Review: Into the Free by Julie Cantrell

intothefreeInto the Free
Julie Cantrell
Thomas Nelson (first published in 2012 by David C. Cook)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Millie has grown up watching the Romany travelers make their yearly trek through her Mississippi town and on into the free. She longs to leave her abusive father and poverty-stricken life behind and follow them, but who would care for Mama if she goes? When tragedy swallows Millie’s family, she’s left with only the memory of her mother’s faith to guide her. A window into her father’s secret life opens to Millie, and she finds an unexpected community among his friends. As the day draws near for the Romany to return and the one person Millie has counted on to save her will appear, she finds herself torn between the life she always wanted and the life she’s learning to embrace. She’ll have to choose one path, and hope it’s the one that leads away from the long history of abuse in her family.

The prose in this story is heart-achingly beautiful. It’s no wonder the first edition of this title won the Christy Award back in 2013. Millie’s relationships are deeply developed and complex, from her friendship with the older man, Sloth, who lives next door to her family, to her relationships with each of her parents in the midst of the abuse that takes place between them.

I felt like Millie’s reactions to things, especially early on through the middle of the story definitely fit with my picture of her as the victim of and witness to abuse. There’s one moment late in the story in which something really big happens, and I felt like Millie’s reaction is much too small and she moves on much too fast. (I’m hoping that in the sequel, we get a better understanding of why this happened and how she didn’t move on the way she might want us to think she did.)

I had a bit of a hard time with the romance of the story. I wanted it to follow an entirely different course, so I had a hard time adjusting when it didn’t follow that course. Eventually I came to understand and respect Millie’s choice, but again, the part of the story where she actually makes her choice for her future felt rushed or forced, and the jilted lover is kind of like, aww, man. Yeah, okay. So I wasn’t sure what to do with that. Did he not care about her the way I thought he did? What was that supposed to mean? Regardless, by that point I was okay with her choosing the other option, so maybe it was okay.

The sequel crosses into a more new adult story, following Millie into her new marriage and watching her deal with the unresolved issues of her past in the context of marriage. I’m really eager to see how that story unfolds. The idea reminds me a little bit of Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith (who also wrote A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, one of my favorite classics.)

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Millie and River sneak away from the gypsy camp and kiss. She feels alive inside when she’s with him, and even spends one night asleep beside him in a field.

Millie suffers a trauma (see spoiler section if you want to know details.) A wise woman tells her that you want to marry someone who is steady and safe, not someone who makes you head-over-heels crazy about them. She reads this advice as true especially considering what happened when her mother risked everything to marry her father.

Spiritual Content
Millie’s grandfather is a preacher who is all about rules. Millie’s mom has a deep faith in God despite the fact that she lives the life of an outcast. There’s a strong theme throughout the story in which a living spiritual faith is juxtaposed against rule-oriented religion. Millie rejects the empty rule-bound religion and clings to the memory of her mother quoting scripture and her messages about God’s love for people.

Violent Content
Millie’s dad beats her mother, once so badly that she has to be hospitalized.

Drug Content
Millie’s mother uses a morphine-like medication to relieve pain from injuries and also to escape emotional pain. It nearly costs her life.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

SPOILER ALERT AND TRIGGER WARNING
A man rapes Millie. It’s not deeply described, but Millie’s response is included, and reading that was rough. Sensitive readers should take caution. Afterward, she is angry, but she puts the whole event aside very quickly to pursue a romantic relationship with a boy who loves her. I felt like that all happened very quickly. I wasn’t sure I really believed a girl who’d been raped so recently would immediately take off and offer to marry someone. It sounds like the sequel deals more deeply with this experience, so that might explain why Millie shoved it aside so abruptly and show her need for healing.

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Upcoming Reviews: June 2016

June 2016

It’s summer time again, and here in FL, kids are already out of school. (We’ll be crying the second week of August when we have to go back and all you northerners have weeks left of summer fun.) We’ve got lots of things planned, including the obligatory beach days, and hopefully a bit of butterfly gardening. Plus, of course, lots of reading time.

Here’s a list of books you can expect to see reviewed on The Story Sanctuary over the next several weeks. Some of these have been on my list for quite some time, and I’m excited to have a chance to finally read them. I’ve been trying to work in more of the Christian young adult authors out there, so you’ll see a few listed here along with some big names flying off bookshelves in the general market. See one you’re excited about? Leave a comment!

The Crowd by Alleece Balts

Amazon | Goodreads

When seventeen year-old Ella is accepted to a prestigious school, she’d prepared for the attention that comes of being the new girl. What she’s not prepared for is the relentless torment that comes at the hands of The Crowd. What will it take to make them stop? I think what I’m hoping for here is a cleaner version of Some Girls Are, in which the message that revenge is the solution to teen bullying left me unsatisfied. The description on Goodreads promises a journey of faith, so I’m also curious to see how that’s integrated into the story.

Lucky Strikes by Louis Bayard

Amazon | Goodreads

Apparently I’m going through a Depression-era literature binge. Fourteen year-old Amelia suddenly finds herself responsible for her siblings and the family gas station after her mother dies. Amelia will do whatever it takes to keep her family out of foster care, even if she has to convince a hobo to pose as her father.

Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine

Amazon | Goodreads

Imagine a dystopian world in which the Library is the evil, oppressive force. Fascinating, right? History can only be accessed through the organization called The Great Library. Owning books is a crime. I’m stoked.

Into the Free by Julie Cantrell

Amazon | Goodreads

This one has actually been on my list for a long time. I love historical fiction, so I’m excited about the Depression-era setting. Millie journeys to break the cycle of abuse in her family, find love and reconcile her broken faith. Super keen to read this novel.

When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell

Amazon | Goodreads

This is actually the sequel to Into the Free and the continuation of Millie’s story as she explores her new marriage and wrestles with some unresolved secrets from her past. Again, I’m looking forward to the historical setting and the strong spiritual themes of this novel.

Grayling’s Song by Karen Cushman

Amazon | Goodreads

Grayling and a team of magical misfits embark on a quest to save her mother from a spell which turns her into a tree. As Grayling earns her independence, she soon finds her former life at home too confining and sets out on another journey of her own. I love the oddness of the group who helps Grayling.

The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone

Amazon | Goodreads

Maddie and her family set sail on a “death with dignity” cruise to honor her terminally ill Gram’s wishes. Losing my grandmothers was one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through, so I knew as soon as I saw the blurb that I wanted to read this book.

Ophelia Adrift by Helen Goltz

Amazon | Goodreads

I think this book had me at Ophelia Montague. As I read the description, the names really jumped out at me. If the story is as intriguing as its characters’ names, it’ll be one of my favorites this year.

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Amazon | Goodreads

I get chills when I read the description of this book. I remember watching the footage of the Twin Towers falling on September 11, 2001. As my daughter grows up, I imagine her experience to be a little bit like the characters in these books, exploring what this event means to our country without having been alive to witness the towers falling herself. I think we need strong narratives that explore these issues of who we are as a country and how that fits into our culture today.

10 Steps to Girlfriend Status by Cynthia Toney

Amazon | Goodreads

I reviewed the first book in this series, which, at the time was called Bird Face (it’s now called 8 Notes to a Nobody) and really enjoyed the story about a girl who struggles to love how she looks and learn what it is to be a real friend. In this second book, Wendy uncovers a secret in the old photo album of a family friend with Alzheimer’s.

The Queen’s Poisoner by Jeff Wheeler

Amazon | Goodreads

When I asked author Jeff Wheeler what inspired him to write The Queen’s Poisoner, he named this question: if a parent had to choose one of their children to die, whom would they pick? I was pretty intrigued by the story already, but that really got me. I loved The Scorpion Rules, another novel that explores a world in which children are kept as political prisoners. I’m definitely anticipating a great read here.

Review: Rebel by R J Anderson

Rebel
R J Anderson
Enclave

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

A disciplinary issue at boarding school sends Timothy Sinclair to live with his aunt and uncle. While there, he meets a bizarre creature he never would have believed existed: a tiny, winged girl named Linden who desperately needs his help.

As Timothy becomes caught in Linden’s grave mission, he draws the attention of dark faeries. Soon, hunters close in on their trail. The only hope lies in a myth about a white stone that could secure the freedom of Linden’s people, faeries living in the Oak on Timothy’s aunt and uncle’s property. Timothy and Linden must find the stone before the deadly hunters catch them.

Yet again author R J Anderson brings us a unique tale about faeries in modern England and the humans who vow to protect them. I loved that this time the faery world expanded to include other faery kingdoms, each with their own myths and beliefs about how to interact with humans.

While I wasn’t as captivated by Timothy as I had been with Paul in Knife, the first book in the series, he definitely grew on me. I enjoyed the references to his life in Uganda, and the descriptions of his spiritual journey throughout the story. I missed the Oak and its inhabitants, so I hope to see more of them in the next book in the series, called Arrow. I loved the addition of the male faeries, too. I can’t wait to see where those stories go.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Timothy grew up with missionary parents in Uganda. He’s been attending a Christian boarding school in England, but he’s really struggling with whether or not he believes in Christian doctrine. Along his journey, he meets some very kind, very authentic Believers and while their faith doesn’t immediately reinstate Timothy’s he does find himself energized to search and ask deeper questions of the beliefs he’s been raised with, and he feels much more confident about pursuing faith.

As with the first book in this series, Rebel contains faeries who possess magic. The faeries make references to the Great Gardener, whom we understand to mean God. Some faeries believe in living lives invisible to humans while others form friendships or relationships with them. Some evil faeries use their magic to take advantage of humans.

Violent Content
Some brief battle scenes. Nothing gory.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: An Uncertain Choice by Jodi Hedlund

An Uncertain Choice
Jodi Hedlund
Zondervan

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

As Rosemarie’s eighteenth birthday nears, she prepares to fulfill the sacred vow her parents made and become a nun. She struggles to accept this role even as her kingdom is in turmoil at the hands of a sheriff who enforces cruel punishment and unexplained plagues that ravage the poorest citizens. Then, one month before her birthday, an old family friend rides into her kingdom with news: Rosemarie may have another option. If she can find and marry her true love before midnight on her eighteenth birthday, she will not have to enter the convent. Three knights accompany Rosemarie’s advisor. She must find out if one of them is her true love.

I felt like this story was kind of like the Ever After retelling of Cinderella, but with the Prince and Cinderella’s character kind of reversed? I really liked the concept of having this really short timeline to find out which man is Rosemarie’s true love and what is love and that sort of thing, with the clock counting down in the background.

One of the things I always struggle with in reading medieval stories is the way the writing, especially in dialogue, can be extremely stilted. I shall see what may be done about this unfortunate circumstance, etc. I tend not to enjoy that sort of thing because it’s just not how I imagine the characters talking and it sounds really forced to me. But that’s a personal preference. If you prefer that style, this is definitely a book to check out.

There were a couple of plot issues that I kind of hiccuped over, too. The largest was the idea that Rosemarie would become a nun and still also rule her kingdom. I guess I thought that you had to forsake worldly goods when you join a convent. I’m not sure if that’s a faulty perception on my part, or if I was supposed to willingly suspend my disbelief in the reading of this story. Either way, I understand why the stakes were set up that way, but it confused me. I kept wanting someone in the story to be like, yeah, but remember how King What’s-His-Beard was a monk and still ruled? Something to kind of let me off the hook for wondering. But alas.

The romance element of the story was very sweet. I liked that she had to kind of work out what was important to her in terms of choosing a husband and that her chosen knight shared her values. There were definitely some things that happened I didn’t expect, so that was good, too. The plot definitely wasn’t as simple as I expected it to be. I liked that.

The cover art and some of the way the story is told reminded me a bit of Melanie Dickerson’s novels. I’ve reviewed The Princess Spy here if you want to check it out.

Because of some brief graphic description of torture, this might not be a great pick for tweens, though the other parts of the story are certainly light enough. See below for more information on content.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
There’s some sexual tension between Rosemarie and the three knights. She wonders repeatedly what it will be like to kiss them. There is one kiss in the book.

Spiritual Content
Rosemarie has grown up believing that when she turns eighteen, she’ll have to become a nun because of a vow her parents made when they received help from a holy artifact to conceive her. When Rosemarie feels troubled, she spends time in prayer and seeks council from a trusted advisor within the church.

Violent Content
Rosemarie is passionately opposed to the use of torture to punish her people for even serious crimes. The local sheriff disregards her wishes and tortures several criminals by various methods which are described briefly. Torture comes up several more times throughout the story. The most graphic description, I thought was when a woman’s head is placed in some kind of restraining device so that her tongue can be removed. That scene lasts a bit longer than the others, and had more painful descriptions.

Drug Content
A goblet of ale is poisoned at a feast.

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Review: I Woke Up Dead at the Mall by Judy Sheehan

I Woke Up Dead at the Mall
Judy Sheehan
Delacorte Press

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When Sarah wakes up, still wearing the mango-colored monstrosity of a bridesmaid dress, she is surprised by two things: she’s far from her New York home in the Mall of America, and she’s dead. Murdered. Sarah’s mentor encourages her (and the other teen ghosts who’ve taken up residence in the mall) to let go of her past, but Sarah can’t let go, especially when she learns what happened and realizes someone she loves is still in terrible danger. Now she can’t rest in peace until her murderer has been stopped and her family saved.

The concept of this story might be a bit dark, but the playful, frank voice definitely adds some spunk to the tale. As Sarah’s tale unfolds, she relates to the reader as if recounting an adventure to her closest friends. At the mall, she’s surrounded by a colorful group of teens, each with different pasts and baggage. Sarah’s relationship with them is dynamic and challenges her to go beyond her limits. By contrast, Sarah’s relationships with her family feel a bit cliché and underdeveloped. The story centers around Sarah and her friends, kind of a contemporary teen version of the 1990s film Heart and Souls. Readers looking for a warm-and-fuzzy story about unexpected love and second chances will enjoy the humor and romance of this tale.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used with moderate frequency. One character in particular is a bit mouthy.

Romance/Sexual Content
Mouthy girl relates that she loves sex and the others (who all died as virgins) totally missed out. Not much detail about her particular experiences other than that she had a much more pleasurable experience with one boyfriend over another. She humiliates the latter about his lack of ability and he becomes angry.

Sarah shares kisses and sleeps next to a boy. At one point, she removes her clothes in front of him, but they are interrupted before much happens between them.

Spiritual Content
The central characters are all ghosts, teens who were murdered. They are strongly discouraged from trying to craft revenge or haunt their murderers and instead instructed to resolve lingering feelings from their lives and move on to be reincarnated. Or, if the person has died saving someone else, they will have the option to become and angel. Two children rule over the ghostly community, known collectively as the BOY, or Boss of You.

Both Sarah and her mother experienced a kind of premonition during their lifetimes, a warning sense that things were about to happen. Once, Sarah used her gift to save a woman’s life.

One of the boys Sarah meets has died through an assisted suicide. The other teens defends his choice and the actions of the family member who helped him.

Violent Content
One girl recounts her death at the hands of an employer whose advances she refused. It’s brief and not gory, but violent. Another girl is pushed off a bridge and crash lands on top of a car. (That’s about all the detail we get in the story, too.)

Drug Content
References to teen drinking.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Author Interview with Kenley Davidson

One of the best books I read recently happens to be Kenley Davidson’s debut novel, Traitor’s Masque. Today Kenley joins me to talk about what inspired the story and what’s coming next in the Andari Chronicles.

What inspired you to write a retelling of the Cinderella story? Is there a version of the story you found particularly inspirational?

I don’t know what this says about me, but I think what inspired me most was that I had never read a version of Cinderella that I could get very excited about. My kids had watched the animated movie several thousand times, and there was always that parental voice in my head that wanted to say to them, “No! This isn’t how love works. Please don’t actually choose a spouse this way!” So I think part of what drove me was an ambition to tell a story that is absolutely magical in a way that didn’t make me want to roll my eyes at the heroine.
I should probably also blame the fact that I grew up on fairy tales. It was Robin McKinley’s books that first made me want to be a writer, when I read Beauty and The Blue Sword and discovered not only delightful adventures, but female main characters that I could actually relate to! You could say, in a sense, that it was Aerin and Harry and Beauty who were my first inspiration for Traitor’s Masque.

Ha!! I should have known you were a McKinley fan. Those are two of my favorites as well. And I agree with you about growing up watching the Cinderella movies. It’s never been my favorite story, probably for all the reasons you mentioned.

In looking at your other novels, I see that you’ve continued to retell fairytales in the same story-world as Traitor’s Masque. (I love this idea!) Are you working on a fourth fairytale now? Are you able to share anything about your current project?

I actually have two more that are currently in the early stages of development, meaning that I’m plotting them out in my head. Fortunately my family is willing to put up with me muttering and occasionally laughing to myself while I do this. Book 4 is most likely going to be a retelling of Snow White, which I intend to be a short novel, much like Goldheart. Given that I am not very good at “short” books, I offer this information tentatively, and with great reservations. I can promise that Book 4 will feature characters from all three previous books. Book 5, which at this point is looking like a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, is definitely going to tend more towards the ginormous and dramatic, and will have recurring characters from Traitor’s Masque and Pirouette.

At the moment I’m trying to tell myself that I’m going to take a break from the past six months of pushing the publishing schedule too hard, but I don’t think my writer brain is going to cooperate — too many stories to tell!

I feel like I should offer sympathy for your being pinned under a very driving muse. Instead, I’m like oh, yay! More Andari books! 🙂

It seems like fairytale retellings are really popular right now. With so many authors retelling these classic stories, is there a fairytale that you feel gets overlooked today?

There are so many great fairy tales, but some are simply much more difficult than others to retell — to somehow maintain the shape of the original while making it unique, deeply real and culturally palatable for modern readers. I have always loved both “Snow White and Rose Red” and “Bear-skin” (yeah, not sure what it is with the bear theme) but haven’t figured out yet how to retell them in a way I’m excited about. I know there are a few versions of those out there, but not nearly as many as some of the more popular tales.

Rose Red was one of my favorites when I was little. I would love to see both of those come to life – but you’re right – it has to capture the story and be something that gets you excited. I’ll hang on hoping for that spark of inspiration to hit. 🙂

What’s your favorite moment from Traitor’s Masque?

That might be like asking me to pick a favorite book (one of my least favorite questions ever… how do I even begin to choose???). As a writer, I enjoyed the moments of high tension and character confrontation the most, especially the scene at the top of the stairs at Westhaven. But, as a reader, I think my absolute favorite moment is in the final chapter, where Trystan is asking for forgiveness. There are so many opportunities there for both characters to choose an easy way out, or to choose to protect themselves at the expense of the other’s pain, but they don’t. That scene, to me, is the most romantic part of the whole book and it still makes me sigh a little when I read it.

Aaaargh!! That was a great scene. I really like the movie Ever After, but that last scene where Danielle and the prince reunite always fell a little flat for me. Traitor’s Masque definitely carried that scene well. 🙂

One of my favorite things about Traitor’s Masque was that it wasn’t simply a regurgitation of the Cinderella story. I loved the elements of intrigue and the tension between the two princes. What inspired you to create Rowan as a sort of warped Prince Charming?

Honestly, Rowan just happened. Initially, I knew I needed an antagonist that would be more of a threat than the ubiquitous stepmother. Cinderella is often a very passive character, and the most dramatic thing that happens to her is being locked in her room. I really wanted for her to experience more of a challenge, and to do more than wait for her fairy godmother to fix things. I also wanted “the prince” to be a strong character in his own right, which meant he needed some conflict in his life as well. Rowan sort of appeared on the page fully-formed, though I didn’t realize until later that he would be a big part of what tied the whole series together. Horribly enough, he is an incredibly fun character to write, and in some ways, he’s as much the Trickster as the Villain.

Oooh. I didn’t even think about him appearing in later stories. He definitely kept things lively and added a lot of tension. I never knew exactly what he was going to say next. I loved his entrance at the ball.

What do you hope readers take away from Traitor’s Masque?

For me, this was a book about what it really means to grow up. Falling in love and happily ever afters are great, but Trystan and Ramsey’s story isn’t primarily about their romance, it’s about their mistakes. Everybody makes them, but it’s what we do with them afterwards that matters. If there’s one thing I would want my own kids to take away from this story, it would be this: take responsibility for your mistakes. Learn from them, but don’t let them define you or shame you. And always remember that even our worst mistakes can be a part of something beautiful that we never would have seen coming!

That’s a great take-away and a great life lesson.

What are some of your favorite recent reads and what made them stand out to you?

I wish I could say I’d read a lot of amazing new books recently, but, sadly, that would be a lie. The ugly truth? When I’m stressed, I comfort-read old favorites. It’s kind of like wrapping up in a blanket and hanging out with a friend.
My most recent comfort reads? One I go back to a lot is Edenbrooke, by Julianne Donaldson. It’s a sweet and fun regency novel with a believable plot, lovable characters and an adorable romance that gives me all the warm fuzzies every time I read it. It’s my go-to when I’ve already read Northanger Abbey and Sanditon too many times for the year. I also recently re-read Running Barefoot by Amy Harmon. This book hits me in a lot of deep places (not least because it has a main character who carries around a dictionary). It’s about love and family and identity and art and dreams and it’s ridiculously romantic. I think what I like most about it is getting to see the whole process of two utterly different characters growing into their dreams and learning what love has to do with sacrifice. Well, I do like that part, but if I’m scrupulously honest, I mostly love the fact that it’s ridiculously romantic…

The book I’m currently re-reading is The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, not because it’s comforting, but because it reminds me what words are capable of. That book has so much beauty and complexity in its details, in its prose, in its relationships, a beauty that I think is even more evident because of the starkness of the setting. After I read a book like this, I feel simultaneously humbled by the fact that there are people who can do such glorious things with words, and encouraged to work harder at my own writing because so much beauty is possible.

That’s an awesome list. YES to all that you said about Scorpio Races, especially. And thanks for being here today!

About Kenley Davidson

Kenley Davidson is a story-lover, word-nerd and incurable introvert who is most likely to be found either writing or hiding somewhere with a book.

A native Oregonian, Kenley now resides in Oklahoma, where she persists in remaining a devoted pluviophile. Addictions include coffee, roller coasters, more coffee, researching random facts, and reading the dictionary (which is way more fun than it sounds). A majority of her time is spent being mom to two kids and two dogs while inventing reasons not to do laundry (most of which seem to involve books).

(Author bio from her web site.)

Check out Traitor’s Masque and other books in the Andari Chronicles

Goodreads | Amazon | Kenley Davidson’s web site