Language: R (100+ swears, 16 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (bloody deaths mentioned, attempted sexual assault alluded)
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
10th grader Mercy is determined to keep her head down and not cause waves - it is the only way to survive the Sorrowing, a curse that descended upon the core families and extends to their town. The Sorrowing is a curse that unfolded more than 50 years earlier when the town’s richest man murdered his family. As long as you don’t want too much, it generally only makes you miserable instead of trying to kill you. Ben Bowen, the son of one of the core families has returned to town and his family seems to know nothing about the curse. No one wants to tell them, but as Mercy gets to know Matteo, the son who is her age, she feels more and more obligated to clue him in. Maybe together the two of them can find the answers to questions no one has dared to ask before there is no one left with the answers.
Ward spends way too much of the book building up the fact that Mercy is reluctant to get involved and that everyone in the town wants to ignore the SPrrowing and just survive. Mercy’s dithering makes for a very dull start. WHich is too bad, because when Mercy finally does become emotionally engaged, the book finally gets interesting.
The characters cue white.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment