Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Fragile Creatures Release and Review!

Just Released Today!





Fragile Creatures by Kristina Circelli

The Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Evangeline Frost had a great life, until the car accident that killed her father and turned her mother into a bitter alcoholic. Unable to bear the guilt, Evangeline attempts to take her own life, saved only by the memory of her beloved father.

Left with no other options, Evangeline is enrolled in a program for troubled teens at Kindred Hides Wildlife Preserve. There she meets Caster, a keeper as annoying as he is caring; Jett and Lettie, who treat her more like a daughter than troubled teen; and Ruke, a prized giraffe in mourning for his lost mate. Immersed in the preserve with her new friends, Evangeline finally begins to heal. But the haunting memories of the accident and her mother’s unforgiving words threaten to destroy her progress. Only her new friends and their unconditional support, along with her own special connection with Ruke, can save her. Evangeline must learn that there is redemption for her father’s death, and that the bonds between human, animal, and life are not as fragile as she once thought.

Review:

5 out of 5 stars for this wonderful new YA novel!

I won't pull punches.  If you have an ounce of empathy in you, you will find this a hard book to read at times.  I had to put it down a few times myself. The story pulled me in so much, and I became so vested in Evangeline's progress, that I had to give myself an emotional break every so often.

I was not sure as I started reading if this would be a book for me, or one that I would be able to recommend to my daughter, who is a member of the target audience for this book.  I focused too much on the fact that she tries to take her life, and that she was a broken character.  I usually don't connect with these types of characters or stories very well, but Circelli was able to pull me in and hook me!

This book is about taking your life back!  Evangeline's struggle and her connection with the animals at the reserve help to pull her back into a life that she feels is worth living.  There are highs and lows in her struggle, as it is in real life, and I found myself living on an emotional roller coaster with her as she works through her time at the preserve.  By writing this in the third person, the reader is able to see the puzzlement of the others around Evangeline as they try to help this injured teen.  This gives a realistic quality to the story, for don't we all struggle to understand the motivations behind the actions taken by those nearest to us, especially when those actions seem to be unhealthy?

As you read this, not only will you need tissues ready, but have room around you, because you will want to punch the air and shout, "Yes!"!  Read this with a family member, and great discussions will ensue!







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