I’m departing from my usual Monday Miscellany and posting a review. The reason is that I want to share this book with my readers who might still have questions about this business called Writing Young Adult Fiction. I sure have some and I’m very pleased that Deborah Halverson happened along with some answers.
Prophecy of the Sisters
Michelle Zinc’s Prophecy of the Sisters gets my unqualified vote for a “must read.” Ms. Zinc has created a Gothic tale that pulls the reader into a world of high drama that won’t allow you to leave until you know if a very determined young heroine will be able to save civilization from chaos.
At the same time that you are rapidly turning those pages, you don’t want the story to end. This author has done a remarkable job of taking us to the Edwardian era and making that period like one we know as well as our own. The dialog is period without ever being stilted. The description is elegant without stopping the forward momentum of the story. I particularly loved the scenes between the sisters and those of the astral encounters.
Okay. That’s all. I don’t want to give anything away. But PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS is . . .
Vivid.
Exciting.
Great storytelling all around.
Etched in Stone
Ryan Coonerty’s book, Etched in Stone, is a remarkable tribute to the power of words and the endurance of humanity. Beautifully photographed, this story of our monuments to great and ordinary men and women is a lesson in U.S. history that all of us can enjoy.
Perfect Memorial Day reading.
Waiting to Score
The strength of this young adult book lies in the pacing and character development. None of the people and none of their stories are predictable and you relate in some fashion to each of them–even the bad guy.
I would recommend this for teens (both male and female), for parents, and for teachers. There’s a lot to pay attention to in J.E. MacLeod’s book.