Torch Red: Color Me Torn

TrueColors #3

by Melody Carlson

Zoe is certain she's the only teenager on the planet who's still a virgin--okay, except for maybe abstinence queen Casey Renwick. The talk in the locker room makes sex sound so great--and maybe it is--but Zoe isn't so sure. The new girl in school, Shawna Frye, has done it, although she's the one girl who doesn't say much about it.

Maybe I should just do it and get it over with.

When jock-boy Justin Clark asks Zoe out, she wonders if he could finally be the one. Nate, a die-hard Christian and real friend, encourages Zoe to consider exactly what it all means before she makes a life-defining decision. Behind the scenes, Shawna's dark secret threatens to change everyone's perspective on sex. But will Zoe find out before it's too late?

Genres: Young Adult, Christian, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Teen, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2004

About the author

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.

She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.

Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.

Reviews

[Merary · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book sucked ass. It actually licked it, swallowed it, and smelled ass.

Who's worse than Pitiful Kara and Bitchy Jordan? Oh, I know! Self-absorbed Zoe.

This book made me so angry. Every single character (except Shannon) pissed me off. There wasn't a single likable thing about Zoe. She calls everyone a tramp, she criticizes a homeless girl (thinks she's dumb and has no fashion sense!), and is a complete hypocrite.



The writing was terrible! I saw a lot of punctuation and grammar mistakes! If I have to see the words "I mean" one more time . . . I'll just . . . I'll just . . .



The book was highly unrealistic and stupid. Zoe is just there to make everyone look like a slut. Including Shawna. Okay, maybe she is a slut She purposely infects her STD to someone else! And that someone else already had a girlfriend!, but that's not the point!

The point is that Torch Red screws (no pun intended) up its own message. Yes, sex is a very difficult thing to do and talk about, and you shouldn't let anyone force you to do it if you're not ready. But the actual message that was portrayed in this book was this one: If you're a virgin, you are a frigid baby; if you aren't you're a whore. You can't win. If you date someone, you should sleep with him right away, because if you don't, he'll leave you. But, there's a catch: If you do sleep with him, he'll leave you anyway, because you gave up your goods.
Isn't this nice and sweet?


Listen, girls. Whoever you have sex with, is your business and nobody else's. Your virginity doesn't define who you are, your actions do. Sleeping with someone doesn't make you a slut. Those terms were invented because people couldn't handle the fact that woman were allowed to express themselves sexually. And you know what? Screw them (not literally)! Because you're worth more than that! The way you dress doesn't make you a slut either! If that was true, then everyone was born a whore! and that includes guys, too. So, go ahead and be happy. Celebrate that you're an independent woman who doesn't give a fuck. Come on, everybody! Don't give a fuck! Don't forget to be responsible, though. Sex does has consequences.

The End.

Now that I got that covered . . .

Did I mention that there was a rainbow party? Rainbow parties are a myth! It doesn't exist! But you know what does exist? Birth control. Everybody in this book pretended that condoms are just a fairy tale. Really, Carlson? REALLY?

And Zoe couldn't wait to have sex, could she? She practically said it wasn't a big deal. You heard that? She claimed sex isn't a big deal but still got disgusted by everyone else doing it!


She changed her views at the end of this book, don't worry. The power of God does that in less than a day! Oh gosh, I forgot to mention this! Her best friend Emily forgave her STD-infected cheating boyfriend, because "nobody's perfect". And apparently if you wear revealing clothes, you're asking for it. What a great message you're sending, Carlson. You must be proud.

In conclusion: Torch Red tried so hard to give a good message about sex but got so mixed up with its own ignorance and prejudices that it got twisted down to something contradictory and hateful.

It's a great shame I actually bought this.

[Brooke ♥booklife4life♥ · Rating 1 out of 5]

**Short "end of month" Review**

Almost rape scene Trigger Warning.

Sorry girls but if a guy YOU HAVE BEEN WITH FOR 3 WEEKS is asking for SEX, you need to walk away quickly.

If you find out YOUR BEST FRIEND'S BOYFRIEND IS CHEATING, you need to tell her right away!!!

If your "new BF" is the only cheating with your best friend's boyfriend, you NEED NEW FRIENDS!

*sigh*

Glad it was all wrapped up when Jesus was found.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

That Shawna Frye. Here she is, Taking her slutty self to another high school and causing havoc and disease there as well. All kidding aside, was Carlson's intention to keep teenagers virgins by implanting the idea that sex is nasty and disgusting? I lost track of how many times Zoe squealed "EW! Gross!" when confronted with matters of a sexual nature. Or that you are doomed to a life of disease and shame? Staying a virgin as long as you want is a good, good thing, but this was so heavy handed and preachy!!!

[Rachelle Annen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is probably one of the best books I have ever read! The beginnings are always kind of boring though. Once you get to the middle and the very end of the book you always want to read the next one in the series.
Zoe feels like she is the last virgin left on earth, always hearing all the other girls talking about sex and other things like that. All of a sudden a girl named Shawana comes to Zoe's high school. She's done it before but she has a secret that may change everyone's ideas about sex. (That really isn't til the end though) Zoe meets a guy named Justin in the school play. The minute they meet they hit it off. When they first start dating he seems like the perfect guys even though "bible thumping" Nate says to look out. Other students say to look out and be careful around Justin too but Zoe doesn't listen. Until one night when she has to the choice to remain a virgin or lose it...even though it may not be in the best settings...
So far after reading this review you might think "This book is all about sex, why would I want to read that?" Its not all about sex. Its about teenage girls falling under pressure and finding their way out with the help of some "special people". Who are those "special people"? You may just have to read the book yourself :)

[Kennedi Baker]

The book Torch Red was good but weird at the same time.In this book the main character's name is Zoe and she is in high school.Why the book was weird is because I could not relate to any of the things the characters did or thought.I could not relate to their actions at all.One reason why is because the main characters (Zoe and Justin) are in a relationship and they mostly do relationship things.I'm not even in a relationship.Now,why the book was good is because the of the conflict and how it was solved.What the problem was that Zoe was dating a kid named Justin and Justin did lots of things that Zoe didn't like.At first he was a gentleman but then he became angry and stubborn.What the solution was is that Zoe broke up with Justin and committed herself to God and made sure she was focused again.Another thing that was interesting in this book was one of the main characters which is Zoe.Zoe had a personality full of heart and helped people at the church.There was one time where she actually let a homeless person stay at her house for a night until she got herself on her feet.Also,Zoe is very wise and clever.Before doing anything she thinks.Overall this book was a very decent book.I recommend this book to anyone that likes reading drama.

[Christina B · Rating 4 out of 5]

SHORT REVIEW #1:

Torch Red: Color Me Torn is a realistic fiction written by Melody Carlson. It is about a girl named Zoe who feels like she is the only virgin left on the planet. She soon gets a boyfriend named Todd who has a questionable past. Throughout the book, Zoe is very torn about whether or not she should give up her virginity to a guy she hardly knows but feels so connected to. At the end of the book, Zoe has a life changing experience that will push her over the edge, whether it be good or bad, you'll have to read it to find out!

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Issue: Teen sex
Sub issues: teenage-love, boundaries, consent

Zoe is a high schooler, and Shawna Frye (from Dark Blue and Deep Green) has transferred to Zoe's school. Zoe is a volunteer welcomer at the school, so she introduces Shawna to various things, including the school drama department.

This year, the drama department is doing the musical Oklahoma!.
Shawna tries out and gets a part; Zoe tries out and gets another part. (Zoe wanted the lead, but Shawna is described as a much better actor.)

This leads into two different relationships, Todd and Emily, with Shawna doing "unmentionable" things oral sex? and more to Todd; and Justin and Zoe. Things seem to be going well, Justin is the perfect gentleman..... until about three weeks in.

CW: attempted rape
At their three week anniversary, Justin takes Zoe to a swanky restaurant.... and then up to a hotel room. When she refuses, he demands sex from her because of all the trouble and expense he went to, including pinning her to the bed. (As background, there was a lot of suggestion and innuendo beforehand, but nothing specific in terms of "do you want to have sex?") She was able to act to allay his suspicions until she could get away from the room to a safe place with people - and then called Nate, a friend, to come get her on a hotel phone. She hadn't brought her purse or cell phone.

The news about Shawna's STD went out around school, a factor in Todd and Emily's break-up. Travis and Zoe were D.O.N.E. after the hotel room, but he started a rumor that Zoe eventually had to suppress.

Broad picture: At one point, Zoe responded to an altar call for new Christians or those rededicating their lives. We readers knew that she had accepted Jesus as her Savior as a child, but Nate "welcomed her to the family" (which suggested he had no idea about her previous acceptance).

Another thing that irritates me is that facts are not presented accurately. In Deep Blue, Felicity (in the art class) gets on her soapbox about 'not being able to pray in schools'. This is misinformation as students may pray, students may lead, but not authority figures to avoid the appearance of a state religion. Here, Nate is giving the story about Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. He states that "according to the law" she was to be brought..... I am not sure if it's because the mouthpiece is a teen character (with issues of his own, not paying attention, etc.) but it should be noted that his information is incomplete - which leads to problems of their own. {I'll keep listing as I keep reading.}

Personal opinion: No, Zoe, you didn't lead him on because he wasn't up front. It was all suggestion and innuendo. If you were leading him on, it would have been vacillating about a specific topic: Do I want to have sex? vs. I wonder what his surprise is.

It was also clear throughout the book that the author had kept the mindset of "if you're not a virgin, you're a tramp", which does a disservice to the story, and message of Christ.

[AnyKname · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought this was completely disconnected from the first two books but there is a character from those books that is in here.
I don't this is said in the synopsis but it's introduced early on so it's not really a spoiler. Part of this book's plot involves the school musical. I wasn't sure how to feel about that "Are we really mixing this topic with musical theatre?" but the musical is more of the background. I guess I appreciated that.
You can probably get a sense of the subject matter from the synopsis. Melody Carlson books and Christian books in general are usually ok for content. While this book didn't cross any lines for me I do think people should be aware of some of the content before reading this book.
1. while it is said that the girls make sexually explicit comments in the locker room, we don't get the details of what they actually said. As in, we don't read the sexually explicit comments they make.
2. there is a bit of talk about abortion.
3. this one really took me by surprise, the main character encounters a rainbow party. If you don't know what that is, be glad about that and don't look it up. If you do decide to read this book, this book does explain what that is, but keep your innocence until then.
4. There is talk of make-outs happening but even when it is the main character we don't really get details. The main character does walk in on people doing things (what is going on?)
5. I'll be vague to avoid spoilers but a sex scene almost happens.
I guess not all of those things are warnings but I guess I'm so used to content reviews.
I'm not sure what else to say.

[Tray Washington · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good but cringy read. Yet, my favorite one so far. It has a lot of drama in it. Shawna transfers to a new school and brings her drama to it. I was really hoping for a character growth in Shawna, especially after the ending of Deep Green, but it looks like Shawna just craves chaos. Overall, this book can be very relatable. To me, the main idea was "being torn between making the right or wrong decisions." Zoe constantly found herself in the middle. She wanted to be accepted and fit in with the "cool kids," but she also had standards. Every now and then, she lowers her standards and crosses so.e boundaries, which leads to the horrible night at the hotel. Zoe is grateful that she was saved from it.

Also, what ever happened to Shannon? So far, all of the books are connected in a little way, so I hope she reappears later on. I'm curious to know what happens to her.

[Lexi Sommers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Torch Red by Melody Carlson is a really good book. It's a good book to read because it is all about suspense on who Zoe will pick in the end. Over half of the book she chooses Justin and then things start to change and you are surprised. I would definitely recommend this to a friend because it's all about drama and suspense. It's also about how God can help her through certain situations and those are always good books to read about.

[Courtney Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book! I found that after a few chapters I couldn't put it down because it got me wrapped up in the main girls story/life. The ending with this series always seems a little abrupt to me but I do love that unlike many other books that just kind of end this one at least gave almost what seemed like a life update to every character so that you at least know what happened to them all and I loved that!

[Christy Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did make my way through this quite easily but wow.
This was pretty heavy on the sex talk, but without going too detailed that made it feel smutty.
The double standards on how EVERYONE in this book see men and women when it comes to sex was insane. That boys will be boys, and only women get hurt stuff was infuriating.
Stupid choices and pretty heavy handed Christian views on everything was from start to finish.
Still, I was engaged and invested.

[Kathy Mescher · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting book to read. I enjoyed reading this book as I have so far on all of Melody's books. I like the Christian aspect and how she brings it alive in her books. I was a bit shocked to see how far into the book before Zoe, but kept in suspense.

[Alexa Bermudez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt this book okay because their was not much moments where I was surprised. But, I still think that it was very good because it did have a lot of drama with her and the girls in her school and I was making me wonder what was going to happen next.

[Kirsten · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reread from my teenage years. The verdict: still damaging propaganda. Mildly entertaining if you shut off your sense of morality and decide feminism shouldn’t exist. Also, would it be THAT hard to put just ONE likable character in this book?

[kyra · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay.

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZ-BALLZ

[Cherise · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an amazing book it’s very relatable to teenagers and it has so much detail I honestly just love this book the characters have so much realism.

[Chloe Saxe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a very interesting and dramatic book and I couldn't put the book down. The book had a lot of drama and romance in it which was very interesting for me to read.

[Dumlesi Ndam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy

[Abigail Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reason I loved this book becoz I related to it
Great read for teens

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for teens on the topic of sex and keeping your virginity. I recommend for 8th grade and up.

[Athena · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is okay but boring.

[Ashley W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most the characters in Torch Red were either good or bad. They were either sluts/cheaters or virgins and I think that's pretty unfair. Emily was the only exception, but she still stayed with her boyfriend just because she'd test negative for STDs. Zoe was kind of difficult to get a handle on at some points, but I think that's just because she was so conflicted herself. There were times when I wanted to feel sorry for Shawna because of the whole date rape thing, but she didn't have to become a slut because of it. The only decent guy was Nate and he was pretty much perfect.


The entire story focused on Zoe deciding whether or not she wants to have sex with her boyfriend. I think the internal battle was pretty realistic because she does go back and forth with a lot of the same logic I think young girls use today. There were only a couple key moments throughout the book, and it wasn't exactly fast paced. However, the book is pretty short so it didn't frag at all.


Obviously a very conservative story, so the writing, particularly the dialogue followed that. It flowed well. Nothing was choppy or rushed.

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Sex vs Abstinence- Obviously this was a big one. Abstinence eventually won out at the end, of course. It seemed to be all anyone was interested in, even the side characters.

Self-Respect- Some of these characters, the girls in particular here, have more than others. There were characters like Shawna who showed none. But then there were girls like Casey who kind of put themselves on a pedestal.


The Play- Oklahoma itself wasn't the symbol as much as the drama . There was more drama off the stage as on it. I think the play symbolized how each of these people was playing a part. Some were promiscuous while others were chaste. Some girls lied about who they'd been with and others pretended to be someone they weren't.


If you're a teenage girl looking for a book that assures you that it is okay to be a virgin, then this is the book for you. It has a good message in general, but I wish there were some in between people, rather than just good and bad.

[Kellie Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Melody Carlson's Torch Red to be an amazing book that can possibly relate to all teen girls at one point in there lives. "Before I start to gloat I remember that my God is a gracious and forgiving God." (Last chapter.) This quote represents a life lesson. Even though you may have been picked on by someone or you have been through a very rough time dealing with people in general it is easier just to forgive and forget in order to get the barrier of hurt and pain off your heart.

The book is Moriarty of the time at a public high school. The Author never really gave a great view of the actual location besides either her home or school. The main character is a young girl named Zoe. She attends high school and is involved with a lot of girls her age that are already sexually active. Zoe is so certain that she is the only girl in the entire school who has never been sexually active. She never even kissed a boy! She has always been more kept to her self when it came to that sort of thing. hearing all the detailed stories and afraid of being judged by her "Friends" that she never have even kissed a boy she begins to lie. Within her heart she starts to actually want what they have (a sexually active life.) She wants to break out of her comfort zone. Zoe tries to branch out into a more sexual environment and is breathtakingly tricked by one of the most hottest guys in school by the name of Justin Clark. In the end Zoe is encouraged by a good friend by the name of Nate who is a lovely strong christian boy. With it pep talks she realizes that she is proud that she didn't go all the way with Justin Clark. She excepts god into her hard allowing forgiveness to enter into her life she ended up making a life-defining decision.

One of the major themes that continues to re-occur throughout the story is "Follow your heart, Listen to positivity around you be you and be true." I believe Zoe started off very vulnerable she didn't follow her heart but she followed a group who made bad decisions who just wanted to influence her to become apart of there bad decision making. This really ties in with the theme because in the end Zoe grows into herself and learns that she can only please herself and no one else. She becomes newer and truer by following positivity.

Overall, I gave this book a five star rating because it was really easy to follow along with and it had a really clear understanding. You will mostly become very enthusiastic at finding out what event will occur next. The author has a great ability of controlling the reader! You won't want to put this book down. I overall loved this christian novel.

[Macy Keen]

Torch Red
Macy K. Keen
December 13th, 2016
Pre-AP English 10 -5
Melody Carlson is a writer of many book series and people describe her as a person who truly understands teen girls and what they go through. Man and almost all of Melody Carlson’s novels are directed toward teen girls or women and many of which are in a series.
The book was written in the United States in 2004. This time period was when the world was slowly changing, as it always is, but directed toward teen girls and what they go through.
The story takes place at Shawna’s new high school.

Shawna- main character who has moved to a new school
Zoe - another main character who is put down by the new girl, Shawna
Justin - the jock who asks Zoe out
Nate - christian boy who likes Zoe
Todd - jock boy who Shawna goes after
Emily - the girlfriend of Todd
The theme of the book is just because everyone is doing, that doesn't mean you HAVE to do it. In this case Zoe feels like since she is one of only few who is still a virgin at her school, she feels she needs to change that right away.
Zoe is convinced that she is the only girl in her school who is still a virgin. The talk in the locker room when getting ready makes her feel and think that sex is so great but Zoe isn’t convinced. When Shawna comes to the school, she has had it, however she refuses to talk about it, but this is because she has an STD that she doesn’t want her new school to know about. Nate, who is a friend of Zoe is trying to get into her head that she doesn’t need a guy. At least not a guy like the one who asked her out, the jock, Justin Clark. Zoe finds out that Shawna has an STD and she begins to get worried about what decisions she has and will make.
Symbolism and irony is a big part in the book. Shawna refuses to talk about what she has done in the past, but she ends up with an STD. Emily isn’t worried about Todd and Shawna, but Zoes tell her she needs to.

“As expected, Shawna was cast as the innocent Laurey Williams, the sweet golden-haired girl.” This is Zoe talking about Shawna as she gets the part in the musical instead her.
“Maybe I should just do it and get it over with.” This is also Zoe talking about what she is going to do.
“If there is one thing I am, I guess its resilient.” This is Zoe talking about how Shawna blew everyone out of the water at the auditions on her first day.

[Char'Lee M. Van Patten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. It was a great series for my pre-teen and teenage daughters to read with me as a mother stressing over the contents.

[TWJ Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoë, a junior in high school, feels like she is the absolute, honest-to-goodness, last virgin on earth. With the pressure building from both her girlfriends and her new, more experienced boyfriend, Zoë considers making a choice that will change her status as a virgin. When good girl Casey Renwick befriends Zoë, she might just find out that there is more to sex than just what she’s heard in the locker room.

In the third novel of Melody Carlson’s True Colors Series, that one topic that plagues mind of so many teens – the dreaded S-E-X word - is tackled. Melody Carlson handles this often troubling subject with sensitivity and finesse. One major concern I had when I first started reading this book was about how graphic the details would get. I definitely did not want end up reading about too many personal details! However, Carlson tells Zoë's story masterfully, never giving her readers more information than necessary, but still allowing real life details to make Torch Red authentic.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. That being said, Torch Redis a Christian book, written by a Christian author, and is published by a Christian company. Readers from different backgrounds may or may not agree with the book’s conclusions regarding sex. Melody writes about many diverse viewpoints on sex, but Torch Red encourages girls to maintain their virginity until they are married. This book will certainly be reassuring to young girls who have dedicated to save themselves until marriage. To those girls, Melody Carlson shares the message that you are definitely not alone!

The Wordsmith Journal strives to guide readers to books of personal interest, with the understanding and respect that what appeals to some may not appeal to others. Therefore we attempt to keep our reviews focused on content, genre and style. The rating is necessary to make use of Goodreads and Amazon. It reflects the reviewer’s own level of enjoyment, but the review is intended to be informative for the benefit of all readers.

[Jennifer Shaffer]

I read the book Torch Red. The book was written by Melody Carlson. Torch Red was about a girl named Zoe. She is in high school and had some hard decisions to make. She's dating a boy and she thinks that she loves him. The boy is one of those boys that your supposed to watch out for but, Zoe doesn't listen. She thinks that he's special. Zoe should have listened to her friends though because she gets herself in a tough position. She has to make a hard decision, whether or not she wants to lose her virginity. Even though the place isn't romantic or even the best she has to decide if she's willing to go all the way.
This book was really good. I enjoyed reading it because it's something that a lot of people would go through. Even though this book was about sex and all it was also about growing up. Zoe had to make life changing decisions like everyone has to do. She also had to deal with the consequences if she made the wrong decision. This book was a good teen book. It had romance and things about growing up. I would recommend reading this book, I enjoyed and I know some of my friends did too! And if you enjoy this book there are a bunch of other similar stories written by Melody Carlson as well that are equally good, they are other books about growing up they just face different problems.

[Hannah Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torch red: color me torn
The main characters in this book is Zoë, she’s a girl that is pretty certain that she is the only virgin left in her school. She gets hooked up with the wrong guy and starts to make the wrong decisions. She’s lucky that she has a good friend, Nate, that will be willing to help her out of situations that she gets herself into. Justin, He’s in the play and asks Zoë out. He thinks that they are getting serious and rents a hotel room. Things start getting hot and Zoë’s not comfortable. Justin starts drinking like there’s no tomorrow. Shawna, the new girl, starts flinging with Zoë’s best friends boyfriend and rumor gets to it that she has an STD. Shawna starts loosing friends and starts skipping school. Emily, Zoë’s best friend, is dating Todd. Emily doesn’t like when she gets advice about her relationship with Todd and starts getting mad at Zoë. Towards the end of the book, Emily realizes that Zoë was right, but she doesn’t care. She still keeps things going with Todd. Nate, “The Christian guy” tries to tell Zoe that Justin is no good for her. Todd, Emily’s boyfriend, isn’t in the book that much other than the fact that he was cheating on his girlfriend Emily. I really enjoyed this book because I feel like I can relate to it. I would recommend this book to the teenagers because this takes place in the teenage years.