Hello!
Today, my new novel,
Finding Cherokee Brown, was published.
Finding Cherokee Brown is the story of a teenage girl who decides to write a book about her life in the hope that it will force her to become more like the feisty literary heroines she loves to read about - and in doing so, help her stand up to her bullies.
Here are some early reviews:
‘Siobhan Curham has written a great book that deals with
bullying, identity and being brave enough to be yourself. . . This is a lovely
story that had me rooting for Cherokee all the way . . . and her journey of
self-discovery is delightfully written.’ The
Bookseller
‘I loved
Cherokee as a character. Her voice and her plight drew me in from pretty much
the first page. She is immediately likeable, and as a self-depreciating
underdog, she is incredibly easy to root for. Not all authors can successfully
pull off a witty, fast-talking stream of teenage girl monologue, but Siobhan
Curham manages to do so in style. . . The strong writing and characters combine
to form a mixture that feels meaningful, and had me emotionally engaged with
the story throughout . . .The original narrative elements simply add to the
enjoyment of the reading experience. The vividness of Cherokee's voice brought
to mind that of Lennie from The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.’ The Book Bag
‘A tightly woven, entertaining and moving story . . .
Curham has met the challenge she outlines in a letter to the reader – Cherokee
Brown is an ‘inspirational, interesting heroine’, a victim of bullying,
‘determined to fight back in her own original way…’ She is funny, resilient,
but by no means perfect. She is never presumptuous, and always willing to fight
back . . . A pleasure to read.’ The
Nocturnal Reader
‘Anyone
who is being bullied, has been bullied in the past, or is bullying someone
should read this book. Cherokee is a very inspirational character and the book
itself carries a powerful message. Overall, I loved this book! It is funny,
poignant and really makes you think. 5/5!’ The Mile Long Bookshelf
‘I
thoroughly enjoyed Siobhan Curham's debut 'Dear Dylan' which was published last
year, so I've been looking forward to reading more from her ever since.
'Finding Cherokee Brown' is another great title which I read in one sitting
because it was such a brilliant story.
It
centres on fifteen year old Claire Weeks who decides that she is going to write
a story about her life after finding an old copy of a book called 'So you want
to write a novel?'. What starts off as an attempt to escape from her day
to day life, soon turns into something even more powerful and life changing
when she discovers a huge family secret which makes her question everything she
thought she knew about herself. Claire aka Cherokee was a great main
character. Curham can really write people who you warm to instantly and
feel enormous empathy for. She has several issues to deal with in the
book, one being the fact that she is bullied at her school. This is something
that a lot of people have faced at one point or another in their lives and I
enjoyed seeing her finally decide to fight back and not let the bullies get
away with it. I thought it was interesting that one of her teachers fails
to deal with the teens who are taunting her. It shows that even adults
sometimes suffer confidence issues, feel powerless and cannot stand up against
other people. Claire feels like she doesn't fit in with her family, since her
mother remarried and had twins. Throughout the book she gradually learns
that everyone has the power to change their own life and that wonderful things
can happen when you take control of your own destiny.
Anybody
being bullied or bullying others should read this book because it features a
truly inspirational heroine and has a powerful message to convey about the
power of both the written and spoken word. It is also moving, poignant
and funny and is another great title from a fantastic author.’ A Dream of Books
I feel very passionately about the subject matter of this book, so if you do read it, and enjoy it, please spread the word - especially if you know someone who has been a victim of bullying.
Thanks so much,
Siobhan x
