Freddy glowered at the smoke bush. And it gets to start all over again tomorrow. She had worked so hard at seeming normal. She knew she was normal compared to Mel, who could have been in university by now if she’d wanted, and Roland, who was proud of the fact that he had been voted the School for the Deaf’s student most likely to drive accidentally off a cliff … Everyone knew she was nothing like either of them, but it didn’t seem to matter. Bits of them clung to her like secondhand smoke.
And there’s Mum, she thought. She immediately shoved the thought away. Mum wasn’t the problem. She was never around, anyway.
This book was given to me by my friend and review partner. Thanks, Byron, for this wonderful reading experience!
Usually, when the advertisements for a book start by calling it “the next [wildly famous and tangentially similar book]” I roll my eyes. So when I turned to the back cover of Weave a Circle Round and saw “Madeline L’Engle meets Stranger Things in this debut YA-friendly fantasy adventure about how the unexpected can move in next door,” frankly I was unenthused.
Now that I’ve read Weave a Circle Round, I enthusiastically support this description! I think Madeline L’Engle would love this book, and fans of her work will love it too.
Maarin’s book turns on a fascinating premise and the story itself is electric. It’s definitely a children’s book, with fast-paced action and lively scenes and descriptions to keep any young reader engaged. But in keeping with the best fiction for young readers, Weave a Circle Round does not skimp on content. The message at the heart of this book is deep and fascinating, and will inspire readers young and old alike.
This book in particular may appeal to readers because of its realistic portrayal of a nontraditional family structure, and three siblings with their own unique personalities and challenges – including a deaf brother. Maarin’s incorporation of characters who use sign language was sensitive and inclusive, and added to the narrative without feeling overwrought or out of place. For that skillful inclusion alone, Maarin’s book deserves accolades.
