June 2016, Clean Reads, 98 pages, Ebook, Review copy
Summary from Clean Reads
Ten-year-old Amanda is constantly teased and tormented in school. Her
home life is less than satisfactory where her widower father, who is
often away on business trips, leaves her in the care of her indifferent
teenaged sister. Worse, not a day goes by when Amanda doesn't miss her
mom. TO escape reality, Amanda creates fantasy stories, but when she
discovers a talking golden pebble, her imagined world turns into a
new-fangled reality.
Nayu's thoughts
This was a bit
weirder than I like to read, hence the rating. It was a bit creepy
the way in which the Gold appeared, and grew. However, the realisim of
the tale, Amanda's older sister's reaction to taking care of Amanda after their mother's death is
what captivated me. It was clear Amanda needed love, as their dad was
away and her sister was a bully within their own home, without anyone telling her off for mistreating Amanda.
The magic and
intrigue of The Gold helped Amanda get through being unpopular at
school, and as the Gold grew so too did her confidence. Stuff
happens, which temporarily changes how Amanda feels towards The Gold,
but then an event reunites them with a bond that doesn't break. Her
sister manages to mellow out by the end, with a scene that had me
reaching for a tissue.
There is a small amout of religious talk, which
surprised me by not being a bigger part of what happens to The Gold,
but it helped Amanda a little in figuring out life. Full of human emotions and relationships, I recommend it as a
read that will make you think about life.
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