Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Sixteen-year-old Hailey Tarbell can't wait for the day she'll leave Gypsum, Missouri, far behind, taking only four-year-old Chub, the developmentally-delayed little boy her cruel drug-dealing grandmother fosters for the state money.
Jenny's Review:
Hailey Tarbell lives with her grandmother in Gypsum, Missouri and really does not have a lot going for her. Her grandmother is not the ideal parent (she deals drugs and allows men to come to the house to smoke and get drunk) and Hailey ends up having to take care of her foster brother, Chub, who has something wrong with him. Her school is hard because she is an outcast who everyone stays away from and she does not understand why. One day a student hits her head in gym and Hailey is drawn to touch her, when she does she starts whispering words and then the girl wakes up. This experience scares Hailey who does not understand that she is a healer, with the powers to heal others. When some strange men show up in her town and she finds some things hidden in her closet she starts to worry. Then her aunt Prairie shows up and tells her that they need to escape Hailey does not know what to believe. She didn’t even know she had an aunt. But when the strange men storm her house and her grandmother is killed Hailey runs with Prairie. On this journey she finds out about her mothers past, who her father is, and much more about her gift. But will it be enough for her and Prairie to stay safe and to keep Chub safe with her?
This was a great book. I did not want to put it down! I felt for the character Hailey as she struggled to find her place in the world. And felt sorrow for her that her life with her grandmother was not better for her. I love how the characters emotions were portrayed because you felt like you knew her. I thought the story line was good because you really couldn’t stop reading when the action was going on because you wanted to see how it was going to play out. I thought the twists at the end were definitely unexpected, and the book totally leaves you hanging. That was the only frustrating part, I want to know what happens. I turned past the last chapter and thought "Wait a minute that cant be the end!!". Thank goodness this is the first in the series because I can’t wait to read what happens next!! Great high school or older read, the fact that the grandma deals drugs out of the house makes it a little difficult life situation for younger readers.
Other books in the series:
Unforsaken (available now)
Author website:
*Reviewed by Jenny
*This book was purchased for personal reading.
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