August 4, 2014

Congrats Are in Order


Congratulations to Mary L. Ball who commented last week to win a copy of Falling Like a Rock from Bonnie McCune. Thanks for supporting our visiting authors and hey, a free read is never a bad thing!




Infinite Sky and Book Giveaway 

I was contacted this summer about doing a review for a U.K author and had the opportunity to read the powerful young adult novel, Infinite Sky, by C.J. Flood. It's an impressive piece of work and quite moving. Like most coming of age stories, it isn't all rainbows and buttercups, but it made me think, and the contrast of sweet and bitter moments kept me reading and hoping for that happy ending. ...True to life, happiness can just be making peace with ourselves.

About this book: Powerful storytelling of life bitter and sweet, Infinite Sky, shares the coming of age experience endured by Iris, a lonely young teenager in the English countryside. Iris doesn't understand why her mother has abandoned the family, her brother is changing, and her father acts like a stranger. Only the arrival of a gypsy band on the family property provides an escape where she can experience friendship and first love, even if it's a clash of values and prejudices.

Trick is beautiful and damaged, much like Iris's family. The rebellious, wounded gypsy boy teachers Iris the importance of simple things and connects with her on a level she's never experienced. Her ardor for his principles and way of life help her to stand strong as life crumbles, and to reach out to what's left of her family to hold them together. The sweet, budding romance between Trick and Iris is a refreshing reminder of how true friendship can bloom into passion, and adds a painful look at how fate and circumstances can change us forever.

C.J. Flood writes a compelling young adult drama that illuminates the painful growth families must endure under extraordinary challenges and change. Strong writing brings the countryside to life and paints a surreal picture of how we live the pain of those we love. Infinite Sky is an expression of freedom with an atmosphere of adventure. It encompasses the agonizing jolt of truth that comes with the consequences of bad choices and decisions -- those things, besides freedom, that force us to grow up and be strong. 



Want to win a copy? 
Leave a comment below with your contact information by 8/13/14 to enter! 

Stay Balanced,
~Danielle Thorne


2 comments:

Mary Preston said...

I haven't read a story with gypsies since I was a child. I always loved them & this sounds fabulous.

marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

DanielleThorne said...

Hi Mary: The book is yours! I'll contact you for more information.