by Allison M. Lewis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 27, 2015
A charming fable with an important message for young readers.
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A princess’ search for true love sends her on a voyage of self-discovery in Lewis’ debut YA fantasy.
Misty Miles, the 20-year-old princess of Starryton and the beloved daughter of King Reginald and Queen Eliza, worries that her subjects may discover her secret: ever since childhood, she’s been in a wheelchair due to a disability that has left her unable to walk and makes it difficult to use her hands. Her parents have kept her hidden from public view in the castle, but she yearns to go out and explore her kingdom. She also wants to meet Prince Derrick of the neighboring kingdom of Mooncrest. On the eve of her 21st birthday, she leaves the castle, accompanied by her service dog, Dex, to seek out a troll named Trovella, who grants her the temporary ability to walk and dance. The prince only has three days to fall in love with her, Trovella tells her. Misty and Derrick soon meet and sparks fly, but, despite her happiness, Misty knows the prince will soon learn the truth. Later, with the encouragement of Kara, a young, disabled orphan, Misty gets the opportunity to prove that she has the leadership skills that the kingdom needs. Lewis’ fantasy is an empowering tale of a young woman who discovers her inner strength while also finding unconditional love and support. Misty is an appealing heroine who doesn’t let her disability prevent her from seeing the world or finding love. Lewis, who has a disability herself, poignantly explores her protagonist’s determination to experience life outside the castle walls. She also offers a well-developed portrait of Misty’s day-to-day life, from the companionship of her service dog to the assistance that she needs to perform daily tasks, such as dressing or brushing her teeth. She also surrounds Misty with strong supporting characters: Derrick is a sensitive, compassionate romantic foil, and the character of Kara will raise readers’ awareness of the needs of orphans with disabilities.
A charming fable with an important message for young readers.Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-692-55955-0
Page Count: 136
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: March 7, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by J.D. Salinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 1951
A strict report, worthy of sympathy.
A violent surfacing of adolescence (which has little in common with Tarkington's earlier, broadly comic, Seventeen) has a compulsive impact.
"Nobody big except me" is the dream world of Holden Caulfield and his first person story is down to the basic, drab English of the pre-collegiate. For Holden is now being bounced from fancy prep, and, after a vicious evening with hall- and roommates, heads for New York to try to keep his latest failure from his parents. He tries to have a wild evening (all he does is pay the check), is terrorized by the hotel elevator man and his on-call whore, has a date with a girl he likes—and hates, sees his 10 year old sister, Phoebe. He also visits a sympathetic English teacher after trying on a drunken session, and when he keeps his date with Phoebe, who turns up with her suitcase to join him on his flight, he heads home to a hospital siege. This is tender and true, and impossible, in its picture of the old hells of young boys, the lonesomeness and tentative attempts to be mature and secure, the awful block between youth and being grown-up, the fright and sickness that humans and their behavior cause the challenging, the dramatization of the big bang. It is a sorry little worm's view of the off-beat of adult pressure, of contemporary strictures and conformity, of sentiment….
A strict report, worthy of sympathy.Pub Date: June 15, 1951
ISBN: 0316769177
Page Count: -
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1951
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by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2006
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.
Sisters work together to solve a child-abandonment case.
Ellie and Julia Cates have never been close. Julia is shy and brainy; Ellie gets by on charm and looks. Their differences must be tossed aside when a traumatized young girl wanders in from the forest into their hometown in Washington. The sisters’ professional skills are put to the test. Julia is a world-renowned child psychologist who has lost her edge. She is reeling from a case that went publicly sour. Though she was cleared of all wrongdoing, Julia’s name was tarnished, forcing her to shutter her Beverly Hills practice. Ellie Barton is the local police chief in Rain Valley, who’s never faced a tougher case. This is her chance to prove she is more than just a fading homecoming queen, but a scarcity of clues and a reluctant victim make locating the girl’s parents nearly impossible. Ellie places an SOS call to her sister; she needs an expert to rehabilitate this wild-child who has been living outside of civilization for years. Confronted with her professional demons, Julia once again has the opportunity to display her talents and salvage her reputation. Hannah (The Things We Do for Love, 2004, etc.) is at her best when writing from the girl’s perspective. The feral wolf-child keeps the reader interested long after the other, transparent characters have grown tiresome. Hannah’s torturously over-written romance passages are stale, but there are surprises in store as the sisters set about unearthing Alice’s past and creating a home for her.
Wacky plot keeps the pages turning and enduring schmaltzy romantic sequences.Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-345-46752-3
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2005
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