Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com
Fourteen-year-old Kieran Ash lives with her mother, Melanie, and her ten-year-old brother Sean. And that's about the most stable that things have ever been. Their father, Luke, died when Sean was just a baby; Kieran barely remembers him. Melanie is a nurse, but with two kids she can only work days, so they keep moving around to whatever hospital can pay her the most at the time. Kieran's lost count of how many schools she's been to.
When Sean discovers some old books of their dad's, brother and sister come up with a plan to solve all of their problems.
Their plan succeeds. Far beyond Kieran's expectations. Not only does Melanie get a permanent job offer that's perfectly suited to her, it comes just in time, and includes a home and relatives that Kieran and Sean don't even know. Kieran isn't exactly thrilled about moving from Chicago to Rowan Tree Island off the coast of Maine, but she doesn't have much of a choice. Especially since she did the spell that started it all.
On the island, Kieran quickly learns that family can be a whole lot more than it's cracked up to be. Apparently her dad wasn't the only witch in the family. Kieran hasn't decided if it's even possible that he was. So, when it's suggested that she might have inherited the ability, Kieran's pretty much convinced that everyone on the island is nuts.
When strange information, or lack of it, surfaces about her dad's death, and even stranger things start to happen, Kieran's belief in herself and everyone else will be put to the test.
This is a great story! Kieran is a great heroine. I love how she's not always happy and not perfect. Her disbelief and justification are completely understandable and believable. In fact, all of the characters are very well fleshed out and believable. The plot itself is great! The eventual resolution might be a bit predictable, but the path there really isn't. The witchcraft in the story is closer to true Wicca than a lot of what's out there, which I appreciated.
At it's most base description, this is a book about finding your place in the world, but there's much more to it than that. I can't seem to completely define why, but I just loved this book! I hope there are more coming!
Fourteen-year-old Kieran Ash lives with her mother, Melanie, and her ten-year-old brother Sean. And that's about the most stable that things have ever been. Their father, Luke, died when Sean was just a baby; Kieran barely remembers him. Melanie is a nurse, but with two kids she can only work days, so they keep moving around to whatever hospital can pay her the most at the time. Kieran's lost count of how many schools she's been to.
When Sean discovers some old books of their dad's, brother and sister come up with a plan to solve all of their problems.
Their plan succeeds. Far beyond Kieran's expectations. Not only does Melanie get a permanent job offer that's perfectly suited to her, it comes just in time, and includes a home and relatives that Kieran and Sean don't even know. Kieran isn't exactly thrilled about moving from Chicago to Rowan Tree Island off the coast of Maine, but she doesn't have much of a choice. Especially since she did the spell that started it all.
On the island, Kieran quickly learns that family can be a whole lot more than it's cracked up to be. Apparently her dad wasn't the only witch in the family. Kieran hasn't decided if it's even possible that he was. So, when it's suggested that she might have inherited the ability, Kieran's pretty much convinced that everyone on the island is nuts.
When strange information, or lack of it, surfaces about her dad's death, and even stranger things start to happen, Kieran's belief in herself and everyone else will be put to the test.
This is a great story! Kieran is a great heroine. I love how she's not always happy and not perfect. Her disbelief and justification are completely understandable and believable. In fact, all of the characters are very well fleshed out and believable. The plot itself is great! The eventual resolution might be a bit predictable, but the path there really isn't. The witchcraft in the story is closer to true Wicca than a lot of what's out there, which I appreciated.
At it's most base description, this is a book about finding your place in the world, but there's much more to it than that. I can't seem to completely define why, but I just loved this book! I hope there are more coming!
