Shoot the Wounded (Wounded #1)

Reader reviewed by Vicki M.

Shoot the Wounded

Hey all.  I read a great book that I think you might enjoy well, those of you who are teenagers and young adults at any rate.  Its called Shoot the Wounded.  Its basically about the things that we teenagers are usually faced with every day relationships, teen pregnancy, all that jazz.  The book follows two teenage girls who meet a guy (this sounds familiar yet?;) and problems ensue.  The great thing is that the entire book is relevant to actual problems we face in 2010, stuff that so many books dont address.  Also, the second book, Heal the Wounded, just came out.  The second book follows what happens to one of the girls after the first book (sorry, cant really tell you more without ruining the first book).  Theres another guy in the picture, more drama, and more high school social infrastructure.  (I bet that part sounds familiar to some of you too).  At any rate, they are both really good books that actually choose to address stuff that us teenagers have to deal with, as opposed to stuff adults think we deal with.  I really think you all should take a look at some of the stuff in them.  If you want to read them, they are Shoot the Wounded and Heal the Wounded by Lynn Dove.  Read on!

 

Reader reviewed by Guy Young

I just finished Shoot the Wounded.  I actually read the sequel first, Heal the Wounded, and thought I had missed a few key elements so I read Shoot the Wounded to fill in the blanks.  All I can say is WOW!  What a great couple of books!  The first book is about three friends, Jake, Ronnie and Leigh who have their friendship threatened when the school's gossip, Janelle starts to spread rumours about them, particularly whether Jake fathered Ronnie's baby. 
Throughout the book the lies, and rumours threaten to destroy friendships and I appreciated how Dove threaded this theme throughout the book.  So often we read about bullying from the physical side, we don't tend to realize that gossip can be just as harmful to a person's spirit. 
I definitely think this book should be read by parent's, teachers, as well as students because it will begin discussions on the hazards of spreading rumours and gossip.
The book also deals with serious topics such as teen pregnancy, and family violence.
I definitely give this book five stars!

Reader reviewed by Kristin

I ADORED (this) book. As a teenager it really spoke to me.  Readers will be engaged into Doves tale Shoot the Wounded from page one. This book hits so close to home for teenagers and young adults. This tale spins through the emotions of teenagers Ronnie, Leigh and Jake and everyone can find a bit of themselves in the characters. This story is a must read for youth groups, Christian teenagers and even for non-believers and will inspire and captivate audiences for years to come. It is a emotionally liberating novel and a very well written piece of literature. Doves talent with words allows the audience to connect more completely with the emotional ride this book takes them on. Five stars!

Reader reviewed by C. M.

This is a book about three friends in high school, Leigh, Ronnie and Jake.  When Ronnie gets pregnant everyone assumes that Jake is the father including Leigh.  The whole town is gossiping and talking behind their backs and no one seems to care about the real issue and that is just being a friend to someone who has made a mistake and is hurting.  Instead the gossip and lies just add more hurt on top of everything else.

I really loved the story.  I loved the characters and I liked the pace of the story too.  It was an easy read.  I read it in one day.  I was on the author's website and I am looking forward to the sequels. 

I give Shoot the Wounded 5 stars and I recommend this to readers 12 and up.

Reader reviewed by Carrie T.

I was given this book from a friend who said, "you just have to read this!"  Well, I'm sure glad she loaned it to me because I could not put it down.  I don't usually read Christian fiction so I was a little worried that the book would be too preachy, but it is not!  The message is good and the characters are realistic.  I would recommend this book to my friends.  
CT. 

Reader reviewed by Lorie P.

Shoot the Wounded is about real friends who face real life situations.  Jake is my favorite character.  I wish more guys in real life would be more like Jake.  I would like to compare him with Edward and Jacob of the Twilight Books (except Jake is real and not a vampire or a werewolf).  I think that's why I liked the book.  Jake is romantic, handsome, likeable and he's still a realistic, not always perfect guy.  He lives out his faith in real life.  I thought the story was well written for the most part.  It is not a children's book, it should be listed with the Teen Book Reviews I think.

Reader reviewed by Kendayl Morris

I just finished reading Shoot the Wounded and I really loved it!  It's a page turner and it's got a great message about how lies and gossip can devastate people.  I think it's a great story for teens, cuz we tend to do alot of gossiping all the time and we don't realize how bad that is to the person being gossiped about.  I would recommend this book to my friends for sure.

Reader reviewed by Conner O.

I don't usually pick up books like this, but the cover intrigued me as did the title so I decided to read it.  I couldn't put the book down!  I read it cover to cover in one sitting!  The story has enough twists and turns to keep me interested and engaged in the story.  I identified with the characters and was interested in how they would solve and overcome some of their problems.  I understand that it is the first book in a series and I am looking forward to seeing where the author takes the characters next.  Being a Canadian, I was also happy that there was some Canadian content in the story!

Reader reviewed by Talia

I just finished reading this book, and I could not put it down!  A friend recommended that I read it and I will definitely be passing it on to others.  The book is about three friends, Leigh, Ronnie and Jake.  When Ronnie finds out she is pregnant, rumours fly that Jake is the father.  I won't give away the ending because you have to read the book yourself to find out if the rumours are true or not.  I like the way that the characters are portrayed in the book.  I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Reader reviewed by Caleb Booth

 This book dares to cast light into the dark places of life. It encourages us to take a stand even when it hurts. In a world of ever growing choices this book teaches us not to choose the easy way out when the going gets tough.
We are led to see beyond the surface of a person, past the labels, through the rumors, to the very heart, where we learn of the





astonishing value of each and every individual.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, because of its ability to hide enough of the ending until you get to it, keeping you in suspense all along the way. Lynn has obviously been around her fair share of young adults as we can see from her ability to capture the youthful nature of the characters in her book.
I would recommend this book to young and old alike, and I look forward to the next one in the series.