Kathy Colton can’t stand her brother, Brett. Her family talks as if he were perfect! All Kathy really knows about her brother is that he died of leukemiawhen he was seventeen and she was only two. But when Kathy turns sixteen, she discovers her brother’s hidden journal – a journal written especially for her – and learns about the brother she never knew. At the same time, Kathy is mortified by an assignment to tutor Central High’s quarterback Jason West, a football jock who, even worse, is a Mormon. The Secret Journal of Brett Colton weaves the dual stories of a dying brother and a coming-of-age sister who learn the importance of loving family and friends and nurturing faith.
I loved this book! The Secret Journal of Brett Colton is a powerful story of love, a tear-jerking depiction of priorities pulled into perspective.
First of all, I loved the romantic thread running through this story. While these main characters are mature, they are also realistic teenagers with weaknesses of their own. And I was gripped by the change that took place within their lives throughout the novel. The first kiss, the high school dance...I loved it all!
This book hit me on a deep emotional level, too, eliciting tears more than once. Since my dad's passing (when I was a teen) was quite similar to Brett Colton's, I appreciated the realistic change in Brett's perspective in his journal entries. Cancer, chemotherapy, unimaginable sickness and an overall slow death does that to a person.
With memorable characters and a heartrending message, The Secret Journal of Brett Colton captures the beauty of forgiveness and the sustaining power of hope.
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