ISBN: 978-1936564033
Published April 8, 2011 by JournalStone
Format: Hardback, Paperback, and ebook
Sadie MacDougal, a foster child for the past three years, is on the precipice of becoming a teenager--the magical age of 13. Haunted by inconsistencies in her mother's death, Sadie believes with all of her heart that her mother is still alive. Unfortunately, others think it's all in her head and consider her "strange" or "unbalanced" -- even unfit to be around children her own age.
Her schoolmates at Cranberry Grove Middle School ridicule and reject her, forcing Sadie to seek refuge in a small neighborhood bookstore where she feels accepted. On October 30th, the eve of her 13th birthday, Ms. Felis, the bookstore owner, plans a birthday celebration for Sadie--something that isn't centered on Halloween.
Before she can open her presents, strange and mysterious things begin to happen. Sparkling lights spew from her head. Helter-Skelter breaks out in the bookstore, and Sadie, along with several of her bookstore friends, are whisked away to "safety." Through a myriad of adventures, such as earrings that make her invisible to Forgur cookies for monsters, she meets creatures of all shapes and sizes and faces situations of extreme danger.
Along the way, Sadie discovers the real truth about her mother's death, her heritage, and her place in this new world. Through this revelation she learns what the true definition of being normal means.
I was honored to receive an advance copy of this book from JournalStone for review.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I believe it is perfect for the pre-teen/early teen age range. It has some great lessons in it--self-confidence, "fitting in", the importance of family (either blood or 'social')... I especially want my daughter to have a copy.
The beginning might have been a tad slow, but I think the story really picked up the further I read and became much more captivating toward the end. Savage did a great job of setting everything up so she can write more of the story in other books. It was also interesting enough for the reader to "want" to read more. She did a wonderful job telling the classic good vs. evil story with interesting and entertaining characters.
I think Sadie exemplified the perfect amount of maturity for her age, considering the circumstances she had faced and was going through in this piece. It was great that her past included the loss of her parents and being passed through the foster care system. Unfortunately, there are countless kids out there that will be able to relate to her. On top of that, she faced many challenges socially in school--being teased and taunted. So many children that age have those exact feelings, regardless of what the situation actually is. It is wonderful to have something to look to that will help teach the lessons that so many teenage [girls] need to learn even earlier now. Everything we need to give us strength in life is already in our heart--all we have to do is embrace it and believe in it. Everything and everyone else around us does not define us. Those are lessons even adults could benefit from!
I definitely recommend this fun book--for all ages!!!
