Journey's End

September 5, 2016
Adventure and friendship are the hallmarks of Hawkins’s (the Rebel Belle series) magical, mystical tale of a small Scottish town and the encroaching fog that threatens it. Nolie Stanhope, 12, is visiting Journey’s End to spend time with her scientist father, who is studying a strange weather phenomenon known as the Boundary. Bel is the same age as Nolie and grew up in town, surrounded by stories of the mysterious fog that now keeps the town afloat with tourism. On the way to becoming friends, the two girls encounter Albert, a 12-year-old boy lost to the sea and fog nearly a century earlier. Together, the trio must find a way to keep the Boundary from swallowing up Journey’s End forever. Filled with delightful interactions and characterizations, the story meanders happily through local myth and legend, seamlessly blending an American and Scottish perspectives while marrying current events with those of a time long past. Rife with emotion and adventure, Hawkins’s novel celebrates the joyful explorations of childhood and the sometimes-difficult lessons learned with age. Ages 8–12. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary.

August 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-Hawkins's latest middle grade novel is a spooky tale of friendship and adventure set on the gloomy and fog-shrouded coast of Scotland. Nolie Stanhope isn't looking forward to spending her summer in a remote village in Scotland, until she learns about the Boundary, the mysterious fog bank lurking just off the coast of the village of Journey's End. While her scientist father searches to unearth the secrets of the Boundary, most of the residents of Journey's End seem content with fearful coexistence. When a strange boy appears on the beach and the Boundary starts moving closer to the shore, Nolie and her new friend Bel must search for the truth and find a way to stop the Boundary before it's too late. The story is well paced and suspenseful, and readers are sure to relate to the doubts and thrills as Nolie and Bel overcome their apprehension and become great friends. The family relationships are especially poignant, and several secondary characters help to progress the plot and provide tension. The dreary Scottish weather and a liberal sprinkling of Scottish slang and jargon add to the atmosphere; however, there isn't much depth to the myths and mysteries that create the Boundary, which makes the easily accomplished ending feel somewhat unsatisfying. VERDICT A suspenseful book; recommended for younger middle grade readers who would like something slightly scary that doesn't delve deeply into more ominous themes.-Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library, RI

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