Welcome to Naked and Unashamed. Today, I’m proud to spotlight and review Freerunner by Kathy Cassel, a book relevant to the name of this blog. Learn more about the book and my thoughts below.

About the Book

Book: Freerunner

Author: Kathy Cassel

Genre: YA

Release date: March, 2022

Rating: 5 / 5

Set against the backdrop of the sport of freerunning, Kia must decide whether she will continue running or face her past abuser in order to save another child.

Night is Kia’s favorite time, when she freeruns to outdistance the memories of abuse she suffered as a young child. But when former reality television star Terrence Jones arrives at their school as the new head track coach, things begin to change in unpredictable ways. Kia tries out for the team to fit in, but just as she’s gaining a new sense of normal, her abuser steps back into her life. Not only that, but being on the track team causes even more turmoil. Why does the assistant coach, Cassandra Clark, dislike Terrence Jones so much, and even more troubling, why does Coach Clark dislike her so much? As the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together, Kia realizes she has to choose between running from her past or saving a child from the same sort of abuse she suffered. But will she have the courage to do so?

My Thoughts

You Are Not Alone

For some reason we are drawn to books or people who have had similar life experiences and that was the case for me with Freerunner. I had no idea what freerunning was before I began the book, but since I love track and field events, I figured I would enjoy it and I did.

Kia is struggling with the aftereffects of being abused as a child. She does this by running at night when all is quiet and the demons of her memories attack. She runs alongside her best friend Thorn. Not just any kind of running, but freerunning. From the description in the book, I got a visual of a combination of parkour and gymnastics, an expression of ones feelings.

I have wanted to run and keep on running, instead of doing it physically like Kia, I did it by reading countless books with happy endings, psychology, self-help books and the Bible.

She learns that her abuser is going to live with her and her mother. She protests but is not heard. Thankfully Thorn listens and even though he doesn’t have a solution, they come up with a game plan to spend as little time around the abuser as possible.

She joins the track team at school and begins helping coach at the local church youth group. Despite getting a hard time from the assistant coach and her mother, this plan is somewhat working, until she notices a new little girl being targeted by the abuser and then all bets are off!

Kathy does a great job of letting us know the ethnicities without coming out and saying so. A couple of books I’ve read lately left me all adrift with no physical hints and since culture is an important part of my reading preferences that left me with an unfinished feeling.

Faith is delicately weaved in as the teenagers struggle with hope vs what their lives have been so far. This quote was a prime example:

What I Liked

• I loved the head coach
• Kia and Thorn’s friendship, how he encourages and supports her.
• I loved that the book has many takeaways, a few of which are:
  • Don’t give up on yourself
  • It’s okay to make unpopular choices
  • Family is supposed to love and protect you.
  • Despite what it looks and feels like, God cares about you
• I loved learning about freerunning

What Got Me Hot Under the Collar

• Kia’s mother unconcern / denial
• Kia’s assistant coach’s undeserved antagonism
• The abuser’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personalities/evilness. It felt very real.

In summation, abuse can make the one who is being abused feel ashamed when he or she has nothing to be ashamed about and then a life of secrets and shame ensues. Nothing like the joyous feeling of Adam and Eve when they were right with God and were naked and unashamed until the first sin and the purity and openness was marred with the feeling of exposure and the need to cover up. After I began speaking up about what happened to me, I felt such a weight removed from me that I didn’t have to avoid questions about my youth or family life.

There is freedom in truth and that is what this book by Kathy Cassel offers to anyone who has been abused or is currently experiencing abuse.

This book can be used by teachers, youth groups, book clubs, family reads, church groups to help teens and even adults begin to deal with the trauma of abuse.

I received a complimentary digital copy of the book. My review is written voluntarily.

Click here to get your copy!


 

About the Author

Kathy Cassel is author of more a dozen fiction and non-fiction titles for preteens and teens, including 2021 Selah Award finalist Freerunner and the iParenting award winner Christian Girls Guide series. Kathy has lived on three different continents with her USAF husband, has eight children, five adopted from Haiti and the United States, and six grandchildren. To better relate to her characters, she enjoys learning their skills such as whitewater rafting, scuba diving, and riding a motorcycle, but draws the line at sky diving.

More from Kathy

For many years I wrote devotion books for preteens and early teens. I tried to make the devotions both fun and interesting. I wanted preteens and early teens to see that the Bible is relevant to them today. But I realized that the readers I most wanted to reach weren’t likely to pick up the Bible or a daily devotion book. But they might read a story. These are the teens who are hurting inside. Those who have been abused, neglected, bullied, abandoned, or who  face challenges. Those who may have lost hope and who need healing. Those who need to realize that God still has a plan for them no matter what has happened.

So I turned to writing faith-based, issue-based young adult books. It hasn’t been easy. There are a multitude of issue based books in the general market, but these can be graphic and offer little hope or healing, yet they are snatched off the shelves and are some of the most popular books. Mine are not graphic and mention God throughout the book. They are not likely to reach library shelves. So the challenge is to get them into the hands of the readers who most need them.

Freerunner is about a 15-year-old girl who is sexually molested/abused (I never give details so readers can interpret what happened based on their own knowledge and experiences) by a family member when she is only six. She doesn’t get help. No one talks about it. So when the abuser walks back into her life now that she’s 15, she has a lot of unresolved feelings. For adults reading this book, the story may trigger negative feelings or bring up a painful past. But don’t let that turn you away from the book because it may be a powerful resource for those experiencing what Kia did. For teens, the book gives them a character they can relate to. The story lets them know they are not alone and don’t need to suffer in isolation. Like Kia they may find the courage to finally speak out and get help. And they may come to realize that God has an amazing plan for them no matter their past.

So for some the book may simply be an entertaining sports story, while for others it can be a springboard to talk about their own problems. I am hoping this book will become a resource for parents, counselors, pastors, youth leaders, Sunday School teachers, and librarians to share with teen readers.

And above all, I hope the story is a source of hope and healing to those who need it.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, September 3

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 4

Through the Fire Blogs, September 5 (Author Interview)

Naked and Unashamed, September 6

For Him and My Family, September 7

Splashes of Joy, September 8 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 9

Inklings and notions, September 10

Spoken from the Heart, September 11 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, September 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 12

Vicky Sluiter, September 13 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 13

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 14

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 15

Blogging With Carol, September 16

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathy is giving away the grand prize of a $40 Books-A-Million Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/21366/freerunner-celebration-tour-giveaway