Synopses & Reviews
“Evangeline,” he repeated, calling at a whisper. “Evangeline.” He was not calling that she may hear, he was calling that somehow her soul might know that he was devoted entirely to her, only to her. “Evangeline, I will find you.”
Eva and Gabe explore the golden forest of their seaside Maine town, unknowingly tracing the footsteps of two teens, Evangeline and Gabriel, who once lived in the idyllic wooded village of Acadia more than one hundred years ago. On the day that Evangeline and Gabriel were be wed, their village was attacked and the two were separated. And now in the present, Gabe has mysteriously disappeared from Eva.
A dreamlike, loose retelling of Henry Wadsworth Longfellows famous love poem “Evangeline,” Anxious Hearts tells an epic tale of unrequited love and the hope that true love can be reunited.
From School Library Journal:
“Evangeline,” Longfellows tale of Acadian lovers separated on the eve of their wedding day only to reunite tragically after years of longing, provides the springboard for Shaws modern retelling. Chapters narrated by Eva alternate with those told by Gabriel. She tells the contemporary story of her growing awareness of and ensuing impassioned bond with an old childhood friend. Her love, Gabe, who is grappling with a family tragedy, scribbles in a notebook incessantly. It is not until they are separated that Eva reads the notebook, which turns out to be a close retelling of the original tale (Gabriels words that comprise the alternate chapters). This plot structure is quite seamless in execution. Evas voice keeps the book grounded in modern sensitivities. Like Longfellow, Shaw gives nature high importance through descriptive passages of his chosen Maine setting and pays homage in many other small ways from incorporating original lines into dialogue and transplanting subtleties of characters personalities. He is in no way, however, a slave to Longfellow, delivering both a couple of steamier scenes and potential for happiness in the end. The blustery landscapes and their intimate connection to the characters plight are reminiscent of Helen Frosts The Braid (Farrar, 2006) and even, at times, of certain scenes spent in seaside forests by a similarly thwarted vampire/human teen couple. It is this very power to evoke both admired historical fiction and hot teen literature that will prove this novels success.-Jill Heritage Maza
Synopsis
Meet Mary: Shes beautiful, and her ski-star boyfriend is cheating on her.
Meet Crystal: Shes a townie, and shes cheating with Marys boyfriend.
Meet Sylvia: Shes nasty, and shes got something up her Prada-designed sleeve.
Meet Amber: Shes a flake, shes the barista at the hottest coffee shop in Aspen, and she serves up gossip even hotter than grande skim lattes.
Meet Peggy: Shes Marys best friend, and she has no idea how to cope with all these girls.
A modern retelling of the classic play The Women (which featured not one male in the cast), The Girls is a quick-witted, stylish comedy about friendship, love, and most important, gossip! An elite Aspen prep school sets the stage for jealousy and intrigue as the lives of many girls tangle into a wickedly fun mess (in which no boys ever appear).
F&P level: Z+
Synopsis
Eva and Gabe explore the golden forest of their seaside Maine town, unknowingly tracing the footsteps of two teens, Evangeline and Gabriel, who once lived in the idyllic wooded village of Acadia more than one hundred years ago. On the day that Evangeline and Gabriel were to be wed, their village was attacked and the two were separated. And now, in the present, Gabe has mysteriously disappeared from Eva.
A dreamlike, loose retelling of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous love poem "Evangeline," Anxious Hearts tells an epic tale of unrequited love and the hope that true love can be found.
"The blustery landscapes and their intimate connection to the characters' plight are reminiscent . . . of certain scenes spent in seaside forests by a similarly thwarted vampire/human teen couple. It is [the] power to evoke both admired historical fiction and hot teen literature that will prove this novel's success." --School Library Journal
"Shaw's creative telling of these dual sagas will keep the reader turning pages to discover how and when the lives of these characters will converge." --ALAN Review
Synopsis
Homers
Iliad, the classic tale of love and revenge, is shrewdly retold for teens in
Troy High.
Narrated by Cassie, a shy outsider who fears that an epic high school rivalry is about to go up in flames, the story follows the Trojans and Spartans as they declare war on the football field. After the beautiful Elena—who used to be the captain of the Spartan cheerleaders—transfers to Troy High and falls madly in love with Cassies brother Perry, the Spartans vow that the annual homecoming game will never be forgotten.
The Trojans and Spartans pull wicked pranks on each other as homecoming approaches. And the Spartans wildcard football star, Ackley, promises to take down the Trojans offensive line. But the stakes are raised when Cassie is forced to choose between the boy she loves (a Spartan) and loyalty to her family and school. Troy High will seduce readers with its incendiary cast of mythic proportions.
F&P level: X
F&P genre: RF
About the Author
Shana Norris is the author of Something to Blog About, a BookSense summer 2008 pick, which Childrens Literature called “an uplifting and quick read” and about which Publishers Weekly said, “Norriss prose is breezy and playful.” She lives in Kinston, North Carolina, with her husband, dog, and three cats. Visit her online at www.shananorris.com.