What would you do if you had to keep repeating the worst day of your life over and over? Misty finds out when she makes a wish in a fountain accidentally awakening a nasty gargoyle. Now she has to convince her best friend Stanley they are repeating the same day and find a way to fix it!
I was so incredibly impressed by this story. Most preteen books are not even close to the quality of this one. It was original and fresh. I was intrigued from start to finish. Oh, and that finish! I even laughed at Misty's misfortune and then felt bad for doing so.
Misty and Stanley are great characters who make each other better. They compliment one another and make the story move along smoothly. I love the use of the gargoyle wishing well to make the magic happen and how his thoughts are thrown in from time to time for effect. Every character in the story is authentic and appealing. From the parents to Mrs. Herverty at the pool. Each character brings something to the story and leaves a piece of themselves in the readers memory.
The scenes are well written without being overdone and paint the picture of this horrible day over and over. The end is a rich blend of storytelling and magic which leaves the reader not only impressed, but filled with wonderment. I love the two lives twist at the end. This author has so much talent and I have no doubt will be a big name one day.
I would recommend this book to any
I received a copy of this book free for review. All opinions are my own.
About the author
Lady Jenniviere was like any other girl, until one day while tending her rose garden she came upon a bird with a broken wing. Speaking quietly to reassure the frightened bird, Lady Jenniviere wrapped him in the folds of her gown and carried the little bird inside where, using tape and popsicle sticks, she was able to set the broken wing. For the next month Lady Jenniviere and the little bird spent hours together in the garden. The little bird appeared calm and content so long as Lady Jenniviere was speaking. In an effort to reassure the bird, Lady Jenniviere told him stories. Some days she would read a favorite book. Other days she repeated nursery rhymes. Finally the time came when Lady Jenniviere ran out of stories to tell. She looked at the little bird and said, "Well, I am all out of stories. I wish I knew more, but I don't."
To her amazement the bird said, "You have been kind to me. Mending my wing, tending to me while I healed and telling me every story you knew. I will repay all you have done. I know where there is a magic ink well. If you retrieve the ink well, you will never run out of stories again." Once she retrieved the magic ink well, her feathered friend gave her a tail feather. He instructed Lady Jenniviere to use it as a quill. The moment she dipped the feather into the magic ink, it sprang to life. To her amazement the quill began writing its story on the blank pages lying on her antique desk. Lady Jenniviere loved the story and thanked the bird for his gift before he flew back to the forest on two healthy wings.
Soon, other birds heard of Lady Jenniviere's magic ink and brought her their tail feathers. Every quill revealed a different story--some scary, some happy and some just plain strange. Eventually, Lady Jenniviere had enough stories to begin sharing them with her friends. Books were bound and soon people everywhere were reading the tales the birds' feathers contained.
When Lady Jenniviere isn't visited by feathered friends, she spends her time with her family. She's married to her college sweetheart, Lord Mark of Tanglewood. They live in Texas and share their lives with three dogs and a talking parrot aptly named Story. In their spare time, Lord Mark and Lady Jenniviere enjoy traveling, philosophizing, remodeling their castle and meeting fans of Lady Jenniviere's Quill. Lady Jenniviere often visits her mother, Queen Debi of Hollytree. They are the best of friends and adore their time together.
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