Cold Inside Us: The Thrilling Tales Of Three Third World High School Teenagers

by Tabitha E. Smith

They were either placed or forced in a school in the rural part of the island when an unexpected friendship was forged among the three high school teens. Poverty exacerbated the very existence of young Burch. He knew nothing more than a life in the dirt despite his well accomplished academic efforts to strive; life just continued to get worse. On the other hand, Amesha was economically stable, but she too struggled to make sense of what happened that night when the sound of glasses began to break and the tales of gossips had her distrusting her father. It was then, relying on her friends were her way out. Looking on at his friends, MJ finally realised that though his big city troubles sent him packing to live with his dad in Jamaica, things on the sunny vibrant island could be brutally cold inside out.

86 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 22, 2021

About the author

The young Caribbean author is a Secondary School Science teacher as well as a books, movies and beach fanatic. She has been writing and plotting over a decade. Tabitha was brought up in a local area known as Treasure Beach, the home of community tourism on the island. The community is treasured for its exotic black-sand beaches, massive calabash, pearl-white, sandy hills, caught between a tropical Savannah and a coastal desert ecosystem.

Cold Inside Us, her first published work, was motivated by the lack of local, contemporary literature for teens and young adults. It is her hope, that both local and international young adults and adult readers, will find this newest addition to her penned literature captivating, different and compelling.

Reviews

[Agnes Varona Oquendo, Author · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling, compelling, heartfelt story that will surely capture your heart

High school can be a difficult time for most teens in general. After reading Cold Inside Us by Tabitha Smith, it reminded me just how important true friendships, integrity and compassion play vital roles during this crucial time in ones life.
The author brilliantly captivates your heart and soul through her well developed main characters in Burch, Ami, MJ and Rome. The storyline itself is compelling while filled with tragedy, triumph, mystery and so much more. The unique style of writing immediately drew me in as I felt helpless whilst witnessing and living through each event along with the characters. I absolutely loved the Jamaican proverb used, "Play the fool to catch the wise."
I am truly looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Janet Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had my wheels spinning and wondering how many talented and smart kids are out there in the world that may never get to apply themselves due to the lack of one thing... money. To think a voice and mind may be silenced for that reason alone is scary to me. The three different stories about three kids' home and school life in Jamaica is an eye-opener for this lady who has never been outside of America. The parent/child relationship is a complicated thing, but add in the effects of poverty and alcohol, and it only magnifies the sadness. Sometime hope is all a person has to get them by, but how do you have a meaningful life when there isn't even hope and no way to escape the pain? And then when life seems like it can't get any worse for Burch, it does. This story is so heart breaking and it's impossible not to feel.

[Yamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really good and quick read. I got a bit emotionally attached to the characters, and there were many silly moments. Really delightful.

[Shawna Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book yesterday and it was very different from my typical reads but I really enjoyed this one! It’s definitely worth the read!

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this book, like any other reader, I began with an open mind, a willingness to hear out the story, but I didn't need will for long, as the pages, the words and the characters soon grasped and sucked me into their world. I felt led along, to see their stories on the frontline, I somewhat empathized with the characters, as if i was feeling their pain, living through their anguish, and somehow also living the problems with them. I felt like a sibling to Burch, like a pair of ears, willing to listen to Mj, and like some arms to embrace Amesha. I was on a rollercoaster of emotion, with which it peeked at chapter 10, everything came crashing down within me after that point, I was left distraught, I identified with them. This was an amazing read. The realism was unbelievable, looking forward to book II.

l.duncan

[Shenelle Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say "Cold Inside Us " books are both interesting and fun to read. As a Jamaican teen, I liked how the stories captured our ‘now-a-days’ society. I especially, liked how these friends helped out each other as much as possible without even knowing it. It brought to life hope and life lessons. It is amazing how the author "Miss Tabitha Smith " took many of the struggles we face as teenagers locally, and turned them into fun, relatable, page turning stories. Cold Inside Us Book II also, highlighted frightening, raw issues we deal with in our everyday lives.

[Sherell Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set on the beautiful island of Jamaica, Cold Inside Us tells us of four friends, each with a story of his/her own, exploring the themes of family, conflict and tragedy; ultimately proving how friendship, even unexpected ones, can be a source of positivity and comfort.

The author lets readers into the lives of Jamaican youths in a realistic setting. And through powerful themes, well-written characters, and raw emotional conflict, Tabitha Smith has brought to life a story that will captivate readers, leaving them in eager anticipation of Book 2!

[Tamara Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story highlights 3 main characters from different levels of social standing.

I especially liked how the author highlighted issues that are present in the Jamaican society that would otherwise be uncomfortable to address.

The characters are easy to relate to, and easy to become attached to. I could feel the different emotions from one to the other as the author seems to have a gift of choosing the right words to evoke such. I cant wait to see how the story unfolds, as it promises to introduce or focus more on other characters full circle.

[Crystal Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold Inside Us reminds me of my first year at high school and brings to the fore, issues that teenagers deal with in contemporary Caribbean, Jamaican or West Indian context. It begs to analyze the lives and thought processes of a generation of intelligent and evolved teenagers.
Birch is the authentic protagonist who is in constant conflict with his environment and more so like any troubled youth or disaffected you, his biggest battles will be with himself.

[DK59]

Cold Inside Us is filled with tragedy, families, and true friendship. The story of Burch, Ami, and MJ, as well as Rome, was heart rending and happy. The feelings that book gave me were difficult but in the end, uplifting. Cold Inside Us is a short novel but filled with emotional impact. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this book. Great work!