Intimacy and Midnight All Day

October 15, 2001
Gabriel's Gift is lighter entertainment, for though it concentrates on a fractured family, the reader knows throughout that it is only a matter of time before all will be reconciled. This is very much a comfy chair of a book, with colorful, witty characters enduring only minor shakeups in their lives before resuming their previous paths. There's Rex, an ex-glam rock star, now underemployed and recently evicted from the house by Christine, who's had enough of Rex's inactivity and worries about his impact on their son, Gabriel. Gabriel has a bear of a nanny to watch him as well as a gift that allows him to create real things just by drawing them, though this twist curiously remains largely unexplored. Gabriel's love for his dad and mum, a little bit of serendipity, and some responsibility on Rex's part (i.e., a job) helps to bring the family back together. The tale seems patchy but pleasant enough, especially for fans of the author. Marc Kloszewski, Indiana Free Lib., PA

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.