Search This Blog

2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)

2024 Challenge Sign-Up Post

January Reviews Link-Up

February Reviews Link-Up

March Reviews Link-Up

April Reviews Link-Up

May Reviews Link-Up

June Reviews Link-Up

July Reviews Link-Up

August Reviews Link-Up

September Reviews Link-Up

October Reviews Link-Up

November Reviews Link-Up

December Reviews Link-Up

My Progress:


9 / 30 books. 30% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (1)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia (1)
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*

International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Netherlands (1)

My Progress:


12 / 51 states. 24% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 50 words. 20% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


15 / 50 books. 30% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


32 / 50 books. 64% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


27 / 52 books. 52% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


21 / 40 books. 53% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


13 / 40 books. 33% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


5 / 25 books. 20% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


17 / 26.2 miles. 65% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


15 / 100 books. 15% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


34 / 104 books. 33% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


31 / 52 books. 60% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


32 / 165 books. 19% done!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Middle Grade Murder Mystery Warm, Affirming

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

The traveling life might suit her father's personality, but 13-year-old Olivene "Ollie" Love longs for a real home. She yearns to stay in one place long enough to go to school, make friends, get to know her neighbors. She dreams of living in a house that doesn't move, a house that's big enough to hold her family of six, a house equipped with a flush toilet, a Frigidaire and other new-fangled gadgets. It's 1957, after all, and everyone else gets to enjoy such luxuries. Except the Loves—they live in an old travel trailer, which they pull around the South, stopping every time they find a small town that looks ripe for some of the Rev. Everlasting Love's preaching. It's not a bad life, Ollie just wants a better life.

When the Loves pause in little Binder, Arkansas, Ollie heads to town to hand out flyers advertising the three-day revival her father's holding. Along the way, she meets Jimmy Koppel, a scruffy boy about her age. She's curious when she learns his mother's in jail for murdering his father, but she becomes downright furious when she sees how badly Jimmy's treated by the people in town, just because he's one of those "no-good Koppels." When Ollie's new friend confides in her that he knows his mother's innocent, Ollie vows to help Jimmy clear her name. But solving a murder takes time, not to mention the patience of Job, and Ollie has neither. She has to get to the bottom of the mystery before Virginia Koppel is transferred to a prison in Little Rock, before the surly sheriff kicks her family out of town, before Jimmy gets taken away. It won't be easy to find the truth, especially when the people of Binder are happy the Koppel problem will be going away in one fell swoop, but Ollie has to try. No matter how dangerous the consequences may be.

Author Tess Hilmo describes With A Name Like Love, her debut novel, as a "Southern murder mystery full of heart and soul." I happen to agree. It's a warm, atmospheric book with vibrant characters, earnest prose and strong, but subtle messages about the importance of faith, family and friendship. Although religion plays a central role in the story, With a Name Like Love isn't preachy at all, just affirming. A wholesome, uplifting read, this middle grade novel can be enjoyed by both children and adults. If you need a little pick-me-up after reading all the dark, depressing books on the market, I highly recommend you get yourself a copy of this one. You won't be disappointed.

(Readalikes: Reminds me a teensy bit of Lesley Kagen's books: Tomorrow River, Whistling in the Dark and Good Graces; also a little of Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for violence and mature subject matter (child/spousal abuse)

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

0 bookworm(s) said...:

Post a Comment

Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.

P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin


Reading

<i>Reading</i>
End of Story by A.J. Finn

Listening

<i>Listening</i>
My Contrary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows



Followin' with Bloglovin'

Follow

Followin' with Feedly

follow us in feedly



Grab my Button!


Blog Design by:


Blog Archive



2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Susan has read 0 books toward her goal of 200 books.
hide

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction