Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Nominated for the Beehive YA Book Award

Ratings Explanation

Language:  Profanity sprinkled throughout the book.   The name of diety used.

Violence:  Alice’s boyfriend was beaten by his father.

Sexual Content:  Alice frequently describes her feelings when she is with Blaze.  Neck nuzzling, long, warm, soft, wet kisses.  For Blaze’s 17th birthday present, he asks Alice if he could take her to a nice hotel and “do it”  for the first time.  Alice agrees right up to the very end and then changes her mind.  Blaze is surprisingly understanding of her feelings and supports her decision.

Adult Themes:  Alice’s mother dies of cancer.  Her father remarries a women named Victoria.  They have a child together which is a hard adjustment for Alice.  Alice wants to talk to someone about whether or not to “do it” with Blaze.  She decides to ask her dad but the moment is never right.  Alice and Victoria are stranded along with the baby in a car in the middle of a snowstorm.  After waiting days to be rescued, Victoria decides to leave Ivy in Alice’s care and try to find help.

Synopsis

Alice is struggling to to find her place in the family.  Her dad remarried after her mother died of cancer and now the new wife, Victoria, has a baby and everyone is excited except for Alice.  All she feels is that she has been replaced.  Alice finds solace in the music that she composes for her church group.  Unfortunately, her best friend and musical companion has decided to take a break from Alice and her gloomy tunes.  Shortly thereafter,  Alice is asked to accompany her dad, Victoria, and new step-sister to Washington for Thanksgiving, it really is the last straw.  She struggles to be pleasant through small sleeping quarters and entertaining old people.  To make things worse, her dad receives an urgent call from work and must fly out immediately.  Alice is left to drive home alone with Victoria and the new baby.  She decides to take a sleep aide and avoid as much conversation as possible.   Alice abruptly awakes to her stepmom pounding the steering wheel in frustration and revving the engine in an attempt to free the vehicle from a snowbank.  Victoria had taken the backroads to avoid excess  traffic on the main road caused by an accident.  Now they are stranded in the middle of a storm.  With only a few snacks, diapers and bottles, they decide to wait for a rescue.  The time in the car gives Victoria and Alice a chance to finally get to know each other.   Alice discovers that her stepmom is actually a pretty decent person.  As the hours turn into days and the meager supplies dwindle, Victoria decides that she must brave the storm and go for help.  Alice is scared, hungry and cold.  She misses her mother terribly and feels deep remorse for not making up with her best friend before leaving.  Soon fear replaces all other emotions as she struggles to keep her little stepsister alive and warm.  As she drifts in and out of sleep, an angel visits Alice and gives her hope to hang on.  She sees and hears her mother in the angel’s face and voice.  Peace overcomes fear.  Help arrives and the two sisters are taken to the hospital.  While there, Alice experiences more than just a physical recovery as she finds forgiveness and love in her friends and family.

This book caught my eye because it is 355 pages entirely written in verse.  This  style, for which the author is known, is unique and brought a journal like feel to the text.  I think that an inexperienced reader would identify with the story and enjoy the writing  style, not to mention you feel pretty good reading such a thick book so fast.