Betty Culley - The Name She Gave Me

Betty Culley - The Name She Gave Me

4 ⭐

Genre:  YA, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Verse 

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback Proof Copy 

Publisher: HarperTeen 

Date Published: 21st June 2022 (US) / 4th August (UK) 

Huge Thanks to Harper360YA for a copy of this book to read and review! 

Book Blurb: 

When Rynn was born, her birth mother named her Scheherazade. It’s one of the only things Rynn has from her. Now sixteen, Rynn and her adoptive parents live on a small garlic farm in central Maine. Rynn’s father is kind and gentle but oblivious to Rynn’s mother’s temper and coldness toward their daughter.

Rynn has longed to know her birth family for years. She can’t legally open her adoption records until she turns eighteen, but that won’t stop her from searching on her own. She finds out that though her birth mother has died, she has a younger sister—who’s in foster care two towns away. But if Rynn reconnects with her biological sister, it may drive her adoptive family apart for good.

My Review: 

I’m not usually a fan of books written in verse (those books usually scare me), but I am glad I gave it a shot and read The Name She Gave Me. It is such a beautiful story, very easy to read and understand, but at the same time very deep with word choices, characters and topics explored. I devoured it in a few hours!

The story follows Rynn, who lives in rural Maine, is sixteen and is adopted. She doesn’t know much about her birth parents, but she wants to find her mother and ask so many questions about why her mother left and abandoned her. She wants to feel loved, as she doesn’t feel loved by her adoptive mother with whom she has a very complicated relationship. Her adoptive mother refuses to let Rynn know about her real parents and Rynn goes behind her back to find the answers. The story explores Rynn’s feelings and relationships, whilst she’s trying to find her real family and find where she really belongs.

I loved Rynn’s relationship with her adoptive dad, and the way they have this strong bond and love for each other. I loved that he isn’t against Rynn finding out about her real parents, as he understands that she needs to find belonging and answers. I also liked how the complicated relationship with her adoptive mother is explored throughout the book. I think supporting characters really added depth to this book and it was great to see that Rynn had such an amazing support network around her even though they aren’t all blood-related to her.

Rynn’s character is very emotional and sensitive. She wants to belong, wants to find her family, wants to be loved as any teen/ kid would want. She also wants stability and a motherly figure, which she doesn’t get and see from her adoptive mother. Rynn’s drive to find answers and family is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching at times.

I loved how Culley explores the themes of adoption, family, family relationships, and foster care. It’s my first time reading about these themes and it's something that I would love to read more about in the future.

Oh, and the dual POV, was such a great addition. I loved how Rynn’s sister’s feelings and want to have a family too are explored throughout the book. Also, thanks to this book I just fell in love with the name Sorella.

Overall:  Beautifully written book, both, heart-warming and heart-wrenching moments at times, exploring feelings of belonging and themes of adoption, family and family relationships. The only thing I wished was that it was longer and the ending wasn’t left so open, as I would’ve loved to know if Rynn managed to find more about her actual parents when she became eighteen and if her relationship with her adoptive parents, especially her mum, gone better. However, other than that it is an excellent story worth reading. Can’t wait to read other books by Betty Culley. 

About the Author: 

Betty Culley’s debut novel in verse Three Things I Know Are True, was a Kids’ Indie Next List Top Ten Pick, an ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Nominee, and the 2021 Maine Literary Book Award Winner for Young People’s Literature. Her first middle-grade novel Down to Earth is inspired by her fascination with meteorites and voyagers from another place and time. She’s an RN who worked as an obstetrics nurse and as a pediatric home hospice nurse. She lives in central Maine, where the rivers run through the small towns.

https://www.bettyculley.com/