Believe

August 12, 2013
Ten years ago, Janine lost her parents when a suicide bomber blew up a synagogue in Israel; she was the only one who survived the bombing, though her hands were seriously injured. Afterward, the professor who dug Janine out from the rubble turned into an internationally popular minister, claiming he saw stigmata in the girl’s hands. Though she is publicly known as the “Soul Survivor,” Janine avoids fame and any belief that she is special (“No matter what anybody says, I am not superhuman. I cannot change the world”). After Janine’s hands appear to heal two gravely hurt boys, she begins to wonder at her own power. Aronson (Beyond Lucky) has hold of a compelling premise, but the many subplots can be distracting, including a friend’s quest to save a community farm and Janine’s desire to be a fashion designer. Her story raises fascinating questions about fate versus luck, and who has the responsibility to make a difference in the world, but the convoluted plot weighs the story down. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency.

November 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-As a child, Janine, an American, was the only survivor of a suicide bomber's attack on a temple in Israel. Now 16 and living with her aunt in Pennsylvania, she wants to focus on getting into a good fashion design school and not be the center of any attention. But it is the 10th anniversary of the bombing, and the man who pulled Janine from the rubble is in town, courting the press. Dave Armstrong has become a preacher, and he feels that she is holy and has healing powers. Janine, a lifelong skeptic, tries to simply avoid Dave and his followers, but when they show up at her house, and she touches a boy in a wheelchair who then appears to walk, she begins to doubt everything in her life. Janine is a deeply complex character. As the anniversary of the explosion nears, she is alternately close and loving to her friends or angrily pushing them away. While many people would love to be famous, Janine had fame thrust upon her and grew up with it, affecting every day of her life. She lost her parents, her anonymity, and her innocence in that explosion. This is a book about faith, friendship, celebrity, family, and what pressure can do to someone. Readers may or may not agree with Janine's choices, but those choices always ring true. Aronson makes readers ponder how they would act in Janine's place. Hopefully they will never have to find out.-Geri Diorio, Ridgefield Library, CT

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