Tag Archives: London

Review: The Enchanted Harp by Clinton Festa

The Enchanted Harp by Clinton FestaThe Enchanted Harp
Clinton Festa
SynergEbooks
Published March 20, 2014

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On an errand for the king, Lillian discovers two things: a handsome boy and an unusual harp. The boy helps her bring the harp home where she examines it more closely. The harp, which has the power to play beautifully on its own, communicates with Lilly. Her mother, whom Lilly lost when she was very young, speaks to her through the notes on the strings.

Overjoyed, Lilly loses no time reconnecting with her mother and beginning the arduous process of learning to play the harp. But the harp, it seems, or perhaps God himself has his own plans for Lilly and her harp. A dark force seeks to put the poorer neighborhoods of London under its power, and only Lilly and the harp can stop it.

The cast of characters is broad, fun and quirky. Lilly’s three godmothers are a hoot and keep things lively. Though the premise of the story may seem a little cheesy, the humor keeps it cute and the spiritual elements resonate with connections to stories from scripture. The relationship between Lilly and her mother and Lilly’s relationship with the boy add an element of tenderness as well.

Language Content
Mild use of crude language and profanity.

Sexual Content
One of Lilly’s godmothers makes a few brief sexual references.

Spiritual Content
Lilly finds comfort in spiritual guidance from a priest and in playing before church congregations. More than one miracle occurs while she plays. She participates in spiritual battles against demons through playing music on the harp.

Violence
Brief references to gang violence. A retired knight is murdered and a church burned down. A man tries to have Lilly killed. Very few details.

Drug Content
Lilly enters a bar hoping to play her harp to get the attention of those who oppose her.

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

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Review: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

The Geography of You and Me
Jennifer E Smith
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published April 15, 2014

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On a hot summer night, the lights go out on the east coast, dropping Manhattan into an unfamiliar blackness. Sixteen year-old Lucy and seventeen year-old Owen, strangers who live in the same building, share a few moments trapped in an elevator which blossoms into hours spent talking under the night sky.

Just as the two begin to connect, their lives propel them apart: Owen to the west coast and his father’s unending job hunt and Lucy to the Europe she’s coveted the last sixteen years. Only postcards span the distance between them until the night they can’t bear to be separated any longer.

The usual romantic formula has the hero and heroine in the same room (or at least the same city) a high percentage of the story. Smith’s bold departure from the expected routine of romance is a risky move that absolutely pays off. As Owen and Lucy explore the new terrain of their lives, their shared longing for one another anchors the story together.

One of the pleasant surprises in the story was the growth in the relationships between each character and his/her parents. Without violating the sacred teen need for privacy, Owen’s dad and Lucy’s mom reveal that despite their issues, they’ve been paying attention. In a genre cluttered by too many flaky caricatures of parents, it was refreshing to see such human examples of loving parents.

The sweet romance and witty banter between Lucy and Owen make this a charming story. It’s a pretty clean read (see below for details) and probably best suited to readers aged fourteen to seventeen.

Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Sexual Content
Limited kissing. Brief references to a girl wondering why she hasn’t brought her boyfriend home to her parents’ empty house for some unsupervised time.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
Cigarettes/smoking is blamed for Owen’s mother’s fatal car accident. Owen treasures a cigarette that belonged to his mother, but he is not a smoker.

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

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