by Andy Gavin
Macherato
Copyright 2012
ISBN 978-1937945015
392 pages
$14.99 paperback
$2.99 Kindle

It is 1913 in Salem, Massachusetts, and teenager Sarah is having dark visions that turn out to be warning her of future events.  There are vampires being made, Egyptian gods that are very unhappy, a sorcerer who cannot be killed, and a warlock making deals.  Of course, at first, Sarah does not know any of this.  She thinks the visions are just her mind being overactive and playing tricks.  That is, until she discovers a boy’s mangled corpse, attends the funeral of the boy, and then sees the boy seemingly as alive as can be after being buried- and a Greek boy, Alex, who can explain it all.

The Darkening Dream is not your typical YA vampire story, as has become the standard fare of today.  There is no glittering and falling in love with a vampire who denies his true nature.  Instead, it is a story that maintains the standard lore of vampires, and foregoes romance for an ages old conspiracy that puts Sarah right in the middle of it all.  Her visions have led her to learning and understanding the world in a way she never would have thought possible, and Alex has lived it long enough to know what must be done.

Gavin has created a complex story that does not cater to the idea of vampires and demons being tortured souls who want nothing more than to break free from it all.  Instead, he gives us a story where such beings have no soul and are out to survive by destroying everything in their way.  It is not meant to comfort and pull on our heartstrings.  It is meant to terrify us and see something in every shadow; to make us really wonder if there are older and darker forces at work that we will never know.

In the end, the story has been woven in a masterful manner, and it is difficult to know who to trust.  It brings in the conflict of religions in a way that is not often done so subtle, yet complex.  The attention to Jewish mysticism, as well as that of Christianity, that was present throughout the book, served to create a certain amount of tension, as well as adding to the gothic atmosphere.  The importance of religion in the story also served to explain the characters’ motives in a way that would otherwise not be as meaningful.

Gavin has given us a dark and gothic story that maintains the complex storyline right until the very end.  It is intended for the YA audience, but brings to mind the feeling of the world created by Bram Stoker or Anne Rice, making the darkness almost palpable.  Although, at times, the description is a bit on the heavy side, the story never suffers because of it.  Rather, it is simply to create additional atmosphere throughout.  The ending may leave some saddened and disappointed, the fan of darker fiction will realize it could have ended no other way.  Gavin has left it open for a sequel that will surely carry on the fine balance of religion, mysticism, mythology, and the supernatural that is so finely crafted in The Darkening Dream.

The Pet Washer

It has been a long time since I had children of the age of this book’s targeted reader. So, I am not sure I am completely qualified to review it, but if this book had been available to me when I was reading to my children, I would have read this to them.

The book is targeted for middle school readers. Not being an educator, I cannot attest to its appropriateness for that age group. I think it is properly targeted, but I am not sure. What I am sure of is that this book is a perfect “bed time read along” for a parent and a child just learning to read. When asked what advice I have for young parents, I always say to read to your children. Take the time to sit and read with them. It is better for them and it is better for you. This book is an excellent choice for that type of reading.

Since I do understand the dynamics of reading to and with a pre-reader, on that basis, I give the book five stars all the way around. It is a book for children. It is not a techno-thriller. Its language and plot structure are appropriate for the middle school audience it was intended to serve, but it is even better as a “read-along” opportunity. On that basis I give it five stars.

The book tells the story of a blind girl who works washing pets for a living. A visiting princess in need of a dancer for her performance in the annual social drafts the pet washer for the role because she is the right size and has deep rich red hair. While much of the rest of the plot is predictable to an adult, this is not intended for adults. It is intended for children and, it seems to me to be perfectly appropriate.

This is the scene where the two girls meet for the first time.

Royals wore the loveliest perfumes in Windym. Cianna had memorized the scent of every perfume ever made since she’d moved in above the perfume shop. She took a big whiff of the odors in the consulting room. She smiled. “It’s faint now, but Polly is wearing Unicornia,” Cianna said. “It’s a new perfume, just invented. It’s going to be popular this summer.”

“Especially with Polly wearing it,” Mia agreed. “Oh my goodness,” she gasped, “the princess left her riding gloves.” Mia lifted the gloves off the chair. Her stomach dropped. Would she be blamed for the gloves being left behind? “Maybe the princess is still outside,” Mia yelped.

Just then, Polly walked back into the Pet Palace looking for her gloves. Polly saw the two friends through the glass room and her mouth fell open when she saw Cianna’s dark red hair.

Mia saw the princess staring at them. Oh no, thought Mia, she sees me holding the gloves. She thinks I stole them. Mia bit her lip. “The princess is back,” she told Cianna. The two girls walked out of the glass room.

Polly rushed toward them.

“I’m so sorry, Your Highness, I just found them,” Mia stammered. She bowed and held out the gloves.

Polly brushed past the receptionist and stood face to face with Cianna. “Your hair,” she said to Cianna, “your hair is red.”

Cianna froze as the princess inspected her hair. Polly twirled the long strands in her fingers. What is going on, wondered Cianna.

“It’s the perfect shade of red,” Polly noted. She stood back to back with Cianna. “You’re older than I am, but we’re about the same size.” Polly seemed to be talking to herself more than to Cianna. She grabbed Cianna’s chin and moved her face from side to side. “You’re pretty too. Can you dance?” Polly asked her.

Cianna’s father had taught her to dance. “Yes,” Cianna fumbled. She wondered what this was all about. No stranger, let alone a royal, had ever paid so much attention to her.

“That’s wonderful,” Polly said. She decided that Cianna would take Mirabel’s place in The Seven Sisters.

Cianna tried to look the princess in the eye even though she was blind.

Polly gasped. “Your eyes are so green. They are the same color as the Borgan Sea! I was just looking at it during lunch.” Polly was delighted. “You are perfect.”

Mia watched all this in amazement. She was still holding the gloves. She spoke up for her friend. “Her name is Cianna,” Mia said, wondering what the princess wanted with her. “She’s blind.”

“You mean she can’t see?” Polly was horrified.

“Right,” said Mia. Cianna could not believe that all this fuss was about her. She just liked how Polly smelled. The princess smelled like horses, chocolate pudding, Unicornia perfume, lavender shampoo, and scented nail polish–all at once.

“Well, I’m sorry you’re blind,” Polly said to Cianna.

“It’s okay,” Cianna said.

“How do you walk around?” the princess asked.

“Very well,” Cianna answered, gripping the cane she rarely used, “better than most people.” Cianna smiled to herself. She often heard the citizens of Flores tripping over their own feet, or stumbling into holes—and they could see!

“I like your spirit,” laughed Polly. “Let’s be friends.”

Cianna could not see Polly’s fancy clothes, her pampered skin, her expensive hairstyle, her diamond earrings or her new boots. She just heard a friendly voice. She’s a girl like me, Cianna thought. “I’d love to be friends,” she agreed.

So, read this to your children or grandchildren. You will all be better for it.

Synopsis:

Amidst the darkness of turmoil, there is hope.

Blake Solomon had never before heard such heart-wrenching stories until now. Jason gang member, Rebecca a child prostitute, Matthew an African refugee, and Felicity a reckless rich kid, make up the newest group at Blake’s Anchor Beach Rehabilitation Clinic.

Each have seen more than their share of tragedy and have reached a point of desperation where all hope seems lost. Leaving behind worlds tainted with drugs and alcohol, violence and abuse, self-harm, and street life is easier said than done. Unexpectedly, these four young lives collide in extraordinary circumstances as they attempt to salvage any glimmer of strength and self-belief they have left.

Blake’s battle to save all four from paths of certain self-destruction is the toughest he’s ever faced. Is a quick-fix all he has to offer before feeding them back to the lions? Or will he keep his promise to help them face their demons?

Review:

Somewhere during the tumultuous years we call being a teenager, I read a book called Voices that impacted me strongly at the time and stuck with me for many years. The concept of the book was the background and letters of teens who committed suicide, and was based on non-fiction cases. Each time I connected with the kid in the current “story” and each time my mind cried out for them to choose life — things would get better. When I ran across Ashley Sanders’ Facing Demons the write up reminded me of the book which had made such a huge impression on me. So I read the preview and decided to give it a try.

I was not disappointed.

Sanders has penned a powerful story weaving five troubled lives together in a beautiful setting. Blake Solomon rescues four teens from the hospital, transports them to his rehabilitation center, and helps them learn to take control of their own destiny and break their patterns from the past. And you may note that I mentioned five troubled lives, and not four. Blake has some troubles which are revealed through the course of the story as well, which help give him a realness he would not otherwise have had.

Each of the kids in the story come to life on the page, and you will feel like you could meet them somewhere in your own home town. Yet, each of them has a reason to want to die, as well as a reason to live — though they may not know it. While each of their stories has some similarities, they are unique to the character and the voices are well-developed. My only complaint, which probably comes from being a writer myself and therefore used to subjecting my own work to extreme critical analysis, is that despite the use of first person present tense (or in the case of Blake third person present tense), I felt distanced from the characters — like they were at arms length. I wanted to feel their pain, yet felt told about it instead. I am not a huge fan of present tense narrative, but the purpose behind it is to bring the reader into the mind of the character, reducing any distance. Toward the end of the book, the distance diminished, which made me wish the intimacy would have been there from the start.

However, despite my pickiness, Facing Demons is a worthwhile read, and one that teens will definitely connect to. The issues that the teens face have an incredible ring of truth about them. And in delving into Sanders’ background, I discovered that he works as a paramedic, so has seen this sort of thing first hand. What a wonderful way to take personal experience and convert it to an amazingly insightful tale. Facing Demons is about some of the poor choices we can make with our lives, or dealing with the circumstances dealt to us from the deck of life. It has a tremendous message of hope and will have you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails with its exciting conclusion. A definite “must read” for troubled teens, but good for all teens and those of us who still remember the emotional upheaval of those times.

Bravo, Mr. Sanders

What’s even better is that Sanders is currently working on the prequel stories of Jason, Rebecca, Matthew, and Felicity, and I for one can’t wait for them to be out.

With so many fantastical stories about wizards, vampires, fairies, and other beings written for the pre-YA Children’s Fiction market today, we sometimes forget that it is the simple, everyday stories that can have the ability to inspire kids more than the mystical. Sometimes reading a story based in reality- about their dreams and aspirations- is a way for them to understand the challenge can be worked past, and that their dream may be attainable. The onslaught of fantasy stories may teach morals and decision-making, but it does not allow a child to connect the characters to their life in way that says “Maybe I can do that.”

Glen Strathy provides us with a great story about an incredibly 12-year-old Jenny who wants to be a ballerina, but is too afraid to dance in front of people in Dancing on the Inside. Having just moved to a new town and new school, she no longer knows where she fits in. We follow Jenny through a year of attending ballet class and all the anxiety and fear that many of us (12 years old, or not) feel when embarking on something new. She wants to dance more than anything in the world, but her fear of doing so in front of people holds her back from her dream.

It is her fear, though, that leads her down a slightly different path that may ultimately be more satisfying than her original dream of dancing. With support from her new friend Ara, who is the complete opposite of Jenny, they realize that there are qualities in each of them from which the other can learn. When their new ballet instructor, Kat, becomes aware of a plan that the two are hatching, she also lends her support, realizing the talent and motivation in each of them.

Often, when a child expresses a new interest, adults are apt to brush it aside as being ‘a phase.’ Generally, they are right. However, Dancing on the Inside, is a story about allowing children to explore their interests- even if they don’t last- because they may learn something new about themselves along the way. It is about understanding and letting children know that it is alright to have dreams and to explore them, and that it is alright if the interest passes. We often forget that children do not already know who they are and they need to explore the world to figure it out. Jenny and Ara remind us of how tough, emotionally, it can be for kids to face their fears.

Strathy not only gives us an inspirational story about fulfilling childhood dreams, but explores the anxiety and fear that can come with that exploration. Jenny not only proves to herself, but to her friends and family as well, that her goals are attainable, even if those goals change along the way. Dancing on the Inside gives us a great story about achieving goals and learning about oneself through hard work, focus, and dedication. It is a refreshingly realistic, simple and relatable story amidst so much fantasy that children are given today. It is a great reminder about the time in our lives that adults often see as simple, is the most difficult when you are going through it.

ABOUT:

At 15, Cathy Quinn is an intelligent misfit living in 1980s Dublin. As the book opens she discovers that her charming older brother Stevie, who’s gay, is falling in love with the one boy in school whom she likes. Over her last two years of school, Cathy struggles with her dysfunctional family, coming to terms with her powerful attraction to her best friend Jeanette, and leaving Ireland. The Leaving is a realistic, yet lyrical, look at adolescence and first love.

REVIEW:

Ms. West recently contacted me with interest in reviewing my book, “Are You Sitting Down?.” I just happened to click on the link in her email signature and discovered her book, “The Leaving.” The description above immediately had my full attention, so I offered to trade reviews with Ms. West by reading her book. And I’m so glad I did.

It’s not often that I have the privilege of reading such truth and sadness in a novel like “The Leaving.” I’m not easily entertained by books that are often labeled “gay fiction.” Though some of my favorite authors who have written similar books may focus on gay characters or gay storylines, I wouldn’t even label “The Leaving” in such a manner. I would, however, put Ms. West in the same high regard with which I favor authors like Andrew Holleran, Paul Russell, David Leavitt, and we musn’t forget the brilliant Patricia Nell Warren.

In “The Leaving,” Cathy is a young teenager just a few years away from taking her final tests (nicknamed The Leaving which quickly becomes a metaphor for Cathy’s life) to complete high school. She’s at that odd age and time where identity for a teen is everything. She’s book smart, a bit heavy, doesn’t like to wear make-up, and has just taken an interest in boys through a small crush she has on a classmate named Ron.

Unfortunately for her, Ron is gay and is more interested in Cathy’s brother, Stevie. The book starts with Cathy living out her crush vicariously through Stevie’s relationship with Ron. At times, the writing is sad but through Cathy, West tells a heartfelt poignant story that will take you back to your own high school teenage awkwardness right away, reminding us that it is an uncomfortable place to be. But Cathy does not require the reader’s sympathy:

Stevie was saying I thought more than he did. That was true. I did think about things, and as a result I was continually depressed. I was a confirmed pessimist, and rather proud of it.

The story moves along as Cathy forms friendships with girls in her class, particularly a girl named Susie. However, Susie is coming into her own sexual awareness and despite trying to set up double dates with boys and Cathy, which Cathy finds too distressing, Cathy clings to Susie for the mere friendship Susie can provide and which Cathy desperately needs and covets, like in this scene:

As the Inter approached, she began to sit with another girl for lunch. I sat with them, although I sensed that Susie didn’t want me to. I had no one else to sit with. I felt rather desperate. What would I do when she dropped me? How could I get through two more years of school without Susie? It wasn’t, I thought to myself, that she really meant anything to me, just as I didn’t to her. But she was my mainstay. I still needed her.

In fact, throughout most of the book Cathy suffers that intrusion she bestows upon others, desperately clinging to friendships and eager to explore her sexuality despite here social ineptness. When she befriends a new outcast in school named Jeanette, it seems that Cathy has finally gained a best friend until the routine of “flowering girl gone boy crazy” falls upon Jeanette. When a bit of drunken intimacy happens between Cathy and Jeanette, Cathy accepts the fact that an sexual relationship with a man or a woman may not be her forte.

Cathy’s home life with her parents is fragile, but Stevie suffers from the anger of their father more so than Cathy. After his Leaving, Stevie’s sexuality and identity blossoms, and we still see Cathy clinging to the details of her brother’s social life for lack of her own:

It was inevitable that thoughts of Stevie and Ron would creep into my list of fantasies. I added them to my list of couples. I fictionalized their relationship, but as Stevie became less real to me the interactions that I conjured up between the two boys took on an authentic quality. I would have been surprised had I been told that they said different things to each other when alone, were less tender.

At times, I was reminded of Leavitt’s Lost Language of Cranes where we see a father forced to deal with his own closeted feelings towards men when he becomes enamored by his son Philip’s coming out. And West’s prose are just as haunting as Leavitt’s. At times Cathy only briefly tells us what she is feeling inside; the rest comes to fruition as Cathy paints a lone picture of the events of her teenage life, showing it to the reader but hiding the details of how she really feels underneath the vivid colors of the drama.

The cast of characters here at times reminded me of those from The Glass Menagerie written by playwright Tennessee Williams. They are stubborn and tragic, but upon revealing themselves on such a high emotional level, we can’t help but embrace them and find slivers of our own past in the storms that befall them. We relate to them. I certainly did to Cathy, finding myself at times in a room full of people but feeling so alone in the world. Like Williams, West still clings to the magic although her characters might have given up. Like in this line from Cathy:

I had often wondered whether people’s eyes could actually shine, or look sympathetic or loving, or whether it was a trick of the light.

The writing is simple, but at times, that is what we need as a reader. West has given you the bare essence of a story and left it unconvoluted with trite details that often clutter a page. She’s even left her protagonist exposed at times, bare and naked, alone and angry at the world, but unable to change it.

By the time I had reached the end, I could have probably spent another 100 pages with Cathy as she reaches for yet another journey after high school with another new and interesting, but tragic, acquaintance. But like Cathy says in this quote, all journeys do have an end:

Pushing the darkness and the suffering away, Jeanette was able to burn with a brightness which certainly attracted me. I circled around her, getting closer and closer to the center. That was the exciting part. But what would I find when I reached the core, where the heat should radiate most intensely? All I knew when I was Jeanette’s friend was that I was on a journey, and that, like most journeys, it would end. I felt pretty confident that it would end well, which is a dry way of saying that I was sure sooner or later we would come together, merge in some way, as lovers perhaps, but even if not we would be forever inseparable. It was a romantic notion, yes; I simply could not imagine anything ever dividing us.

And I cannot imagine my life now without having experienced this beautiful novel. Despite the plea in all of us to grow up, wishing our young lives away unbeknownst to what awaits us, I promise you will not want the journey The Leaving takes you on to ever end.

The House in Windward Leaves by Katherine L. Holmes is a perfect Halloween tale for kids who love to dress up or who have lively imaginations.

It’s the story of a group of friends who are anxiously awaiting Halloween and are planning out their costumes, while their curiosity is set on a stranger that has come to town to care for an odd house down the street.

What they aren’t expecting is the surprise in store when they decide to visit that spooky house in the neighborhood that is covered in leaves. Here, they meet the painter named Mistral and his cat named Matilda.

At the house, Mistral becomes an enchanter who magically transforms the children into their costumes when they are whisked away to a magic star.  Sadie becomes a real Fortune Teller.  Gretchen becomes a priest.

Tim becomes a real Zebra. Roger turns into George Washington. Ben becomes a professional trumpeter. Candy is the beautiful homecoming queen, and Rosemary is a patient.

What follows are chapters devoted to each child and their own little adventure based on their costume with important lessons learned along the way.

Ms. Holmes is the winner of The Loft’s Children’s Literature Prize, and has worked as a reporter and also in publishing.  Her talent shines through in this book with its tight storyline that is immaculately written.

I even think younger children might have trouble getting through it because the writing is very mature, but its the perfect story for parents to enjoy as a read-out-loud.  Ms. Holmes’ writing is that good and concise!

Parents will appreciate the special lessons hidden in the story to encourage individuality and imagination. I also got a strong “British” feel from the dialogue of the children and from their clever humor that I really liked.  I’m also glad the costumes were unique and not your typical cowboy, robot, or doctor.

Overall this is a great holiday read that captures the season and the magic of Halloween perfectly! A refreshing way to bid farewell to October.

Running Wide Open (Full Throttle)
By Lisa Nowak
Copyright © 2011
Webfoot Publishing
ISBN: 978-1937167004
330 pages
$9.99 at Amazon.com; 2.99 Kindle

When Cody Everett and his graffiti artist friends get caught by the Portland police, it’s the last straw for the boy’s father who puts two choices to his son: military school or live with his mother’s brother, Race Morgan, in a trailer park in Eugene. Cody’s uncle is a race car driver so the choice seems obvious. Running Wide Open by Lisa Nowak is Cody’s story about that episode in his life, which takes place  in 1989.

Cody arrives at his uncle’s ungrateful. He begins pulling endless, childish pranks that test Race’s patience. But Race’s skin is thick and his passive tolerance proves frustrating to Cody. The two take a long time adapting to each other but gradually the frequency and intensity of Cody’s pranks diminish as his interest in the racing world grows. It helps when Race’s sponsor, the attractive Kasey, comes into the picture. Her sisterly / motherly influence on Cody is positive for everyone. Through her he learns lessons in teamwork and sportsmanship as his life begins to stabilize.

Then a serious injury at the track puts Race in the hospital, threatening to undo all the progress Cody’s made. He’s too young to live on his own in the trailer. His desire to live with Kasey goes against the wishes of his maternal grandparents, who live nearby, and those of his mother, who lives in California. All the Morgan family dysfunction—extending across three generations and simmering to this point—boils over when Cody’s mother pressures him to come live with her. No one, least of all Cody, wishes for that. Amidst this adult cesspool of acrimony, Cody must choose his own paths, and stick to them.

It’s a complex drama for a YA book, let alone for real life, and I liked how the story focused on these emotional aspects, rather than rely on the easy subjects of sex and drugs. I suspect all teens can identify with one or two of Cody’s troubles, albeit not all of them. From my adult perspective, though, the intensity of the situations seemed to overwhelm the characters with whom I had difficulty associating.

The problem may be in the voice. Cody’s first person voice is strong but the age and maturity is not consistent. I couldn’t be sure whether this was Cody’s fifteen-year-old reactive voice weeks or months after those events of 1989, or his adult reflective voice years later (at one point, he uses the expression, “the dating scene,” which struck me as out of place and out of character). Furthermore, I had no idea whether to view Cody as a reliable narrator or not. It affected my ability to relate to the characters, and primarily the protagonist.

Indeed, I didn’t care much for Cody, in my opinion a self-pitying, spoiled brat desperately needing some tough love. I cared even less for the adults around him who nurtured this behaviour by kowtowing to his mood swings. Yet his troubles, while at times overly dramatized, are not uncommon today, and probably weren’t in 1989 either; as such, I can appreciate this novel for its plausible portrayal of a societal situation. But if we are to cheer for Cody then we are kind of compelled also to champion the entitlement trap teenagers and parents fall into and even encourage. I wasn’t willing to do that and that bias on my part certainly affected my reading experience.

I do wish more had been done with other younger characters such as Tim from the amusing opening scene, the bully from a tense scene by the river, and Kasey’s younger sister, Brooke, who appears only for a single scene of exposition and never again. Otherwise, Cody is only with adults. While his evolution in relating to adults and authority figures is central to the novel, a reunion with Tim, a re-encounter with the bully, or an awkwardly romantic situation with Brooke, would have given a broader and probably more positive perspective on our protagonist.

I also wish more had been revealed about Cody’s private passion for writing and what he wrote about, as this is such an important aspect of his character. We only see him writing stories but, with one exception, have no idea what they’re about:

There was only one person I’d talked to about my writing—my English teacher last fall. After he’d shoveled on the praise about the first couple essays I’d turned in, I mustered up my courage and showed him one of my stories. It took him most of fall term to get it back to me. Even then, he didn’t give me any real feedback. He just corrected the spelling and grammar in hateful red pen, taking all the art out of it. And he put the dialog in proper English, not getting that I wanted to write it the way my characters would really say it. When I tried to explain that to him, he said, “You have to learn the rules before you can break them, Cody.” The memory of it made me feel like I’d been caught walking buck-naked through the school auditorium.

The writing itself is fine. There could be more showing of emotions through action than description, a lighter touch on the similes, and just some plain old pruning of text. The middle dragged a bit with too many pranks and scenes that only restated character, rather than enhancing it or moving the plot forward. Still, it’s a polished product, as one might expect from an author with Nowak’s experience.

While I didn’t like everything about Running Wide Open, I did admire it. The racing environment is depicted wonderfully and its atmosphere of sportsmanship and camaraderie is inspiring. It’s a great backdrop for this admirably complex drama and ought to make this a YA favorite to be read multiple times.

Remember those humiliating moments during childhood and adolescence when making a public mistake? Or when someone outside the family has been subjected to the dorkiness that is your parents? If so, you’ll have an idea of what it’s like to be Darla McKendrick, who is easily embarrassed by her father’s cliches and suffered a major humiliation because of a lie told to her by Aunt Didi when she first learned of an aunt she’d never met — Rebecca.

As Squalor, New Mexico opens, nine-year-old Darla overhears a conversation between her mother and Aunt Didi about her mysterious Aunt Rebecca, who they only discussed when they thought no one else was listening. This time what captured Darla’s attention was a word she didn’t understand because Aunt Didi described Rebecca as living in squalor, so just as all children do, Darla asked what squalor meant. As her mother hemmed and hawed, Aunt Didi jumped in to answer. “It’s a town in New Mexico, Darla. It’s an Indian name.” Darla had more questions about the tidbits she’d overheard, but the additional questions were squashed and she was sent to finish some homework. But, of course, Darla couldn’t let it go, so a couple weeks later, when having dinner with the Alexanders (Aunt Didi’s family) Darla questioned why they couldn’t visit Aunt Rebecca, and Uncle George took on the answer.

       ”Darla, listen to me,” Uncle George barked. “We don’t see your aunt Rebecca because, well, as your aunt Didi says, she lives in Squalor, and knowing Rebecca, you can be damn sure there’s no way she’ll ever get out. That’s it now!”
       ”She could screw her way out!” I said helpfully.

Which of course caused a family uproar as Darla had only repeated the words Aunt Didi said. And for awhile, that was it, even though Darla didn’t forget about the mysterious aunt who seemed to make her parents edgy every time her name was mentioned. That is until Darla was in the seventh grade, and her enemy Amy Ludwig, whom Darla referred to as Lughead, smugly answered the question of what cities were in New Mexico, but Darla knew she could top her. “I have an aunt who lives in Squalor!” I said proudly, looking right into the Lughead’s eyes. Darla was mortified when she found out that, as her teacher put it, “…you’ll find squalor in the dictionary, not on the map.”

Lisette Brodey takes us on a journey into a family where secrets abound and cause untold pain as Darla is growing up because there are so many things which are kept a secret and she feels she is being blamed for Rebecca’s mistakes instead of her own. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to get away from the shadow that Rebecca still cast in their lives — even when no one had heard from her or seen her since before Darla was born. Ultimately, Darla and her three cousins, April, May, and June try to piece together the past to help unlock the present.

I’ll be honest, when I saw the number of pages listed for the book, my eyes opened a bit as it would be on the long side for a young adult novel. I do know that the novel originally was not intended as a young adult, but does fit in the young adult mold, although can be enjoyed by all ages from young adult on up. So, in a way, I’m glad I read the book on my Kindle because with a Kindle you simply keep on turning the pages, and there isn’t the physical reminder of the size of the book (unless you watch the little scroll bar at the bottom). This enabled me to read for the pleasure of it, and I found the story kept pulling me along to the point where I didn’t want to stop reading. I wanted to find out exactly what happened in the past and why they allowed the past to cast such a long and all-encompassing shadow over their lives.

Brodey does a masterful job of putting us in the mind of Darla McKendrick and we feel her pain as she is growing and maturing into a young woman. Throughout the book are wonderful characters to meet, such as the detestable Uncle Martin and his latest floozy, Maude. By the time you’re done reading Squalor, New Mexico, you’ll feel as if you are a member of the McKendrick’s extended family, who for all their flaws, really do love one another. Definitely a book to check out.

You might look at the words “Historical Fiction” and “Young Adult” and decide to pass on The Raven Girl by Kathy Cecala. I almost did, there are other reviewers who typically review the young adult titles and historical fiction isn’t necessarily my thing. I’m glad I didn’t though, because it turned out to be a delightful book; very hard to put down and a quick but interesting read.

The Raven Girl is set in Ireland circa 1488. A strange girl washes ashore on a small island near Galway. Her skin and hair are dark and around her neck is a large pearl from a far-away sea. She is rescued by a young boy, the son of the local priest, who hides her away knowing that the villagers would probably kill her out of superstition. He names her ‘Marra’ meaning ‘of the sea’ and tends to her needs. She convalesces but has brought with her a fever that quickly spreads throughout the village.

Meanwhile, in a small church in the city, a young man named Aedan studies for the priesthood. He is the son of a Spanish wine merchant who had an affair with a woman from the town where Marra has appeared. The woman died in childbirth and Aedan was brought to live with the priests. Although he has recently come to know his real father, he feels closest to the priest who took him under his wing when he arrived at the church.

While Aedan tries to be a dedicated student, his heart calls him to adventure and discovery. When word of the maiden reaches him, he sets off with his priestly ‘father’ to disprove that she is a witch or a mermaid and perhaps to convert her to Christianity. He does find her, and with her the trouble that follows her everywhere. Together they must fend off the pirates from whose vessel she escaped, Aedan’s biological father who would sell her to be a slave, and the villagers who are sure that she is a witch.

In her query, Kathy Cecala mentions that she tutors English classes, and her mastery of the language is evident in this book. While it is clear that she researched the book extensively, she weaves the historical details into the book subtly, not making them the central point of the story, just the colorful backdrop. At its heart The Raven Girl is a good story. As readers, we connect with the characters and cheer them on. Here, Marra explains a bit of her story to Aedan:

She told him of how she had been a pearl-fisher with her father, of her gentle little lagoon and her gentle people, but also of the fierce tribes who lived south, the tribes who killed her mother and brothers. She told him of her father, who she had loved so much, and how he taught her many things. How she and her father had been fishing together far out in the ocean beyond their lagoon, too far, and how Urraco’s ship had come from nowhere, dragging them up out of their canoe. How Urraco killed her father, so quickly. And then the terrible voyage, and the drift of the ship into ice. The fever that had raged aboard the ship. But also, how she had learned Basque, by carefully listening to the sailors.

While this book will appeal to older teens because of the young main characters who persevere against tall odds, it might be disturbing for younger readers due to some depictions of violence and death. The technical details of the book are top notch, I didn’t find a typo until page 85 and that may be a record for the self published books I’ve read.

You won’t know you’re reading a self published book. You won’t know you’re reading a young adult book. You won’t know you’re reading an historical fiction book. All you’ll know as you read The Raven Girl is that you’re reading a good book.

It’s not often I have the pleasure of reviewing a book prior to release, so I’m especially honored to have the opportunity to review Born To Be A Dragon the day before it launches.

For someone who loves the children’s through young adult market, books written for a middle grade audience are some of the most fun to read. The target audience is always ready to suspend disbelief and allow their imaginations full reign and yet are looking for some more complex issues to encounter between the pages. As a child, I loved to lose myself in a book. To enter the world the author devised and play the words on the page like a movie in my head… and, I’ll admit it, I still do. For those moments, the characters are friends and foes, and their world becomes real.

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup. ~ Anonymous Dragon

I love this quote — it makes me giggle every time I read it. Jacobs has the quote on the title page of the book, and it gives us the flavor for what is to come. Deglan is a ten-year-old hatchling, who has not yet taken part in the Rising Ceremony. The Rising Ceremony causes Deglan some concern because his mark, which every dragon receives at birth, has been changing…and it’s not supposed to. Deglan is afraid because Lord Edric has been searching for the dragon of legend for as long as Deglan can remember, and the dragon of legend has a mark in the shape of a dragon, instead of the more usual crescent or star. Which is exactly what Deglan’s mark has morphed into. Could he be the dragon Lord Edric has been seeking? And if Lord Edric discovers his mark at the Rising Ceremony, will his family be banished… or worse?

Meia, is a ten-year-old foster child who has been bounced from family to family, mainly because of her dreams and nightmares about dragons, until she has finally been placed with a family who take her obsession in stride. The Bensens encourage Meia to talk about her dreams, instead of thinking she is weird. Meia is a daydreamer, and has trouble focusing in class sometimes because her mind takes her on flights of fancy… on the back of a blue dragon.

Deglan and Meia both have their part to fulfill the legend centuries old. An unlikely alliance to say the least, but one that takes us on a roller-coaster ride — exciting from the morphing of the mark to the thrilling conclusion.

Born To Be A Dragon is a delightful read and has almost as many twists and turns as Meia has freckles on her nose. In her debut novel, Eisley Jacobs truly gets into the ten-year-old mindset and has written the book in alternating points of view. So you get the perspective of Deglan and Meia throughout and their different takes on the circumstances as they unfold. This makes it a great read for both boys and girls because they each have a main character to identify with. Each of the characters jump off the page, whether their part is large or small, even down to Philip the garden gnome. In addition, Jacobs has artwork starting each chapter, drawn by satisfied readers who are eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Charming.

Born To Be A Dragon will be available for purchase July 20, 2011, or you can pre-order, by selecting the link here. A fun-filled story for dragon-lovers everywhere.