The Gem Lakes by Rob Keough
Summary: With an inoperable brain tumour in his head, Jake and his family are headed up to their cabin to try and make the most of their last summer together. But when he gets there, a trapper who lives nearby tells Jake his grandfather did not die of cancer years ago like he thought. Instead, he gives Jake a map to the Gem Lakes so he can track his grandfather down and learn the secrets of the land. Accompanied by his sister Claire, they face the many dangers of their quest together, but when they get there Jake has a decision to make that will determine the future course of his life and death.
Number of Pages: 143
Age Range: 13-15
Review: In an action-packed adventure, Jake makes a last-ditch effort to save his own life by finding his elusive grandfather who has been rumoured to have survived a fatal cancer diagnosis.
The Gem Lakes by Rob Keough is a brief, fast-paced read, but along the way Keough manages some startling insights about illness and survival. I loved the family aspect of the story, especially since when Jake and his sister disappear, it is ultimately unclear whether their father actually hoped this would happen. Plenty of secrets lie just below the surface, and not everyone’s motivations are clear, except they seem to be well-meaning.
There was one point of confusion for me during Jake’s story though. The copy on the back cover says Jake is fourteen, but in the book one part says he just finished grade seven, and another part says he is fifteen. All of these cannot be true. The Gem Lakes reads like Jake is fourteen or fifteen, so I was happy to go with that. With a possible age range of 12 to 15 though, I was mindful that Jake’s decision was an entirely different from the one his grandfather and the trapper before him made. Both of them were older and had already had the chance to be in a romantic relationship and have kids, whereas no matter what decision Jake made, there was a good chance he would still have to go without either.
I enjoyed the read, because while the action kept me turning pages, Keough also gave me something substantial to think about.
Memorable Quotes:
“Susan felt like crying all the time. Every minute she was awake, every second of her dreams. It was the hardest not to cry in front of Jake… not to grab him in a bear hug in the hope that she might protect him from anything that came to take him away. She felt so helpless and frustrated that the threat came from the inside, that it wasn’t something she could throw herself in front of.” – Susan, Jake’s mom from The Gem Lakes by Rob Keough, page 56
“Jake was a little bit frightened, as people usually are with things they haven’t seen before, but the beauty of the birds also mesmerized him. He had never seen this many males in one group. He did not see one female, whose plain-Jane-brown-and-white plumage would have stuck out like a sore thumb against the colours of the males. Their green heads and orange beaks were vibrant, like they had been freshly painted on. Their wings were a splash of cobalt blue against a canvas of snow white feathers. He wished he had taken a camera but he was not here to sightsee.” – Jake from The Gem Lakes by Rob Keough, page 59
“The only question now was that if he wanted to live, it would be under a much different setting than he would have planned. Still, considering the alternative, it didn’t seem like much of a question at all.” – Jake from The Gem Lakes by Rob Keough, page 131
The Gem Lakes by Rob Keough is published by Great Plains Publications, (2005).
A Fool’s Errand by Maureen Fergus
Summary: After realising she is indeed the elder twin of King Finnius, Persephone’s precarious role in his kingdom is no longer in jeopardy because she is royalty. Reagent Mordecai is less than thrilled, knowing Persephone now has the power to usurp the throne he’s had his eye on for years. Frantically Mordecai plots to keep his role by sending Persephone away on a errand to find the legendary Pool of Genezing, which is rumoured to heal all ills. Persephone’s goal is to bring the waters back and cure her brother Finnius of his illness, but Mordecai hopes they will heal his physical deformities. While on her quest Persephone makes decisions that will interfere with Mordecai’s plans, and while he thinks he is holding all the cards with his army and threats of physical injury, little does Mordecai know he’s facing resistance on the home front as well.
Number of Pages: 512
Age Range: 15-17
Review: The second book in the Gypsy King series, A Fool’s Errand by Maureen Fergus is not a stand alone book, but advances the plot for Tomorrow’s Kingdom, the last of the trilogy.
If you read my Memorable Quotes section, it is clearly no secret that my favourite character is King Finnius. He’s a little weak yet still very loveable in The Gypsy King but really comes into his own in A Fool’s Errand, despite the fact that Reagent Mordecai seems to be pulling all the strings. The scene with Finnius and Persephone near the end was the most touching, and I felt sorrow for Finnius that everyone he loved was taken away from him while he wasted away. And what was he dying from anyway? Doctors and medicine in general from past time periods are so inexact and unsatisfying. Every time I read about a person being bled I cringe.
What I like best about Fergus’ tale is her exploration of strength. Mordecai, as the villain, assumes he has strength because he has power on his side. It’s a bit of an overcompensation issue as he strives to surround himself with physical power to make up for the perceived weakness of his body, but he assumes the threat and action of physical violence toward others will always get him what he wants. As Fergus points out though with Moira and King Finnius, there are kinds of strength that transcend the reality of the physical body. This is a kind of strength that Mordecai does not understand, and as a result he is thwarted by it more than once.
Fergus has lined things up for a nail-biting ending to her trilogy as many characters are set to clash and there are wild cards in play Mordecai doesn’t know about. Will his arrogance be his ultimate downfall? I hope so.
Memorable Quotes:
“Mordecai stared down at the bowed head of the kneeling king, his cold heart crying out at the irony of the fact that a fool as sick and subjugated as the one before him could yet look as shining and golden as a strapping young god.” – Mordecai from A Fool’s Errand by Maureen Fergus, page 243
“Mordecai stood heaving like a bellows. He’d hated many people in his life, but he’d never hated anybody more than he hated the sickly boy who stood before him at that moment. Because Finnius was not a boy anymore – he was a man.
And not just a man but a king.
And not just a king but a great king.” – Mordecai from A Fool’s Errand by Maureen Fergus, page 411
A Fool’s Errand by Maureen Fergus is published by Razorbill Canada, (2013).
Winter Shadows by Margaret Buffie
Summary: On parallel journeys of sorts, Beatrice and Cass live in different time periods but are both facing the reorganization of their families after the deaths of their mothers. Connected by a star brooch and a shared home, the lives of Cass and Berenice intersect, allowing them to help each other through their challenges and grief. For Cass, their friendship helps her face her new stepmother and stand up for her needs in the aftermath of the loss of her mother, but for Beatrice, Cass’s insight helps her get out of a bad match to marry the man she is supposed to be with. Along the way, both must face their demons and find the strength to shine the light on the shadows in their lives.
Number of Pages: 322
Age Range: 14-16
Review: When Cass’s father remarries Jean less than a year after the death of Cass’s mother, both Cass and her Aunt Blair are understandably upset. Suddenly Cass is sharing a room with Jean’s 12 year-old daughter and feeling like her mother is being pushed out of their home at all costs. Cass and Jean keep clashing, while Cass’s father seems to stand by and observe instead of stepping in and taking action. The star brooch Cass finds in the fireplace transports her to Beatrice’s time, providing Cass with a friend who understands what she is going through even though they live in different times.
A satisfying read featuring lovely prose and emotionally-charged characters, Margaret Buffie’s Winter Shadows had me equally enthralled by both Cass and Beatrice’s stories. When the chapters ended and the perspectives changed, I was frustrated because I wanted to keep reading about the same character I had been reading about, but Buffie’s writing was balanced and I never resented the time spent with one character over another because they were both compelling.
I love the idea behind it, being able to connect with your ancestors in moments of trouble, and how her experiences eventually lead Cass to realize death isn’t always a barrier to contact with loved ones. What I also love about Buffie’s writing is that while at first certain characters seem either good or evil, she endeavours to bring out the complexity behind each situation and helps her reader have empathy for everyone involved. Buffie has a particular talent for writing realistic scenes of anger, miscommunication and frustration.
The ending isn’t neat for Cass, but I liked it better that way because Buffie is acknowledging Cass’s life has irreversibly changed after her mother’s death. Maybe in time she and Jean will learn to tolerate each other, although any work on their relationship needs to include Cass’s dad because Cass’s hurt involves him too. Until then, at least her Aunt Blair is there to support her and they can help each other through their grief.
It’s a powerful, well-written story about two young woman finding their places amidst challenging circumstances, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Memorable Quotes:
“Everything inside me changed during my stay at that faraway school. Even my faith. Now, after only a few weeks of teaching, my once-steadfast beliefs in the missionary and its so-called good work throughout the parish are being tested. Perhaps Dickens’s books and those of the Brontës have awakened something in me, for I’ve become convinced that the church’s purpose here is not just to preach the word of God to us ‘half-breed savages.’ It’s to break the tie between the English mixed bloods and their Indian families; to make the Company servants into English farmers and citizens; and to turn the young daughters of Company officers – who will run the homes of the men their fathers choose for them – into perfect little English ladies.” – Beatrice from Winter Shadows by Margaret Buffie, pages 42-43
“Then she took my arm and whispered, ‘Don’t be afraid. There’s a reason for everything. You’ll figure it out. I’m sorry if I sound like some kind of phony wisewoman, but it’s truly what I believe. I’ve lived a long life, Cass. I’ve seen many things that don’t make sense, and then something happens and it all fits together.’ She laughed.” – Betty from Winter Shadows by Margaret Buffie, pages 172-173
“‘Sometimes, at school, I heard kids talking about their makeup or their hot weekends, or griping about their parents, or crying over some guy or girl, all stupid superficial stuff. I just wanted to shout at them, “Don’t you get it? We’re all going to die! Who cares about any of this crap! What’s the point of anything?”‘” – Cass from Winter Shadows by Margaret Buffie, page 198
“‘Cass, have you ever thought that maybe you have been closing yourself off from Fiona? To punish yourself somehow? If you open yourself up to your mom, I know she’ll come. I wish you’d told me this two years ago. No wonder you fight so hard for her around Jean. Guilt is a terrible responsibility. Especially when you did absolutely nothing wrong.'” – Aunt Blair from Winter Shadows by Margaret Buffie, page 286
Winter Shadows by Margaret Buffie is published by Tundra Books, (2010).
Who is Frances Rain? by Margaret Buffie
Summary: Up at her Gran’s place on Rain Lake, Manitoba for the summer with her warring family, Lizzie seeks solace on an abandoned island with plenty of secrets. When Lizzie’s excavation of the remnants of a cabin turn up a pair of spectacles, Lizzie dons them only to be transported to another time when the island wasn’t abandoned. Witness to the life of Frances Rain and her mysterious visitor, Lizzie slowly pieces together who Frances Rain was and what happened to her. In real life, Lizzie is dealing with the potential break up of her new and fragile family and learns her beloved Gran is keeping secrets of her own. Somehow Lizzie must find a way to mend the brokenness in her family and help her Gran find some peace.
Number of Pages: 183
Age Range: 12-13
Review: While I loved the concept of travelling back in time with a magical pair of spectacles, I think it fell apart a bit in its execution. Margaret Buffie provides her reader with a real family struggling to deal with the unexplained abandonment by their father. Evan, Lizzie and Erica’s mother remarries a man named Tim who seems to be everything their father isn’t, but Evan and Lizzie take out their anger toward their father on Tim, refusing to let him into their lives.
A summer with their Gran changes everything though as Lizzie in particular learns the meaning of family and begins to see things from different perspectives. Her time-travelling experiences show her the tragedy of miscommunication and inspires her to apply what she has learned in her own life with positive results.
Even after finishing the book, I still have questions about who Frances Rain actually is. I know what she did for a living, and that she had a daughter, but I’m not sure why she didn’t speak much and why her father was such a jerk. Also, who was Teresa’s father?
As for Lizzie’s family, I have questions there too. If their father decides to leave them and only contacts his kids on their birthdays, why would he start calling up their mother again? Simply because she found someone else?
Buffie does do a thoughtful job of portraying a family who is grieving, as well as the very real pull Connie has to her ex-husband even though she knows Tim is better for her. Who Is Frances Rain? exemplifies how challenging it is to learn to trust again after being wounded.
My favourite character was Gran because of her no nonsense attitude and her ability to cut things to the quick. She may have been at odds with her daughter Connie at times, but she always loved her. Fiercely independent to a fault, she models strength and love to her granddaughter Lizzie when she needs it most, helping her to open up to the good Tim brings to all of their lives and naming the truth of Lizzie’s father’s actions.
I liked the happy ending and the fact that Lizzie was able to give Frances Rain some peace, as well as the resolution of the mystery, but I think it’s a lighter read geared toward pre and early teens.
Memorable Quotes:
“Gran’s voice softened. ‘I think I do, Connie. Carl left you. You’ve hardly seen him for two years. Now, for some reason, he wants back in your life. You have a choice to make. But, Connie, he’s the loser. Not you. It wasn’t your fault. But you’re starting to lose everything, too. By closing yourself off. Shutting out Tim. You have to decide. Tim won’t leave you. Not like Carl.'” – Gran addressing her daughter’s divorce from Who Is Frances Rain? by Margaret Buffie, page 62
“I was acting stupid, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. Acting stupid is like a virus – comes on you without warning.” – Lizzie from Who Is Frances Rain? by Margaret Buffie, page 90
Who Is Frances Rain? by Margaret Buffie is published by Kids Can Press, (1987).
Sandbag Shuffle by Kevin Marc Fournier
Summary: When Owen and Andrew are evacuated from their North Dakota group home during the Red River Flood of 1997, they take the opportunity to skip town and start their lives over on their own terms in Canada. With charm, smarts, and the skills of teenage con-artists, Owen and Andrew make their way across Manitoba by tugging on heartstrings with Owen’s missing legs and taking advantage of people. Humourous situations ensue, but underneath everything Owen and Andrew end up contributing their help to a province in need as the flood continues.
Number of Pages: 206
Age Range: 13-15
Review: Sandbag Shuffle by Kevin Marc Fournier is a tall tale following the road trip of Owen and Andrew as they make a life in Canada after they escape their group home in North Dakota.
I love the aspect of reading about Canadians dealing with nature. Since the flood in 1997, there have been two more Red River floods, and reading Fournier’s book gave me a picture of people working together to protect farms, homes, towns and cities. It’s a story full of wonderful character studies in the face of crisis.
But my favourite part was Fournier’s humour in his narration of the story. Owen and Andrew are fun characters to read about because they are mischievous and know how to work people but aren’t evil at heart. The witty observations surrounding reactions to Owen and his wheelchair were hilarious, and I have included some in the Memorable Quotes section. Their genuine friendship and adventures kept me reading, and I loved the backdrop of Manitoba.
Mostly though I just found Fournier’s book to be an entertaining and authentically Canadian read. I’d never read a Fournier book before today, but I will definitely be looking for them in the future.
Memorable Quotes:
“A woman with a pensive expression, expensive brown raincoat, and very careful hair was listening to a man in mud-covered overalls and a baseball cap who was carrying bages of groceries to his truck and roundly, enthusiastically abusing the ‘small-balled bureaucrats’ in Winnipeg who thought they could tell him what to do. ‘We lived through the ’79 and never left the farm; my father lived on that same farm through the ’50 flood and he never left; and if they want me to leave, they’ll have to drag my goddamn corpse out the door.'” – Reaction to being told to evacuate for the flood from Sandbag Shuffle by Kevin Marc Fournier, page 62
“‘Did you know they got free health care in Canada?’
‘Yeah, everyone knows that.’
‘You gotta see a doctor, go to the hospital, get an operation, anything, doesn’t cost you a dime. Completely free – doesn’t matter who you are, what your problem is, what they gotta do – one hundred percent completely. So can you tell me why the hell people are so damn careful up here? What are they worried about?'” – Conversation between Owen and Andrew from Sandbag Shuffle by Kevin Marc Fournier, pages 68-69
“Meanwhile, back at the playground, Owen was talking to those kids. ‘That’s a pretty nice bike,’ he said. He was sitting at the top of the play structure, dangling his stumps over the edge. The kids were looking up at him doubtfully. They had obviously been well trained not to talk to strangers, especially grungy-looking teenagers, but they had probably also been taught to be polite to handicapped people. So it was a bit of a dilemma.” – Owen from Sandbag Shuffle by Kevin Marc Fournier, page 139
“The room was quite small, but they weren’t complaining. It was the most luxurious setup they’d been able to enjoy for almost a week. There was one bed, and an air mattress on the floor beside it. They arm-wrestled. Andrew complained that Owen had an unfair advantage because he got to sit in the chair, while Andrew had to stand beside the desk and bend over. And besides, Owen got all that arm exercise wheeling himself around. Owen said, ‘Yes, yes, I admit it. I cheated. I actually cut off my own legs years ago, just so that I would be able to beat you at arm wrestling today and get the bed for one night. At last my evil plan has come to fruition – mwa ha ha . . .’ and Andrew said, ‘Oh, shut the hell up.'” – Conversation between Owen and Andrew from Sandbag Shuffle by Kevin Marc Fournier, page 154
“And there, in the middle of the room, was the most fancy-ass-looking wheelchair either of them had ever seen, a motorized wheelchair with fat, black wheels like a four-by-four, a shiny black seat and armrests sitting on a slick, hot-red undercarriage with orange flames painted on. It was the kind of wheelchair a handicapped pimp might like to ride around the street and herd his girls.” – from Sandbag Shuffle by Kevin Marc Fournier, page 162
Sandbag Shuffle by Kevin Marc Fournier is published by Thistledown Press, (2007).
The World Outside by Eva Wiseman
Summary: As seventeen year-old Chanie works on completing her last year of high school, a chance encounter with a non-orthodox Jewish guy while performing Outreach introduces her to the world outside of her tight-knit Hasidic community. Despite being forbidden to hang out with members of the opposite sex alone, Chanie and David start meeting in secret, opening Chanie up to his influence. When David hears her sing, he encourages Chanie to apply to Juilliard to study music instead of becoming a teacher in her community. At odds with her family, Chanie feels the pull of wanting to pursue her dreams, but everything changes when an accidental death of a young Black child caused by a Rabbi’s vehicle sparks a three-day riot as Blacks go after Jews. The appalling events help Chanie decide and pursue her future.
Number of Pages: 232
Age Range: 14-16
Review: Eva Wiseman uses an historical setting with 1991 Brooklyn, New York for background to set up Chanie Altman’s journey in The World Outside. Except I didn’t know Wiseman’s book was a piece of historical fiction until I happened to look it up the Crown Heights Riots before writing my review. Yes, like a living nightmare, they did happen, and Wiseman’s tale introduced me to a situation I would like to read more about.
But Wiseman’s main story is simpler than an exploration of Black/Jewish relations in their shared Brooklyn community. Instead it is about Chanie, a girl on the verge of graduation who lives a sheltered, religious life only to be changed when she is exposed to the outside world. Drawn by attraction to David, Chanie is encouraged to leave her religion and traditions to pursue her dreams through a life that is completely foreign to her.
I found Chanie’s perspective difficult to get into, because while I could see why she made the choices she did, I was rankled by the fact that they were heavily influenced by the constant message she gets not to question things. Did her parents deserve her love in the end? I’m not convinced they did. Either way Chanie is a better person by the end of the novel, if better is considered to be someone who is more capable of love and completely willing to step into their pre-described role.
As a reaction to the no questions command, my own come tumbling out. Will Chanie be the reverse of her mother and resent her decision to stay in her community? Or will the initial peace she feels about it last forever? Why isn’t Chanie more angry with her mother’s deception? Was the Rebbe actually answering her question or was he just stating a greeting he uses for everyone? Is the not asking questions part of their religious belief or simply a way to keep kids and woman under control? Doesn’t questioning make faith stronger?
I want to know what comes after, say ten years down the line. Will Chanie still be confident in her decision?
In that respect it’s an intriguing story about a girl becoming a woman by making the decision the reader won’t expect, but I’m not sure Wiseman does enough to back up Chanie’s choices.
Memorable Quotes:
“‘Rigoletto tries to save his daughter, Gilda, from the wickedness of the world around her, but he fails to protect her. I listen to this opera to remind myself not to be like the poor jester. To remind myself that unlike him, I have to keep you safe.'” – Chanie’s mother from The World Outside by Eva Wiseman, page 220
The World Outside by Eva Wiseman is published by Tundra Books, (2014).
About Amy
Amy Mathers has been passionate about reading from a very young age, and hopes others will share her enthusiasm for funding a teen book award. Read more Follow Amy
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