Waking

July 1, 2006
Gr 7-10 -Since her mother -s suicide, Beauty, 16, has been visited by the Shadow Lady in her dreams. The teen is withdrawn and desperate to avoid the stares and questions of her classmates. Her well-intentioned father has gone so far as to lock up everything with an edge, even to the point of forbidding the use of plastic utensils, in an attempt to prevent any other -accidents - in the house. Then in walks Luna, a new student who marches to the beat of her own drum. She tells Beauty that girls with weird names need to -stick together. - Slowly, Beauty begins to reclaim her life. She finds the confidence to paint again and takes tentative steps toward a relationship with her longtime crush. The allusions to Sleeping Beauty are well done and subtle. As Luna and a handsome male classmate named Poe provide the impetus for this Beauty -s awakening, her dream-life begins to take on a darker, more sinister -yet freeing -tone. This novel about waking up from a nightmare -literally and figuratively -is nicely crafted and will resonate with readers who are struggling with grief and similar emotions." -Elaine Baran Black, Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.