelsea Rae Swiggett. Each chapter examines a part of her life, not in a nonfiction, boring, recital sort of way but like she's telling us a story.  One that teenagers will be easily drawn into, and some adults too.

Swiggett recounts her overwhelming fear of school.  Not just test anxiety but fear of people looking at her, talking to her, talking about her, and fear of just being.  Not knowing the right way to act, or dress, or breathe.

She also tells us of her battle with her weight and how she tries to control what she's eating or not eating.  How she turns her love of walking into hate by using it for exercise.  We hear about how her mom's drinking colored her childhood and, even though she's now sober, how it still has an effect on Swiggett.

But mostly she let's us know how her fear affects every single aspect of her life and how she is determined to overcome. 

"It's embarrassing. Very, very embarrassing. But I've lived with embarrassing my entire life, and after a while, you've just got to laugh." 106
Rae brought back a lot of my high school years and even some parts of my life now.  I know what it means to battle with trying to fit in and being so different it makes you cry.  Reading Rae would have made me feel a little less alone and I think it can do the same for many students today.  It was a fast, eye-opening, read that would be a welcome addition to any middle or high school library.

About The Author

Chelsea Rae Swiggett is 18 years old and lives in Ohio. She will soon be heading to college to major in English and immerse herself even further into the world of books and writing. She currently serves on the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board and plans on traveling the world—or at least the US—by the time 2012 hits. Just in case. Visit her on her YA book review blog, The Page Flipper.

Rae Book Video

TLC Book Tour Stops

Thursday, August 5th:  Once Upon a Review
Tuesday, August 10th:  La Femme Readers
Thursday, August 12th:  Book Junkie 
Monday, August 16th:  Luxury Reading
Wednesday, August 18th:  The Book Scout
Friday, August 20th:  YA Book Queen
Thursday, August 26th:  WORD for Teens
Tuesday, August 31st:  Peeking Between the Pages

Check TLC Book Tours for stops for Alexis and Hannah, two other books in the Louder Than Words series. 

Thanks to TLC Book Tours and HCI Books for the finished book.