Today's March MG Madness post features my review of The Marble Queen and a give away for a signed copy!
The
Marble Queen
Stephanie
Blake
12/18/12
Amazon
Childrens Publishing
Purchase:
Amazon
Freedom Jane McKenzie isn’t good at following the rules. She doesn’t like any of the things that girls are supposed to like. She’s good at fishing, getting into trouble—and playing marbles. All she wants is to enter the marble competition at the Autumn Jubilee and show the boys in the neighborhood that she’s the best player. If she can’t be the Marble King, then she’ll be the Marble Queen. First, Freedom has to convince her mother to let her enter. But there’s a new baby on the way, Freedom’s daddy is drinking too much, her little brother is a handful, and her mother is even more difficult than usual.Freedom learns that when it comes to love, friendship, and family, sometimes there are no rules. Set in 1959, The Marble Queen is a timeless story about growing up.Stephanie Blake's The Marble Queen is an honest, amusing, and surprisingly poignant look at the coming of age of experiences one little girl in 1959 struggles and triumphs through.
Ten
year old Freedom Jane McKenzie isn't the kind of little girl her
mother wants her to be. Freedom rather play marbles with the boys
then play with Barbies or have tea parties. But Freedom is determined
to win the marble competition at the Autumn Jubilee and be the first
Marble Queen...that is, if her momma gives her permission to enter.
And her momma has more important things to deal with, like the new
baby on the way, Freedom's trouble making little brother Higgie,
Freedom's drunk of a daddy, and an eccentric neighbor. Freedom and
her mother constantly disagree about what's important and who Freedom
should be, but they both learn that maybe they're both a little wrong
and right.
Stephanie Blake has crafted a
story that is filled with a lot of heart, humor, and honesty. The
Marble Queen isn't a simple story by any means and often
deals with very real and very serious material (heavy drinking,
unstable marriages, abuse, affairs, etc), but does so with
sensitivity and in a way that is appropriate for its intended
audience. The young heroine, Freedom, is impossible not to like and
root for. Blake's story, characters, and storytelling skills make for
an affective and captivating combination.
The
Marble Queen is
a contemporary middle-grade book set in a small town in 1959, and
Blake brings this time period to life with rich details, pop cultural
references, and a story that stays true to its setting. Readers
will feel like they've been transported back to the fifties and be
completely immersed in this not so simple time. Blake's
world-building is superb and feels very complete; she has created a
very realistic and detailed small town community, with real people,
traditions, and places.
I
really loved Freedom! She is such an endearing, plucky, relatable,
and funny girl. The way she faces obstacles with determination and
outside of the box thinking is inspiring, while her honest and clever
observations are wildly amusing. Blake has done a great job of
creating very realistic characters, from charming Freedom to a
stressed out mother, curious little Higgie, a father that drinks too
much, a lonely old neighbor, gossiping townsfolk, and meanie boys.
The
Marble Queen is
about so much more than marble playing (although the marble playing
is important and fun!), it's about growing up, figuring out who you
are and who you want to be, and about learning to accept the flaws in
the people you love. And Blake has captured this all so well! By the
end of the book I was completely enchanted by Freedom and impressed
with Blake's story-weaving ways.
MY
FINAL THOUGHTS: Freedom Jane McKenzie is an unforgettable heroine with a truly memorable and poignant story. A story that author Stephanie Blake has spun with sparkling and shining talent.
Stephanie J. Blake loves black jellybeans. She is scared of the dark. She reads lots of books. She's a terrible driver. Her favorite color is blue. She eats chocolate. A lot. Sometimes she has déjà vu, and she likes it. Her middle name is Jane.The Marble Queen is her first book.
When she's not in front of the computer, she can be found in her backyard in Colorado with her husband, their three boys, and a cocker spaniel named Rocky. If she weren't a writer, she'd be a country singer. Or maybe a pastry chef.
MY RATING
Stephanie Blake
Stephanie J. Blake loves black jellybeans. She is scared of the dark. She reads lots of books. She's a terrible driver. Her favorite color is blue. She eats chocolate. A lot. Sometimes she has déjà vu, and she likes it. Her middle name is Jane.The Marble Queen is her first book.When she's not in front of the computer, she can be found in her backyard in Colorado with her husband, their three boys, and a cocker spaniel named Rocky. If she weren't a writer, she'd be a country singer. Or maybe a pastry chef.
Win a signed hardcover copy of
The Marble Queen!
Stephanie has generously offered up one signed copy of her book to give away.
DETAILS
-US/CAN
-will end 3/31
-must be 13+, one main entry per person
-winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours
-I am NOT responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes
Fill out the Rafflecopter form:
2 comments:
I've seen reviews of this book since last year. I think I have it on my tbr list. The forever growing list but the story sounds so good I couldn't help myself.
~Akoss
Thanks for the review. This sounds like a powerful read.
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