Miracle Season. Beth Hautala. 2022. [August] 320 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: Persephone Pearl Clark sat on her porch step one morning in June, the spring sun warm against her back, watching the tendrils of a small vine slowly twist around her finger.
Premise/plot: If you like a little magic realism with your coming of age drama, Miracle Season might be a great fit for you. Our protagonist, Persephone, is struggling with grief (and anger) in the aftermath of her older brother's horrible accident. Things haven't been the same since that tragic day, but when she stumbles across an unsent application to a reality television show--a show that spotlights small towns and home improvements--she follows her impulse and forges his name. One little lie becomes a dozen or so. As the summer unfolds, she finds friendship and hope in unexpected places, but will her new friends be there for her when the truth comes out?
My thoughts: This one has a healthy--though light--dose of magical realism. I enjoyed getting to know the characters of this town. The story is definitely bittersweet. No amount of hope and love and reconciliation and determination can wipe away the tragedy of that one day. But life does go on, and she has a lot of growing up to do. My heart ached for her. (I take this as a good sign that I was invested in the characters.) There is a CAT.
© 2022 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment