The heartfelt coming-of-age novel, Rising Together (The Prosperity Series Book 1) by Christopher Cole and K.M. Sparks explores child abuse, bullying, and friendship. Tim finds solace from his abusive home in his close friendship with Haze. Haze, on the other hand, faces bullying at school but Tim stands up for her. When he opens up to her about the physical and emotional abuse he is facing, Haze devises a plan. Things take a different turn for Tim and suddenly he is thrust into a new environment that requires him to make unexpected adjustments. The only thing that he can hold on to at this point is his friendship with Haze but even that could be taken away from him. Determined to take control of the situation and their lives, Haze and Tim develop a new plan.

When reading Rising Together, I loved that the main characters are different but they complement each other. Tim is brave and will stand up against bullies while Haze is concerned for Tim and helps him with his schoolwork. Their friendship provides an anchor for Tim when his life is turned upside down. Its heavy themes are balanced by the many light-hearted moments it also contains. The plot includes exciting twists. Throughout the story, it adds descriptions of how the changes affect the characters’ emotional states. Secondary characters are also critical in the story. They help develop the book’s themes and the main characters’ lives. The book culminates in a realistic and hopeful ending. Rising Together is a teenage romance novel with likable characters and important themes.

Rising Together (The Prosperity Series Book 1) by Christopher Cole and K.M. Sparks is a coming-of-age novel that looks at how family break-ups and domestic violence can impinge on a young person’s view of life and themselves. Tim and Haze are middle-school pupils who have become best friends and always look out for each other. Tim’s family, however, is unstable, with his father drinking heavily and physically, emotionally, and mentally abusing his wife and two sons. In many ways, Haze comes from the exact opposite environment with a loving, caring family. Tim, at school, despises bullies, perhaps as a reaction to his father’s bullying, and will always stand up for the bullied and the underdog, meaning he is often in trouble with the school authorities for fighting. Haze is a quiet introverted young girl who studies hard and often allows her shyness to rule her life. When Haze discovers Tim’s family troubles, she summons up her courage and convinces Tim to say something to someone in authority, a school counselor. Tim’s older brother has also had enough of the constant violence and threats of violence at home and decides to take action also and tell someone. The ensuing fallout from these revelations will tear this family apart and Tim will rely heavily on his loving friend Haze to help him through the emotional maelstrom he now finds himself in.

Rising Together (The Prosperity Series Book 1) is a short novel, even a novella, yet it manages to pack a good, solid plot into those pages. Authors Christopher Cole and K.M. Sparks have created two characters that will be instantly recognizable to most young people of that age. Tim and Haze have an unusually close friendship at an age when friendships between girls and boys often seem perilous, as strong emotions and hormones are sweeping through these young people. I particularly enjoyed the language employed by the young people which was age-appropriate for the characters and not slanted toward adult feelings and emotions. Although Tim made a decision that would have a major impact on all the members of his family and especially himself personally, the story reminds us that violence within the home, of any sort, is totally unacceptable and should never be tolerated. The journey that Tim and Haze are on is frightening at times and it is the fear of the unknown, of not being wanted that shone through most for me. This book is simple to read, well written, and will definitely appeal to the target audience of middle and high-school young adults. I can recommend this read.