The Miracle Stealer

October 18, 2010
Big questions of faith, vocation, the power of prayer, and the possibility of miracles weave throughout this provocative and suspenseful tale, in which inexplicable occurrences in nature and interpersonal relationships lead individuals and communities to deep spiritual longings. How could a three-year-old boy survive being buried alive for three days? Why would a loving father abandon his family? Did a long-dead woman's curse cause a lake's fish to die? Nineteen-year-old Anderson narrates her rationalistic battle against her mother and the townspeople of Paradise, Pa., who blend superstitious beliefs with testimonial-based, community-led Christian worship, and perceive Daniel's astonishing rescue as a miraculous sign. When neighbors begin attributing healings and transformations to her brother, now six years old, and demanding his prayers, Anderson reminds Daniel, "you ain't special." Increasingly frightened for Daniel's safety and well-being, she undertakes a plan to dispel belief in Daniel's "special" powers, at great personal risk. Deftly avoiding stereotypes and caricatures, Connelly (Michael's Scales) creates an alternately ominous and wholesome atmosphere in which the mysteries of friendship, hope, sacrifice, love, and prayer reveal a community's spiritual complexity. Ages 14–up.

December 1, 2010

Gr 7 Up-When Andi Grant's brother, Daniel, was three, he survived being buried for three days after falling down an old well. The residents of Paradise, PA, have prayed together for his life, rejoiced and praised God when he was recovered alive, and the townspeople slowly begin to believe that he could perform miracles. Andi, a teen who has always had solid faith, sees it begin to crumble as the pressures grow for Daniel to intercede with God. She is happy to see the mania stop after Daniel's prayers are unable to save a dying woman, but three years later, he "assists" in the birth of a baby, and it starts again. This story is complicated, but Connelly paces it well. However, the novel might have a problematic religious stance for some readers. A few elements seem to suggest that Andi was punished by God as she and her boyfriend were considering having sex for the first time when Daniel fell down the well. An avid runner, she loses her leg during an attempt to stage an accident to debunk her brother. The main characters lack believability. Daniel's mother has no problem with her three-year-old son being pressured into interceding for an entire town. Andi has little internal dialogue as she wrestles with her beliefs. Nor does she attempt to talk with anyone about the possibility of miracles. Daniel, as both a three- and a six-year-old, seems to be unfazed by the scads of believers who flock to him seeking help. If readers are not bothered by the lackluster attention paid to the deep questions raised and focus solely on the action, they could be satisfied.-Emily Chornomaz, West Orange Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 1, 2010
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* The power and danger of religion receives a realistic, gutsyand yet movingly spiritualexamination in this ambitious and graceful drama. You aint special is what 19-year-old Andi tells her 6-year-old brother, Daniel, over and over. Its for his own protection: ever since he was rescued from a well on national TV as a baby, he has been known as Miracle Boy, and his prayers and touches have purportedly remedied everything from stillborns to arthritis. Despite Andis objections, her devout mother feels it is their duty to help othersespecially during the Paradise Days festival that, it is hoped, will bring tourists back to their struggling town. Andi is a remarkable protagonist, a no-bullshit atheist convinced that this superstitious crap will damage her brother. Secondary characters breathe just as deeply: a horribly scarred but gentle reverend; Andis ex-boyfriend, dragged into her dangerous Anti-Miracle Plan; and a creepy lurker known as Scarecrow who wants to test Daniel. Rarely has the dilemma of miracles been articulated so succinctly; if people start changing for the better, is it a miracle regardless of the impetus? Connelly writes with such calm assurancenever too much, never too littlethat what could have been an overwhelming epic is instead a slim book that reads with miraculous speed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)