Books,  Reviews

YA Review: Flickering Hope by Naomi Kinsman

Flickering Hope by Naomi KinsmanFlickering Hope (Faithgirlz!) by Naomi Kinsman
Reviewed by: Lori Twichell
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Publication Date: November 7, 2011

Sadie Douglas is finally starting to settle into her new home of Owl Creek. She never expected to fall in love with the bears that her father has come to work with, but now she’s definitely a fan and she’s got her favorites.

As the story opens, some things have definitely changed. Frankie, her nemesis from book one, seems to be making some changes. She even appears to want to be Sadie’s friend! Ruth and Andrew, Sadie’s closest friends, are convinced that Frankie is up to no good, but Sadie isn’t so sure. And she’s worried about her favorite bear, Patch, who is hibernating for the winter months with her cubs. Rumor is that Frankie’s dad is trying to find the bear and kill her and her cubs. Sadie will not let that happen if she can help it! And what about that mysterious little girl that she met in the woods? How does she play into this story.

With great wit, insight and passion, Naomi Kinsman ushers Sadie (and her readers) through another crazy couple of months in her young life. This book ended up being my favorite in the entire series so far. I really enjoyed the changes that happened in Sadie’s world at this point and how she handled them. I also loved the way that the story played out. The various mysteries in this one were interesting and it was fun to watch Sadie wade through them.

Though this book was fun and had a lot of lighthearted moments, it would be hard to ignore Sadie’s struggles. With a mom who isn’t really healthy and some serious situations that could be life threatening, these books pack a powerful punch. Unlike the ‘teenage angst’ that is so popular in many other YA books, the drama and chaos here is more realistic and down to earth. I think that a lot of teenagers will be able to identify with the overwhelming anxiety and stress involved in a lot of Sadie’s circumstances.

Again, another knock it out of the ballpark adventure from Naomi Kinsman! Even as an adult I was engaged and I loved being able to share that joy of a book with my daughter. We both enjoyed this one tremendously.

Rated G: there are some overwhelming and stressful situations in here – but the book is great for the recommended age of 9 and up.