Tips for Tuesday - Books: The Shadow Sister & Film: South Beach Shark Club

We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any products, and/or visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

Book: The Shadow Sister

Today we are talking about The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade. Casey and her sister, Sutton have an extreme case of sibling rivalry. Then Sutton disappears, and there is a part of Casey that is jealous because it is still all about Casey even when she is not there. When Sutton suddenly returns, she is not at all the same as she was before. The only one she claims to remember is Casey, and Casey is convinced  Sutton is just faking the whole thing for attention, but just maybe she is not.

This is an extremely absorbing story that moves along at a rapid pace to its shocking conclusion. Anyone who's ever experienced any degree of sibling rivalry can relate to this story. However, the book doesn't only deal with issues regarding sibling rivalry. It also delves into traumatic family history as well as slavery and racism. If you don't mind a story with an aura of supernaturalness about it, you may enjoy this one. If you like your stories strictly rooted in the reality of the everyday world we know, you may not.

Film: South Beach Shark Club

Today we are talking about  South Beach Shark Club. This documentary film is a fascinating look at the men obsessed with hunting sharks for sport. Of course, the very idea of hunting for sport is something that is going to trigger animal rights activists, and even if you are not an animal rights activist, but you don't like the idea of seeing dead animals you are definitely not going to want to watch this film.

However,  even for the men engaged in the sport, it is not about the killing. It is more about the thrill of the hunt.  In fact, in more recent years, these men have become more sensitive to the idea of conservation, and they no longer kill their catches but let them go again instead. However, that is probably not going to appease the most ardent of animal activists. Besides, other smaller fish are still being used for bait. Those other fishes are living creatures as well and to the true animal conservationist, their lives matter too.

Still, there is a whole other side to the South Beach Shark Club. It is more than just about a group of men loving the thrill of hunting sharks. It is even more than about the tradition being passed down from father to son. These men are often able to engage the attention of young aimless, impoverished boys as well who would otherwise have seen no choice but to turn to a life of crime.  They get these boys interested in something else and turn their lives around and keep them off the streets. So, in that sense, the club serves an important service. Because when it comes down to it if even one person's life is saved because these boys get turned on to shark hunting rather than crime at an early age, it is worth it.

The South Beach Shark Club is available now on video and On Demand. 

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

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