Book Review - Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury

From the Product Description... 

Holden Harris is an eighteen-year-old locked in a prison of autism. Despite his quiet ways and quirky behaviors, Holden is very happy and socially normal---on the inside, in a private world all his own. In reality, he is bullied at school by kids who only see that he is very different. Ella Reynolds is part of the 'in' crowd. A cheerleader and star of the high school drama production, her life seems perfect. When she catches Holden listening to her rehearse for the school play, she is drawn to him ... the way he is drawn to the music. Then, Ella makes a dramatic discovery---she and Holden were best friends as children. Frustrated by the way Holden is bullied, and horrified at the indifference of her peers, Ella decides to take a stand against the most privileged and popular kids at school. Including her boyfriend, Jake. Ella believes miracles can happen in the unlikeliest places, and that just maybe an entire community might celebrate from the sidelines. But will Holden's praying mother and the efforts of Ella and a cast of theater kids be enough to unlock the prison that contains Holden? This time, friendship, faith, and the power of a song must be strong enough to open the doors to the miracle Holden needs. 

My Review...
Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury was enjoyable to read and hard to put down.  Karen has a way of drawing me into her stories and her books never fail to inspire me to continually strengthen my faith.  While the main themes of this book are Autism, Teen Suicide and Bullying, all relevant topics for today's teenagers, I found myself drawn to the character of Ella and her relationship with her mother.  Ella is a strong girl who won't take no for an answer when she is trying to help Holden, yet she has her own struggles at home.  The theme of bullying was so interesting to me and I felt myself rooting for the characters who were seen as different and didn't fit in.  The ability to see into Holden's locked up world of Autism was fascinating, especially when I read about the research Karen had done to prepare for writing this book.  Although the book is fairly predictable, it is an inspirational story filled with hope and it will warm your heart.  I recommend this for teenagers to adults.  Tissues Needed!

Thanks to Zondervan for sending me this book in exchange for my review!




Jackie