He Wants Me Dead
Marion Kelley BullockInspirational romance
Available from Desert Breeze Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-61252-050-6
June 2011
| Joanna Sharpe is a brand new teacher in special education in the Jackson City High School. She's convinced she can make positive changes, but some of the students present major problems. One of them, James, is convinced his brother is trying to kill him, but no one believes him. Joanna doesn't either, initially, but gradually comes to believe it just might be true. Another student, Elizabeth, is terrified because of something Joanna said, and her father, Rob Thomas, angrily confronts Joanna. Added to these problems is Joanna's former boyfriend and fiancé, Nick, who refuses to give her up and even travels to Texas from Oklahoma to try to get her back. Threatening emails and attempts on Joanna's life add to her problems. Joanna finds she really likes Rob, but will he allow her to work or would he be like Nick, wanting her to answer only to him. The danger heats up to an exciting conclusion where the answers to James' problem and Joanna's heart become clear.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are varied and interesting, especially the students. The author has created quite a diversity in the students in Joanna's classroom, bringing their problems, differences, and even their similarities into sharp focus. As Joanna comes to care for these teenagers, so does the reader. The author creates a very visual setting, whether it is Joanna's home, the school and its surroundings, or even that of the villain in the story. The author portrayed the students' problems expertly and their actions and responses realistically. Joanna's fears, both because of the threats against her and due to her ex-fiancé's persistence, are deep-seated and described very well. The reader feels her pain and her fear as she deals with both. The growing romance between Joanna and Rob is a beautiful thing to read about, and I especially liked the housekeeper. The daughter, Elizabeth, shows a realistic and common view of a teenager toward a parent remarrying. While I thought the book started just a trifle slow, I soon got into it and absolutely could not put it down. I loved this book and would like to read others by this author.
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Reviewer: Jaye Leyel |
