Cecilia GalanteBesprekingen

Julia and Sophie are sisters, but they aren't close. Julia is the younger "perfect" sister while Sophie is the older...um...mess. This book tells the story of how they come to terms with their relationship (or lack thereof) and the secret that has been kept from Julia her whole life. There is a road trip made, a romance blossoming, and a summer of discoveries for Julia as the whole story behind the family secret is slowly revealed. The relationship between Julia and Sophie is realistically drawn and develops in a natural progression. There is no singular event that suddenly makes everything peachy. They have to get to know each other. There are some really quirky and enjoyable characters in the town where Sophie lives, as Julia finds out. It is interesting to watch Julia learn about her sister through the friends Sophie has in her town - as opposed to what Julia thinks she knows about Sophie from the strained family gatherings they've experienced in the past. Also, Julia has had a terrible crush on her best friend's brother for a long time, and there are some awkward moments for her with him, especially at the beginning of the novel. Once she makes her road trip to Vermont to see her sister, she meets another young man with whom she strikes up a friendship. So, you've got a little romance, a little friendship, and a dysfunctional family sorting through their issues - although the parents don't have a huge role in the novel. The story is mostly about the two sisters. I enjoyed the book quite a bit - if you like realistic family drama, you probably will, too.

Why did it take me so long to read this book? Because right after I started it I got a bunch of other new books and they all seemed a lot more exciting. I'm sorry, Willowood. You're a good little story with a lot of heart, but you are also a not a stand-out title in my Mock Newbery reading.

Just for fun, let me transcribe the notes I took while I was reading this: "Lily. Moving from small town to city. Friendship tested. Love of lizards. Absent father. Mother smokes. Willowood = Terabithia-like special place. Picky eater. Coffee drinker. Target of school bullies. Dodgeball. Pet store job. Adult friend with Down syndrome. Hatching lizard eggs. Superman. Alice in Wonderland. Unconventional family."

Ah. That was easier than trying to sum up the plot. Mock Newbery review here: http://blogs.kcls.org/newbery/2010/06/willowood.html

Unlike any of the other middle grade novels that I have ever read, The Summer of May is not a "sunshine and rainbows" kind of book. Quite the opposite really. This is a tough read, filled with real life emotion that cuts down into your heart as you read. I'll be honest when I say that I literally cried while I read this.

May is a 13-year-old girl who wants nothing more than to feel whole again. Navigating the trials of middle school, she tends to use anger as her defense mechanism against anything (or anyone) who she doesn't agree with. She doesn't enjoy the feelings that bubble up inside her and burst to the surface, but it is the one way that she knows how to deal. Angry words help to mask the hurt that she feels inside. This story is a look at how these feelings affect a person, as well as the people around them.

May isn't the only character in this book who is learning something either. Amidst her tumultuous inner battle, Galante sets up other characters who are fighting the same sort of battle. Although they are much older than her, these characters show May that she isn't the only one who doesn't know quite how to deal with how she feels. Each character chooses their own defense mechanism, but they all have the anger and hurt beneath their surface. It isn't until May starts to spend more time with Mrs. Movado that she starts to make progress towards understanding what is inside her.

At the heart of this book is really a message of forgiveness, and of making amends. This is a topic that is so rarely dealt with in tween/teen books, but I wish it was out there more often. As summer wanes on, May learns to look into herself through the use of writing and poetry. She learns to find the things that are buried deep inside her and come to terms with them. Most importantly of all she learns to forgive, and to ask for forgiveness, in an effort to heal herself from the inside out. If you're thinking that this sounds like a topic from a much older story, I would have agreed at one point. However now that I've finished reading this book I'm not sure I can look at middle grade literature the same again.

Excellently written and brimming with honest emotions, The Summer of May is one of the most surprising and heartfelt books that I have read this year. I applaud Cecilia Galante for so carefully and sincerely dealing with such a tough topic. This is a book that I will recommend to tweens, teens and even adults a hundred times over. Dealing with the importance of family, the power of words, and the idea of forgiveness, I don't think it matters who is reading this book. Everyone can benefit from the messages between these pages.

I loved it! It referenced the town I lived in last year and all the details about it were spot on. The storyline was pretty sweet. It was one of those "coming of age" books.

I loved this book! The book centers around thirteen year old, May. She was caught defacing her least favorite teacher's room. As a result, May has to spend the summer repainting the teacher's room and relearning her English lessons. The author's writing paints a beautiful picture of what it is like for a thirteen year old to lose her mother, the myriad of feelings that go along with her mother's abandonment, and what it is like to feel invisible. She and her teacher share a connection that is slowly developed through the book. The relationship May and her teacher have built over the summer helped both of them heal. I loved how May unfolded throughout the book. It was gentle and believable. I would strongly recommend this book.

Advance copy.

The Odds of You and Me by Cecilia Galante is a compelling novel about a woman caught between doing what is best for herself and her young son and her loyalty to someone from her past.

Bernadette "Bird" Connolly has finally made her final restitution payment and she is making plans for her and her son Angus's future. Staying out of trouble should not be any problem until her probation ends in two weeks, but when she agrees to run an errand for her mom, she makes a startling discovery that could jeopardize all of her plans. Bird is stunned to find her former co-worker, James Rittenhouse, hiding in the church choir's loft. James has recently been arrested for a bar fight that left his victim in critical condition and while he en route to jail, he somehow managed to escape. Why would Bird jeopardize everything she has worked for to help someone she has not seen in over five years?

After her beloved father's death when she was a teenager, Bird lost her faith, hooked up with the wrong crowd and barely graduated from high school. Moving out as soon she graduated, she began working at a local restaurant and entered into an ill-advised relationship with her manager. Her unexpected friendship with James during this tumultuous time is a bright spot that gives Bird reason to hope for a better future. But an unplanned pregnancy turns her world upside down and after Bird is arrested for writing bad checks, she has no choice but to move back in with her mother and work with her cleaning houses. Their relationship remains tense as Bird tries to put her life back together.

Although their time in each other's life was brief, Bird's friendship with James was quite meaningful. She knows that she is taking a huge risk by helping him after he escapes from police custody but she is unable to report him to the authorities nor can she turn her back on him. As the two friends become reacquainted, Bird is stunned by James' revelations about the bar fight that landed him in so much trouble and after learning the truth, she becomes more determined than before to help him. Bird devises an ill-conceived plan to provide James with a safe place to hide while he decides what to do next, but time is not on their side. Is Bird prepared for the consequences if she caught aiding and abetting a fugitive?

The Odds of You and Me by Cecilia Galante is a captivating story of healing for Bird as she is finally comes to terms with her heartbreaking past. Although her decision to help James is initially unfathomable, her reasons become clear as she reflects on their friendship and the events leading up to their final encounter years earlier. Bird's life is forever altered by the few short, yet meaningful days she spends with James following his escape.

I highly recommend this touching novel to readers of women's fiction.

3.5 stars (rating may differ depending on whether site allows half star ratings)

Warning: Spoilers may follow. Read at your own discretion.

****

I think there are times that everyone feels alone or different (or like a stray to use this author's jargon). My guess is that different people respond differently to this feeling. Some become bullies/mean girls, putting others down to build themselves up. Some become followers, figuring that being in the orbit of someone else who is perceived as popular keeps them in the "in" crowd. Some embrace their differentness or find others who have similar interests and don't worry about being popular.

Winifred, who prefers to go by Fred, has more reasons to feel like a "stray" than most. She's placed with Margery after her mother is arrested for stealing from work. This also means changing schools. It's no wonder Fred is a hurting child. Unfortunately, instead of sharing her hurts and fears, she tends to bottle them up and then lash out at others. I was glad to see her grow--grow to the point where she's not afraid to tell the truth despite her mother asking her to keep secrets and to the point where she's able to identify that she's going to explode on someone else.

Ardelia Lark is a victim of bullying. Through a friendship with Fred, Delia learns to stand up for herself.

Margery is interesting--she cares but somehow she also knows when to let Fred work things out for herself and when to push or counsel her.

Toby (a dog) is another stray. He's the neighbor's dog but seems to be neglected. We do find out some of the why late in the book, but it is still heartbreaking. Fred takes an interest in Toby and the two sort of heal each other. Toby gets to experience freedom.½

Cecilia Galante has brought reality to life in The Odds of You and Me. A topic that is very rare in YA because of its sensitivity to some readers has been addressed. That topic—that sensitive, rare topic—is rape.

Bernadette—otherwise known as Bird—has been on probation for writing faulty checks, and has only thirteen days left before she is free to go about her life as she wants. She's come up with a plan for the time she is free, and that plan is to move her son and herself out of her mother's house and into a brand new apartment in Moon Lake.

However, this plan shifts after Bird attends church and finds an old friend—James Rittenhouse—hiding up in the abandoned choir loft. She'd seen him in the news for assaulting someone in a bar just days before, and this had surprised her. He's a wanted man, hiding in the choir loft with a broken leg and a gun pointing straight at her.

My feet are nailed to the floor, my breath a hollow ball in the back of my throat. A ticker tape flashes along the inside of my head: This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real. Except it is real. It's James, the cook from the Burger Barn... pointing a gun at the middle of my chest.
This quote struck a cord. Because of the flip-flopping tenses, you get to experience who James and Bird were in the past compared to the present. Seeing him in this vulnerable and terrifying state must've surely worried Bird, and she tries convinces herself that she won't help him—even though she is indebted to him for something huge.

She's too focused on getting herself and her son out of her mother's house and free from probation, that it clouds her mind from the evident fact before her: James is hurt, and she could easily help him.

This book provided a lot of key points in different varies of abuse. Like I said before, there is rape involved in this book, which might turn a few people away. However, this book is one that needs to be recognized more. It faces facts of today's day and era that some people are too afraid to write about.

The plot flowed like nothing else I'd ever read from, the characters were easy to connect with and had lots of development, and the moral was well received. The ending will surprise you and pull your heart straight out of your chest. For this, this book receives a rating of 5/5 stars.

My first thought when I finished The Patron Saint of Butterflies amounted to only this: WOW. Following that, I sat down to consider why I was so blown away. I've narrowed it down and it definitely has to do with the uniqueness of this book. Ceclia Galante deals with some topics in this story that aren't generally addressed, and she does it through the eyes of young people. There is no sugar coating here, no hand holding, just truth that comes from the experiences of these characters. In other words? Perfection.

Raised away from everything, in a religious commune, Agnes and Honey are like night and day. Friends since near birth, the girls have a very strong bond that follows them through the story. Both have extremely honest and real voices that are so wholly different. The reader is allowed to see the world through both Honey and Agnes' point of view, and that really changes the dynamic of the story. I'll be honest and say that there may be times in this story where I was close to despising Agnes. Her devout beliefs had a source, I knew, but I kept wavering between pity for her lack of life experience and wanting to hit her for being so naive. Honey on the other hand was a breath of fresh air. So alive, so unique, so unabashedly herself. The two of them play against one another wonderfully, and their differences really bring the story to life.

The journey that these girls take is breathtaking and heartbreaking in equal parts. Ceclia Galante weaves a story that deals with parts of us we generally don't tend to address. What is friendship, truly? How far can it reach when stretched? What happens when you are on two split paths? What really impressed me, above all else, though was how honestly Galante shares her real life experiences. Through these two very different girls, Galante shows us life in a commune as she experienced it, and she does it without bashing religion. It is definitely discussed in all aspects of the matter, but never once does she bash another person's beliefs.

The Patron Saint of Butterflies is a book that really hit me in the core. This book addresses religion, the idea of humanity, of family ties, and even the tried and true question of friendship. It is a book that made me ponder my own belief systems and ideas. Best of all, this story really is unlike anything I've had the opportunity to read lately. I can't express how much it blew me away. All I can say is that I want more.

Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommended: Yes
Level: 7-12

Summary:
Strays Like Us tackles issues that impact more children than we’d like to think: parental drug abuse, poverty, foster care, and bullying. This novel does so in a realistic, yet hopeful way, which makes it believable and enjoyable. Winifred (“Fred”) has been placed into the emergency foster care system after her mom is arrested, and she ends up with a kind, yet tough woman named Margery. Fred befriends an abused dog from next door, and faces challenges trying to deal with his mean owner. In addition to her fear that she might never see her mom again, Fred gets in trouble at school and has to learn how to be brave and kind while facing all of this adversity.

I don’t normally enjoy middle school level literature, but this novel was engaging and I was able to connect with many of the characters. I classify this as primarily middle school because the protagonist is 12, and the reading level is simpler. However, I also think high school students would enjoy the book, especially if they can identify with any of the issues.

It's a bit unbelievable to me still, how books can sometimes completely blindside you. You'll be going about your daily life, a book will fall into your lap, and suddenly it's the exact story that you need to read at that exact moment. It's like the author knew just who you were, and what was missing, and came along to fill that void. The Odds of You and Me was exactly that. I wasn't expecting this book, it simply showed up for review. I'm honestly so glad that it did. I can't believe I almost missed the opportunity to fall in love with this book.

Bird's story is one of so many layers that it's almost impossible to really touch on them all in this short review. What I can say is that Cecilia Galante isn't afraid to peel back each one of those layers, down to the deepest part of the soul. She allows the reader not even just to crawl into Bird's head, but almost to become her. I felt her pain, her love, her elation, her hate, her confusion, and each bit of it filled in a part of my own soul. I was able to pick her apart, to the point that I was so invested in this story that I sobbed while reading it. My life might not be a mirror to Bird's, lord knows she has it much harder than I do, but just seeing someone else at a place where they still don't feel like they have their footing yet made me whole somehow.

See, Galante doesn't shy away from the parts of life that we all hide from the outside world. Bird has made mistakes, she's grown from them, but she also shows us that there is always growing to do. Her character is one that questions things, examines her feelings, and shuts things away. She's basically any one of us at any given moment. I've never seen such pure emotion laid out on a page, to be honest. As an example, Bird's love for her son Angus is so bright that it's blinding. Yet at the same time she admits that most of the time she struggles to even feel like she mildly knows what she's doing as a parent. Learning, growing, fighting, it's all there in vivid color as Bird simply tries to exist in a world that doesn't always feel hospitable. Nothing here is black and white, everything is up for debate, and I loved that more than I can say.

There are discussions of love here, and the tense relationships that we might have with others. So delicate that they can crack at any moment. There are insights about caring for others, despite their past decisions, and possibly stepping over the boundaries set by society to do good for someone else. As I mentioned above, there is even a discussion on being a parent and feeling like you're constantly floundering. Bird's raw commentary on raising her son, as a single mother, and feeling utterly helpless at times will speak to a lot of readers out there. Or, if you're like me, her battle with religion as an upbringing versus religion as an adult will hit home too. Like I said, there's so much wrapped up here that I can't touch on it all fairly. It simply exists together, in this beautiful web of a story, that will catch you up and likely evoke feelings that you weren't even expecting.

To sum it all up, The Odds of You and Me is absolutely beautiful. It's a raw, emotional, story that isn't afraid to dig deep into the emotions of a woman who is simply trying to navigate life. I recommend you have a box of tissues handy for this book. I really do.

Agnes and Honey are to teenagers who live in a Christian cult community outside of Fairfield, CT, where they worship God as well as Emmanuel, the cult leader. While Agnes can envision no other life beyond the confines of Mount Blessing, Honey longs to escape the cult and lead a "normal" life. Agnes and Honey flee Mount Blessing with Nana Pete (Agnes's grandmother) to secure medical treatment for Agnes's little brother Benny, who is grievously injured and well beyond the "capability" of a faith healer. Honey is thrilled that they escaped, but it takes Agnes a little longer to come around. The book gives its readers some insight into what life is like inside of a cult devoted to a charismatic leader, which, fortunately, is an experience that few students have had. Anything related to religion is somewat of a third rail in public schools, but for a courageous teacher, The Patron Saint of Butterflies would be a good fictional addition to a social studies diversity curriculum.

This book snatched me up in the beginning, and never let go until the end. Such a wonderful read!

I went into this book blind, with no expectations of it. So I was stunned with how quickly this book got under my skin and didn't let go.

This is the story of Bird, a young mother, with two weeks of probation left. If she can get through this time with no incidents, she gets her life back, her sense of freedom and self-determination. She's made her mistakes, she's paid her debt, and she just wants to put it all behind her.

But then someone from her past returns, and she has to make a choice: does she show compassion and mercy to someone who once did the same for her, even though it could cost her everything?

Like all the toughest choices, and all the best literature, how Bird handles this speaks to who she is and who she wants to be. It's worth spending time with her to find out how she manages the challenge thrown in her path, and to contemplate how we would answer this call ourselves.

My thanks to the publisher and Library Thing for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Bernadette (“Bird”) Connolly, 25, only has 13 days left until the end of her probation for having written some bad checks at the grocery store when she was desperate to provide for herself and her new toddler Angus. She already paid off the restitution fees, and is looking forward to moving with Angus to a nice new place, instead of living with her mother, with whom she argues constantly. Bird’s mother is deeply religious, and doesn’t approve of her daughter. The mom also repeatedly harps on Bird to go to the Catholic Church, but Bird doesn’t believe in God. Explaining about the difference between herself and her mother, she thinks:

“She took things on faith, simply because, long ago, she had decided to believe. That wasn’t enough for me. If I was going to believe in something, if I was going to stand in awe of a fact, I wanted to know that I was doing so for a logical, defined reason. That it deserved to be believed in; because it was not only worthy of, but merited, my awe.”

There was another reason she eschewed faith. Ever since Bird’s beloved father died in an auto accident and the priest told her it was okay because Jesus was there with him (as he died), Bird turned away from religion.

Before Angus was born, when Bird worked at a burger restaurant, she became friends with a kitchen worker, James Rittenhouse. She was dating the manager, Charlie, but that was mostly sex. Her relationship with James was something different. Unlike Charlie, James was shy and kind, and seemed to “get” Bird in a way no one else did. He saw her for what she was and it didn’t change how he felt toward her, and that meant everything to Bird.

The story goes back and forth in time, and it takes a while to find out what happened with Bird, Charlie, and James, and how it is that now, five years later, Bird is a single mom and James is on the run from police. But unfortunately what happened in the past suddenly becomes central to Bird’s life again, and could jeopardize the future for which she had worked so hard.

The ending is realistic, if not what readers may want. And Bird finally comes to understand that she could show the same compassion to, and forgiveness for, herself that she extends to others.

Evaluation: This story moved a little slowly for my tastes, but it’s good, and quite poignant and thought-provoking. It would make an excellent choice for book clubs.½

I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end! It's about a commune/cult where two girls get in trouble and with the help of the one girl's grandmother venture out in the real world.
For the rest of the review, visit my blog at: http://angelofmine1974.livejournal.com/128028.html

I never received this book. Therefore, I cannot review it.

I recently took a break from reviewing so this is my first review in a while. I chose this book because it looked significantly different from what I usually read. I wanted an author that I had never read before and a topic that wasn’t a “safe bet” for me. So I picked up The Odds of You and Me, not really knowing how it would go but embracing this brand new experience and luckily, my gamble paid off.

I was initially hesitant about this book because after reading the blurb, I had some doubts about the characters. I thought I might have a hard time relating to them. Well, I was very wrong about this hunch. Not only did I find them totally relatable, I was rooting for them with everything I had. Both Bird and James were just normal people who made mistakes due to difficult circumstances in their lives. The truth is, you never really know what other people are going through or where they’re coming from. Everyone has their demons. I enjoyed getting to know them and I also liked the author’s writing style.

The only reason why I’m not giving it 5 stars is because I was heartbroken for a little while. I don’t want to give anything away, but it took me a bit to recover from this and get back on track. In my opinion, that was the only down side to the book because everything else was spot on.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Bernadette "Bird" Sincavage has only thirteen days before she is off probation and will be free and can give her four year old son the life he deserves. Then, someone she worked with a few years ago gets in trouble with the law and she happens to discover him, hiding, hurt and in need of help. Will she jeapordize her freedom to help someone who helped her in the past?
I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers program.
This story moved quickly and the characters were interesting and likable. There were a few inconsistencies in the book, but nothing that made the story unbelievable to me. While the ending may not seem entirely plausible, it isn't completely far fetched and seemed appropriate to the story. Overall, this was an enjoyable YA novel.

The cover of this book is what originally caught my eye. Then the synopsis drew me in. I was so excited to have the opportunity to review this book and it did not disappoint. Bird is the main character and while I did not agree with some of her actions I was rooting for her the entire time! Bird's relationship with her son, Angus, is adorable and you can really see that she wants the best for him... she just may not always make the best choices to get there. Bird is a great character because she is flawed. She has her choices and many times she does not choose the correct path but you can see that she loves fiercely.

There were two timelines for quite a bit of the story of Bird's life, past and present and they helped fill in the gaps in the story. I also really liked James and Bird's relationship and seeing how it was tied in both from the past and present.

The Odds of You and Me is Cecilia Galante's latest novel.

It was the cover that first drew me to the book. I love those little sneakers protected by the bigger pair.

And that's the premise of the book....

Bird Connolly is a young single mom to four year old Angus. She loves him more than anything, but wishes their lives were different. Living with her mother cleaning houses was not what she imagined for herself. At one time, she wanted to be a nurse. But some bad choices have set her back. But her probation is almost up and she has plans. Until the past comes barreling into the present.

A young man she used to work with commits a serious crime. He escapes police custody, but is injured. Holed up in the local church, Bird inadvertently comes across him...

....and now new choices must be made. Help him? At what cost? Or walk away? When is the wrong choice the right choice?

I liked Bird as a lead character and her love for her son is well portrayed. The relationship between Bird and her Ma is quite fractious and in the first bit of the book, I could see both sides. But as the book progressed, their bickering grew tiresome and repetitive. Ma is quite religious, bordering on fanatical. When Bird reveals a horrific event from her past to her mother, Ma's reaction is downright shameful. And I ended up firmly in Bird's camp. But, there is much to be fixed in this relationship - on both sides.

Galante explores many relationships in The Odds of You and Me with both the main players and the supporting cast - parent and child being in the forefront.

There are a number of coincidences that drive the plot of this book, but who's to say serendipity doesn't exist? Or second chances? I was urging Bird on out loud many times - I wanted her to succeed. I had no idea where Galante was going to take the ending. I can't say it's the one I wanted, but it seems right.½

We all want to have control over our lives but sometimes our choices mean that we are slow to have that control. In Cecilia Galante's newest novel, The Odds of You and Me, main character Bird is just about to earn that control back when she's faced with a decision that could completely derail her plans. This novel of healing, second chances, doing what's right, and family is a warm hearted and satisfying read.

Bird is twenty-five. She lives at home with her mother and her five year old son Angus. She's been saving money from her job cleaning houses so that she and Angus can move out and get their own apartment and she's almost there. She's also only 13 days from the end of her long probation for writing bad checks. If she can just make it through the next 13 days without a misstep, she'll be free to create the life she wants for Angus. But that isn't the way Bird's life works, of course. Life for her has been anything but easy. When she goes to church to retrieve her mother's sweater (a set-up since Bird hasn't believed in God or darkened a church door almost since her father's death), she stumbles across an old co-worker hiding out in the disused choir loft. James is injured and pointing a gun at her, having escaped the police, who were taking him in for beating a man almost to death in a bar fight. The James that Bird remembers wasn't a criminal; he was a quiet and kind man who once did something for her that has left her in his debt. Now she has to decide if she can risk the life she's assembling for Angus to help James stay hidden and maybe even escape.

Bird has made wrong decision after wrong decision in her life. She lost her father when she was young and he was the parent she looked to for moral guidance and unconditional love. When he died, so did her faith in a good God and in religion overall. Her relationship with her mother has long been contentious and hard so moving back in with her after her conviction hasn't been easy and the fact that they are often at odds over what is right for Angus makes the situation even harder. As a character, Bird is both frustrating and redeemable by turns. Seeing her grapple with what is right and wanting to be the best possible mom to Angus is wonderful but the reader will also want to shout at her for the hurtful things she can say or do, especially towards her mother, and for the wrongheaded decisions she makes when she's describing the past where she first met James.

The novel is told on two different timelines, Bird's present and Bird's past, and both are narrated by Bird herself. Both timelines move forward and the present timeline doesn't reveal major plot points from the past, allowing both timelines to have surprising twists to them. A couple of the revelations are a tad predictable but there are others that are not at all expected and help keep the reader engaged in Bird's story and where she is ultimately going to end up. Better yet, where she will end up is not obvious until the end of the novel, although it is fitting with her character and the story. Galante is careful not offer any easy answers to the myriad of deep and thoughtful questions Bird faces and she shows the multiple layers that make up decisions and reactions. This is a novel about forgiveness, institutional and personal. It's about self-sabotage and belief in oneself and the hard work of family. At its core it's a goodhearted novel that will leave the reader pulling for Bird and Angus and all of the people in her life who have believed in her, even, or especially, when she might not have deserved it.½

I enjoyed this book very much and it left me feeling uplifted. I felt that Wren's handling of the snake was a jarringly unrealistic moment, and I didn't like that the book inadvertently sends the message that anxiety can be cured by thinking positively. But I think it's an important read for kids of the mentally ill and kids who suffer from anxiety. I also liked the other message about the damage that rumors about others can do.

This book about two girls escaping a religious cult is compelling not only for its timeliness but also because the author herself grew up in a similar commune and brings an insider perspective. It's a suspenseful, absorbing read with well-defined characters. A summer reading treat!