Thursday, June 13, 2013

Season of Change - A Book Review

The Story of Two Young Stepsisters Comes to a Bittersweet End in the Final Book in the Sisters in All Seasons Series

“Anybody who’s in a blended family and has a daughter who’s 12, 13, or 14 years old really needs to read these books.”—Lynne Ford, WBCL-AM “Mid-Morning”


season of change.JPGBrought together by their parents’ marriage two years ago, Diana and Stephanie have overcome a near fatal car crash, school suspension,  wild wolves, and even helped solve a crime—all while “trying” to appreciate each other’s distinct differences.

In SEASON OF CHANGE (Zonderkidz; May 2013; $10.99), things have finally settled down for the teens. Their friendship has strengthened, and the usually reclusive Diana has finally begun to open up to Stephanie. So when they discover their parents are going on a mysterious weekend getaway to “work on their marriage,” they worry that their now happy union will be tested.

While staying at Diana’s grandparents’ lake house, the teens decide to take their minds off family turmoil and focus on having a good time together.

Their plans are foiled, unfortunately, when Stephanie’s mom shows up unexpectedly to pick her up for the weekend.  Meanwhile, Diana struggles to make sense of a crush she’s developing for a boy she thought was just a friend.
With the sisters apart and their parents’ marriage possibly on the rocks, the two learn that they care for each other more than they realized. What will become of their friendship if their parents split?
Kline concludes this charming saga with a bittersweet ending that will have devoted readers reaching for tissues and hugging their families a little tighter. SEASON OF CHANGE is proof that the bond between sisters is truly unbreakable.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lisa Williams Kline has written several books, including the first three books in the popular middle-grade series,Sisters in all SeasonsSummer of the WolvesWild Horse SpringBlue Autumn Cruise and Winter’s Tide. She also authored Write Before Your Eyes, the Princesses of Atlantis, and Eleanor Hill. The latter earned the North Carolina Juvenile Literature Award. Kline is the mother of two grown daughters and lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, with her husband. www.lisawilliamskline.com

What I thought:

This story was the last in a series, so some of the references to past events escaped me, but it wasn't too hard picking up where the other books left off. I didn't love this book but it wasn't awful either. I liked reading the scene about Stephanie learning to knee-board behind her step-grandpa's boat, it reminded me of the time I learned how to knee-board with some friends of ours in Florida. :) This story was mild enough for most teens to read, with nothing overly objectionable, although I didn't really enjoy reading about all the dynamics of these blended families... though I realize this is the unfortunate norm in many households these days. I did not think the author did a super job of wrapping everything up (especially considering this is supposed to be the last book in a series!) but the writing style was smooth and engaging.

Blessings,

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the review! On another note, I believe I read that before the Victorian era of the "ideal model family", and improved medical science, blended families were really common, almost the norm, like in the Georgian era. It was SO common for fathers or mothers to die as life was so frail in those days.

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