The Healing Spell

Author: Kimberley Griffiths Little
Publication Date: July 1, 2010
Genre: Middle Grade Realistic Fiction
Copy provided by: Publisher via Teen Book Scene
Summary (via Goodreads):

Twelve-year-old Livie is living with a secret and it's crushing her. She knows she is responsible for her mother's coma, but she can't tell anyone. It's up to her to find a way to wake her momma up.

Stuck in the middle of three sisters, hiding a forbidden pet alligator, and afraid to disappoint her daddy, whom she loves more than anyone else, Livie struggles to find her place within her own family as she learns about the powers of faith and redemption. Livie's powerful, emotional, and sometimes humorous story will stay with readers long after the last line is read.

Set in the lush bayou of Louisiana, Kimberley Griffiths Little brings Livie's story to life with power and grace.

Why I read this: I felt drawn to this book for a reason. It may have been the description or the interesting setting of the book that made me want to read it and I'm definitely glad I did.

Plot: This story centers around Livie - an 11 year old girl who carries a terrible secret inside of her after her mother has an accident and goes into a coma. She believes herself at fault and searches for a way to ease her guilt and to make things right by her mother, hoping to wake her up. But it's so much more than that as well. We get a glimpse inside the change from being a child to being a teenager - the romance, the responsibility and the wondering of who you really are. I really enjoyed this book - it moved at a pace that allowed for the depth of Livie's character while keeping you interested along the way.

Characters: I fell in love with Livie. Her character is so real and rich with emotions that you can remember feeling as a child. Her sisters Faye and Cricket are also wonderful and remind me of my own sisters in the way they get along sometimes but not always. All the characters are so real and the reason they are brought together will tear you up and keep you at the edge of your seat, hoping their mother will wake up sooner than later.

Relatability: I was definitely a version of Livie - only growing up in the suburbs of Illinois. I was a daddy's girl, a tomboy, the middle girl in a family of three girls and just as emotional and unsure as Livie was. This book for me was a glimpse back into my own childhood and the experiences I had that were somewhat similar to Livie.

Cover Commentary: I love the rich colors of nature and I think they captured Livie quite the way I pictured her.

Rating: 5/5 Roses

Tomorrow, I will be interviewing Kimberley and giving away a copy of this marvelous book, so stop on by!

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