Firegirl
by Tony Abbott
Seventh grader Tom has a troubled and self-centered best friend, an elaborate fantasy life, and a simple world view:
don’t ask too much. He daydreams of being a super hero with seemingly worthless powers that turn out to be just what’s
needed. Then, along comes Jessica. She makes only a brief appearance in Tom’s life and the lives of the kids in his
seventh grade class, but she changes everything. I liked Tom and his struggle between his conscience and his love of
the status quo. I liked the premise that your life can change completely in a very short space of time. Still, the book
didn’t feel as completely real as I would have liked. Other than Tom himself, most of the characters seemed thin, and
their motivation almost arbitrary, but perhaps that’s how our narrator experiences life. Certainly he would not look
below the surface of people, since that would endanger his desire for as little conflict as possible. So, I admit to
being wishy-washy. There was much to like here, but somehow it left me wanting more. |
The Reviewer |
Jan Fields |
Reviewed 2006 |
NOTE: Reviewer Jan
Fields is the editor of Kid Magazine Writers emagazine and has written dozens of
stories and articles for the children's magazine market. |
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