The Living by Matt de la Pena

This book has plenty of action, some romance, and is a mixed bag of genres that made it somewhat choppy. Toss in characters with not much depth and I just about abandoned it several times. Shy is working on a cruise for the summer making friends with other crew members his age. He is interested in Carmen but she is engaged to a guy back home. They both have relatives that died from a wicked disease that kills within 24 hours. When a man commits suicide, Shy finds himself being stalked by a guy in a black suit. When an earthquake strikes the West Coast causing tsunami's, the cruise ship is in danger and Shy must try to help save his friends and passengers. When he discovers the black suit guy's employers real intentions, he must help save the world.

The dialogue has the kids swearing all the time and tossing racist comments between the mixed race crew and rich white kids on the cruise. While it is nice to see a protagonist with mixed heritage, the stereotyped rich kid, poor kid never let the story rise above a contrived plot. There is too much name-calling and Shy seems to point fingers just as much as the white kids making for a shallow message.  When Shy begins to make friends with one of the prejudiced girls as a result of their traumatic escape from the ship, I kept waiting for some revelation regarding her racist comments but instead they seem to be interested in becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. She says she is sorry, but that's it.

If you want to compare survival in a raft, then read, "Unbroken," by Laura Hillenbrand that has a similar setup except Hillenbrand's story is based on a true story. Both author's seem to do a good job with the horrors, although Hillenbrand goes into more detail which you'd expect in an adult story. The plot dealing with Romero's disease was interesting but the shifts from romance to survival to mystery made it feel like separate stories. They come together at the end, but there are times when it seemed like a different story. It gets a bit unbelievable at the end but suspend your disbelief and just go with the flow. This is on the beach, fluff reading with a cliff hanger ending.

2 Smileys

Forge (Seeds of America #2) by Laurie Halse Anderson

Left hanging as to what happened to Isabel and Curzon in "Chains," book one of Seeds of America, the action continues to steamroll with Curzon finding himself in the middle of the British fighting the Patriots during the Revolutionary War. Isabel has run off tired of waiting for the two to go find Ruth after fleeing to freedom and Curzon is trying to find her. He gets lost and ends up saving the life of Eben a brawny boy his age with a big voice and big heart. A series of mishaps leads Curzon to enlisting and making friends with a troop of soldiers. Not everyone welcomes a black soldier, but throughout the course of trying to survive Valley Forge, they form a bond that goes beyond prejudices.

The author is fantastic with historical details making this better than your average historical novel. The character development of Curzon is terrific with Eben, but falls off some with Isabel. Her reaction to him was cooler than I expected and some of her actions didn't make sense. I kept waiting for more explanations regarding their fight but it never comes and as a result the romance seemed rushed. Eben and his fight with Curzon, for instance, was more interesting because it showed him having to face his prejudices and think about not going along with common opinion that was another human being owning a person based solely on the color of his or her skin.

When Curzon arrives at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777, the author captures the ill-prepared army and dire conditions the soldiers had to survive in during subzero temperatures. Lacking shoes, shelter and food, thousands of men died that winter. Curzon's descriptions of eating "firecakes" is unforgettable. Animals suffered as well. One chapter describes the supply wagon arriving and the horse dying shortly thereafter. And just like in "Chains," Halse Anderson captures the dilemma facing black soldiers such as Curzon who are lied to by masters or told they are free and then find they are not because the white man selfishly wants to enslave them for his own needs. Injustices abound and even moreso for Isabel that is forced to wear an iron collar.

The plot has some conveniences that seem contrived, but for the most part there is plenty of action and adventure. When Eben and Curzon fight, Curzon asks him if only white man can be free. Eben says of course not thinking of the free black men he grew up with at home. When Curzon asks if slaves can be free and Eben says of course not because they are owned by a master, Curzon says this is an unnatural law and compares it to the Patriots fighting against the British government and their unfair laws. Eben gets mad at him for the comparison and the two don't speak, but Curzon has planted the seed of equality in Eben who is a fair and just person. It is not surprising at the end when he has empathy for Curzon and changes his mind. Again this story ends on an exciting cliffhanger. Another winner by Hale Anderson.

4 Smileys

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Anyone who works with kids knows the power of words. Words can hurt or heal. Words can build up or break down. Words can inspire courage or fear. Words can dance on paper like wind chimes or remain silent. Felicity has a snicker of magic that allows her to see words on people and objects. The words might reveal a history, express feelings, or predict the future. Words materialize out of nowhere and bring her comfort or knowledge in situations. She jots her words in a blue book she carries everywhere, but words fail her when she has to speak in front of groups. The only good thing about moving all the time is she can leave behind her most recent public-speaking disasters. The bad thing is she has to introduce herself in every new school and new class. Her newest school results in her mispronouncing her name in front of the sixth grade class saying, "My name is Flea..." Hers is an unsettling lifestyle involving her mom's extreme wanderlust that uproots her and her younger sister every few months. Unhappy since her husband left her, Felicity's mom has been on the run, flitting like a sparrow from one city to the next. When the three settle with their Aunt Cleo, the two girls make friends and don't want to leave. Felicity can tell her mom wants to leave after 24 hours. When Felicity uncovers a curse in her family that she believes makes her mom wander, she's determined to break it. With the help of her best friend Jonah, she finds out what really matters in life and learns to believe in herself.

The plot is pretty straightforward. Felicity is able to get her mom to stay in town when she signs up for the school talent show called, "The Duel," named after two magical brothers in town that had the gift of music until they became jealous of each other. The loser of the duel was cursed to wander and leave town. The other brother's magic no longer worked with his brother gone. Now that the family was broken, he too, eventually left town. As a result, the town's magic disappeared except for a snicker of it and other family's left too leaving a sad, broken, and unhappy town. The story is a symbol of the adult characters and Felicity, the protagonist, who are leading unhappy, unfulfilled lives. They are broken and beat down by unrealized dreams and fears. Felicity is terrified of speaking and tired of moving. Her younger sister is tired of always trying to make friends at school. Cleo is a chain-smoking aunt that fell out of love over an argument. Uncle Boone is a washed up singer. Her mom can't stay in one place and is broken over her husband leaving her and their two daughters. Florentine carries a bag of burdens that she cannot put down. Jonah is scared his dad will die fighting in an overseas war. Much of this story swirls around hope, love, and belief or faith that all will work out if a person keeps on working at reaching his or her potential through positive words and support from those he or she loves.

Jonah is in a wheelchair and does kind things for others anonymously. He is a budding philanthropist that believes in Felicity and always says that something good is going to happen. His magic ability is his "know-how" that allows him to predict the future. However, he can't predict what will happen to his dad who is fighting in a war and he is afraid that he will get killed. Felicity uses magic, symbolized in a dove tattoo, to help Jonah deal with his fears, just like Jonah helps Felicity deal with stage fright. The author doesn't really incorporate Jonah's disability into the plot and I forgot he was even in a wheelchair for much of the time.

The end reminds me of the Romantic writings that would describe nature in so much glory it was like a religious experience. In this story, when the magic breaks loose and heals all the broken people it is a miracle that causes a revival of the townsfolk jumping and dancing in joy. It made me think of Colin in "The Secret Garden," who is so moved by nature he jumps up and recites the Doxology. Nature in that book so moves the characters that it is like a religious experience. Magic in this book so moves the characters that it is like a religious experience or rock concert. Felicity is not a flawed character, but is the magic weaver; she weaves words to mend and heal those around her as well as her own heart that is upset that her dad abandoned them. She doesn't understand how he could love them and leave them.  She makes peace with it at the end.

Felicity's magic at seeing words seemed like a metaphor for the author writing a book. Felicity is afraid of speaking and must learn to take the risk of speaking in public just like the author must take the risk of writing a book that can be rejected by the public. "No matter how many words I write, they're still just words. Words aren't the same as talent." Jonah tells her that "Your words are talent." Writing a book is like magic. All those words have to fall into place. It is difficult and requires the author to leave himself or herself vulnerable. When the words above Boone change because Felicity says something positive instead of negative, she realizes the power of words. "Maybe sometimes the words I say are as magical as the words I see." It would seem that the author's way of dealing with fears of rejection are to focus on the positive. When Boone talks about how it is harder to see colors as he ages, it suggests that adults don't believe as readily as kids in magic whether that is magic in a story or magic in changing the future or how a person sees himself or herself. This is a feel good story that looks at how the power of words can magically change people for the better.

4 Smileys

Better Nate Than Ever (Better Nate Than Ever #1) by Tim Federle

Yikes. Ning Chi chili sauce feels like swallowing a flaming sword... one small teaspoon in a pot of homemade soup and if there was an open fire hydrant nearby I would have had my mouth over the geyser. Instead I settled for the bathroom faucet guzzling water and letting it run down the side of my face and into my hair where the chicken noodle soup had matted it together. I needed a spoon the size of my head to keep the noodles from slithering off and splashing broth all over me and the book, "Better Nate Than Ever." If I was the protagonist, Nate Foster, two bullies from a school gang would have picked me up and dunked me head first in a toilet to quench my thirst. A few punches to the stomach would seal the deal before they'd leave off. Thirteen-year-old Nate's list of physical and verbal abuses at school and home (by his brother) include beatings and name-calling such as, "gay," "homo," "faggot," "Natey the Lady" to name a few. While he is uncertain about his sexuality, he has had it with life in Jankburg, Pennsylvania where he doesn't fit in. He hatches a plan with his best friend, Libby, and goes to New York to audition for "E.T. The Musical." While this novel is marketed as middle grade, Nate's attitude, humor, family addiction problems, and sexuality issues are going to attract more middle schoolers than elementary students - at least in my school.

The self-deprecating voice is humorous even if it sounds too old at times. I struggled with the parenthetical asides that Nate gives. You'll either like this stream-of-consciousness or be like me and feel that it slowed the pacing. In the Chapter, "Split Screen," every other sentence had parentheses and it was a confusing transition because he's in Heidi's apartment the chapter before. I ended up rereading and skipping the parentheses so I could figure out the action and how Nate ended up at the casting agency when in the previous chapter he was told he was cut from the play. The phone call explaining this comes at the end of the chapter versus the beginning which is why it was so confusing.

Just to be clear, this parentheses technique of revealing Nate's thoughts varies throughout the entire book and is critical to character development. It makes Nate accessible and creates a fully imagined, emotional character that drives the action. I only had problems at the beginning and that one chapter at the end where it felt like a downpour of parentheses confusing my already jumbled ADHD brain. The parentheses contain inner monologues that flesh out Nate and are funny, but it was too much for me at times, particularly in the beginning. It took me until page 50 to get into the story and character's voice. The beginning dialogue doesn't flow as well as later (when there are less parentheses) and the greyhound action scene has Nate talking in an awkward way to the ticket man. This is actually on purpose and while it is explained later some foreshadowing would have made it less of a "huh" moment and more of a file-that-information-away for later in the plot.  It makes sense at the end of the story when he is talking to Libby. The hilarity begins for me when Nate is at the audition. His descriptions of the over-the-top competitiveness are funnier-than-heck.

Sexuality is not an easy topic to write about and the author does a nice job showing Nate's passion for theater and how it appeals to his melodramatic character in this coming-of-age story. He relates incidents and people to different Broadway musicals, some obscure and others famous. His euphemisms related to theater such as "Holy cats!" substitute profanity throughout the story in an amusing way. The character arc has Nate working on his self-identity and learning to embrace his differences from others. Themes involve a best friend, bullies, his parent's marital problems, an estranged sister, addiction, cancer, intolerance in Christians, competitiveness of auditions, and more. I liked the theater audition best and thought the author really created a terrific dynamic between exaggerating the competitiveness and oddness of it all with Nate's insecurity and snarky observations. Nate's naiveness at reading a script and brilliance at making the performance memorable was a highlight. This is a strong debut novel.

4 Smileys

Where I Live by Eileen Spinelli

This novel-in-verse is a quick read that captures the emotional turmoil of losing a job, moving away from family and friends, and starting over in a new city from the point of view of an 8 or 9 year old. Diana's sun-drenched yellow house with white shutters, a maple tree, and daffodils is "stitched against the sky," providing comfort and security like the wren's nest cradled in the wreath on the front door. She wants a new bike for her upcoming birthday and has a lovable and annoying younger sister called, "Twink." Her best friend Rose wears a floppy purple hat and goes cross-eyed when Diana gushes about nebulas and stars. Diana's second passion is poetry. When she wins a poetry contrast Twink can't understand why since her poems "don't rhyme." When her father loses his job and her grandpa falls ill, Diana is upset by her parents decision to move in with grandpa.

While the words and imagery are not complex, making this book accessible to young readers, the complex situations and changes within the character, Diana, make it good for older readers striving for language fluency. The illustrations support the text and plot offering another reading aid. Diana's situation is relatable for many readers whether dealing with losing and making a friend or stressful situations resulting from a sick relative or financial difficulties. The anger that Diana expresses is authentic and her vulnerability makes it easy to get into the story. She changes from resenting her family's move to accepting it.

The younger sister offers comic relief from being sweet and annoying. When Twink sees that Diana is sad because she didn't get the bike she expected due to her father's job loss, Twink wraps her favorite stuffed toy, George, and gives it to Diana. Twink looks like she is about 4 years old and as most readers know, sharing is mighty hard for little kiddos. I laughed when she tells Diana she's "loanding" George and wants him back by the end of the day. The illustration of "itchy" Twink in the carseat with her mouth wide open complaining about the long ride is my favorite. Diana is giving her the evil eye that Twink is oblivious too. The next page shows Diana holding Twink as a baby who is stroking her cheek lovingly. The sibling dynamic of loving each other and fighting is well-done in the text and photos.

When Diana moves she meets a boy her age and struggles with being his friend because he is a boy. Even though Sam Peter Ling "...loves astronomy as much as I do," has a telescope, plays her favorite game "Scrabble," and has star parties, she doesn't like that he is a boy. Diana seems to be having an issue with gender segregation. She verbalizes it to Diana and Sam, who respond to her concerns by asking why does that matter? I like the simplicity of their response. Diana seems to agree with them because the next page has Diana getting a new bike and the subsequent page has her describing her new house and new friend. I did want a page of Diana deciding that its okay to have a friend that is a boy versus the reader having to infer it. In a nice circular ending, the last page has Diana describing her new house and plans she has made with her new friend.

The bird's nest on the door becomes home to three chicks named, "Snap, Crackle, Pop," by Twink and they move before Diana's family. The nest is a symbol of Diana's home and the birds are a symbol of Diana's family. She hopes that the birds will visit them in their new place. When she moves and her grandpa shows her a way to stay in touch with her friend Rose, she realizes that she doesn't have to say goodbye permanently. She and Rose can still communicate. Bird's are dependent in the nest until they learn to fly on their own. Diana is learning to be independent and make new friends. She is growing up and changing becoming more mature. Like the birds that flew away, she too, is learning to spread her wings and soar.

4 Smileys

Nightingale's Nest by Nikki Loftin

This book was beautiful and disturbing. The first time Little John hears Gayle singing he describes, "The notes were high and liquid, a honey-soft river of sound that seeped right through me. I stopped when I heard the first notes and just stood there, dropping cedar cuttings at my feet. The song sailed over the fence, like it was meant for me alone." Little John is helping his dad with his business by cutting and removing Pecan trees at a rich man's house dubbed, "The Emperor," when Little John hears Gayle singing next door. She's the same age as his younger sister who just died in an accident. Gayle is a foster kid that is abused by her foster brother, Jeb Cutlin, and his mom, Mrs. Verlie Cutlin. Gayle hides in a nest that she built in a tree and sings to keep from despairing. She believes her parents can only find her in the nest. Little John and the Cutlin's live in poverty and life is difficult at home for Little John. His mom cannot accept her daughter's death and is not functioning on all cylinders. His dad drinks away his pain until he is in a stupor. When Little John makes a series of devastating mistakes he must decide between betraying his friendship with Gayle or saving his family from losing their home.

*spoilers - shucks, I can't seem to write a review without spoilers.*
I don't read any reviews or the blurb before reading a book. I don't want to be prejudiced in any way. I loved the magical realism and fairy tale link to Hans Christian Anderson's "Nightingale." It wasn't until the Emperor called his tape recorder a "cage" that I remembered the story and started to see the connections between the two. The reader first knows that Gayle's voice heals when she sings and the cut on Little John's hand heals. Later when she heals a deer that is near death, the reader knows that this story is part fairy tale. Because of this, the ending worked for me with Gayle's transformation.

Gayle can't heal everyone but she does make an impact on Little John and his dad, the latter smiling for the first time in ten months after he hears her sing. Mrs. Cutlin and Jeb are immune to Gayle's singing suggesting they are beyond curing. The characters are not completely one-dimensional villains. Jeb will vacillate between being a bully and showing glimmers of his humanity. The Emperor wants Gayle's voice for purely selfish reasons. Gayle said she could fix Little John inside. Gayle brings healing just like the Nightingale in Hans Christian Andersen's story. But this suggests that Gayle heals Little John by forgiving him; thus, allowing him to forgive himself for hurting Gayle and causing his sister's accident that killed her.

While Little John's family does not live in extreme poverty, they are poor and struggling at not making enough money to pay the rent. The death and funeral expenses of his sister has wiped out any savings and Nikki Loftin not only shows how poverty effects Little John's family decisions, but leads to insecurity, powerlessness, and susceptibility to violence in the community. Little John wants to do the right thing, but his family needs the money so badly that he intentionally breaks his promise to Gayle of never cutting down her tree or nest of refuge. In addition, Little John is so ashamed of his family's poverty that he breaks off his friendship with his best friend, Ernest.

The author presents some of the ugliness resulting in people's desperate need for money from the bruises on Gayle's arms and face to the whipping that Little John gets from his dad. The Cutlins take in foster children for the money only, not because they want to help or nurture children. When Little John gets beaten with a belt, his father doesn't ask Little John's side of the story; he is just angry about the money and believes the Emperor's side of the story. Money is always the priority for these desperate families; at the expense of character and doing the right thing. Later, the mom asks the dad why he's so hard on the boy and in a heartbreaking explanation the dad says it is the only way he knows how to parent. The physical abuse and harsh discipline might disturb some younger readers, but it is explained after-the-fact and there is no descriptive violence. I was most bothered by the Emperor coming across as a pedophile. He isn't, but the situation captures the difficulty of knowing when it is appropriate to take action as an adult or child. Little John should have talked to his dad about his suspicions. He does talk to the dad about the bruises on Gayle's arm and the dad agrees to let Little John spend time with Gayle. Even the adults don't take the right actions. Of course, his dad's job depends on him treading carefully and his dad can't cope with his daughter's death, much less whether or not his employer is a pedophile.

Little John struggles with the definition of saving people and being a man. He wants to atone for his mistake of causing his sister's death by saving Gayle, but realizes that he can't save her. He wants to protect Gayle from the Emperor, the Cutlins, and loss, but he fails miserably for the most part. The adults force him to compromise his morals for money, from the Emperor threatening to take away his father's job to his dad telling him to cut down Gayle's tree to save them from eviction. Ironically, Gayle loses her "nest" home at the expense of Little John keeping his. The Cutlins use stolen money to have Gayle's tree removed for a garden that will feed them. There is a cycle of violence surrounding money by the adults that disregards the feelings of Little John and Gayle and even Jeb. One reason Jeb is a bully is to try and have some power in his powerless life. This lack of authority reflects the nature of childhood. However, Little John realizes that he can make small differences when he stands up to the Emperor, "He had no power over me. He looked broken, kneeling there. As broken as Gayle. As broken as my dad."

Little John wonders what it is like to be a man and thinks of his dad and poverty and Gayle. He knows that his dad scrapes and bows to the Emperor even though he dislikes him. He doesn't want to be that way, but is forced to because his family needs a home. He knows that the only person who can give him work is the Emperor. However, when he asks for work, the Emperor asks him to have Gayle sing for him again. The first time he did this Gayle lost her voice and was devastated. Little John was ashamed that he used his friendship with Gayle to make her sing for the Emperor who gave him $500. When the Emperor asks a second time, Little John stands up to him and does what he should have done the first time. He says he won't have Gayle hurt again.

Little John wants to protect Gayle and while he is able to stand up to Jeb, his peer, throughout the novel, he learns how to stand up to powerful adults even if it means loss of money or home for his family or a whipping. In a nice scene that foreshadows the resolution, Little John tells Gayle she can't fix all the hurts and she says neither can he. In a beautiful parable called, "The Treasure Nest," at the end, Little John describes Gayle's singing that symbolizes him as a tree and her as a bird. They are both broken but find beauty in friendship and protection. Gayle teaches that, "Treasures don't come from the store, Little John." A subplot on Little John's friendship troubles with Ernest shows that he has learned that friendship is a "treasure" and that true friends forgive the mistakes of others.

Tree stumps symbolize Little John's (whose nicknamed, "Tree," by Gayle) growth internally. When Little John cuts down Gayle's tree, he gets sick over his betrayal of their friendship. He muses over the leftover stump a symbol of their injured friendship. The tree has not been completely dug up or burnt suggesting there is time to salvage the friendship. In another instance, Little John looks at a different tree stump that is in their yard - the one that killed his sister - and it painfully reminds him of her and how he caused her death when he jumped from the tree and his sister imitated him breaking her neck in the fall. His memories slowly turn from hating trees and himself to forgiveness. He is responsible for her death and must find a way to forgive his mistake. He's like the stumps. Broken and cut to the core, but from his friendship with Gayle, the singing nightingale, he can begin to heal. Little John looks at situations with a raw honesty that is moving and memorable. He refreshingly takes responsibility for his actions and admits when he is wrong. Forgiveness is a strong theme in this novel. Even the Emperor asks for Gayle's forgiveness, although he loses his voice as a consequence of his actions. When Little John climbs the tree to give Gayle the nest he made with his hair, he shows someone of great character that is willing to face his fears and live life in a positive way.

The writing is gorgeous in this book. "She nodded, her head bobbling like a heavy sunflower on a too-narrow stalk, and edged out a bit more on the branch. Her feet were bare, and dirty. Her toes were a thin as the rest of her, and kind of long - she used them to clutch the branch she was on just like a baby bird would." The contrast between poverty of the characters and the beauty of the singing helped balance what could have been a dark, depressing book. The author also shows the community trying to help Little John's family during their troubles by bringing them dinners and showing kindness. Amidst the desperation, hope shines forth. This rich and complex book has the elements of an award-winner that sings. Don't miss it.

5 Smileys

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

"She had expected magic to be simple and tidy, with people disappearing in puffs of smoke - not slowly, by degrees, in a lonely, aching way." What a great line. Not only does it describe the boy who is magically fading from the world, but it reminded me of illnesses and aging. My mom has Alzheimer's and I feel like she is fading by "...degrees in a lonely, aching way." Ophelia Worthington-Whittard, the 11-year-old protagonist, has recently lost her mom to cancer and her father and older sister are dealing with the loss in different ways. Her sister has become cranky and removed from the world while her dad is completely absorbed in work. He doesn't want to talk about their mom's death at all. The family moves to an unnamed icy-cold city where her father has been hired to curate an exhibition of swords that is opening in a short while for the city's museum. Ophelia explores the museum that is full of curious and odd collections. When she discovers the imprisoned Marvelous boy that has no name, she must decide whether to free him or not and save the world from being destroyed by the Snow Queen.

Ophelia does not believe in herself and this story is as much about her growing in confidence and learning to deal with loss, as going on a quest to free the Marvelous boy from his entrapment and save the world. Ophelia has asthma and deals with her fears by taking a puff on her inhaler when her life is in endanger. The plot is predictable as to what sword is arriving, what will happen when the clock winds down, what happens to Alice, who is the Snow Queen, and who is the One Other. The boy gives his background story as to how he ended up trapped in the room. It is given in small doses and interwoven into the storyline showing a lonely, self-centered king that makes friends with the Marvelous boy only to be bewitched by the Snow Queen. The setting creates a wonderful mood and the writing spoke to me about loss. The themes of friendship, self-worth, and grief add depth and complexity lacking in the simple plot. The author puts in enough mystery that I kept wondering until the end if Ophelia was making up the entire story in her head. Her dead mother was a famous writer who believed in ghosts, vampires, and strange creatures.

Ophelia struggles with denial during her quest to help the Marvelous boy. She counters her imagination and what is happening by talking about facts and thinking of Children's Science Society of Greater London; how the members would be disgusted with her for listening to the boy and believing in magic. As the story progresses Ophelia hears her mom's voice in her head guiding and encouraging her on the quest to free the boy and find the magical sword. Ophelia slowly puts faith in her imagination rather than always being pragmatical. When the Marvelous boy gives her the magical sword he commands, "Ophelia Jane Worthington-Wittard... I invest in you the power to be the defender of goodness and happiness and hope." When Ophelia wields it at the end it symbolizes her slaying unhappiness and moving on in her grief over the death of her mom. At the beginning of the story she rationalizes everything and at the end she learns to trust in her imaginative, emotional side.

The story of her saving the boy is so closely connected to her mom and her mom's voice inside her head that I wondered if Ophelia was making the entire fantasy up as a way to deal with her mom's death. Is she saving the Marvelous boy or her mom from dying of cancer? She misses her mom so desperately that she counts to the hour when she died. The boy has also lost his mom by having to go on a quest to defeat the Snow Queen. When Ophelia meets the ghostly girls I was wondering if her mom would make an afterlife appearance. This tension made me look forward to the ending even though the plot was predictable with the reader knowing well in advance the characters that are the One Other and Snow Queen. The mom being the storyteller and writer sets-up this dynamic in an unexpected way. Other details such as the coat pocket being a source of comfort when she thinks of her mom and later being ripped off symbolizes her mom being ripped from the family's lives.

A major theme is courage that is found not only in Ophelia's actions but the subplot involving Kyra and the magical owl, Ibrom. Both make choices to help others; the result being betrayal to the group they belong to. Both courageously act to help someone trying to do a good deed rather than blindly following their groups and not questioning decisions. Mobs, peer pressure, or following the group for the sake of belonging is not as good as thinking for oneself. Sometimes people must take a stand. Kyra does this by sacrificing her ghost life to save Ophelia, while Ibrom decides to serve joy and the good quest the Marvelous boy was on versus sorrow. The magical owls collect all the sorrows of the world for the Snow Queen and she stores it in her sword that she will use to destroy humanity.

Another theme is about not judging outward appearances. As the Marvelous boy puts it, "The biggest trap is to judge a person by their outer casing." The Marvelous boy sees good in Mr. Pushkinova and the girl has been learning to trust the boy's instincts throughout the novel. At the end she calls upon Mr. Pushkinova to help her find the boy because he believed in his goodness. Much of the story is around believing in others to do the right thing. Even the magical owl decides to help the boy as he is dying. The owl is tired of the Snow Queen destroying good things whether it is young children or adults. He thinks the Marvelous boy's quest is impossible against someone as powerful as the Queen, but when the boy says he's sorry for shooting the owl, Ibrom decides he wants a piece of the boy's goodness. The two exchange pieces (literally) of themselves and the boy receives a charm while Ibrom eats the boy's finger.

Some of the characters are references to classics such as the girls ghosts using "The Three Musketeers" motto, "All for one, and one for all" meaning they must remain loyal to each other no matter what. The twist here is that they are loyal to the Snow Queen that represents evil. Ophelia in Hamlet goes mad and the character in this book is thought mad by others when she tells her fantastical stories. The magical tree and garden are found in much folk lore and of course, the Snow Queen is based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Ophelia's sister, Alice, made me think of "Alice in Wonderland" although she's more like Susan in the Narnia Chronicles. However Alice in Wonderland plays with logic and the plot of Alice going down the rabbit hole into a fantastical world foreshadows Ophelia's crazy adventures.

This book taps into the aspect of children feeling powerless in the world of adults and trying to have an impact even though they don't have the authority. Ophelia has to obey her dad even though she must save the world and he thinks she's making the whole story up. The Marvelous boy is helpless against the King and Snow Queen. The two find ways to deal with this adult authority that will appeal to young readers. While this book has some uneven parts and I was looking for more of an internal resolution with Ophelia in the death of her mother, I found it a satisfying story. If you liked Anne Ursu's, Breadcrumbs, then give this one a whirl.

4 Smileys