She Said Yes

Thoughts on She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall by Misty Bernall

Inside cover reads:
"She Said Yes is a story of growing up in the '90s, of peer pressure, adolescent turmoil, and the tough choices parents make. It is the story of a mother's loss- of dreams and hopes dashed by the cruel reality of death at an early age. But it is also a story of redemption more enduring than the tragedy that cut a young life short.
When 17-year-old Cassie Bernall walked into the library of her suburban high school around 11:00 in the morning of April 20, 1999, she had little more on her mind than her latest assignment for English class. Another act of Macbeth. How could she know that by the end of the hour, two classmates would storm the school, guns blazing, and kill as many people as they could, including her?
As the wounded were carried from the bloody scene, several stories of bravery emerged, but one spread faster and farther than the rest. Confronted by her killers, Cassie was asked, "Do you believe in God?" She answered, "Yes."

Rxn:
I'm just not having a great day today. I have a headache and it just sucks... so my apologies if I'm not all with it.

I thought this would be some weepy account of the Columbine shootings. Instead, it's a solid metanoia story. I can really relate to Cassie and her relationship with her mother. I used to keep notebooks/journals in high school. Every so often, I'll go back and read through some of the things I wrote. I always think to myself, "I WAS FREAKING NUTS!!" I didn't get along with my parents, either, and I was one of the "black sheep" in my Catholic high school. It wasn't easy to be an atheist there, either.

It's really about Cassie's Christ journey, and the events in her life that led up to her conversion. I like it. I'd recommend it to ladies in 7-12 grade. 6th would be stretching it a little. I'm really not too excited about this one, though. No Word Nerd Seal of Approval.


Quotes:
"Once you start giving, though, your emotional needs will eventually take care of themselves" (102).

"Service isn't comfort. But it gives you a purpose in life, and it forces you to stop thinking about yourself" (103).

"Cassie struggled like everyone struggle,s but she knew what she had to do to let Christ live in her. It's called dying to yourself, and it has to be done daily" (119).

"I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live" (MLK) (124).

"It is easy to die for Christ.
It is hard to live for him.
Dying takes only an hour or two,
but to live for Christ
means to die daily.
Only during the few years of this life
are we given the privilege of serving
each other and Christ...
We shall have heaven forever,
but only a short time for service here,
and therefore
we must not wast the opportunity.
-Sadhu Sundar Singh"
(114)