Toni Short's novel, The Gifted Child: John's Saga, follows the life of a young John Johns. It highlights many struggles from the death of his father to a strained relationship with his sister and even to racial discrimination. John's life seems to be out of control. He is often ridiculed and bullied because of his very dark complexion. After beginning school, John is marked by his teachers as being "slow" and, as a result, is placed in special education classes. Fate intervenes when he meets Mrs. Rogers, a school teacher. She discovers that John is actuall one of the brightest minds in the school. John then realizes his own potential and begins his journey as "the gifted child." Can he stay there?

The Gifted Child leaves the reader with many questions, the main one being: "What's the point?" Is this a story about racism, or is it simply about a typical young person who desperately wants to be popular? I found the novel to be extremely slow, and as I continued to read, I often lost interest. There were many side stories that, in my opinion, were pointless. When finishing the book, I found myself thinking, "Is this it? I don't get it!" Readers who enjoy fast-paced, attention grabbing novels, I caution you--this may not be the book for you.