Camp of the Angel

Title: Camp of the Angel

 

Author: Aileen Arrington

 

Summary: 11 year old Jordan and her younger brother, Carson live with their Papa who enjoys drinking but is oftentimes quite abusive in a mental and physical way. Jordan tries desperately to hide the abuse from those around her at school and on the island, even though it is obvious that everyone around her is wondering. But when Jordan suspects her Papa of something very serious, will she have the courage to tell the authorities?

 

Comments: I enjoyed this book. While I could not directly relate to it, which I am grateful for, I still enjoyed reading it and Jordie and her brother are both likeable as are her Uncle Bob and Aunt Viv. The characters were not overly detailed but they were detailed enough to get the point of the book across and still make for a good story. Her Papa is the type that is very unlikeable, but at rare moments he shows a bit of kindness, which makes him more complex; thus making the book better.

This book is not overly descriptive of the abuse, and 8+ would probably be an okay age, but maybe 10+ depending on maturity. The book is a quick read and I finished it in 45 minutes.

The storyline with the white cat is a little weak and thrown-in and I think that storyline in general did not have enough time to go through the action and climax due to the shortness in length of this book.

While it is probably not going to make it on to my list of favorites, it was still worth reading.

 

Rating: 4 stars   

Moonpenny Island

Title: Moonpenny Island

 

Author: Tricia Springstubb

 

Summary: It's the start of 6th grade and things aren't going very well. Flor's best and only friend Sylvie has gone away to a fancy academy on the main land - off the tiny island that Sylvie and Flor have known forever. To make matters worse, Flor's parents are fighting more and more often and something strange is going on with her older sister Cecilia. When it seems like things are getting too much to bear, Flor meets a girl, Jasper, who is visiting the island with her scientist father to search for trilobites and other fossils. Jasper is very factual and a somewhat hard person; she is difficult to get to know. Jasper is more complex than what meets the eye, and slowly, the two girls become closer as situations on the island begin to slowly get solved.

 

Comments: This book was pretty good. The island reminded me of Rock Hall, MD, a place where I greatly enjoy spending my summers. It was a small island town and I could relate to it in a way. I liked the conflict in the book and I can't really complain about the story. It was pretty unique, I suppose. I just felt that the amazing setting deserved to have an exciting summertime mystery or something - rather than a school story about a dwindling friendship. I would've enjoyed learning more about the island, so maybe Ms. Springstubb will consider making this into a series of sorts - I'd love to see Jasper come back to the island while Sylvie is there. I wanted so badly to see one last face-to-face interaction with Sylvie before the book ended. While there was closure, I didn't feel like there was enough of it, but perhaps that will leave an opening for more books from Moonpenny Island.

Overall, it seems pretty appropriate for anyone ages 8+. Cecilia the older sister is suspected of doing something wrong and there are a few words in there that really could've been left out ("sexy" for example).

I would love to see a series called "Tales of Moonpenny" or something similar!

 

Rating: 5 stars