The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff - OPTIONAL

Grindstaff, Kit The Flame in the Mist, 449 pgs. Delacorte Press, 2013.

Language - PG (3 swears, 0 "f"), Sexual Content - PG; Violence - PG; 

Jemma has always felt out of place at home, and now, the day before her thirteenth birthday, she finds out why. The truth is that Jemma doesn't belong at the Agromond castle. Her quest is to find her parents before it's too late to claim her powers and prevent evil from spreading. But with her powerful fake family doing everything they can to stop her, how can Jemma succeed? 

While I love the ideas Kit Grindstaff presents and the setting she created to bring her ideas to life, I don't think she pulled it off very well. The obstacles in Jemma's way to fulfilling her destiny were overcome too easily. Something miraculously fell out of a pocket, people chasing her miraculously walked by her hiding spot, et cetera. Furthermore, several of Jemma's challenges came because she made the same mistake again and again, showing that she wasn't learning anything from her trials--a disappointing trait for any heroine to have. 

MS - OPTIONAL. Reviewer: CCH