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Butterflies
Katherine is almost eighteen. Severely burned when she was three, she dreams that one day she will look like everyone else. Be like everyone else. Achieve her dreams.
But Katherine won't be seen as a victim. Her life is filled with fun and humor and friendship, as she faces her first "real" date, arguments with her mum, and decisions about her future.
An extraordinary story of a journey where pain and trauma become triumph and a passion for living. "Butterflies" is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the fighter in all of us.
(Back of the book.)
This book was originally published in Austrailia.
But Katherine won't be seen as a victim. Her life is filled with fun and humor and friendship, as she faces her first "real" date, arguments with her mum, and decisions about her future.
An extraordinary story of a journey where pain and trauma become triumph and a passion for living. "Butterflies" is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the fighter in all of us.
(Back of the book.)
This book was originally published in Austrailia.
250 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 9, 2017
Butterflies is a good book i think its a good book its about a girl going through hard times and wants to change her life and shes glad to have her friend Jessie and her sister(Rachel) and mom this book is realistic fiction. Her name is Katherine she is 17 almost 18 and shes in and out of hospitals a lot, some parts of the book it shows a different type of writing and that indicates shes talking in her head. Jessie and Katherine are friends and Jessie lives with her mom and dad her dad yells at her a lot and her mom doesn't do anything. Katherine lives withe her older sister Rachel and her mom, her dad left them after something bad happened to Katherine when she was little. Katherine always says to her self she wishes she was beautiful and that then that way she don't have to hide her self. The settings are the hospital, school, and home. I recommend that people that understand what its like to have one parent will understand this more because she is describing how she feels when she talks in her head and when she says stuff to her mom about her dad and why he left them but mom never answers.
February 19, 2023
A good book but I feel everything worked out just too perfectly. She did a good job with the tension of the mother/daughter relationship. I do like how Katherine spoke up for herself in a few spots in ways that shy kids could probably relate to. She did so quietly but forcefully and after thinking things through.
November 4, 2020
I would reread butterflies as many times as I could, it's a slow pace novel but its really good. You can feel the character development and how they learned as they grow. Katerine, she is the main character of this novel. She went through a traumatic past and so throughout the book she tries to find herself, she constantly asks herself the same ongoing questions. "Am I pretty", it's a good Coming of Age story. It definitely helps the reader find themselves and appreciate themselves for who they are.
My favorite character in this book would have to be Katherine's best friend Jessie, even though she doesn't really have many scenes with her in it but she has moments where she helps Katherine. She's a very positive girl, she cares for Katherine and she wants to help her. She's a very admirable character because most people within the story and in real life wouldn't go to the length that she does with Katherine.
Even though the book was at a slow pace I still loved the writing style of her book, it focused a lot on Katherines inner thoughts and how she questions herself then at the end she finally begins to see herselves for how she is. No matter what she looks like or what she's been through. My favorite event that happened in this book would have to be when they went to prom. How happy Katherine was during that event really made you feel happy for her.
Its a really good book, I would recommend it to anyone.
My favorite character in this book would have to be Katherine's best friend Jessie, even though she doesn't really have many scenes with her in it but she has moments where she helps Katherine. She's a very positive girl, she cares for Katherine and she wants to help her. She's a very admirable character because most people within the story and in real life wouldn't go to the length that she does with Katherine.
Even though the book was at a slow pace I still loved the writing style of her book, it focused a lot on Katherines inner thoughts and how she questions herself then at the end she finally begins to see herselves for how she is. No matter what she looks like or what she's been through. My favorite event that happened in this book would have to be when they went to prom. How happy Katherine was during that event really made you feel happy for her.
Its a really good book, I would recommend it to anyone.
July 25, 2023
Such a touching story. Thank you mom!
October 24, 2015
In all seriousness, if I could give BUTTERFLIES by Susanne Chervay more than 5 stars, I so would. This beautiful coming-of-age story tells of Katherine who is almost 18, but still struggling with the severe 3rd degree burns from falling into a fire pit when she was only 3 years old. She continues to have to have complicated surgeries. As most girls in their teens can attest, we all struggle with our self-image: Am I pretty? Am I pretty enough? Will anyone ever love me (besides my family)? Will a boy ever like me enough to want to kiss me? To want to hold me?
Katherine's feelings of insecurity are heightened by her very real scars that she is unable to hide regardless of what she wears or how many surgeries she has or even how she chooses to wear her hair.
My heart goes out to all young women dealing with low self-image/self-esteem, but my heart breaks even more for all young women who can't see beyond the scars to how very beautiful they are.
This beautiful book is a MUST-read and not just for teen girls, but for all girls--and boys, too. The struggle is real and just because Katherine has real, horrific burn scars does not lessen the reality that all girls deal with believing they're ugly or not good enough or just not enough.
What really tore my heart to shreds is the fact that Katherine's sister Rachel struggles as well. While this is not Rachel's story (it would be so amazing for Susanne Chervay to write this story again using Rachel's point-of-view), we do get enough of Rachel to understand that Rachel has always been her sister's greatest support (besides their mom) which means that Rachel has had to put her own life on hold as she is so desperately needed by Katherine. The beautiful part is that Katherine "gets" it. But so does Rachel.
I LOVE this book. Thank you, Amanda Coburn, for "talking me into" getting this book when we had your Usborne Books online show. I do not and will not ever regret the money spent on this amazing book. It's sure to be a Christmas present, so everyone I give gifts to, be ready to receive your copy!
Katherine's feelings of insecurity are heightened by her very real scars that she is unable to hide regardless of what she wears or how many surgeries she has or even how she chooses to wear her hair.
My heart goes out to all young women dealing with low self-image/self-esteem, but my heart breaks even more for all young women who can't see beyond the scars to how very beautiful they are.
This beautiful book is a MUST-read and not just for teen girls, but for all girls--and boys, too. The struggle is real and just because Katherine has real, horrific burn scars does not lessen the reality that all girls deal with believing they're ugly or not good enough or just not enough.
What really tore my heart to shreds is the fact that Katherine's sister Rachel struggles as well. While this is not Rachel's story (it would be so amazing for Susanne Chervay to write this story again using Rachel's point-of-view), we do get enough of Rachel to understand that Rachel has always been her sister's greatest support (besides their mom) which means that Rachel has had to put her own life on hold as she is so desperately needed by Katherine. The beautiful part is that Katherine "gets" it. But so does Rachel.
I LOVE this book. Thank you, Amanda Coburn, for "talking me into" getting this book when we had your Usborne Books online show. I do not and will not ever regret the money spent on this amazing book. It's sure to be a Christmas present, so everyone I give gifts to, be ready to receive your copy!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews