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Library | Material Type | Item Barcode | Shelf Number | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library | Juvenile Fiction Book Hardback | 120791002004779 | J HAW | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
At The Meriwether, Florida's famous antebellum hotel off of Hope Springs, nothing is quite as it seems. Secret staircases give way to servants' quarters and Prohibition-era speakeasies make for the perfect hide-and-seek spot. Allie Jo Jackson knows every nook and cranny of The Meriwether-she's lived there her whole life-and nothing surprises her, until the first time she spots the enigmatic and beautiful Tara emerging from the springs. Tara's shimmery skin, long flowing hair, and strange penchant for late moonlight swims disguise a mysterious secret-and once Allie Jo and her friend Chase discover Tara's secret, nothing will ever be the same.
From the celebrated author of Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning comes another magical summer tale full of memorable characters and a one-of-a-kind setting.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-Allie Jo Jackson, 13, lives with her parents in the famous, fading Meriwether hotel, near Hope Springs, FL. She is ready for a less-than-stellar summer when Chase arrives with his travel-writer dad and proceeds to break his arm while skateboarding down a hotel hall. He is soon followed by sweet Sophie and a beautiful mystery girl, Tara, whose gleaming hair, shining skin, startling good looks, and penchant for midnight swims start the others wondering about her identity. The old hotel, with its grand staircase, long halls, crumbling upper floors, secret passages, and abandoned speakeasy, is just as much a character in the book as the young teenagers, all of whom face personal problems. The cast also includes a group of mean girls who taunt Allie Jo, calling her "hotel rat," and a creepy man who insists that Tara is his runaway niece. Described in chapters that are alternately narrated by Allie Jo, Chase, and Tara, the summer flows along, filled with ordinary activities like card games and polishing the hotel's brass fittings. Then Allie Jo and Chase discover Tara's identity, but are not sure whether to believe her strange story. There is a touch of summer magic and a dollop of mystery in this compelling story.-Kathryn Kosiorek, formerly at Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Allie Jo's parents run the historic Florida hotel where Chase's family is staying. Together the kids investigate a mysterious girl named Tara, who turns out to be a stranded selkie desperate for the return of her sealskin. Issues of friendship, first crushes, and the quest to fit in are combined with the story's magic and mystery. Copyright 2010 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Haworth takes the legend of the Selkie and gives it a modern-day twist. Twelve-year-old Allie Jo lives in Florida at her parents' famous antebellum hotel, The Meriwether. Her plans for a quiet summer are thwarted after she catches 13-year-old Chase, a guest at the hotel, skateboarding on the hotel's historic wooden floors. Despite this inauspicious beginning, the two fall into an easy friendship, with Allie Jo showing Chase the town's attractions and the charms of the hotel.When Allie Jo and Chase meet a mysterious girl, Tara, who claims she is a Selkie on the run from the man who stole her sealskin, the two friends rise to the challenge and help Tara get her skin back. The author sets a quick pace in short chapters alternating among Allie Jo, Chase and Tara. The two kids take turns narrating in a colloquial present tense, while the author maintains a magical frisson by presenting Tara's chapters in a stately, third-person voice. Although predictable, the mix of fantasy and light mystery makes for an entertaining read. Fans of Liz Kessler's Emily Windsnap will enjoy this amusing tale.(Magical adventure. 8-12) ]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Eleven-year-old Allie Jo's family runs and lives in the legendary, timeworn Meriwether Hotel in Florida, where 13-year-old Chase is a summer guest with his travel-writer father. Although the kids' first meeting is somewhat contentious, each has encountered the beautiful, mysterious 16-year-old Tara, who is unfamiliar with the modern world, drawn to moonlight swims, and determined to remain hidden from others. When Tara reveals her fantastical story, Allie Jo and Chase decide to help her, but a suspicious stranger's arrival brings difficult dilemmas as they try to sort out the truth and the right course of action. Allie Jo and Chase are appealing, credibly realistic characters who face both extraordinary events and everyday issues, including resident mean girls. The alternating narratives, including Tara's voice, add suspense and depth to this entertaining and intriguing blend of fantasy and reality, myth and mystery, that celebrates friendship and compassion.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2010 Booklist