J. Michael Neal's "Becoming Phoebe"

Title: Publisher Read

“Becoming Phoebe” by J. Michael Neal

Reviewed by B. Smart

4/7/16

2:04 p.m.

Meet Phoebe Rose: a tenacious teenager with a passion for hockey and a desperate need to prove herself in the world. Found walking alone on the street when she is only four years old with no recollection of her family, Phoebe is bounced around from foster home to foster home until she finally escapes the system at age 18. She leaves determined to play hockey for her favorite college team in order to break free of her traumatic past. Although she has a hard time trusting people, she eventually opens up to her fellow teammates who are able to show her the true meaning of family. Becoming Phoebe is a coming-of-age story about loyalty and betrayal, abuse and support, friendship, and redemption.

Author J. Michael Neal does a phenomenal job of creating original, emotionally complex characters whose experiences tug at the reader’s heartstrings. His first person narrative is extremely well-developed, and the protagonist’s strong personality and unwavering perseverance is inspiring to read. Filled with thoughtfully constructed flashbacks interspersed with unique, realistic experiences, this novel is rich in depth and raw human emotion.

Becoming Phoebe is a poignant, compelling read intended for mature audiences, and readers may find some elements of this novel disturbing. However, the more alarming scenes are written in a way that is more reflective than graphic. The narrator does not dwell on her circumstances, but rather she views them as an outsider looking in, and her friends help her understand her past while she grows from it. This is a story about the triumph over impossible odds and how the events of one’s life do not define them.

Those who enjoyed Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak or Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower will love this book.

I give “Becoming Phoebe” 5 out of 5 stars and deem it a Publisher's Read.

Cheers,

B. Smart