The Mysteries of Middlefield Series: Book 1
Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2010
ISBN: 976-1-4003-1593-2
Young Adult
268 pages
As I mentioned in my previous blog entry,Thomas Nelson Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BookSneeze.com bloggers book review program. I was not required to write a positive review, and therefore, the review is 100% my honest opinion.
I quickly flipped the book to read it, and finished it within 2 hours. This is what the book is all about:
A Summer Secret was written about a young girl named Mary Beth who has a twin bother and five younger brothers. As most older sisters, she has her fair share of responsibilities, chores and babysitting.
It seems like a huge burden to carry but with finances a problem, everyone in Mary Beth’s family do their fair share of work. Mary Beth gets tired of the boys being disgusting and obnoxious, making messes, invading her private space and their constant irresponsibility.
Tired of all the nonsense, Mary Beth seeks to find a place of her own. A place for privacy where she can record in her journal and have some serenity. She decides to find a refuge in an old abandoned barn in a neighbouring field which her parents have declared off limits. But then again, she desperately needs a place to call her own. It will be her secret.
There is only one problem. She is not the only person who is claiming the barn as their own. Her secret has been discovered and now she may be in grave danger.
From a reader and an author’s point of view, I think the storyline does not progress fast enough for the reader to get excited with the book. I nearly put the book down after a few chapters, and the so-called mystery in the book, is not quite a mystery after all. It’s rather predictable for me, and I wouldn’t really suggest the book to young readers. It will make the targeted audience scream with dissatisfaction, as the book is rather preachy and too wordy. The characters are not quite dynamic, and it’s quite a bore.
I would definitely not recommend this book to young readers, but I think some parents would prefer their young teens to read this book as they’re trying to lock up their children from facing the harsh reality and the things that goes on in the outside world. This book makes me think of Rapunzel all locked up in the tower by the evil godmother. This book, somewhat justify the godmother’s action.
I would rate this book 2 out of 5.
Cleffairy: I don’t think it is right for parents to restrict their children’s privacy and lock their mind in the tower like Rapunzel. The children would rebel, that’s for sure.
