The Queen of New Beginnings

April 1, 2011
Lately, life has dealt Alice Shoemaker and Clayton Miller some heavy blows. While prickly Claytons superstar writing career has unraveled, thanks to a messy and public break with his girlfriend as well as his professional partner, gentle and secretive voice-actress Alice has found herself back in her childhood hometown and mired in the bitter memories that haunt it. A chance meeting of the two leads to an unlikely friendship and to Alice opening up about her eccentric parents, her chilly stepfamily (including her equally charming and craven stepbrother), and the chain of events that tore them apart. As Alice and Clayton draw closer together, Clayton is drawn back to the keyboard, unbeknownst to Alice. While this story could well have ended in disaster, James opts for a happy ending that, for the most part, is sensitive and honest, even though it lets some characters off too easily while condemning others too harshly. The writing is sometimes weighed down by obvious metaphors and needless repetition, but sharp dialogue and sharper characterization shine throughout.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)