by Julie Berry
I couldn’t put the book down, especially toward the end — really wanting to know how everything played out. I don’t want to spoil it for other readers so won’t say how the plot/romance/mystery/fate were handled by the author — suffice it to say that I was quite impressed.
The most impressive aspect of the book, to me, is the author’s ability to maintain the inner voice, authentic and powerful, of Judith. Every thought and emotion felt raw and genuine. Did I sometimes wish that she had thought or acted differently because I wished all the best for her at the moment? Definitely. But did I want her to act completely rationally — definitely not — because then we would not have had this very readable and more importantly, for a school librarian, “sellable” book to my middle school readers. I already know that those who enjoyed Scarlet Letter and The Crucible would find this a much easier but nonetheless as gripping addition on their reading list!
Fairrosa Cyber Library 