When Gabby Came Home eBook Siobhan Keely
Download As PDF : When Gabby Came Home eBook Siobhan Keely 
Sam and Gabby have been best friends since they were ten years old, inseparable until Gabby went to England for a year because of her father's work. Back together again for Grade Twelve, the girls are excited for their final year of high school and graduation. But Gabby has returned to Canada with a new self confidence that longs for boys, drinking and partying. She quickly becomes a member of the popular crowd at school, leaving introverted and cautious Sam on the sidelines longing for the way things were before.
Sam's anxiety over the possibility of losing her best friend is eased by her passion for ballet and she spends her time in the studio working out her fears and confusion. It's in the ballet studio that she is introduced to her new duet partner, Liam Kennedy - a handsome young dancer who Sam soon finds herself having feelings for.
When tragedy strikes too close to home, Sam is forced to take a close look at who she is, what she believes in, and what life beyond high school will look like.
An honest tale of the struggles of friendships, self doubt and peer pressure, When Gabby Came Home is a story all teen girls can relate to.
When Gabby Came Home eBook Siobhan Keely
As a man in my mid-thirties, I venture that I am just outside the target market for this book. However, having become amiable chums with the author, Siobhán Keely, I was happy to read, rate, and relate my opinions of her first novel.With the assurance that I have very little experience in this genre, (or book reviews), I assume my review must be taken with a grain of salt. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by "When Gabby Came Home".
First, any style differences from what I normally read are easily attributable to the novel being written in late-1980s, teenage, first-person perspective. This helped me accept the world of the novel more readily without having to concern myself with possibly unfamiliar colloquialisms (as far as normal teenage girl speech is unfamiliar to me). In any event, I didn't catch myself thinking about such matters which means I thought the story, characterization, and dialogue more important and engrossing.
Second, being an introvert, I felt I was re-reading my high school experience through the eyes of the protagonist. I knew the same uncomfortable, not-belonging feeling of Samantha. I wondered how it was everyone else seemed so assured and comfortable with what they were doing, and surprised that they enjoyed doing it so much, when clearly I would not. It was therefore with mild shock that I found myself re-living those memories while agonizing with and pulling for the teenage protagonist, Sam. (Others' mileage may vary, but I count this as high praise for the author).
Third, perhaps because of emotional investment, I found the world believable. I enjoyed Sam's enthusiasm (she loves to recount the experiences she loves) and her perceptiveness. I could picture the cold prairie winters and the unnatural light as snow begins to fall. Dialogue was natural and the characters, as seen through Sam's eyes, entirely believable and easy and fun to read. I also never felt details bogged down in descriptions of things I know little about (such as ballet) - we were given enough to see and enjoy the experience with Sam.
Finally, without any spoilers, I believe (but am not sure) that some may accuse this book of containing "melodrama". All I can say is that
a) this is a novel for, and about, teenagers, with all their emotions and naive perceptions, and
b) real people have these same real events happen to them - beyond their control.
The Amazon Product Description concludes: "An honest tale of the struggles of friendships, self doubt and peer pressure, When Gabby Came Home is a story all teen girls can relate to." May I add that other demographics also relate to it? I was going to give this 4 stars, because I wasn't sure how well I could reliably rate it, even though I felt a neat connection to it. However, I've concluded I do love what Siobhán has accomplished, and I love that, for me, "When Gabby Came Home" ended well, with hope and beauty: so I give it 5 stars and encourage you to read it.
Great work Siobhán!
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When Gabby Came Home eBook Siobhan Keely Reviews
This lovely YA novel was highly evocative of my youth, and reminded me of the pressures we faced. It will appeal to teens as it is written in their voice. With believable characters and an engaging and realistic plot, When Gabby Came Home will speak to teens about the development of identity and the challenges and rewards of personal integrity. For parents of teens, it will bring back the memories of what was likely a more difficult time of life, and serve to remind them of how tough it can be to be an adolescent, while possibly providing some suggestions on how they can support their kids through this time.
As a man in my mid-thirties, I venture that I am just outside the target market for this book. However, having become amiable chums with the author, Siobhán Keely, I was happy to read, rate, and relate my opinions of her first novel.
With the assurance that I have very little experience in this genre, (or book reviews), I assume my review must be taken with a grain of salt. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by "When Gabby Came Home".
First, any style differences from what I normally read are easily attributable to the novel being written in late-1980s, teenage, first-person perspective. This helped me accept the world of the novel more readily without having to concern myself with possibly unfamiliar colloquialisms (as far as normal teenage girl speech is unfamiliar to me). In any event, I didn't catch myself thinking about such matters which means I thought the story, characterization, and dialogue more important and engrossing.
Second, being an introvert, I felt I was re-reading my high school experience through the eyes of the protagonist. I knew the same uncomfortable, not-belonging feeling of Samantha. I wondered how it was everyone else seemed so assured and comfortable with what they were doing, and surprised that they enjoyed doing it so much, when clearly I would not. It was therefore with mild shock that I found myself re-living those memories while agonizing with and pulling for the teenage protagonist, Sam. (Others' mileage may vary, but I count this as high praise for the author).
Third, perhaps because of emotional investment, I found the world believable. I enjoyed Sam's enthusiasm (she loves to recount the experiences she loves) and her perceptiveness. I could picture the cold prairie winters and the unnatural light as snow begins to fall. Dialogue was natural and the characters, as seen through Sam's eyes, entirely believable and easy and fun to read. I also never felt details bogged down in descriptions of things I know little about (such as ballet) - we were given enough to see and enjoy the experience with Sam.
Finally, without any spoilers, I believe (but am not sure) that some may accuse this book of containing "melodrama". All I can say is that
a) this is a novel for, and about, teenagers, with all their emotions and naive perceptions, and
b) real people have these same real events happen to them - beyond their control.
The Product Description concludes "An honest tale of the struggles of friendships, self doubt and peer pressure, When Gabby Came Home is a story all teen girls can relate to." May I add that other demographics also relate to it? I was going to give this 4 stars, because I wasn't sure how well I could reliably rate it, even though I felt a neat connection to it. However, I've concluded I do love what Siobhán has accomplished, and I love that, for me, "When Gabby Came Home" ended well, with hope and beauty so I give it 5 stars and encourage you to read it.
Great work Siobhán!
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