When I first read Something I Am Not by Cher Gatto, I didn’t know what to think of it. While the book is categorized as YA, it will resonate with anyone who hates the injustice of child abuse and exploitation.
While the subject matter of Something I Am Not is rough and difficult, it’s vital for Christians to see what kinds of ugliness are out there, and Cher Gatto shows it without steeping us in the muck.
Why Would Anyone Want to Read Such a Heart Breaking Book?
Redemption. That’s why.
All too often, we read of abductions, of people held captive, of the ugliness of sporting events and the people treated as commodities there. We read of girls running away from home never to be seen again.
Cher Gatto tells their stories through the eyes of one young man living it–Billy. The difference is that amid the struggles and difficulties of the boy’s life, Cher adds that one element we all crave. Redemption.
My review of the book can be read HERE. Oh, and for the record? However I disagree with myself. I didn’t love the book then. I remember loving it now. That says something about the book’s long-term impact on the reader’s life!
Am I eager to read the sequel? You betcha.
Cher is working on a few other projects.
First, a book hopefully coming out this November, Regent. Whoa does it sound amazing. And a Southern mystery? Sign me up and take my money, please. I mean, come on!
You can find out more about her and her upcoming projects, as well as view the awesome trailers on her WEBSITE.
Something I Am Not by Cher Gatto
2020 Christian Indie Award for Best YA; 2020 Carol Finalist for Best YA
SOMETHING I AM NOT is a powerful look at the insidious world of human trafficking right in our own backyard, and the redemptive story of a young man’s fight to get out.
A father who never loved him … A woman who stole his worth … And the brother he couldn’t protect.
Where does someone run in the face of his deepest shame?
Billy McQueen works hard to keep his life together … and concealed. At seventeen, he dreams of an escape from the barroom, his father’s manipulation, and the advances of his father’s girlfriend. However, on his eighteenth birthday, Billy is introduced to a younger brother he never knew he had. An eight-year-old who is barely capable of navigating the corrupt world of his father’s boxing club.
In order to secure his own freedom, Billy must fight for it. But to save his little brother who is next in line for the slave trade … he must die for it.
Written for the General Market (G): Contains little or no explicit sex or strong language. However, mature themes are more appropriate for older young adult/ adult audiences.
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