Reviewed by Arianne: Finding Your Inner Cherokee by Siobhan Curham.

When Leanna first contacted me about reviewing Finding Your Inner Cherokee, I was thrilled. I'm not usually a reader (or reviewer!) of non-fiction but having loved the book which inspired this e-companion, Finding Cherokee Brown, I was sure I'd love this one, too.

Finding Your Inner Cherokee is all about beating the bullies. Filled with relevant statistics and advice, it is not so much a how-to guide on vanquishing the bullies but more of a handbook designed to give that extra boost to the victims of bullying, who so often feel abandoned and alone.

This book is not designed to sugar-coat the impact of bullying or cajole bullies into 'fessing up. It focuses on the victims and making their lives better, not giving special treatment to bullies in the hopes of creating a reformed character. Make no mistake - Finding Your Inner Cherokee deals with bullying head-on.
 

This e-book companion is a departure from Siobhan's usual YA fare (her other books include the award-winning Dear Dylan and a shiny new series, Shipwrecked, which is being written in conjunction with a TV show). It is not, however, a departure from her other career as a life coach. It's a great combination of the two.
 

Finding Your Inner Cherokee about standing up for yourself in the right way and realizing you are not the only one. It uses 'case studies' and suggests organisations that can help deal with bullying-related issues. There's a welcome emphasis on personal motivation and inner triumph. It's about resolving, not dwelling on, problems. Longtime followers of Curham will feel rewarded by clear links to the field of neurolinguistic programming (a technique briefly featured in Finding Cherokee Brown) and will quickly see the psychology behind many of the ideas detailed within the e-book's pages.
 

Of course, the big question mark hanging over this book is its effectiveness in a real-life situation. Many readers will ironically find it easier to relate to the strength of Curham's fictional characters and not the direct voice she uses here. It can be repetitive and slightly patronising. However, Curham clearly works with the reader's best interests at heart and some of the features within the book could prove really helpful to victims of bullying and those around them.
 

In short: As an idea, Finding Your Inner Cherokee is completely empowering - the concept is pure gold. It's not as practical or useful as it would like to be, but it's full of good intentions and thought-out advice. Well worth checking out.

*******

Finding Your Inner Cherokee by Siobhan Curham. Release date: November 18th 2013. Arianne's Rating: 4/5. Source: Received from author for review.


Check Out: Arianne's Review of Finding Cherokee Brown.

Finding Your Inner Cherokee is a non-fiction e-book, full of case studies, exercises and advice, designed to help reassure and empower victims of bullying. You can download it for FREE at Siobhan Curham's website: www.siobhancurham.co.uk