The Masquerade (Becoming Beka Series, Book 1)

by Sarah Anne Sumpolec

Since her mother's tragic death, Beka Madison's "good girl" image has been crumbling around her. She can't let her family discover she's not really a Christian, but her ragged emotions threaten to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802464513
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Moody Publishers
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.5" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

EXCELLENT

Honestly, I bought this book because the main character had the same name as me. I found it was VERY easy to relate to the main character. Beka is so real, and I've had a lot of the feelings she has. All of the characters are perfect. Beka had just lost her mother in a car crash that year, and that part is really sad. Beka has a secret she's keeping from her family. When you discover it, you may think it's lame. But when you think about it, it's really real and it happens all the time, and it's not lame at all!!! This is a great book for any teens who have felt confused about life or God. Beka was SO CONFUSED she didn't even know what she believed, but she got sorted out by the end.The author of this book is a total sweetheart, and you can e-mail her at becomingbeka.com.This is a great book, so read it! It think you'll like it.

Coming of Age

This is a MUST read for teen girls--AND their parents. Beka has some serious issues that have profoundly influenced her attitude. The loss of her mother has turned her world upside down, because Beka has a terrible secret that is eating her up and her mother died believing a lie. The more she tries to hide her secret, the more she withdraws from her family, and the more rebellious she becomes. And as she distances herself from her family, in an effort to be accepted and 'popular' at school, Beka falls in with the wrong crowd. In many ways, Beka is probably typical of any young girl struggling with the teen years. Yet, she has some unusual burdens that are driving her down a very dangerous road. Finally, her father takes matters into his own hands and forces Beka to deal with her problem...or else.

An Attention-Getting Series for Teens

As the walls of Beka's life crack around her, she feels powerless to stop the destruction. Dreams become nightmares of consuming proportions; with gnawing realization, Beka fears her secret will soon be exposed.Sarah Sumpolec's The Masquerade explores sixteen- year old Beka's attempt to deal with her mother's death and a haunting secret. Through Beka's eyes, the reader experiences the turbulence of a family ripped apart by death and their attempt to pick up the pieces. Sumpolec reels in teen and young adult readers with a highly plausible story built on her rich foundation as a family counselor and teacher. With strong insight, the author shows the process of family and friends grappling with life issues.Teenagers dive into this book and ask, "When will I know the secret? How can she get out of this mess?" Sumpolec challenges young adult readers to look beyond surface concerns and discover with Beka what really matters in life. Sumpolec reveals all, but at the right time and by degrees. The Masquerade introduces a young woman in the throes of becoming who she was meant to be. We can walk further along that road with her in the Becoming Beka series. I recommend this first installment of Sumpolec's work as a refreshing keeper for anyone's collection.

A Great Book About Issues Faced By Teens

Beka Madison, age 16, has a secret. She keeps this secret from her family, from her friends, from her church, and (she thinks) from God. After the death of her mom, this secret begins to take over her life and change her. In the midst of her inner turmoil over this masquerade, Beka must deal with life in her motherless family and with the choices that come with being a teenager. The reader becomes Beka, trying to decide which friends to trust, whether to go to the ?popular,? unchaperoned party, and how to deal with her first truly romantic feelings. Because her secret has caused her to lie to others, telling lies in other areas of her life is incredibly easy until her choices catch up with her and the game she has been playing falls apart. At first, the reader might think that Beka?s problems are the emotional struggles of a young person dealing with grief. Author Sarah Sumpolec helps the reader to see that Beka?s problems (and our own) also have a deeper, spiritual dimension. Without preaching, Sumpolec weaves a message of spiritual reality and faith through a story so real that you feel as if you either know Beka or you are Beka. Teen and young adult readers will appreciate reading a book whose realistic main character deals with problems that ring true. Because the book is written in first person, readers feel as if they are getting a glimpse beyond just a ?Beka?s diary? type of thoughts and into the hidden musings of her mind. Perhaps these readers will be less afraid to face their daily circumstances after walking with Beka through the situations in this book. As an adult reader, I took away a message, too. Adults, even Christian adults, can engage in a form of masquerade. We can ?play church,? thinking that no one will know our secret. Worship and the Christian life can become a game that we get very good at playing. The Masquerade challenges us to realize that our masquerades can separate us from God and from one another. Beka?s story will continue in the next installment of the Becoming Beka series. I?m looking forward to reading it!

A Page Turner!

Sarah Anne Sumpolec has captured the mind and heart of a teenage girl in her portrayal of Beka in "The Masquerade," the first book of her contemporary fiction series for teenaged girls. Sumpolec has worked with youth for over ten years, as a family counselor and as an elementary school teacher, and this experience shows in her excellent characterization of teens.Beka Madison has a secret that is keeping her from being real with her parents. When her parents and brother and sisters become Christians, she pretends to also accept Jesus, but it is just to please her family. She then withdraws from them for fear they will discover that she's only pretending to be a Christian.When her mother is killed in an accident, her guilt and confusion increase and she becomes depressed, gets in with the wrong crowd, and begins to let her schoolwork slide.Beka's father finally confronts her and seeks professional help for her. When Beka admits to her father that she is not really a Christian, she finds that telling the truth was not as hard as she'd imagined and that it brings freedom from her guilt and feelings of isolation.This book is a page turner, as events and relationships in Beka's life combine to challenge her to face her problems and to accept love-and herself. I highly recommend this book for all young girls. It would also be a great addition to any church library.