Miracleville

June 13, 2011
Thought-provoking theological, ethical, and social questions confront 16-year-old narrator Ani and her family as personal tragedy and the exposure of long-held family secrets exacerbate the everyday challenges of a family-run business, ADHD, and awakening adolescent sexuality. Named for Saint Anne, one of Quebecâs patron saints, Ani strives to live up to her namesake, but struggles with un-saintly feelings of irritation and envy toward her exuberant, impulsive, and sensual younger sister, Colette. An eclectic assortment of neighborsâa reclusive, wheelchair-bound amputee; an herbalist raising a playboy teenage grandson; and a newly arrived, handsome priest who turns out to be a special friend of Aniâs motherâprovide mystery and intrigue. They also play significant roles in Aniâs life, awakening her self-awareness and her understanding of spiritual struggles faced by previous generations. In this sensitive examination of the complexities of faith, Polak (The Middle of Everywhere) captures the perplexing nuances of a town whose economy depends on and caters to pilgrim tourists, which affects the beliefs of local inhabitants, creating both skeptics and devout believers. Ages 12âup.

March 15, 2011
Sixteen-year-old Ani, devout, straitlaced and anxious, could not be more different from her impious, free-spirited, sexually active 15-year-old sister, Colette. Ani takes after her mother, who runs Saintly Souvenirs, a tourist shop in the pilgrim town of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec; Colette is more like their nonbelieving dad. When Ani's mom is paralyzed in an accident, Ani turns to Father Francoeur, an old friend of her mother's newly returned from abroad. But Father Francoeur and Ani's mom have a shared past, and Ani's family is not quite as it seems. It would be a better story without religion. The basilica setting and the pilgrims coming in hope of a miracle are interesting, and it's clear they're intended to mirror Ani's family, but, as it is portrayed here, faith is more platitudes and glow-in-the-dark Jesus statues than a changing holy force. Take away God, and both story and characters would seem more real and less distracted. When their father demands, "What about the God you love so much?...Where is He now, when you really need Him?" it feels like Catholic paint-by-numbers. This tale falls into an old trap: Good-girl Ani is not well-developed enough to be wholly sympathetic, while Colette, the miscreant, is the star. There are better books about religious identity out there; try The Possibilities of Sainthood, by Donna Freitas (2008), for a start. (Fiction. 14 & up)

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June 1, 2011
Grades 8-12 Sixteen-year-old Ani and her slightly younger sister, Colette, live in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupr', a Quebec tourist town featuring a church dedicated to Mary's mother. The girls help out at the family souvenir shop, but although Ani is level-headed and responsible, Colette, who has attention deficit disorders, is impetuous and even a little wild. So when good-looking Maxim comes to town, Ani worries (correctly) about his relationship with her sister. If unprotected sex isn't enough, more troubles are on the horizon. The girls' mother is injured in a freak accident, leaving her a paraplegic. Then there's the new, handsome priest who returns to town. Ani wonders what kind of relationship he had with her mom back in the day. With so many YA novels being able to double as doorstops, it's odd to have a book that should be longer. The characters, teen and adult, are intriguing, as are their relationships with each other, making readers wish for a little layering. Still, with its unusual setting and fast pace, this should find an audience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)